Why We're In This Thing

Somewhere between this morning's parent-teacher conferences and tonight's trivia night, I find myself on the sofa in our den thinking about the middle of this past week.

I drove down toward Memphis, through undependable weather in a very dependable Toyota Camry rental, to speak about something that is a pretty big deal to me.

As it turns out, it's a pretty big deal to others.

The man who gave me my first teaching position, Mickey Bowdon, had asked me to come to Olive Branch, MS, to speak on this idea of transformational Christian education.

For years, Christian schools have done quality work, but like many schools of different stripes, they reach a place where they have to ask, "Is what we're doing really effective? What do we need to change?"

Those are questions we need to explore. I was there Wednesday evening to talk about this idea of transformational Christian education: Moving what we do from jockeying students into a framework that conforms to an idea of where we want them to be, to shepherding a hopeful transformation that is underway. 

I'm in the middle of going through several parts of this in this blog, but this was a venue to cover it all in one gulp. I was able to speak on moving from lesson plans and top-down to student learning, strategic struggle, and opening arenas to precocious pondering.

I didn't know what to expect, but the administrators were gracious, curious, prodding, and excited. TCE is, to them, a place of dangerously hopeful and exciting possibilities. Their queries in the Q & A session gave all the impression that we are on the verge of something really intoxicating.

And what was most profound and moving were our prayer group times. So many burdens were shared and prayed over. What an encouragement it was to know that we struggle over and have to work through many challenges, and that we can draw strength from God and each other.

This endeavor is bigger than all of us combined. The wonder is why the kingdom of God ever gets built, but He manages, and He wants to do it through human servants. That reassurance came home with dynamic force this week, and it was with a full heart and a happy soul that I drove home from Memphis.

I told my friend Scott VonderBruegge about my time there and he, in turn, was re-energized, saying this is "one of those things that makes going the next mile possible."

To be sure, it's nice to get some internal confirmation of why we're in this thing. Many thanks to Mickey Bowdon and all the others present this weekend, for you all have kickstarted me, as well.