If our students graduated after grade eight
believing that every other school-aged child in the world lives exactly as they
do in their school-home-church universe, we would be missing an opportunity.
Similarly, if the only mention of money and fundraising in their elementary
years at LCES were efforts to direct funds back toward themselves and/or their
school, something would be missing.
With the LCES goal of facilitating a
grateful response to God by using mind and body to serve others, we challenge
our students to be a faithful presence in a broken, but dearly loved
world. As an expression of thanks and in
response the instruction to be a blessing to “all nations” (Genesis 12:2),
students participate in a Student Service Project each year. Each class invests time and effort in some kind
of initiative that generates funds that support the chosen project. Examples of
this include selling smoothies, a fun fair, ice cream refreshments at the
Shakespeare play in May, and much more.
We’ve chosen to continue with the
organization we chose last year, Compassion Canada, who links us to “..the developing
world to end poverty in the life of a child, in Jesus’ name.”
(www.compassion.ca) Two specific projects we have chosen for
2016-17 are in the country of Indonesia. One goal is to equip a classroom with
the books necessary for learning because they lack these basic tools to study
God’s world. The other project is to create a play structure for students to
use, allowing them the joy of play (a child’s community) and the refuge of
safer place to play than the playground of the city streets.
It has been our experience that these
service projects offer unique opportunities for learning. Students are
challenged to meet the brokenness of this world in ways that are not otherwise
familiar to them. They can see
themselves as part of returning this world to the way it was intended to be by
God’s design and for his glory. Economic, cultural and geographic differences that
become clear in unique ways and empathy for others and recognizing the call to
be of Christian service (see LCES Graduate Profile)
are valued outcomes.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to witness
belief shape action in the lives of our students. May God be praised and may
his kingdom come. SJ
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