Recently, PCA hosted an incredible event, The Great God Debate, between a Christian and an atheist. Christian apologist Dinish D’Souza and former minister turned atheist Dan Barker debated before our students, staff and a worldwide audience regarding the claims and counter claims of their beliefs. I encourage you to go to pcawebcast.com to check it out in its entirety and then to prestonwoodchristian.org to purchase the Family Discussion Guide to keep the dialogue alive in your homes.

During this season of Thanksgiving, please know how thankful I am for each of you and your families. Join me in giving thanks for our many blessings this Thanksgiving.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise, give thanks to Him; bless His name. — Psalm 100:4

What better way to end Homecoming week than with a perfectly chilly Homecoming football game with our students, staff, parents, alumni and alumni parents! A true family reunion, Friday night brought everyone together in the ultimate night of PCA spirit. Alumni and alumni parents, it was so uplifting to speak to you in person and see what God has done in your lives. We hope to see you again soon!

We are building a tradition of including not just alumni, but also alumni parents throughout the year in key PCA events because you are family to us!

I was amazed at the diligent work of our students on the homecoming floats! If you were never involved in building a float, know that these students spent weeks perfecting them all in the spirit of PCA Homecoming—ok, and some friendly competition between classes. Congratulations to the senior class for winning the Homecoming Float competition!

Floats weren’t the only thing students decorated. They were also busy transforming their hallways into jungles, splatter-painted black rooms and their clothes into the theme for the day. There is one thing none of our students are lacking, and that is creativity.  Many thanks to our Campus Ministry team led by Lainie Montgomery in making this week fun for students and the staff regardless of the weather! Even though we had to move the pep rallies in-doors, no one missed a beat because of our team’s hard work.

The students and staff are building a tradition of Homecoming floats and a Homecoming week filled with PCA spirit!

If you missed any of Friday night’s events, remember to view the archived video of the game, the winner of the float competition and the Homecoming queen. By the way, do you know who the people are behind the cameras—PCA students!

Even with the week of Homecoming festivities ending, the webcast continues spreading the PCA spirit—a tradition in the making.

Recently, I wrote an article titled, “Just Another Convention Theme: Who is Actually Leading the Resurgence of The Great Commission?” that is a follow-up to an article I penned last year about “the elephant in the room.” The “elephant” I defined then is the same elephant of today — the training and discipleship model received in most churches and homes today that is not adequately training the next generation of Christians. My recent article expands on the importance of defining the training component of the Great Commission and making that paradigm shift sooner rather than later and identifying leaders who can carry that banner.

How we deal with what I call our “elephant” will not only determine whether or not we take advantage of this opportunity, it will ultimately determine if our children and grandchildren will have the faith of their parents and grandparents. I’m referring to how parents are training their children, how churches are training parents to train their children and how education is viewed within the church from preschool to high school.

I encourage you to click on the link below to read my new article on this subject. In fact, this subject is a major part of the upcoming Education Symposium, sponsored by Engage the Culture (ETC) Ministries.

For the full article, please visit the ETC Ministries Web site at www.engagetheculture.org and please post your comments and ideas.

What an exciting week we’ve had coming back together as a PCA family. After a summer of fun and family activities, mission trips and road trips, it’s been great to see old friends, make new friends and get back into all the learning and community that happens at PCA. The first week of school has been a blur!

We began with an action-packed Back to School Day that included our All School Worship. I shared the theme for the year, “Intent On One Attitude”, based on Paul’s challenge to the Philippians in Phil. 2:2-11. My prayer for our staff, students, and parents is that we would rally around one-attitude…one purpose…and that is to empty ourselves of “us” and humbly replace it with “Him.”

Our Latin inscription on our crest says and symbolizes it all – “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” – “To The Greater Glory of God.”

I just returned from our high school retreat. It was for His greater glory that we do life together.

Let’s make this year one to truly remember. Let’s make it a time in which we all came together to live our lives in all we do to the greater glory of God. It’s our greatest honor.

Even during the summer months, it’s great to be able to continue to rejoice with students and faculty who are engaging others for Christ and expanding their minds wherever summer takes them.

One evidence of God’s faithfulness and the dedication to our PCA family as we reach the world for Christ recently came in the form of the miraculous, legal departure from Cuba to the United States of our good friends, Pastor Gilberto, his wife and two young daughters.  They left everything they know to minister in America.  Pastor Gilberto and his family will be adjusting to life in the U.S. as they make Dallas their home and PCA their school.   The PCA community continually and graciously is stepping forward to assist this precious family who will for generations have the story to tell of their incredible journey in Christ.  Many of you have prayed for Pastor Gilberto’s family and they are a true testimony of changed lives and what God has planned that we cannot even imagine.

