Oxford Hills Christian Academy
Oxford Hills Christian Academy Development Director’s Letter 8/31/01
Dear Friend of OHCA,
School has begun and we are praising God for multiple blessings. The statement "God is seldom early, but He’s never late." has proven to be the case once again. All of the details needed for the opening of the K-3 campus came together beautifully, although some, like the inspection of the fire alarm system were at the very last moment. God is good, all the time. Thank yous are in order for lots of people who went above and beyond to make the opening at both locations happen. Numerous board members, parents, teachers, students and church members worked long hours moving supplies, planting shrubs, hanging signs, assembling equipment, cleaning, running wire in tight places, mounting marker boards, sanding & varnishing floors and the list goes on.
Thanks to God are also due for sending ALL the teachers needed to fill vacancies. And HE did so early in the summer! Praise God for continuing to increase the enrollment. Please keep praying for this as we are still just a few students shy of the number needed to meet the projected budget. Yes, it is normal for enrollment to continue well after the start of the school year.
At last count we have students representing 15 area churches. The new chaplaincy program will involve all of the pastors in the mentoring and counseling of their respective students. Most of these pastors served on the original Advisory Council for the school and are committed to Christian education as well as the discipling of our youth.
Thanks are in order to the leadership and members of the Oxford Advent Christian Church for welcoming this expansion of the school into their building. Probably the word "invasion" is a better term than expansion, but we are grateful for the use of the space until such time as the school can afford its own campus. Keep praying!
Many thanks are due to those of you who financially helped out those families who were in need for their tuition. I don’t think anyone would have predicted the outpouring of generosity we have seen so far and we pray will continue. The leadership of South Paris Baptist Church deserves praise for their increase in commitment and support for the school. South Paris Baptist, and several other churches have already established Scholarship or Financial Aid funds to help those who would otherwise have difficulty paying school tuition. Hosanna Church has given us a great example to follow in their systematic support of Christian Education.
Thanks are due the parents who scrimp and save and inconvenience themselves in order that their children may have a high quality academic experience in a Christian environment. Your dedication will be greatly rewarded!
More good news. Two of our alumni, Erick Coombs and Janet Packard, have offered to head up the formation of an Alumni Organization. Dawn Ginn is forming a Moms In Touch prayer group. The evidence that God is with us is ample. May we continue to be faithful to His calling and His leading. We certainly could not have gotten to this point this quickly without His blessing. He has promised to supply all our needs and we have no reason to doubt that promise.
Speaking of needs, though, we will occasionally need something which was not foreseen in the budget. This month we need the following:
1. More efficient and professional-looking desk setup for our efficient and professional Administrative Assistant, Nancy Hanson. Approx. cost $200.00.
2. Digital Camera so we can shoot, download and send pictures hither and yon.
Included with this letter you will find an invitation to OHCA’s Grand Opening and Open House celebration. Numerous local and state dignitaries will be in attendance. Michael Heath, Executive Director of the Christian Civic League, will be one of our featured speakers. President Bush has replied and said that he can’t make it but go ahead with the ceremony anyway. We would like YOU to be there and feel free to bring a friend. We want people to see what God is doing in the Oxford Hills region.
Oxford Hills Christian Academy
POB 282
S. Paris, ME 04281
207-743-5970
You are cordially invited to the
Grand Opening Celebration
of
Oxford Hills Christian Academy
Wednesday, September 26
Ribbon Cutting and Remarks 10:00 a.m.
Location: Oxford Advent Christian Church
Rt. 26, Oxford
(A stone’s throw south of Wal-Mart)
Reception, Tours and Snacks to follow at both Academy locations:
Oxford Advent Christian Church, grades K-3
S. Paris Baptist Church, grades 4-12
Join us in celebrating 15 successful years of operation for Paris Christian Academy as it officially becomes the new, area-wide, non-denominational Oxford Hills Christian Academy.
Thank you for your interest in the betterment of our community through quality Christian education.
