From the desk of the superintendent...
Dear NCS family,

This is George Brown. Yes, that George Brown. My son, on a CCV Stars soccer team, just over fifteen years ago.

Now, before you read too far and reach the inevitable conclusion that I'm an awful dad, I want you to know that my story ends well. Today, George is a happy, well-adjusted young man. He's served as a youth pastor, now works at Grand Canyon University, and is starting his second ministerial master's degree.

But, on this particular day, the day of this picture,"happy" and "well-adjusted" were not the adjectives that I used in the car with him on the way home from the soccer game in which he got into a fight. I used different adjectives because, yep, the Superintendent's son. A fight.

I'm on the sidelines, honestly not paying much attention to the game. Literally, I am standing next to my pastor (my pastor!) and 500 of the 50 folks in my Sunday-school-small-group-Bible-study, talking about the Lord or the Bible or something-or-rather. Suddenly, my pastor bumps my shoulder and says, "Hey, check that out..." I follow the trajectory of his pointing finger and the bulls-eye is my elementary-aged son, flipping out. Helpless to stop it from the sidelines, I watch as George moves from shouting at an opponent to laying the kid out on his back. The whistles are still ringing in my ears--they came from all around--I think the angels in heaven were blowing referee whistles. Red cards are flying everywhere--there must have been at least a thousand falling like crimson snow across that green field--and George Brown is escorted from the field, hand-cuffed, and chained to the end of the bench. (All right. A bit of hyperbole here. But that last paragraph is what it felt like.)

After the game, I get George in the car and I'm furious--this kid is going to get it! I'm the Superintendent of a Christian school, for crying out loud! Embarrassment, shame, chagrin--all of it--pouring out of my mouth all over my son. Then, he starts to cry and I realize he's not even listening to me. Through heaving sobs, he explains that the kid had been taunting him and he didn't know what to do or how to handle it. It eventually got the best of him, he lost his temper (where did he learn that anyway?), and he let the kid have it. (Fill in your own favorite scripture reference here about sons and the sins of their fathers.)

I wish it weren't the case--I really do--but there are certain lessons that we only learn in loss. Adversity is a harsh teacher but its lessons are true and not soon forgotten. On this particular Saturday morning--a Saturday forever commemorated with the snapshot later sent to me by a "friend"--George and I both learned our lessons. George learned that his dad is a goober. I learned a bunch of lessons--about humility and how to be a better dad. Eventually, after I cooled down, George and I had a talk--the kind of talk that grew us both a little closer to being men--the kind of talk that gives rise to conversations that continue today between my son and I.

I hope the moral of my little soul-baring parable is not lost on you. If you need me to be a bit more on-the-nose, here it is: you might be a goober too. Don't get worked up and all excited--the truth is, we're all goobers. How we don't mess these kids up for good is beyond my comprehension--but, somehow, through His grace and guidance--He pulls it all together. Here's the deal: at some point or another, your kid is going to blow it (again). Big time. In front of everyone. (And, some crackerpot is going to get a picture of it that they'll send you later just to rub it in.)

When it happens, let it happen. Don't get too worked up about it. The lessons that the best and most loving Father teaches us through adversity--well, these are precious and permanent lessons...lessons for which, someday, both you and your student will be grateful.

Grateful for the opportunity to serve this school and your family,
  
Geoff Brown
Superintendent
Northwest Christian School
(623)225-5573 (cell)
Snow and ice? During an Arizona October? The theme for Northwest Christian Homecoming 2021 was "Freeze Out" and 'freeze' was certainly an apt descriptor for a campus covered with "snow" (from a number of artificial snow-producing machines), a full-size ice-skating rink, and a Homecoming gameball frozen into a huge block of ice. Click here or on either the picture above or beneath to enjoy highlights.
The Third Annual Fifth Quarter Campout. On Friday, October 8th, following the varsity football game, sixty high schoolers within the Adventure Cru camped out under they stars on the field. The Cru enjoyed pizza, a number of field games (including Glo-Stick wars, below), and a wonderful time of sharing and student-led praise and worship.
Northwest Christian Students Poised to Demonstrate the Love of Christ within the Isaac School District

Get ready for the twelfth year of the Sutton Project!

For twelve years, Northwest Christian School has been involved in an annual, school-wide "Missions Learning" effort:  providing Hope to families in what is arguably the neediest public school district in the state, the Isaac School District. All those years ago, it started with J.B. Sutton Elementary and a campaign to provide several dozen Thanksgiving meal food boxes for Sutton families that needed it most. Over time, the effort has grown to envelope twelve different schools within a campaign that encompasses 1,500 Thanksgiving meals valuing $60K, Christmas gifts for students in three different schools, and countless volunteer hours in which Northwest Christian students are serving Sutton students, families, and teachers.

