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Recently, the faculty has been studying CHA’s first principle of leadership which is to value people.  Value is defined as to give worth or to esteem highly. How we spend our time, yield our attention, and invest our resources reveal what we value.  Having been an educator for twenty-nine years, I can testify that teaching is more than a ten-month, 7:30am -3:50pm job.  Why? Because teaching involves relationships.  Teaching is influence.  It is far more than notebooks and grading papers.  Long after the grades have been posted, what remains are the lessons learned from the heart of the teacher which have penetrated the heart of the student.  The value teachers place upon the lives of their students is seen in their time spent, attention given and resources invested. Likewise, the value that couples place upon marriage or parents upon their children is seen in these same ways.  

One morning after our faculty devotion on valuing people, Mr. Josh Bullard shared with me that his wedding gift to Genel was one single pearl.  Each year since, he has purchased an additional pearl for her necklace.  With each passing year, his relationship with Genel is even more priceless. This is a picture of the necklace.  May it be a reminder that what we do reveals what we value. 

What motivates us to invest in others? Christ. His life revealed what He valued. Titus 3:5 states that Christ saved us not because of our righteousness but because of His mercy. It is the realization of His grace that inspires us to love with abandonment and invest in eternity. Matthew 13:46 speaks of this treasure as a pearl, that once found is worth selling all that we have to obtain. As a new parent, I remember praying over where the Lord would have our children to attend school.  We interviewed the public schools and private schools in the area.  We saw the pros and cons of each and brought them to the throne of God.  The realistic plan would not have been to send our children to a private school on a pastor’s salary with a stay-at-home mom.  The realistic plan would not have been to drive every day to school.  But as we prayed, the Lord revealed his plan to us. It was clear - “as I trained Paul under Gamaliel, so I will train your children.” With that, we began the step of faith of obedience and enrolled our children.  I will confess that at times it did feel like we had invested all that we had in time, attention and resources to do so.  The result though has been a priceless pearl.

What do you value? What garners your time, attention and resources? What we do reveals what we value. As Thanksgiving nears, may we give thanks to God for what He has done.  May we give thanks for those who have invested in our lives and the priceless relationships that we have with others. May we consider how we can continue to invest in others and in those things that mean the most to us.  Next Tuesday is #GivingTuesday. Would you please begin to pray and ask the Lord how He would have you invest in CHA? Whether through prayer, our Capital Campaign (for facility needs), the Opportunity Scholarship Fund (which redirects your tax dollars to CHA) or the Heritage Fund (directed toward student learning), may we count on you this thanksgiving season?  

Grateful to partner with each of you!

Dr. Susan DeMoss
Associate Headmaster

Christian Heritage Academy is committed to training American Christian Leaders. The first principle of leadership at CHA is to value people. Value is defined as to give worth or to appraise with high esteem. Last Friday, members of CHA’s student council met with a few members of the school’s administration during lunch.  Mr. Troop Bullard shared our first leadership principle with the students and asked them where they saw CHA accomplishing the goal of valuing people. As the students began to share, they spoke of the many ways they saw the teachers, administrators, and students valuing people.  As they spoke, they would often begin their remarks with, “What I love most about CHA is…” The students’ speech began to be not just reflective but also deeply personal.  Here are some of their favorite things.

The teachers at CHA invest in the lives of their students.  Daily, teachers and coaches challenge the students to have intentional conversations with others.  Asking for prayer requests is routine, but what they love about CHA is that teachers do not just ask for prayer requests, they also follow-up. They continue to pray. Teachers at CHA teach from a Biblical worldview.  Every subject is taught from God’s Word.  The teachers help the students see connections between God and each subject.  The teachers value students by having high expectations and making them work hard. Teachers are available and personally invest in the lives of the students.  Teachers feel “called” to be at CHA and understand their purpose. What the student council leaders said they love about CHA teachers is that they championed each student.  One student said it best, “The teachers are our biggest fans.”

In regards to administration, the members of the student council said that the school leadership value families.  The administrators know the families and are involved in the families' lives.  The students could tell that the school leadership does not just know the families but enjoys being with them. Student council members said they love how the administrators speak to every student in the hall and ask how they were doing.  They were impressed that school administrators take the time to stop and talk with students each day and genuinely care about the students.

What was most encouraging was to hear how students at CHA value other students.  The opportunity to have foreign exchange students in the student body was echoed again and again as a gift.  From Salt and Light families adopting a foreign exchange student to Each One Reach One hosting gatherings for new and international students throughout the year, students value these cross-cultural relationships.  What they love about CHA is that the school is small enough that the students know each other not only in their own grade but in all the grades.  Clubs like Lantern Ladies which promote inter-grade relationships and mentoring are keys to student-to-student relationships.  Salt and Light’s sixth grade mentoring program is also a great way to value elementary students and help with the transition to secondary. One student leader said, “Everyone is nice to each other and everyone respects each other.”

As I sat and enjoyed hearing the hearts of these student leaders, I relished their joy, sincerity, and their passion for Christ, for each other, and for CHA. It is a gift to work at CHA.  Ask me what I love about CHA….the students. I have worked in other outstanding districts in our state with many fine educators and students.  I will say that the caliber of our students, which is seen in their love for Christ and others and lived out in their words and actions, is comparable to none.  I wonder, what do you love about CHA? Who could you tell about what God is doing at CHA? Tell someone.  Who would be at CHA if they could? Consider giving to the Opportunity Scholarship Fund to redirect a portion of your state income tax to allow more students to attend CHA. Share your comments on our Facebook post and let us know what you love.  We would enjoy hearing from you.

Have a great week!

On the eve of the midterm elections, Congressman Tom Cole spoke to students at Christian Heritage Academy. Club Politico, the school politics club, invited Congressman Cole to inform the student body about political issues and promote excitement for schoolwide mock elections. Cole emphasized the importance and the privilege of voting.

Coming from a military lineage, his parents always stressed the direct impact a vote could make on military families. As soon as he was able to vote, he always considered which candidate understood the most about the issues that he faced personally. Over time, Cole’s research of political candidates and the issues of each election led to a larger interest in politics. He soon began to run campaigns for candidates, including his own mother, counselling them about the issues they should run on. From there, he ran for several state offices including the state senate and Oklahoma Secretary of State. He’s also served as chairman and executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Mr. Cole was eventually elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004 for the 4th District. His path to becoming a great influencer started with the simple act of voting. The students of CHA loved hearing him speak and look forward to voting themselves in the upcoming years!