George Field, Headmaster
Developer’s Letter
7/20/01
Dear friend of OHCA,
God is blessing the Academy, teaching positions are being filled, a new Administrative Assistant has been hired (welcome Nancy Hanson), a new computer has been donated for the Administrative Assistant, donations were received from area business people for a new vacuum cleaner, several churches are setting up their own Scholarship funds, and enrollment is climbing little by little. Preparations are being made for K-3 to occupy the Oxford Advent Church. Watch for a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting ceremony to kick off the new school year and celebrating PCA’s 15 years and OHCA’s 1st year!
Please consider the following;
Without a biblical worldview, all the great teaching goes in one ear and out the other. There are no intellectual pegs…in the mind of the individual to hang these truths on. So they just pass through. They don’t stick. They don’t make a difference.
George Barna
From How Now Shall We Live by Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey
The remainder of this letter will be the text of two press releases delivered to local papers. By the way; Thank you to JoAnn Lincoln and Paula Lamb who have done a great job as press agents this past year.
Oxford Hills Christian Academy
1 Park Street · P.O. Box 282 · South Paris, ME 04281 · (207) 743-6405
Oxford Hills Christian Academy Gains Regional Support
Date: July 19, 2001
Contact: Gregg Tabbutt, Director of Development
"Attorney Steve Whiting and Oxford Hills Christian Academy Chairperson Marylin Newell, also president of Andover College, put the finishing touches on the bylaws and incorporation papers of the new Oxford Hills Christian Academy."
Fifteen years after its inception as a Christian day school, Paris Christian Academy has gathered support from a broad base of churches and individuals to become an independent school serving the greater Oxford Hills area. The idea for an academy that would serve a broader base of Oxford Hills Christian families was conceived over 10 years ago, and a detailed concept proposal was written up and published by pastor Eric Hanson and businesswoman Lois Strauss. It seems that Oxford Hills Christian Academy is an idea whose time has come. The school will continue to offer education for grades K-12 in an environment that promotes the fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith.
This fall Oxford Hills Christian Academy will open its doors in two temporary locations while it seeks a new site to support the anticipated growth of its student population. Students in grades K-3 will attend classes at the Oxford Advent Christian Church while those in grades 4-12 will continue to use the South Paris Baptist Church facility that the school has occupied since 1986.
Hosanna Christian School (which has been operating for 17 years) will be closing, and its leadership has made the decision to put the full weight of their considerable experience and expertise behind the new area-wide, independent Christian academy. Additionally, the academy’s Advisory Council includes representatives from eight area churches. The Council serves as spiritual leadership for the Academy, and will provide counseling to students enrolled from local congregations.
Oxford Hills Christian Academy is a non-profit corporation registered with the State of Maine. For information call 743-5970.
College President Named Chair of Oxford Hills Christian Academy
Date: July 19, 2001
Contact: Gregg Tabbutt, Director of Development
Andover College President, Marylin Newell, was recently named Chairperson of the newly incorporated Oxford Hills Christian Academy. A member of Pleasant Street Baptist Church in Mechanic Falls, Newell brings years of administrative experience to the private Christian school. When asked how she felt about her appointment, Newell commented, "It is wonderful to be able to bring my professional experience to such an exciting venture. It is clear that God has a plan and a purpose in establishing this new entity within the Oxford Hills community, and I am blessed to be a part of it."
Those who have been with Paris Christian Academy throughout its 15-year history have seen the development of the school to the point where independent status was the next logical move, according to Newell. As chairperson of the board of directors, Newell sees the board’s role in strategic planning as critical to the school’s future growth. "It is one thing to say you have a vision," Newell noted. "It is clearly another to realize that vision." Newell said the board of directors will focus on the future growth of the school while the charge to the school’s administrators is to maintain both the academic integrity that has categorized the school as an excellent educational facility and the Christian atmosphere that is primary to the school’s mission.
Newell began her own career in education as a substitute teacher in California public schools during the late 1960’s. During the next two decades, Newell opted to pursue other professional ventures including self-employment as a process consultant to small businesses. Returning to education as an instructor with Mid-State College in Auburn, Maine, in 1988, Newell was later named Academic Dean, then Vice President of Enrollment Management in 1998. She became President of Andover College in Portland, Maine in January of 2000. Newell resides in Hebron, Maine, with her husband Douglas. Newell’s two children live in San Francisco, California and Bangor, Maine.
