This past spring, we discovered that we could realize significant construction savings if we could start immediately and that the project could be completed faster, enabling us to move into a completely finished campus for the next school year, 2011-12! But to accomplish this, we would have to reach specific campaign goals. We broke ground on our new campus in May and construction has continued uninterrupted and on schedule to this point.

We currently have $17 million in pledges and are now $3 million in pledges away from our year-end milestone. Reaching this milestone means that we will be in the new campus next year.

Missing the goal means that a move next year is out of our reach.

This vision and this project are fueled by people praying, giving, and making pledge decisions. I know this is a busy time of year, but because we are so close to being able to finish and move in next year, I have to ask:

Will you pray for Westminster? Will you give? Will you pledge? (Any gifts postmarked on or before December 31 will be tax deductible for the 2010 calendar year).

So many are already praying, giving, and pledging, and I want you to hear me say “thank you.” Thank you for all you are doing.

Join with me in praising God for what He is doing at Westminster — in the lives of students and families, through teachers and our school community.

We need your prayers and support as we trust in God to provide us with the resources needed to continue Westminster’s journey and “prepare more young people to engage the world and change it for Jesus Christ.” Have a blessed Christmas season.

In His service,

Jim Marsh
Head of School

This step of faith began this past spring with a prayer and the straightforward question, “What happens if we can get construction started this summer?”

That question redefined our view of the Town & Country campus project. We discovered huge savings in construction costs if we started building immediately; we learned that the project could be completed faster; and the biggest news of all — we could be in the new campus, completely finished, for next school year 2011-12!

God seemed to be providing us with another remarkable opportunity, but how could this be done? Was it possible?

Humanly speaking, maybe this isn’t the best time. Maybe we should slow things down. We don’t actually have to move out of our current campus until the summer of 2012. Why take the risk? So what if we have to stop? People are busy and preoccupied with so many things. Can we really mobilize a campaign? Will people really pray and encourage others to get involved?

But in the midst of all these questions came the peace and knowledge that God works through His people. This is His work; let’s move forward. Let’s do our best to communicate and ask people to pray and consider what God is doing. Let’s see if God will move in the hearts of His people to give, lead, and take steps of faith with us.

We established the critical pledge milestones of $12 million, then $15 million, then $20 million. These milestones, if reached, would keep construction going. Then, we took this giant step of faith.

And we have seen God at work. He has indeed moved through His people. People have taken decisive action and steps of faith of their own, and they have pledged to give what it takes to keep this project going. We began 2010 with $7 million in pledges and now have $16.4 million in pledges. We saw another miracle when the September 30 milestone was reached, just in time to keep construction going. We saw people pledge $2.3 million in just four days — pledges from parents, parents of alumni, graduates, grandparents and friends. Even a seventh-grader stepped forward and pledged $25 a year for the next five years without being asked. It was an amazing movement of God through His people.

What does it really take to build the campus now, seizing the moment, realizing the savings in the construction costs, building faster, and finishing the project by next school year?

Please understand that the prayers, gifts and pledge decisions of God’s people fuel this vision and project. Yes, we have arranged for a financing plan, but this short-term construction financing only enables us to manage the cash flow needs of a construction project of this size. From start to finish, this project is funded through the generous gifts and pledges of God’s people.

As we enter this busy Thanksgiving and Christmas season, please take the time to join with me in praising God for what He is doing at Westminster.  Also remember that God is working far beyond our “What if?” scenarios through the prayers and generous actions of His people.

We need your prayers, gifts, and pledges as we trust in God to provide us with the resources needed to continue Westminster’s journey and “prepare more young people to engage the world and change it for Jesus Christ.”

In His service,

Jim Marsh
Head of School

You may have already seen the video of my latest Field Notes report in yesterday’s email from Jim Marsh. If you have not, however, please take a few minutes to view this brief message, as it will bring you up to date on how the Campaign is unfolding and the importance of the upcoming events.

