Why Tri-unity?

Why Tri-unity?

It’s an honor for me to be here with you this evening and have the opportunity to speak to you about this great school.

Because I have a unique perspective.

I graduated from this school.

I’ve coached and am now coaching at this school.

I’ve preached at their praise gatherings and at their retreats.

My wife teaches here and my mother in law is the BOSS LADY!

I know this school.

I know what makes it special.

So tonight my goal is to show you why we need to support schools like Tri-unity.

And I want to start by talking about my own personal experience

You see I went to a public school for 7 years

I went to Jenison from 1st - 7th grade.

In 8th grade I transferred to Tri-unity.

The first thing I noticed that was different about Tri-unity was the teachers.

My teacher’s were great and were kind for the most part at Jenison.

But the thing they cared about the most was simply how you are doing in their class.

There was no personal relationship with the teachers.

I mean these teachers are seeing over a 100 kids a day.

It’s hard to really connect with that many students.

At Tri-unity I noticed it was a little different.

I wasn’t just a student that they had to teach a curriculum to.

They cared about me personally.

Not only that they cared about my faith.

I had teachers like Mr. Hackney.

Who of course I was drawn to because he was a basketball coach.

And he would bring us to the gym and play lightning at the end of class!!

But he didn’t just care about how I did in his class or how I did on the basketball court.

He cared about my relationship with the Lord.

I had never had a conversation about my faith with a teacher before because they never asked.

But we talked about God all the time.

We had Bible class where we study the Word.

I thought that was the coolest thing.

Even in sports our coaches always stressed our relationship with God.

My coaches were some of the most influential people in my life.

Coaches like Mr. Keeler.

I’ve had many conversations with Mr. Keeler and have had a great relationship with him since High School.

One thing that always stood out to me was when he told me, “I don’t care if I ever win another state championship if it means every one of my players is serving the Lord.”

He’s told me on countless occasions how the MOST IMPORTANT thing to him is that his players have a real relationship with God.

I can’t remember the last time I have had a conversation with Mr. Keeler where he hasn’t said to me, “I’m proud of you. I’m proud of the man of God you’ve become.”

That is the mindset of every teacher at this school.

Because the teachers here don’t just look at this as a job.

Teachers don’t work here because this is where they will make the most money!

They work here because this is not a job, it’s a MINISTRY!

One of my greatest mentors in my life to this day was my freshmen Bible teacher, Duane Klas.

He was the first person I called when God called me into ministry.

These teachers are here because they want to use their gifts of teaching, not to just teach students the academics they’ll need for their future but also to teach them what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus.

This is a school where every day before school starts the teachers meet together and have devotions together and PRAY FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES!

They pray for wisdom on how to handle the issues of today with their students.

I truly believe I would not be in ministry today if it wasn’t for this school.

The impact that the people here have made on my life has been incredible.

We live in a time today that schools like Tri-unity are more important than ever.

Unfortunately, public schools are implementing, teaching, and allowing things that should greatly concern Christians today who send their kids there.

Not only do they teach on evolution and that there is no God, they are now starting to teach about gender fluidity.

Last year the State Legislation in California unanimously approved of public schools teaching kindergarteners about gender identity and personal options within that.

An article I was reading on this said, “The framework tells teachers that students in kindergarten can identify as transgender and offers tips for how to talk about that, adding “the goal is not to cause confusion about the gender of the child but to develop an awareness that other expressions exist.”

In Florida last year a self proclaimed transgender girl was allowed full access to the boys locker room without making the boys or parents aware of this.

So she walked into the boys locker room while the boys were fully undressed.

The male teacher that was in the locker room at the time legally could not take any action.

The school told the teacher he had to remain in the locker room with the girl while she changes as well.

This article said, “When he refused to “knowingly place himself in a position to observe a minor female in the nude or otherwise in a state of undress,” administrators told him “he will be transferred to another school as discipline for ‘not doing your job in the locker room.'”

