Sticky Notes

Excellence

2011-11-18T12:19:00.002-05:00

In the late ‘80’s CBA was in its growing stages. The staff of CBA were newbies helping newbies in this adventure of home-schooling. We were 20+ years younger then and full of ideas and energy. We had all kinds of ideas and visions of how this ministry might grow and serve enrolled students and families. Too many ideas, actually. To the CBA board it was clear that we should narrow our focus and, as they suggested, “make haste slowly and do a few things well”. “With excellence”, one added, and then suggested that excellence offers a great opportunity to accomplish God’s purposes in ministry. He shared four principles.
1. Excellence honors God
2. Excellence inspires learners
3. Excellence impacts observers
4. Excellence attracts gifted people
I wrote these four principles down that night. They have been a good touchstone for the ministry and are applicable to many areas. As a home-educating family you have a unique opportunity to prepare your children to be salt and light for their generation. Together with the One who walks with us we can do the job . . . with excellence.

Putting Away The Things of Summer

2011-08-23T13:05:00.000-04:00

If we work upon marble, it will perish;
if in brass, time will efface it;
if we rear temples, they will crumble into dust;
but if we work upon young minds and imbue them with principles,
and the just fear of God and love for our fellow man,
we engrave on those tablets something
that will continue to brighten to all eternity.
DANIEL WEBSTER

All across “CBA land” students are preparing to put away the “things of summer” and are about to take pencils in hand and books to the kitchen table as the adventure of learning begins afresh. We at CBA are thrilled and honored to be working and learning together with such wonderful students and their families. 2011- 12 promises to be a school year filled with new challenges and opportunities. We can be sure that each moment and event is planned and orchestrated by a loving creator for our growth. In 2 Chronicles 16:9 the Lord reminds us that His “eyes move to and fro throughout the whole earth” and promises that He will “strongly support those whose hearts are completely His.” Imagine God’s constant attention and strong support for you and your family as you take up the task of teaching and training productive servants and Christ-followers for the next generation. As we begin a new year together it is our prayer that we all will continue to grow in the knowledge of His ways and the confidence of His strong support.

25 Years Later...The Best Is Yet To Come

2011-04-10T18:12:00.000-04:00

About 25 years ago, a small group of parents sat in a living room and began to envision a ministry of a different sort.

They mused about a "hybrid" between a traditional Christian school and a program that allowed parents to be a more integral part of the education and training of their children; a program that existed solely to support Christian parents as they followed God’s direction and leading in the teaching and training of their children; a program that put people ahead of the program; a ministry that set a standard of excellence which would honor God, inspire learners, impact observers, attract gifted servants and motivate a new generation of Christ followers.

These folks demonstrated a deep commitment to their children along with an eager faith and a bold spirit. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote of people who "go not where the path may lead," but instead, "go where there is no path and leave a trail."

About that time I volunteered to "paper & file" as the vision of Cedar Brook Academy began to develop. As the years rolled on, these "parent pioneers" of CBA have helped those of us (who continued to "paper & file") stay close to the founding principles of the ministry discussed in that living room over 20 years ago.

The past 25 years have seen hundreds of families, several thousand students and more than 400 graduates of CBA walk across a stage to enter a world seeking the Master they serve. Looking back over the past 25 years, it has been a joy to watch the work God has done and a great honor to have been a part of the adventure of Cedar Brook Academy...and the best is yet to come!