The Light

"Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" -John 8:12

www.harborlightchristian.org

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Dear Harbor Light Christian School family,

As we settle into the month of April, I want to take a moment to reflect on the significance of the season and the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Easter is a time of celebration for Christians as we remember the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. We are reminded of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross and the hope that his resurrection brings to all who believe in him.

At Harbor Light Christian School, we are proud to incorporate the teachings of Jesus into every aspect of our curriculum. As we celebrate Jesus’s resurrection this month, we will be emphasizing the importance of faith in Jesus Christ and the hope he provides. We believe that it is essential for our students to understand the significance of Easter, and we encourage parents to discuss the significance at home as well.

Over spring break, tragedy hit a small Christian school in Nashville. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones and the school community who is undoubtedly shaken by the event. I pray they feel the Lord's peace and comfort, and that they are able to lean into the Lord and draw their strength from him in this time. I do want to extend assurance to the families of HLCS that we take school security very seriously. We have a solid emergency plan in place and the teachers are all well-prepared and trained.

In addition to physical training and plans, we also believe we serve a sovereign God who is on the throne. Regardless of what is happening in the world around us, we are working to raise up a generation of kids strong enough in faith to withstand a world filled with so much evil and still trust in God. This is why our school and mission are so important.

In other news, we are excited to announce that our admissions process for the upcoming school year is now open. We invite families who are part of HLCS to re-enroll for next year. Also, please help us spread the word throughout northern Michigan to families interested in joining our community or wanting to learn more about our school and the admissions process. Word of mouth is our single strongest marketing tool. Our school offers a Christ-centered education that focuses on developing the whole child, including their spiritual, academic, and social growth.

Also, as we have seen enrollment increase, we are in need of a new 7-12th grade Social Studies/ English teacher. We are seeking a passionate educator who shares our values and beliefs to join our team. If you or someone you know is interested in this position, please see the posting below for more information.

As always, we thank you for your continued support and prayers for our school. We are blessed to have such a wonderful community of stakeholders who share our commitment to providing a Christ-centered education for our students.

April

21- K-6 Spring Music Concert

23- Student Council Soup Fundraiser

27 & 28- Local Missions (7th - 12th grades)

28 - Blood Drive (Call 866-642-5663 to schedule)

May
2 - High School Open House (call to schedule a time to visit)

4 - Elementary Open House (call to schedule a time to visit)
9 - Preschool Open House (call to schedule a time to visit)

12 & 13 - Spring Musical

15 - HLCS Board meeting

20 - Dorothy Gerber Strings Spring Concert

26 - Swordsmen Olympics

27 - Jr./Sr. Banquet

Our HLCS Calendar is updated continually and can be viewed at http://www.harborlightchristian.org/calendar

Sports Schedule

• Please confirm events prior to attending
• "vs." indicates the game will be played at home.
• "@" indicates the game will be played at the opposing team's school.

April:

• 4/20 - Baseball & Softball @ Boyne Falls - 4:00 pm
  
• 4/24 - Baseball & Softball vs. Inland Lakes JV - 4:00 pm

May

• 5/2- Baseball & Softball vs. Posen- 4:00 pm
• 5/4- Baseball & Softball @ Alanson- 4:00 pm
• 5/6- Baseball & Softball tournament @ Pellston
• 5/8- Baseball & Softball @ NMCA- 4:00 pm
• 5/11- Baseball vs. Onaway- 4:00 pm
• 5/15- Baseball & Softball vs. Mackinaw City- 4:00 pm
• 5/18- Baseball vs. TC Christian- 4:15 pm
• 5/23- Baseball & Softball @ Atlanta- 4:00 pm
• 5/25- Baseball & Softball @ Central Lake- 4:00 pm
• 5/26 - Baseball & Softball vs. Wolverine - 4:00 pm

Please click HERE for the school calendar, which is updated continually.

This amazing group of students and teachers leave for the mission field on Saturday. Please cover them in prayer while they are gone!

I am originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, and will always consider myself a Hoosier. My parents started coming up here post World War 2, as a suggestion from a family friend, as my mom had very bad hay fever. We rented around Walloon Lake and when our friend passed, his family said to make us an offer on the house and we did. That was in 1972.

We met some very nice people at one of the places where we rented and stayed friends. I ended up marrying one of them in 1988 and making Michigan my home.

2020 Covid Year came and Retirement for us. We had decided to leave Novi and move permanently to Walloon. After a year of getting settled, I knew I needed to do something more as I was losing my sense of purpose. I investigated all kinds of volunteer options and prayed, then it hit me that my Bible Study leader worked at Harbor Light! In my nursing career, I had worked a lot with children of all ages and taught Health Education Classes in school. I loved this part of my career so much, and the rest as they say is history.

In my first year at Harbor Light, Fall of 2021 I started off working with third graders and reading. Mrs. Ernst asked me if I would help out with other subjects and I was delighted! This included helping the students with “catching up” on any homework or something that was especially challenging for them. This year I am delighted to be working with Mrs.Ernst again in second grade. My primary job is to help with math. ( my worst subject in school) . But, I enjoy being with the students so much that I usually stay for Science, Social Studies, or both.

