This Dear Labor of Community
“We are gathered here because we believe that we are called together into a work we cannot yet know the fullness of. Still, we trust the voice of the One who has called us. And so we offer to you, O God, these things; Our dreams, our plans, our vision. Shape them as You will. Our moments and our gifts. May they be invested toward bright, eternal ends.” Every Moment Holy, Volume 1- Douglas McKelvey
From the founding of The Redeemer’s School, to this very day, the Lord has gifted me with a sweet awareness of my inadequacies. This isn’t to be confused with incompetence. From the very beginning, this place has felt special. The relationships, the energy, the work, the workers. All of these components had a tremendous impact the second the doors opened. I remember the founding families volunteering a weekend to come and take pictures for us to have enough media content to populate our brochures and websites. It was beautiful. It was amazing. But I was always very aware that I was in over my head. Questions like, “where do schools get milk from?” or “what shade of khaki pants should our children wear?” revealed aspects of the school that I hadn’t thought through deeply enough.
As we canvased the state and country for curriculum, I realized how much I didn’t know about the many options that existed when working to build an educational program piece by piece. And then there was the added piece of justice and equity. The more you do this work, the more you realize what must be done to disrupt the evil “powers and principalities” at work. You recognize how they manifest themselves in our own sinful dispositions and patterns towards the vulnerable and in generational curses that fracture and wound homes and families. The evil in society manifests in systems that have created a society where these beautiful children, made in God’s image are told and forced, in multiple way, into lives denied of this rightly deserved dignity. If I was no match for the many administrative decisions a founding school head would need to make, I would surely be no match for such a work of justice.
Milk and cookies with Mr. Dyson
But this wasn’t my work. The Lord called me to Him as a college freshman. Around the same time, I can imagine many of my co-workers and TRS parents were also experiencing this “amazing grace” that was transforming my life. For many others in the life of the school, they had come to know the Lord decades earlier. Some might at that point have been years away from knowing the Lord. Regardless, in the Lord’s economy and timing, the Lord has over time called these people and families to this place. A few years later, God would call me to Redeemer Church. While 640 East Northside Drive was new to me, it was not new to God. I had never heard of the Broadmoor subdivision. God’s spirit had been moving and working for years and years. I know this because I’ve talked to pastors from those faithful churches. I’ve spoken with a neighbor, who while in one breath thanked me for Redeemer’s ministry to her grandchildren, in another breath told me about how she had been opening her home to children in the community for decades. God’s hands are all over the story of this place.
And so, in those early years, He would do a really sweet thing. I would have days where the school felt like too much of a task for me. And yeah, it was. But God would show up. It might be one of our teachers describing a relational breakthrough with a family. It might be an unexpected check coming in from a donor. Or maybe, it was just watching our kids demonstrate the kind of growth and grace that only the Holy Spirit could give. And God was always so sweet and gentle in these moments. He would make it so clear. Enjoy this thing child, but know, I provided it.
Morning Assembly with Mr. Dyson
I’ve announced to our internal school community, and am now sharing with our external school community that I believe the Lord is calling me to the next season of my life and ministry. One of the great joys of my life has been that the Lord has always given me quite a bit of certainty as I’ve searched out and responded to His calling on my life. I feel affirmed that is the case in this season.
More than anything, I trust God’s faithfulness. He will continue to use His means to accomplish His ends. I wasn’t enough when I showed up, and I don’t believe I’m some unique thing as I transition away. I’ll just keep praying for faithfulness. I’m praying for myself, and the rest of the community called in this season and the season to come.
Thank you all for being vessels of encouragement and God’s graciousness to me over the years. It warms my heart to know that He will be faithful to continue to provide such goodness for and through His people.
Mr. Dyson will complete this spring semester as our Head of School and transition to a new season of life and ministry away from our campus. The School Board is excited to announce our current Principal Mrs. Lisa Moore will immediately transition job titles to Interim In Waiting until the summer break when she will become our Interim Head of School.
