As this week’s blog is being posted, RenewaNation will be in Pikeville, Tennessee hosting a group of Christian educators and administrators at our REAP “Sowing for the Harvest” 2021 Conference. With guest speakers Dr. Roger Erdvig, Dr. Keith McCurdy, Jeff Keaton, and several presenters conducting biblical worldview subject matter immersion workshops, this year’s conference attendees will experience an inspirational and equipping time of renewal. Since its November, God-driven, inception, REAP has flourished into a powerful biblical education game changer. This God-sized vision is potentially poised to be the “Cloud & Fire Pillar” for Christian educators. Having witnessed God’s divine orchestration of gifted, collaborative resources, we marvel at what has been accomplished by a small group of obedient disciples and a limited number of loaves and fishes.
While it definitely should not surprise those of us who have studied and experienced God’s magnificent multiplication, we admittedly have walked these last several months with hopeful anxiety. Jeff Keaton, founder and CEO of RenewaNation, recently cited Philippians 4:4-7, in our eNews entitled “Do Not Be Anxious About Anything”. In his article, he rawly discussed the error and sinfulness of living in that fashion. Instead, faith and trust in God’s ever-present help should dictate our next wobbly or confident steps. Fast forward to present day, and here we are enveloped by the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, worshipping our unshakable, ever-present Savior, while breaking fallow strongholds and replacing them with life-breathing best practices.
The RenewaNation Educator Advancement Program (REAP) was conceived by righteous, God-inspired motives to Inspire, Equip, & Transform biblical education. Although the following letter was written to sincerely welcome REAP’s conference participants, it genuinely illustrates the past, present, and future of God’s intended vision.
Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord,
that He may come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12
Dear Christian Educator,
Welcome to the RenewaNation Educator Advancement Program 2021 “Sowing for the Harvest” Conference. During a colorful, crisp, mid-November morning, our Heavenly Father placed Hosea 10:12 on our hearts. With it, He cultivated a monumental vision. Imagine a comprehensive Biblical Education symposium that aids with Inspiring and Equipping Educators and Administrators in Biblical Worldview immersion, as well as providing a well-spring of biblical education resources that Inspire, Equip, & Transform. This God-sized vision and mission is known as REAP.
There is a volatile battle being waged for the hearts and minds of our youth. Cultural and political agendas and fallacies are being thrust upon our youth through media and public classrooms. Now, more than ever, we as Christian educators are responsible for equipping students in the ways of our Lord. Practically, what does that look like? Our students first and foremost must know God and, through every subject matter, meet Him more intimately. Every child must be trained on how to effectively communicate to a lost world. No longer are we to prepare our students to just defend their faith. They must be equipped to stand firm on biblical truth and share the gospel. From PreK through 12th grade, we are responsible for saturating every facet of our school’s programs with Biblical Worldview.
As surrogates of every child’s life preparation for 180+ days,
our scriptural mandate is clear:
18 “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 20 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.
Deuteronomy 11:18-20
You have been called to a critical and honorable mission, for every Christian school employee is held accountable for each child that steps through the door. Collectively, every classroom, gym, and corridor is hallowed ground, for eternal lives hang in the balance and time is of the essence. Truly understanding the weight in which you bear, REAP’s heart is to walk alongside you. We at RenewaNation are praying that you will not experience a conference, but encounter an intimate time of renewal and revival. For the next three days, we humbly suggest petitioning our Heavenly Father to reveal the areas of fallow ground that need to be addressed, spend intentioned time seeking His direction, and reap a fresh focus for biblically educating His children this next school year. Finally, reflect on the precious faces that are returning to you. The dedicated Johns, the busy Marthas, doubting Thomases, rejected Leahs, impulsive Peters, brave Esthers, and many more.
I would like to dedicate this “Sowing for the Harvest” time to Robert Khaleal Coit. At 14 years old, Khaleal, whose name in Hebrew means crown, had experienced more brokenness than many who have lived a lifetime. Sacrifices were made in order for him to experience his first consistent year at a school. In God’s providence, it was a Christian academy. Quite the comedian, and at times rambunctious, Khaleal was shown abundant patience, love, acceptance, and introduced to Christ. Through the direct investment of many servants, he accepted the free gift of salvation. Over a week ago, on a Saturday morning, Khaleal walked into his Savior’s embrace. As his basketball coach rightly remarked, “We would all be blessed to have a Khaleal in our lives”. Fellow educators, we do, and so many precious others. May we all strive to prepare ourselves spiritually, emotionally, physically, and educationally so that we may in turn righteously pour into each and every one.
Blessings,
tonya gordon
Director of REAP
Please commit to praying for all God has assembled here in Pikeville. Our RenewaNation staff is humbly blessed with the honor of pouring into these who have been called to biblical education. Like many other Christian educators across this nation, many of them have navigated an unprecedented school year with a Philippians 4:4-9 mindset and servant leader stance. May we all take a moment to prayerfully give thanks for their willing sacrifices to continue to biblically sow into our children’s lives this past year, like 14 year old Khaleal to whom our conference is lovingly dedicated. Had it not been for Christian guardians, educators, coaches, and youth leaders choosing to pour into his life despite a pandemic, he might have been eternally lost when he tragically succumbed to injuries from a car accident two weeks ago.
Instead, Khaleal walked into the glory of his Savior’s embrace.
This is Holy reaping.
This is biblical education.
By: tonya gordon
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