We began the week with $13.4 million in pledges to the Campaign, and we are trusting God to work through His people, those who have heard the story of what He has done and is doing at Westminster. Our milestone is $15 million in total pledges on September 30, and we are receiving pledges every day.

Please keep praying; God has done amazing things this week, and we look forward to seeing how He continues to work as September draws to a close.

Field Notes is sent to those who have made a gift or a pledge and/or attended a
Community Meeting. Thank you for all that you are doing, and please continue
to pray how God may use you for such a time as this.

Thrilling isn’t it?

Each day people ask me, “How are we doing with the campaign?”
Our first key milestone was achieved at the end of June when we reached $12 million in total pledges.

Our next two milestones are critically important to the continuation of construction:

• Milestone: We need a total of $15 million in pledges by the end of September. We currently have $13.3 million pledged.
• Milestone: Our final milestone this year will be a total of $20 million in pledges.

If both of these goals are reached, the entire campus will be complete with no delays. We will seize an amazing stewardship opportunity with savings on construction costs, and we will occupy the new campus for the 2011-12 school year.

Here are some actions you can take to help us reach this next milestone.

• Pray for great attendance at the Community Meetings hosted in homes.
• Pray that God moves people to get involved and pledge at this crucial moment.
• Visit the campaign website, and share our new virtual tours, renderings and real-time construction cam with others.
• Attend a Community Meeting this month or contact us to arrange an individual meeting.

God has provided Westminster Christian Academy a remarkable opportunity, For Such A Time As This.

We have sold our current campus for $18 million and have started construction on our new 70-acre campus. We can save millions in construction costs along the way staying on track with an accelerated schedule and can complete the entire campus by fall 2011. This complex project has now become a very straightforward but challenging step of faith.

Will God move upon the hearts of people to pledge generously to this campaign?

To seize this moment, we are calling upon parents, grandparents, alumni parents, alumni and people all across America to hear the story of what God has been doing in the lives of students, families and teachers.

Different to Make A Difference

“I just wanted to let you know that the farther I go in life, the more thankful I am for my education from Westminster Christian Academy. I’ve heard lots of stories of other high school experiences, and I’ve just been very thankful that I went to a school where I not only got a really great education but also heard about God and His centrality in life and finding our callings every day. Thanks for the great foundation for the rest of life. I just wish there were a Westminster in Tulsa!”

That’s an unsolicited comment from Jenny, a Westminster alumnus. What a blessing to read those words in light of what God is doing for future generations as we move toward the vision of the Town & Country campus.

There’s a great deal of encouragement in Jenny’s comments that challenges us to stay the course.

There is a spirit of thankfulness for the Westminster experience. You and I know the prayers, hope, investments and sacrifice that go into raising children in the Lord. We hope daily that their lives will reflect gratefulness to God for His blessings, and you can catch a glimpse of that in Jenny’s comments.

There is a clear reminder here that Westminster is different to make a difference. Jenny sees her Westminster experience through the lens of an adult, recognizing that Westminster is not a normal experience. She not only places value on the quality of her education but also on recognizing that God is actively involved in all facets of life, and that He calls us to His work every day.

And what a joy to hear the desire of this graduate, now in a new chapter of life, living in a different part of the country, wishing that there was a Westminster in her new hometown.

But God, by His grace, has us at His service here in St. Louis, for the children of Christian parents. Through the campaign For Such A Time As This, we have the opportunity to move forward. We can continue to say, “yes” to families desiring a top-notch Christian education. We are blessed with the freedom to act. We can be innovative. We can continue to think deeply and move swiftly and respond to the challenges of culture and to the needs of students in order to be prepared to not only survive but also to lead in this challenging time for our world.

God has directed our steps thus far. We now have more than $13 million in total pledges.

All of our focus now is on seeking $2 million in additional pledges by the end of September, positioning us to be able reach the $20 million mark by the end of December.

This is our most critical milestone yet. We must reach the $15 million mark by the end of September to begin utilizing the first stage of bank financing necessary to continue our construction.

Pray for the campaign and that we will continue to see a movement of God among His people.

Challenge people to pledge.

