Homecoming

Earlier this month we celebrated homecoming at Grand Rapids Christian. Homecoming is a time when students, staff, parents, and alumni celebrate the home that we have built together over the past 100 years. We know that many who came before us had a vision for Christian schools and that through faith, they laid a foundation for the home we have today. Homecoming week was filled with many fun events and activities and culminated with a football game and dance. As we reflect on the “home” that God has provided for us in Grand Rapids Christian Schools, we have so much to be thankful for.  

Many things come to mind when we think about a home. We certainly think about the physical structure where we “live together” and the many changes in location and facilities that we have had over the years. We are blessed with a school building where we can learn more about God’s world each day. Whether it’s in the classroom or on the stage, in the robotics lab or on the athletic field, we have amazing facilities where our students can discover and use their unique gifts and talents that God has given them. 

A physical structure is not a home without the people who live there. As I reflect on the thousands of students, faculty, and staff who have walked the hallways of our school, I’m reminded of the power of relationships. I regularly hear stories of connections made at Grand Rapids Christian that produce life-long friendships, work partnerships, or even marriages. We have been blessed with Christian teachers and staff who love their content, but more importantly, love the Lord and their students, seeking to prepare them for lives of service to Christ. 

As Christians, we know that a home is much more than a physical structure or a group of people who live together. A Christian home is a Christ-centered community that seeks to “love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength” and that “loves their neighbors as themselves.” (Romans 12: 29 - 31) I was challenged a few weeks ago by a sermon on what it means to be a Christian home. The pastor said that too many of us are not currently seeking a home, but rather a club where everyone thinks the same way. The reality is that homes (even Christian homes) are messy at times. We disagree with each other, say things we regret and have to do a lot of listening and forgiving. My hope for our GRCHS “home” is that we are unified in our love for Christ and that we are “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19) 

Please join me in praying for unity in Christ Jesus as well as prayers of thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness to our school community!

-Brad