These are just some of the issues that are taking place in our public schools.

You don’t think that has a serious effect on students?

At home my parents tell me this but my teachers tell me something different.

It makes it very difficult on students to be taught one thing at home and another at school.

90 percent of Christians send their children to public schools.

Do those seeds being planted matter, if the children attend church on Sunday?

By the time children graduate from high school, they will have spent 14,000 hours in school classrooms.

While the child may be exposed to the principles of the Bible through home and church, a child will spend an average of just 1,325 hours over his school years in church if he or she regularly attends.

So if your child attends church regularly (which many don’t because of sports and other things) they will spend 1,325 hours in church.

Compare that with being educated in a secular setting for 14,000 hours over many years.

You don’t think that’s going to have an affect on their faith?

I can’t help but think of the Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

We need to be training our children the ways of God but maybe we need to consider the impact of the training they’re getting at school.

If a child is only being taught the Bible at church and a little at home, it’s going to be hard to defend their faith when they go to college.

That’s why schools like Tri-unity are vital.

Because they give students the biblical foundation to go into the world and defend their faith.

To know what’s right, because they’ve been taught it their whole lives.

Not only that but this is a spirit-filled school that’s not afraid to stand up for truth.

And we need the Holy Spirit more than ever today!

There’s a story in the Bible where something was said that I think is a word for this school.

It’s the story of Esther.

Esther basically wins a glorified beauty contest and becomes queen.

A man named Haman plots a plan to destroy the Jewish people.

Esther's cousin Mordecai, tells her about this plan and encourages her to go to King Xerxes and ask him to stop this plan.

The problem is nobody can approach the king without being summoned by him.

If you show up unannounced and the King doesn’t raise his scepter and welcome you in they will put you to death.

Naturally Esther was scared.

But Mordecai said something powerful to her.

Esther 4:14 “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Mordecai is saying, I know it looks gloomy!

I know it’s scary.

But maybe this is exactly why you are in this position?

Maybe out of all the women who the King could have chosen, God had him choose you so that YOU could be the one to save the Jews!

When I read that I think of Tri-unity.

I think how this country is looking a little gloomy.

Maybe even a little scary?

But maybe God has this school here for such a time as this.

To be that light of Jesus.

To show this world what it looks like to train up disciples of Jesus.

Out of any time in history God chose you to be alive during this time.

God chose to have this school be here at this time.

And we need to make sure we are doing our part to support this school and give it every resource it needs to be successful in reaching and training this generation.

And schools like this make a difference.

Listen to some of the things this survey called the, “Cardus Education Survey” says about students who attend Christian schools over public or Catholic schools.

One of the most significant findings in this study is the long-term commitment of Christian school graduates to stay within the Christian faith. Attending a Christian school seems to impact graduates’ choice to stay into adulthood within the Christian faith.

I know the value of this school.

People ask me if I’m going to move to Greenville because that’s where my church is.

I say probably not because I want my kids here.

My wife and I basically say my kids will be at Tri-unity or homeschooled.

I say that because that’s how special I think this school is.

So my question to you tonight is, what are you willing to give?

What are you willing to sew?

What are you willing to give to keep this school going strong?

What are you willing to give to help properly train these young people to be true followers of Jesus in a culture that is taking God out of everything?

We’re going to do something different that we haven’t done in the past.

We’re going to do something that again makes this school special.

We’re going to take time at a school event and worship God.

I want you during this time to seek and ask God what He wants you to give.

And at the same time let’s worship and pray for a powerful move of the Holy Spirit in this school.

WORSHIP

At this time we are going to get ready to give.

I know this is a difficult time for a lot of people.

This virus has messed up a lot of people’s lives.

But I’m a firm believer that when you give to help advance the kingdom of God, He will bless you.

Because like I said earlier, when you give you’re not just giving to a school, you’re giving to a ministry.

And what a testimony of God’s amazing grace and faithfulness it would be if in the middle of a pandemic we raised more money than we ever have raised!