Would you like to help the academy in some way? Please call principal George Field at 743-5970.
Thank you for your support of Christian schooling and God bless you, Gregg Tabbutt 744-0208
Oxford Hills Christian Academy
Developer’s Letter
5/17/01
Praise God for His blessings! Yes, we are making progress toward our short and long-term goals. Enrollment is steadily increasing (we need 80 paying students to balance next year’s budget projection); inquiries generated by advertising and word of mouth continue to come in to the office; the Financial Aid Fund continues to grow (slowly but nevertheless); a transition team is working out the details of space utilization at Oxford Advent Christian Church; we (Jancie Richard and I) have been speaking in area churches almost every week; and the list goes on.
All of this is great as long as we are fulfilling the mission and vision of the school and as long as those things are consistent with God’s will and His commandment to go into all the world and make disciples.
What is the vision and the mission? A story is in order. Chuck Colson tells of a young man serving time for the murder of a girl. The girl’s brother died of AIDS and her father then died of a broken heart, leaving her mother without a family. The mother declared that if this young man repented of his sin and asked Christ to be forgiven then she would also forgive him. He did publicly ask Christ (and the mother) to forgive him, which she did. Then she also adopted him as her own son! This young man now has a job and is actively serving the Lord in a church. This story speaks volumes about the restoration and reconciliation power of the Gospel. What other belief system has the power not only to lend stability and order to society but also to restore, redeem and reclaim lives which are already broken? We live in a society which has a fixation on and an obsession with death. (Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death,…..) The only way to successfully counter and combat this is to have an obsession with life and the Bible says that Jesus is the life!
Right here in the Oxford Hills Community this past weekend we witnessed the tragic and needless death of a young man. He and his friends were flirting with death and it caught them. This story is replayed every day in communities all over the world. But what sort of behavior should we expect if people are immersed in a culture which tells them that life is meaningless? That is what makes Christian Education not only valuable but necessary if we are to produce young men and women of character; men and women who will be transformers rather than destroyers of society. That is why your Board of Directors has taken the course we are on. That is why we desire to build the school to serve a wider community. That is why our goal is to pay our dedicated teachers what they deserve. (We want them to be able to stay at OHCA rather than searching elsewhere for a better paying job.) That is why we are beefing up our academic offering particularly in the high school, so that all of our students will be better prepared for life whether or not they are college-bound. That is why our emphasis is to "go for the best" and pray for God’s guidance and blessing. Yes, it’s expensive, but we have seen the astronomical cost of attempting to maintain an orderly society without God. There are no laws good enough and no jails big enough to hold back the damage caused by a society which has rejected God. Our children and grandchildren and our friends’ children deserve the very best that we can give them, both academically and spiritually. That is our vision and our mission in a nutshell.
In this newsletter I will make you aware of our needs but I don’t necessarily expect or desire you to give. I would far rather you be committed to the vision and the mission and would make your decisions on that basis. Having said all that, here is the list of our current needs. We would appreciate your prayers first of all; then if you feel led to support the school financially or otherwise I thank you in advance and praise be to God.
Please pray for:
New teachers in these subjects: History, Science, Music, Elementary;
Enrollment growth (Beyond the minimum of 80);
Administrative Assistant
Growth of Financial Aid Fund
Praise: Attorney Steve Whiting has graciously agreed to do all of the paperwork
associated with incorporation and the 501(c)3 non-profit status. (The IRS
has NOT agreed to do any pro-bono work and their fee is $500.)
Paul Johnson and I visited Portsmouth Christian Academy (600 students)
and came home with a wealth of information on the operation of a
successful and God-honoring Christian school.
Thanks for your support and God Bless You,
Gregg Tabbut- OHCA Development Director
DEVELOPER'S GREENSHEET #8
1/18/01
Dear Friend of PCA,
The school board and administration have been busy working with issues concerning tuition, salaries, curriculum, staffing, insurance, board and administration policy and space expansion as they apply to the upcoming school year and the whole independence process. Advisory Council membership is expanding and we are blessed to have such a wise and expert group. South Paris Baptist Church will be voting on allowing board members to be chosen from other churches and they will be considering a long-term lease proposal. Oxford Advent Christian Church will be considering a proposal to use a portion of its facility for the school expansion. Needless to say, our plate is full.