The effort has grown to include dynamic partnerships as well.  The Legacy Foundation is the largest non-profit foundation in Arizona and they have worked closely with Crusader student leaders to write grant proposals that have yielded financial grants as well as access to the Working Poor Tax Credit--both of which complement the generosity of Crusader families. This year, the campaign will be coupled with the Avondale campus of Christ's Church of the Valley--pointing the families on the receiving end of the Sutton Project blessings to CCV Avondale as an avenue to find true hope in Christ.

Beginning Monday, October 18th and running through the end of December, Northwest Christian students, staff, and families will be encouraged to bring in food items for Thanksgiving food boxes, gifts for Christmas presents at two Isaac Schools, gift cards to support student achievement at Sutton, and tax credit support to fund the campaign generally. Click on the picture above to see Crusaders working with Sutton students and on the picture below to learn more about the tax credit option available through the Legacy Foundation.

To support this effort financially, including the opportunity to take advantage of the Working Poor Tax Credit, please visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/giving/sutton-project
We're making a movie! Over Fall Break, the cast of "Split Second"--the eighth annual collaboration between Northwest Christian School and Cabin Fever Films--filmed on and around the campus. Debuting in January 2022, the student film tells the story of two rival runners whose quest for wins bring them to a dramatic face-off.
Crusader Cross Country Team Demolishes School Records in California XC Meet

Northwest Christian Shocks the "Big Schools" with two runners taking top spots at the 40th Annual Woodbridge Classic

Jonah Archer and Luke Poach, both Northwest Christian seniors, took the top two spots in the gold division boys varsity race at the 40th Woodbridge Cross Country Classic, presented by ASICS, at SilverLakes Sports Complex in Norco, California at the end of September. Archer covered the 3-mile layout in 15:16.4 and Poarch ran 15:23 to help Northwest Christian finish fourth overall with 186 points.

"We didn’t run with the other small schools," explained coach Brandon Southall, "but instead chose to race some of the bigger schools in one of the biggest races in the country. Jonah and Luke destroyed our previous school records and went first and second with times of 15:16 and 15:22. Our team average was 16:15 for our top five runners, which is actually faster than our previous school record for an individual before this year. The boys placed 4th overall as a team and earned our first ever spot in the Sweepstakes race at the Twilight Classic which hosts teams from all over the western US."
 
Brandon went on to describe the dominance of the girls' team: "The girls also did amazing with Maddy Lyons and Emma Stanley finishing under 21 minutes, and Jade Chalmers finished just over 21. Kaitlyn Stone and Marie Divine also finished with personal bests. The girls finished 19th as a team but that was without two of the traditional top five runners in Rachel Johnson and our recent transfer, Maddy Autry. Both teams look really solid going into state." 

Enjoy interviews with the team here:
Homecoming Gameball Delivery 2021. We've seen the Homecoming game ball delivered via dinosaurs, fire dancers, a helicopter, and even parachutists. This year, in keeping with the Homecoming 2021 "Freeze Out" theme, the gameball was frozen into a huge block of ice by a professional ice sculptor. Then, just minutes before game time and on the fifty-yard-line in front of a capacity crowd, Vivancos and Jeffries grabbed two purple sledgehammers and freed the ball just in time for kick-off.
A Day of "Missions Learning". As part of Northwest Christian's school-wide "Missions Learning" program, on Wednesday, October 6th, nearly 500 high schoolers spread out across the valley for a day of Christ-centered service to the community. The students served at St. Vincent de Paul, St. Mary's Food Band, Deep Within Rehab, Feed My Starving Children, and many other God-honoring non-profit ministries.
RightNow Media is your chance to enjoy the Northwest Christian community -- in your living room!

All free of charge and via your phone, smart television, desktop computer, or tablet. RightNow Media is the Netflix of Bible studies and family-friendly movies and children's programming. It's also the home to a huge amount of video-based Northwest Christian content. On Northwest Christian School's RightNow Media page, available at this link, you can enjoy chapels, concerts, senior graduation, eighth grade promotion, Crusader's Got Talent, missions trips, and so much more.

The NCS RightNow Media page is also providing access to the NXNW 2021 student film, "Do-Gooders", as well as all of the other NXNW student films!

Registration takes just a few minutes and is absolutely free!
Remember, when you shop at smile.amazon.com, AmazonSmile donates to Northwest Christian School at no cost to you!
Partnership with Tuft & Needle!
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