Lead others to come to a Community Meeting to learn more about the story of what God has been doing at Westminster for our future.

Share our new online renderings and virtual tours of the future Town & Country Campus with others.

Keep sharing your ideas, comments and advice. You are always welcome to email me and invited to call me at 314-997-2900, ext. 127.

I was sitting across the table recently from a former parent, watching his face light up as he recounted God’s amazing blessings on Westminster Christian Academy through the years. The conversation turned to what we have seen happen since 2002, when Westminster purchased the Town & Country campus.

As I sat with this fellow parent, he mused, “I have seen God move and direct before in my life, but I have never seen such a constant and impossible movement of God providing so miraculously each remarkable step of the way. Not just once, but over and over again.”

Can you sense it? That feeling of being caught up in the middle of what God is doing here and now?

I’m thankful to be able to report that God is indeed moving and doing the impossible. As you know, we began to focus on the first key campaign milestone in May. By the end of this month, we needed an additional $3 million in pledges. As of today, we have $1.6 million remaining in order to reach this goal. We are seeing new pledges come in at all levels of giving as people respond to this opportunity.

Keep sharing what’s happening with others. Because God is directing our steps and because we can save millions if we occupy the new campus by Fall 2011, a year earlier than previously planned, Westminster has elected to begin construction now. We will be able to stay on this accelerated timeline if people commit and get others involved to achieve the remaining $1.6 million in pledges by the end of June and an additional $8 million in pledges by the end of December.

As you pray with us, keep in mind that God is far more interested in building young men and women than He is in building buildings. The campus, the land, the buildings, the dirt, the concrete … all of these are just the raw materials that become a part of God’s people striving together to achieve a vision for students. So, as you pray and consider what God is doing, pray that He will stir the hearts of people toward a vision for young men and women prepared to engage the world for Jesus Christ. Pray that people will seize the opportunity to lay down their gifts, talents and resources to be a part of what God is doing for generations of young people, families, graduates, children and children yet to be born.

Praise God for the success to this point and the amazing movement of His people through the community meetings hosted by families. In less than one month, a hundred people have already come together to hear the story of what God has been doing at Westminster. More than 30 people have committed to host meetings in the future, and the numbers of people attending and hosting just keeps climbing. E-mail me to find out when and where you can attend one of the upcoming Community Meetings. We want you to be involved firsthand so that you can share your heart for Westminster with others who attend.

Keep your ideas, comments and advice coming. You are always welcome to e-mail me at zclark@wcastl.org or call me at 314.997.2900, ext. 127.

What a blessing it was to mark the beginning of the construction of Westminster Christian Academy’s future home. So many steps of faith have been taken by so many, and God has directed, protected and blessed our school as a result. These stories of God’s work in the lives of His people echoed throughout our future campus, and will continue across our city, region and world.

The groundbreaking was not only a moment to remember, it was also a major dose of reality. Two-thirds of the structure of the old building is being razed, dirt is being moved, orange flags are marking the site and debris is being piled high. The construction timeline has begun. It will continue and could be complete as soon as a year from now if we reach our pledge milestones.

Now all of our prayers and efforts are focused on seeing God move people’s hearts to pledge and become a part of what He is doing through the campaign for Westminster. My last Field Notes update at the beginning of May reported a need for $3 million in new pledges by the end of June. By God’s grace and through the response of His people, we have been steadily moving toward this milestone. As of today, we still need $2 million in new pledges to reach this first milestone. Significant progress has obviously already been made, and we covet your prayers and efforts as we enter June.

Throughout Westminster’s early history, the community’s dream of a Christian school became a reality through a small movement of people and families. These people met together in homes and discussed their vision for Christian education. They began to pray and wondered if it was possible to start and sustain a Christian school that would focus on making a difference by equipping young people to engage the world and change it for Jesus Christ.

