ADVANCE!

At HCA we don't like to retreat, so we ADVANCE!  The Advance is an overnight event for Junior and Seniors where we will be focusing on leadership and team building through a variety of activities.  This year we will be leaving after school on Thursday, September 6th heading for Three Trails Camp and Retreat Center near the intersection of Lee's Summit Road and Highway 40.  Our speaker this is year is Jeff Terrell, senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel.  After a full evening and day of activities (student-led worship music, teaching, planning, eating, and playing ... yes, Tube Tug will be there!), we will return to the school by 3:00 Friday.  Students will be receiving more detailed information in the near future.

This is always a memorable event for HCA students and I don't expect 2012 to be any different!

Who Are You and Why Are You Here?

    There is an old story about Akiva, the rabbi, who lived just outside the 2nd-century city of Capernaum. Akiva had been to the village to gather some supplies and was walking back to his cabin. Deep in thought, when he came to a fork in the road, he went to the right rather than taking the path that would lead him home. Suddenly a voice came through the darkness, “Who are you and why are you here?” Rousing his senses the rabbi realized he was in unfamiliar territory. Straining to see through the darkness he recognized the Roman fortress—the military barracks—and slowly realized the questions were coming from the sentry on duty, “Who are you and why are you here?”
    Being a rabbi and a scholar he answered the question with a question. “Young man, how much do they pay you to stand guard and ask those questions of those who approach?” Rather than being defensive, the guard could see he was dealing with a man of the cloth—not an intruder. He answered, “4 drachmas a week ($100).” The rabbi replied immediately, “I’ll double your pay if you come with me, stand at the door of my cabin and ask me those same two questions each morning as I leave for the day.”

After two days of intense training in worldview analysis, the AXIS closed with this challenge to HCA students in grades 9-12.  The AXIS group, by "encouraging underage thinking" wants to move students from "Apathy to Action."   This anecdote effectively summarized the thrust of this week:  "Who are you" (i.e. What is your worldview) and "Why are you here? (What difference does it make?)

We all would benefit from beginning every day with those two questions; the answer we give to those questions makes all the difference.  Jesus gave us a response to this question in Matthew 5 - "Let your light so shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

As yourself each morning as you prepare for your day - Who are you?  Why are you here? 

START 2012 (UPDATE)

The inaugural version of S.T.A.R.T (Student Teamwork And Readiness Training) began with a "snowball fight" and ended with a group photo.  In between, there was a full day of training, teaching, videos, team building, games, and pizza.  The morning was spent with Mr. Dohring, Mr. Hough, and Mrs. Chugg leading teaching sessions on variety of topics including purpose in life, spiritual giftedness, God's calling, Godly relationships, and more.  HCA student-created videos providing "survival skill" tips were interspersed throughout.

After a quick trip to Heritage Park and a pizza feed, HCA senior Chris Earnshaw and the rest of the student leadership team led a series of team-building activities including pyramid building and an Amazing Race style trip around Heritage Lake.

Many thanks to the HCA staff and upperclassmen who work tirelessly throughout the summer to plan and implement this event.  From the smiles on the weary faces of the 7th grade class, it was a great success.

Created For Relationship

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 22:36-40

From the first pages of Scripture we see the importance of relationship - from the first hint of relationship in the Godhead itself ("Let us make man in our own image" - Gen 1:26) to the creation of Eve ("It is not good that the man should be alone." - Gen 2:18) to God seeking out Adam and Eve in the garden in the cool of the day (Where are you?" - Gen 3:9).  The Savior continues this theme when he identifies the significant identifying mark of his followers - "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."  The writers of the epistles understood the importance of this concept, filling their writings with the "one anothers".

This is our chapel theme for 2012-13.  It has often been said that Christianity is not about a religion, it is about a relationship.  I have recently been reading Tim Keller's book The Prodigal God, and he makes the point that that both the younger son and the elder son are "prodigals", substituting something else for a relationship with the Father.  At HCA, we are not interested in developing "religious" students - we want to work with families and churches to develop students who have a relationship with the Living God that influences every human relationship as well.