OUR SCHOOL IS DIFFERENT... WE'RE AN "EASTER SCHOOL"

"... These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up..." Deut. 6: 6-9

Before the blessing of this opportunity to serve at LCS, I was the principal of a large, urban, local public elementary school of nearly 600 students. Ten years previous, there was only about 250 students enrolled there. When I left that school, there were over 27 different languages spoken in the homes of our students. Many parents did not speak English. There were many different faiths, and very few common values or beliefs about parenting, identity or ethics. That school is a snapshot of how Langley is changing everywhere all at once.

And yet, nearly everyone at that diverse school could observe Christmas. We had a Santa Clause breakfast, a Christmas tree in the foyer, and even had a Christmas assembly where we played a few Christmas songs. No one was offended.

The point is, it isn't hard for almost everyone to celebrate or acknowledge the birth of a child. Even if you don't know where to find the Gospel accounts in the Bible, you might know that Christmas is rooted in some tradition involving the birth of a baby. Believing Christ's birth happened doesn't require a great leap of faith and may not change how you live.

But who can celebrate someone's death? Can you believe that through that particular death and His resurrection that your own personal mortality, sin and imperfections have been overcome for all eternity? In our ultra-individualistic, "look-at-me" cultural moment, can someone embrace a truth that stands unchanged for 2000 years - that only through this death and resurrection can your life find its true purpose, unconditional love and acceptance? Can we build a school where students and families commonly find their primary identity in this truth? That is radical. They don't teach you to think like that in most schools.

What makes your child's school community different isn't what they say and teach about Christmas, but what does your child's school community say and teach about Easter?

Today, most people ignore Easter completely. It's just another holiday weekend. At LCS, it should define our purpose and identity every day. Our school exists to pass on the truth of Easter to the next generation.

Some schools do assemblies once in a while. At LCS, we do chapels. Chapels are one way we seek to root our students in Christ.

This year's high school Easter chapel was inspiring and moving. Take some time to appreciate the thoughtfulness and prayerful planning on our faculty and students to observe Easter this year. The LCS Learner Profile encourages students to develop the discipline of communal worship.

We're an Easter school. Easter is a core teaching here.

To believe that Jesus died for you personally, that humanity's salvation required it and that his death reconciled all of humanity with God for all time, that without Christ there is no hope, and that history records that he truly rose from the dead and appeared to people who really lived... This is at the absolute core of what we teach at LCS. To know God, is to know what Easter means for our lives.

Yes, your child will absolutely get a strong literacy, science or math education here, but you might find that some place else. What makes us different is that Easter is as real to us as the laws of physics or the importance of the alphabet. Our sincere desire is that all of our LCS families might make some time this year, to thoughtfully reflect on how we might live differently in light of the gift of Easter.

We deliver a trustworthy, high-quality education,

connecting students in a thriving Christian learning community,

committed to helping you equip your child to grow confidently in faith

and find purpose in the world.

Have we drifted from the core? Does Easter matter in our lives?

If your family has drifted from embracing the core beliefs of Christianity, we want to invite you to take a risk and give a few moments of your time over the next few days to listen to Southridge pastor Greg Harris' sermon on "Drifting from the core of Christianity." His sermon caused me to rethink and think again about core Christian beliefs and what separates us as siblings in Christ vs. being just neighbours with one another. Our desire is that every parent and student in LCS is a sibling... LINK TO SERMON

ALL LANGLEY Good Friday Service

March 29 @ CLA , 9:00AM and 11:00am

Join with others in our community for a meaningful Good Friday service hosted by the Churches of Langley at CLA. Reflect on the significance of this solemn day through worship, prayer, and contemplation.

Services will be held at 9am and 11am, providing two opportunities to come together as a community and honour the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. All are welcome to join us