________________________________________________________________________
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
FEB. 27
6:30-8:00 p.m.
PCA Dessert Fellowship
All are welcome; Parents/Grandparents/Faculty/Board/Advisory Council
THEME: Why Christian Education and What is the Parents’ Role?
SPEAKER: tba
INTRODUCTIONS OF YOUR ADVISORY COUNCIL AND SCHOOL BOARD
INFORMATION AND OUTLINE OF PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
You will not want to miss this evening of discussion and fellowship.
LOCATION: Paris Christian Academy
Items for prayer;
Computers are failing. Yes we have some new equipment, but the high school will soon need a whole new bank of up-to-date computers.
When the independence process is completed we will need our own van. We currently use the church van.
Please pray that enrollment would stay strong as we go through all the changes envisioned.
A qualified Pre-School teacher will be needed for the fall (assuming approval and licensing of the program).
Thank You Lord for guiding our every step. Thanks to all of you who support this ministry in one way or another.
God Bless You All Gregg Tabbutt-Development Director
DEVELOPER'S GREENSHEET #7
12/18/00
Dear Friend of Paris Christian Academy:
One half year has passed since the beginning of the independence process. I think it is appropriate to count our blessings to date. At this time of year our thoughts are often preoccupied with gifts. But we know the greatest gifts are those from God.
A brief list of gifts from God to PCA:
1.Enrollment stayed steady at just under 100 in spite of a change in leadership and the loss of 11 high school students.
2.George Field filled the principal's post. Great job, George!
3.Teaching positions were successfully filled.
4.Funds were donated to hire a consultant and to purchase some new computers.
5.The Un-Orange sale grossed and netted just under $1900. Expenses were only $34.00.
6.God prevented us from making a potentially large financial mistake with certain properties under consideration.
7.Donations enabled all faculty to attend the ACSI teachers' convention in Sturbridge, MA.
8.We prayed for affordable expansion and God pointed us to another church with classrooms (consistent with consultant's recommendation). (Negotiations underway, no details yet.)
9.Consultant's strategic plan is complete, the School Board and the NEW Advisory Council are working on implementation.
10.Lawyer who is charging us only half his normal rate is submitting paperwork to incorporate the new independent school and to gain non-profit status.
11.Chamber of Commerce "Business After Hours" @ PCA is a public relations success.
12.On the twelfth day of Christmas the good Lord sent to us -- new volunteer coaches for soccer, volleyball and basketball.
And the list goes on.
Please pray for the following:
Resolution of the expansion space issue in time to attract more students in all grades for the coming school year. Pray for the addition of a Pre-K program.
Curriculum enhancements in the high school in order to upgrade our offering to include more sciences and higher level math.
Opportunities for board members and the developer to tell the PCA story to many more churches, civic and business organizations and to enlist their enthusiastic support.
The continuing search for 8+ acres of land (preferably donated) for a future campus.
Efforts to secure the daily use of an unused gymnasium in the area. (Yes, there is one!)
SPECIAL NEED
The cost of transitioning to an independent school is high. We have an unexpected (don't ask) and unbudgeted legal bill of $552.00. If God has been prompting you to help PCA financially and you have not yet done so, may I encourage you to help with this need?
Welcome to the Advisory Council members. These people have been chosen for their spiritual maturity as well as their wisdom in other areas and their commitment to Christian education and to the concept of an area-wide non-denominational Christian school. They also clearly understand and agree with the mission of PCA. They are:
Rev. Clifford Fournier, Rev. Eric Hanson, Rev. Clayton Haley, Rev. Dallas Henry, Rev. Steve Holbrook, Lois Strauss , Rev. George Waterman, and Rev. Melvin Young, ret.
May the love of Jesus Christ be with you all through this joyous Christmas season.
DEVELOPER'S GREENSHEET #6
11/20/00
Dear friend of Paris Christian Academy:
Update on the progress of becoming an independent, non-denominational, Christian K-12 school serving the entire Oxford Hills Community & beyond.
GOOD NEWS!