My favorite part of being here, I think is obvious, the People! All of them and feeling so loved. I learn something new every time I am here. I am keeping my brain working which is good for this Grammy. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of Harbor Light️.

In order to understand why I want to be on the board, you have to understand our process of having our kids attend. It all started with our son Corin. All of our kids started with homeschooling. We talked as parents that we would let them be part of the decision when they were old enough to have the conversation. In 8th grade, Corin transitioned to Petoskey Public Schools because he wanted to be able to play football. Football is his passion.

After his 9th grade year, Corin approached my wife Amy and me and said he wanted to go to Harbor Light Christian School. He said the public school system didn’t align with the goals he had for his future of being in ministry. We explained that this would mean giving up football, and even though that was an extremely difficult decision, it was one he decided was right for him so that he could continue to put God first.

I was always the one who didn’t want to send our kids to a Christian school because I viewed sending your kids to a Christian school as a way to isolate them from the world. I wanted them to be able to be a light in the darkness. When Corin decided to give up his passion for football to pursue God, that really spoke to me. Since then, I’ve seen the value of Christian education and especially at HLCS. I’ve also changed my view of why someone should want to go here. It is not a place to go to isolate your kids from the world. It is a place to send your kids where they are heading in the same direction as you. So, the kids are not being taught different core beliefs; they are being taught the same beliefs that Amy and I have.

This change of view has made me believe in Christian education, especially HLCS. Not a role of isolation and protection, but a role of equipping and strengthening, to be working with the parents to train our kids in the way they should go. There are so many other wonderful things about HLCS, but that was the main thing that made me want to become part of the board. I desire to use my talents and help the school in any way I can.

By the way, God did do a miracle with Corin as well. This year (his 11th-grade year), Harbor Springs and HLCS entered into a football cooperative agreement for football. I believe God honored Corin’s decision, and even though Corin was content laying down his passion for playing, God restored that ability.

Please join us in welcoming Mike Paulus to the HLCS Board of Education!

HS English/SS Job Posting

In the last two years, HLCS has had the amazing opportunity to raffle off two Audi's and help raise over $60,000 for the school. We typically launch this exciting raffle in May and pull the winning ticket in July. It is a ton of fun and we are so grateful to all of you who have participated in the last 2 years!

This year we will be trying something a little different and details will be emerging soon about a new and improved vehicle auction for this year!!! Get excited, and keep your eyes on your emails!

Hint...it seats 6... STAY TUNED!

"The best way to describe the mission trip to Ariri, Brazil was an epic adventure! Not many people can say they went on a mission that entailed speed boats, dolphins and fishing. This mission trip was full of excitement. We were a team of fifteen people ready to serve the Lord how he wanted. The lives of the young adults and the teenagers have been changed dramatically. Several are called to missions for their careers and many have been affirmed in that calling from this trip. I watched several of our young people grow up right before my eyes! One of the biggest blessings was hearing from our young people that they fit in! They fit into a place where they don't understand the language, they don't speak the language and they do not understand the culture. And yet, they fit in. They fit into a place that by all rights they should not have. This is the work of God. Brazilians are very loving people. They embraced us and were excited that we came to their country. In the days ahead there will be a lot of work that will be done in the hearts of each one of us as we debrief our time in Brazil. Holy Spirit will show us exactly what we need to learn from this trip. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people” (Matthew 4:19). Our time on Earth is short. Jesus is coming! Relationship building and evangelising is a high priority! Let's get our fishing poles ready to reel in more people for Christ." -Pastor Aimee

"For me, the best part of the trip was the people, most of them were very kind. Something unexpected was not being able to flush toilet paper down the drain." -Ayden Burns

"The best part was when we had a worship night and shared our testimonies around a bonfire with the Brazilians. Something unexpected is I met a girl who I made a huge connection with. what she has been through in her life has shown me how God can move in the impossible and her story really impacted my relationship with her and God because my life story is very alike to hers." -Matthias Sanford

Has HLCS had a positive or life-changing impact on your life or that of someone you love? Please share these stories with us so we can keep letting others know what a wonderful difference we can make! Send your experience to jcope@harborlight.org.

In the development department of HLCS, we explore many avenues to raise funds for the school. We host the Jubilee and vehicle auction, partner with amazing givers like you, write grants, and more.

We have a playground project that we've approached 3 granting organizations for help with over the last 9 months and have been turned down by each. So, we are turning to our community to invite you to help us improve our playground.

We would like to remove some pieces of equipment and make room for a slide (which is the most requested item from our current students and new students looking at our school) and another climbing feature. The total cost of this project is $15,000 and we would be so grateful if you would consider partnering with us. This playground not only serves our students but many warm nights you will find families from the community utilizing the playground as well.

If you would like more information on how you can make a kingdom impact with your giving with this project or in a different area of HLCS, please contact Jennie Cope at
231-347-7859 or jcope@harborlight.org

We are grateful to partner with Oleson's and D&W this school year. Receipts collected from these grocers may be dropped off in the office at any time! This is such an easy way to help the school raise money!