PCA students are using the summer months to stretch their thinking at Summers at the Academy, our Future Problem Solvers (FPS) students advanced to the International Competition in Michigan where they took the stage against 64 schools in the nation and came in 8th place, and PCA theater students just traveled to Nebraska for the International Thespian Society (ITS) Nationals where they took two of the top ten awards nationally.  Many PCA students are joining Prestonwood Baptist Church’s Student Ministry on their summer mission trip to Romania. This represents just a snapshot of the many activities PCA students are involved in this summer.

PCA is blessed to learn of stories of students sharing Christ and having unique experiences wherever their summer travels take them.  One student on a PCA-sponsored trip had to inadvertently unpack her Bible at the DFW Airport security checkpoint and as it caught the attention of a security officer, God opened the door for her to begin sharing her faith.  Another student, while traveling in Europe, got to experience first-hand the British Parliament in action and as it compares to our form of government.  Many of you are reconnecting with extended family or joining together for family camps and bearing witness for Jesus Christ in your summer journeys.

Let’s all practice changing the world whenever and wherever in the world we find ourselves.

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’” – Mark 16:15

I hope you all are enjoying a great summer filled with family activities, fun, ballgames, vacations and lots of time for rejuvenation.  One of our early summer highlights has been the opportunity to follow two great PCA alumni athletes competing against one another in the NCAA Men’s College World Series.  Cameron Rupp (class of 2007) of The University of Texas and Jordan Swagerty (class of 2008) of Arizona State faced one another twice in the Series.  It is amazing to see two students from the same school competing against one another out of all the schools and colleges in the nation!

It’s been exciting to see these two PCA athletes who were former teammates representing our school on the national level.  One of the two games featured a PCA-hosted a big screen “Watch Party” for Upper School students and alumni in the Horner Center that drew a crowd of nearly 150 students and supporters to cheer on Cameron and Jordan on just two days notice.  PCA Head Baseball Coach Mike Maack was on-hand in the stands in Omaha, NE when Cameron and Jordan went head-to-head during their first game. The coach that invested so much into his players then invested his time and support to be there in person.

Although UT eventually defeated Arizona State, we know that both of these young athletes are victorious for Christ, PCA and their respective universities.  In fact in a recent local newspaper article, Cameron reflected about his time at PCA, “PCA had everything to do with every aspect of my life today, “ he said.  “PCA not only taught us spiritually, but encouraged us to find a dream, believe and go out there and make it happen.”

I challenge all of us as PCA parents, faculty and staff to continue focusing on training up students to believe, dream and change the world whether it’s on the baseball field or any field they choose.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

God bless,
Larry

Janet and Mike Huckabee, Congressman Sam Johnson, and Zig and Jean Ziglar

What a glorious night it was last week when more than 1,000 supporters gathered to honor Gov. Mike Huckabee with the first-ever Zig Ziglar Servant Leadership Award presented by Prestonwood Christian Academy (PCA) and the Prestonwood Foundation. Zig and Jean Ziglar, along with their family, were on hand as we joined together as a community to celebrate the true servant leadership example Zig steadfastly exhibits. PCA was blessed to have special guests such as Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Congressman Sam Johnson, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and numerous elected officials in attendance to honor Zig and Governor Huckabee. This successful, international event was made possible by the 56 corporate and individual sponsors who supported the award that was established to annually recognize recipients who embody Zig’s selfless leadership characteristics. God provided abundantly as all proceeds benefitted PCA’s Sponsor-a-Child Program that gives equal opportunity for each student to attend PCA regardless of financial circumstances. Servant leadership extended beyond the stage and into the audience that night and continues today. Thanks to the individual servant leadership exhibited in the audience through financial gifts and prayer, as well as those gifts we are still receiving, Sponsor-a Child can help more students and families realize a Kingdom Education. In fact, it’s not too late to send in your contribution to Sponsor-a-Child Program to show your support of PCA and the Zig Ziglar Servant Leadership Award.

 The evening gave us a very special opportunity to recognize Zig with a commemorative gift from PCA for the special privilege he gave us of lending his name to this important  award. We also heard from current students and their families who are benefitting from a Kingdom Education at PCA because of the generous hearts of others through the Sponsor-a-Child program. Personal video testimonies of support and congratulations were viewed for both Zig and Gov. Huckabee from international influencers such as Sen. Hutchison, Rep. Johnson, Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy, and financial expert Dave Ramsey. 