The Advisory Council is now in place and met for the first time with the Board of Directors on Nov. 7. The Advisory Council will be a resource for spiritual support and for future members of the Board of Directors. One of the first assignments for the Council will be to assist the school's search for expansion space. We have good news on this issue. The Advisory Council will serve as an expert sounding board for ideas such as the consideration of changing the school's name to reflect a desire to serve the whole Oxford Hills Christian community. The Council will be an invaluable aide in the promotion of the school to a broad segment of the church and business communities. PCA is grateful for the dedication of the council members and their willingness to sacrifice for this great cause. We will publish a complete list of the members as soon as the preliminary selection process is complete.
On Nov. 13 consultant Bruce Dreisbach of Deer Haven Partners met with the Board of Directors to present his findings and proposals for the future of the school. His recommendations included continuing as we are in many operational aspects. He recommended that we share facilities with one other church in the area in order to have expansion space for the upcoming school year. This would allow time to expand the student base and the donor base prior to launching a capital drive to fund a new campus.
One particular church was identified as being most suitable for this purpose based on its proximity to PCA and its physical layout and athletic field. Negotiations are underway but many details need to be worked out. Nothing is cast in stone yet. Keep praying please!
Nov. 30, 5:30-7:00pm, PCA is hosting the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours. This is a marvelous opportunity to promote our school to the business community. All are welcome. (Please dress for success.) Refreshments served. Students, teachers, parents and our principal will be sharing what they like about PCA and our vision for the future. Fourth graders will be singing and doing a skit. This should be great fun! Please join us.
A HUGE THANK YOU is due those of you who have freely chosen to support PCA with your time or your money. God assures us that our efforts for His glory will not go unrewarded. Please continue to pray for the school as we navigate uncharted waters. Pray that we would continue to be in Gods will and He would guide our every step. Pray that we would continue to upgrade our academic offering while tightly holding on to our Christian mission.
A note to alumni; Please contact me for inclusion in our new brochure. (A video version is also in the conceptual stage.)
DEVELOPER'S GREENSHEET #5
10/20/00
Dear Friend of Paris Christian Academy,
A big THANK YOU is in order to all of you who have expressed interest in the success of PCA through your much-appreciated input of time, ideas or finances. The board of directors has instituted an Advisory Council which will initially be comprised of a concerned group of area pastors. This group will give us spiritual guidance as well as form the basis of a larger group designed to advise us on various specific issues in the areas of design, construction, finance, etc., as the independence process unfolds.
Our consultant, Deer Haven Partners, will be presenting their strategic plan for PCA in early November. I have seen the particulars and I am excited about their findings and what our progress will mean for the unity of the Christian community in the Oxford Hills area.
As stated in previous letters, our greatest short-term need is to find suitable space to accommodate a larger student population. Each year we turn away a significant number of prospective students simply because we don't have room. Please pray that God would send us an answer to this situation. When we have more students we will have the resources to rent more classroom space and to round out the High School curriculum.
Good News! We received several generous donations for various purposes including new basketball uniforms and to help the teachers attend the mid-November conference in Sturbridge, MA. Investment in our teachers is one of our highest priorities.
On November 30, PCA will be hosting the Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours. We will be asking students, teachers, parents, and principal Mr. Field to give a brief testimony. Snacks will be served. What a fun way to promote the school to the community. The Parent Involvement Team will be coordinating home-baked goodies to serve. Let us know if you would like to participate in some way.
In case you are wondering what a development director does, my days are filled with efforts to expand the base of contacts which will eventually result in either more students or land and buildings for expansion or a larger donor base for everything from capital projects to scholarships. Much of my time is spent getting to know the students, their parents, the faculty as well as business and spiritual leaders in the community. I also visit successful independent Christian schools to see how they do it. I have cultivated relationships with a number of professionals and consultants throughout the country who have offered their expertise to us at little or no cost. My involvement with the Maine Christian Civic League these past few weeks has led to several valuable resource contacts. Involvement in the local pastor's fellowship, (thanks for taking me in gentlemen, and lady) has been a great source of spiritual support and wisdom. I also like to participate in the faculty prayer and worship time some mornings as well attend PCA sports events. My goal is simply to tell the good news about PCA to as many people as possible as soon as possible. I love this job and I believe God is blessing our efforts.
Attached to this sheet you will find an information sheet explaining an upcoming student fundraiser, plus I have included a wonderful testimonial from one of our alumni. Thank you for your interest in Paris Christian Academy. We appreciate your support and covet your prayers for continued blessing on God's work here.
In His Service, Development Director
Un-Orange Sale 2000
In years past PCA students had loads of fun selling cases of oranges to raise much-needed funds for student activities (field trips, conferences) and other needs.* Each case sold for about $12.00 of which $9.00 was paid to the supplier and PCA kept ONLY $3.00!
This year we are having the "Orange sale without the oranges" or the UN-Orange Sale. If you give half the price of a case of oranges ($6.00) PCA gets to keep the whole $6.00; twice the benefit to the school and your kids at half the price.
As in the past the students will be competing on teams for prizes based on the number of "cases" they sell. ( The goal is 5 cases/student)
Great things are happening at PCA and we hope you will contribute to this worthy cause, but only if you feel God is leading you to do so.
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
2 Corinthians 9:7
*Tuition accounts for less than half the total cost of each child's education.
Testimonial
I first came to Paris Christian Academy at the beginning of my fifth grade year, and it wasn't long before I knew it was where I belonged. While many of my classmates left, year after year, to attend public schools, I stayed to graduate from PCA. Even though it is still a small Christian school, PCA had a huge impact on my life. The lives of my teachers were examples of Christianity in living color, and the education I received was excellent. I am now a junior at Cedarville University, a Christian liberal arts college in Ohio, where I am majoring in Spanish Education. Never once have I felt unprepared for college courses and the accompanying demands and expectations. I really feel that PCA did a great job preparing me for college, and for the rest of my life. I am deeply indebted to the teachers who gave me such a high quality education.
Michelle Corning
DEVELOPER'S GREENSHEET #4
9/18/2000
Making Disciples for Christ
Change the method if necessary but not the message!
PRAISE: Please say hello and thanks to principal George Field when you get a chance, for the way he is handling all the many challenges of not only a new job but the juggling of teacher/time/space and curriculum requirements of a school in transition.
The board of directors is thankful for the parents, teachers, staff and supporters who have caught the vision of what the future of PCA can be and who have been patient and encouraging as we move through the process of becoming an independent school. Change certainly can be painful but if that is how we grow then so be it. The discomfort can be minimized, however, if we are united in our goals and in our understanding of the adjustments we all may need to make to achieve them and if we are all focused on doing the will of God in this process and giving Him all the glory.
George Field and Gregg Tabbutt attended an ACSI conference on school security and safety in Burlington, MA. ACSI holds regular conferences and seminars throughout the country. These seminars are designed to benefit all aspects of the operation of a Christian school. A major teacher's convention will be held in Sturbridge, MA November 15-16. Other upcoming seminars will be specifically for board governance or other aspects of school administration and development. It is the consensus of the board that, in order to become a first rate school we need to upgrade our skills in all of these areas. As such we will highly encourage the entire school staff to attend as many of these as time and finances permit. The teachers' conferences all contain seminars which carry CEU credits which will help our teachers move toward or maintain ACSI certification. One of the best investments any school can make is in its teachers. They are in large measure responsible for the results the school achieves and they should be rewarded accordingly. An integral part of our goal is to upgrade teacher skills and compensation significantly.
The search continues for temporary expansion space to accommodate more students until such time as we can build a new school. We ran into a snag regarding code compliance in the existing buildings we were looking at. Discussion is ongoing with the town and other concerned parties. If you feel you have some expertise to bring to this situation please give me a call.
What is the ideal situation for PCA? The ideal situation would be for us to acquire, by donation or otherwise, an 8-10 acre parcel of flat land with town water and sewer, fairly close to the metropolitan downtown Norway/South Paris area on which we can build incrementally (as we have the funds) a brand new facility, specifically and professionally designed for the needs of PCA or whatever we may call it. We hope to have an artists rendering of this concept soon. The school should accommodate a minimum of 150 students with expansion capability.