 As Prestonwood Pastor Jack Graham presented Gov. Huckabee with this inaugural award, it was evident that Governor Huckabee was truly touched to be our first recipient. Governor Huckabee concluded his remarks so perfectly in describing why PCA now honors an annual recipient that holds true to servant leadership when he referenced the Bible in stating those seven words we all hope to hear one day, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Tonight is a big game.

Prestonwood Christian Academy’s Varsity Boys Basketball team scraps it out against Houston Christian to see who advances to the State finals for the TAPPS 5A championship. Coach Brad Freeman and his players are ready…and have an extra dose of motivation.

His name is Cody Novak, #23.

Barry Horn, sports writer of The Dallas Morning News, has uncovered his powerful story that is not about the cancer he is battling, but about the hope and faith that exudes from Cody. In fact, the article is entitled, “Prestonwood senior’s faith an ally in fight against rare cancer.”

I am so proud of Cody Novak and his family and how they have shown the joy one can have by allowing Jesus Christ to lead your path. Cody, his sisters and his mother, Kristi, have been through a battle before. Some of you might not know about the loss of his father several years ago. They have been through so much, but it’s Cody’s response to what he’s going through now that I want to share with you.

When asked by Mr. Horn of the Dallas Morning News if he was scared, this was Cody’s response:

“People always ask me if I am scared,” he said. “I’m not scared at all. But there are days when I feel I am in a pit of hell. But life has been a blessing. God has a plan. There is no reason to ask why.”

Life has been a blessing. God has a plan.

We will all be cheering on our boys’ team tonight as they battle to win the title of State Champions. But I think we all know who will be cheering for them more than all of us combined–Cody Novak.

To Coach Freeman and his players:  Go Lions! Play with all of your heart tonight.

To Cody Novak:  Thank you for the courageous example of hope in Christ you have shown us already.

To keep up with Cody’s journey, visit him at www.caringbridge.org/visit/codynovak.

There was something very special that occurred when nearly 50 students and parents, representing 13 PCA families, joined together to participate in PCA’s short-term mission trip to El Paso just a few weeks ago. Never before have I experienced a mission trip where families traveled together, ate together, served together, and experienced Christ together in such a powerful way. Below are pictures from the trip showing our parents and students–some as young as third grade–using their small hands to make a big impact on another school.

PCA Family Mission Trip

 

This Tuesday, January 20, the Prestonwood Christian Academy campus will come to a halt as students, faculty and staff witness a historical moment come to pass in our nation:  the inauguration of the 44^th President of the United States.

 Some of you may be asking “why”?  Why are we interrupting a school day?  Or, why are we getting involved with “politics”?  I understand the questions and want to briefly share my heart on this issue.

•  First of all, without reservation, the compelling reason to capture this moment is because of its historical significance.  Barack Obama is the first minority, the first person of color, the first African American to be sworn in to the office of the President of the United States.  However you say it, this is a monumental occasion for our country!  This is not about whether you agree with president-elect Obama. Personally, I do not agree with many of his stated positions, and I am certain that I will disagree with many of his future decisions; but January 20 is about much more than politics and policies, it is about the unity of our great nation, the peaceable transfer of power, and the respect for an office and an individual elected in a free and fair process.  As Christians, we are called on to respect those in authority and pray for them (1 Timothy 2:1-3), and on Tuesday, January 20, we will do that together as a school body.
• Barack Obama represents one of the core principles of our great country-that every person in the United States has an opportunity to pursue their goals, dreams and life purpose.  In our life time (for some of us), we have seen great strides in the area of civil liberties; for women, for the disabled, and for ethnic minority groups.  Our great country is certainly not perfect, and there are many issues that we will continue to deal with, pray for, and engage.  But, the fact that this country elected an African American is truly historic, symbolic and meaningful. 
• I believe strongly that our country is in desperate need of taking steps towards unity.  I don’t think there will ever be unity on the many points that separate us, but I do believe that the Union that George Washington fought for, and Abraham Lincoln died for, is something that unites us.  Without the Union and the Republic that we now are so concerned about, we would not even be allowed to express our concerns or even disagree.  Isn’t that ironic?

We must model for our students that even in the midst of disagreements, we still are citizens of the Kingdom as well as of the United States.  I am looking forward to Tuesday.

 Parents, you are invited to join us in the Prestonwood Worship Center at 10:45 a.m. as the swearing in of the president and his inaugural speech is streamed in live.

Warmly,
Larry