What do we need? We need more tuition-paying students and we need space to accommodate them. Which is the cart and which is the horse? At this point only God knows. He undoubtedly will make the answers clear when and in the way we need them if we only trust Him.
We also need to replenish and build up the Financial Aid fund so that we may better assist those who truly cannot afford tuition.
Please pray that God would continue to supply all of our needs and that we would continue to be faithful to His calling for each of our lives. Please pray for the Advisory Council which will be instituted by the board in the very near future. Please pray that the board members and I would have many new opportunities to take the message of PCA to people in the community who don't know what great things are happening here. And please pray for the continued spiritual and academic progress of all PCA students, and of course for the dedicated teachers.
If you have questions or suggestion please call me at 744-0208, e-mail glt@gwi.net
In His Service,
Gregg Tabbutt, Development Director
DEVELOPER'S GREENSHEET #3
8/14/00
"Making Disciples for Christ"
Dear friend of Paris Christian Academy,
The past month has been eventful for the development process. The board, along with principal George Field, has dealt with scheduling, staffing and resource issues in addition to the procedural issues of the independence process. My dealings with your board of directors have
been a positive professional and spiritual experience. This is one more way in which God has blessed PCA.
GOOD NEWS-
The rumors about PCA considering purchase of the old Paris Manufacturing Co. site and warehouse are true. We are in the preliminary stages of evaluating the feasibility of the site. We are not at all ready to begin actual purchase proceedings. PCA will not be entering into any such complex arrangement until a total assessment of purchase and upgrade costs has been completed and the whole plan has been divulged to all concerned parties (that means you) and we get the final go-ahead from God. Other properties are also under consideration but , frankly, we do not yet have the student (tuition) and donor base
to support long term financial commitments and carry the annual operating costs of the school. Please pray for these goals.
George Field and Gregg Tabbutt spoke to the Kiwanis Club- positive response!
A Christian lawyer has offered his time to get PCA through the legal and procedural process of becoming an independent school and a non-profit corporation.
More donations have come in.
The board will soon be establishing an Advisory Board or "Visionary Forum" to broaden the "wise counsel" and expert input of the new schoolprocess. Membership in this non-voting group will be by application and in accordance with a strict set of qualifications in order that our mission of "making disciples for Christ" will not be compromised.
The attitude of the community of Oxford Hills seems to be quite positive.
NEEDS-
Temporary storage space for desks, etc.
Staffing- check with the principal for specifics. 743-6405
PLEASE PRAY FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE and call me for details or to share your opinions. 744-0208 e-mail glt@gwi.net.
DEVELOPER'S GREENSHEET #2
7/20/00
Dear friend of Paris Christian Academy,
Your Development Director has been busy looking at buildings for temporary classroom space and land and buildings for a permanent new campus site. There are losts of bridges to cross to make these dreams a reality but we can't ask too much of our God! In this regard, some very interesting proposals are starting to surface and a number of people have offered their services.
Paula Lamb and JoAnn Lincoln are now the PCA press agents- let them know if you have news items for the papers. Thank You, ladies!
Please pray for the following needs;
We still need more students and teachers for this year, and the classroom/teacher format still needs some fine tuning.
A fund is being started to replace the living dinosaur (computer) in the principal's office ($1500+/-) and to purchase a laptop model for the developer ($500). Donations of any amount greatly appreciated!
Our new principal, George Field has hit the ground running! Welcome George!
Pray for your board as it seeks to wade through the legal and procedural issues of becoming an indepentdent school and as we consider the possibility and makeup of an outside Advisory Board.
Pray for your develpment director as I attempt to broaden the base of support and to "blow the trumpet" for PCA as far and as wide as I can. The results have been positive; may this continue.
Pray that God will proabide the funds to increase teacher salaries.
I am in regular contact wsith "wise counselors" who have been through this process in situations very similar to ours. They all say this is a God-sized project. but through God-sized projects His glory will truly be revealed, lest we should boast. If our visoon is to impact our community for Christ then we should be thankful for jobs which are too big for us, fut just rightr for Him. And when we succeed then peo-ple will look to and be drawn to Him! Isn't that they way we want it?
In His Service,
Gregg Tabbutt