Today we are, once again, seeing another such movement of God’s people. They are coming together at Community Meetings, which are hosted throughout the St. Louis region by families and friends, in order to hear the story of what He is doing at Westminster and to explore ways in which they can make a difference. These aren’t really fundraising events. Rather, these meetings allow host families to share their hearts and homes while Head of School Jim Marsh and I share the story of what God is doing. We are trying to help people to know how we are asking them to pray, pledge and get involved. In this intimate setting, questions are answered, blueprints explored and big ideas uncovered. Three families have already hosted such meetings and five more are scheduled for the next two weeks. Additionally, an astonishing number of people are stepping forward to host future meetings.

Ways in which you can partner with us at this time:

• Praise God for the success and momentum we are already seeing.
• Pray that we can receive an additional $2 million in new pledges by the end of June, which would allow us to finalize our loan agreements with our lenders. If we are successful in meeting this goal, then we will be able to stay on track with construction and our shortened timeline.
• E-mail me to find out when and where you can attend one of the upcoming Community Meetings. We want you to be involved firsthand so that you can share your heart for Westminster with others who attend.
• Encourage others to get involved, whether by attending meetings or hosting meetings. The hosts of an upcoming Community Meeting have invited a group of friends who are not yet connected to Westminster. They believe — as do I — that their guests will respond to God’s extraordinary work at and through Westminster.

• Share your wisdom with us. What are we missing? Who are we missing? What are people asking you about everything that is happening at Westminster?

This content was first presented at a meeting of the Westminster Association on March 9, 2010.

There’s not much time for quiet in our lives today is there? But, when it is quiet, and it’s dark, and I’m tired, I ask myself this question, “Why?” Do you hear these questions too?

Why?
Why grow?
Why change?
Why take these risks?
Why be involved?

There are some generations called to cultivate, explore, stretch out the boundaries, and guard the homeland; simply adding to what was done before. Other generations are called to serve the purpose of God in times of terrible change. They are confronted by unexpected realities, challenges, and unprecedented opportunities. The ground shifts under their feet; what they perceived to be never changing suddenly gives way to the unexpected.

A great biblical example of this contrast would be David and Solomon. David, in his generation fought, shed blood, rebuilt, built, and established a kingdom during constant times of change. But, his son, Solomon, who added to the wealth, expanded, prospered the country in peace, and expanded knowledge, followed him.

Are we in a time like Solomon? Or, are we in a time like David’s?

I’m not an expert on theological, political, or economic trends, but I spend a whole lot of time with people who are. If you don’t think they are experts, just ask them, they’ll tell you. And, I have come to a conclusion about the sort of generation that we are in at this point in history.

Some say we are moving into a “post-Christian era.” Some say we are moving into a “post-American era,” where the dominance of our country and our faith is beginning to wane.

How important you think that is may vary, but I believe that we are generation of Christian parents and grandparents that must look with eyes that see the world around us:
* Our children are living in a country that is actually trying to figure out how to define marriage.
* Our children are living in a country where the concept of truth and the value of life is a mystery.
* Our children are living in a country where government is becoming something to fear and mistrust.
* Our children have entered an age where every philosophy, worldview, knowledge and information, sick, twisted, and sadistic way of thinking that holds itself up against the knowledge of God is available on a handheld device.

Now, I ask you…

Where will the men come from who will shepherd families in the next generation? Where will the mothers come from who will be strong and raise their children before the Lord? Where will the pastors come from? Where will our government leaders come from? Where will our ethical and judicious bankers and investors come from? Where will our scientists come from? Where will our writers come from? Where will our teachers come from?

These are not new questions. The answer in 1976 was Westminster Christian Academy, when it was founded.

But, here is a troubling thought. What if we stand here now for too long, pondering questions, “Why grow? Why change? Why take the risk? Why get involved?”

New fathers, new mothers, new leaders, new bankers, new writers, new scientists, new teachers are bursting on to the scene every single day and the vast majority of them are products of a world-system, not a Christian community.

If they are products of the world, what will they love? How will they live?

Folks, the Westminster mission is a moving forward, growing, changing, risky, and sacrificial mission.

Now more than ever we must keep our focus on this vision, working with all our might and all our strength and all our courage to see:
* Students ready to engage an unstable world as Christian men and women
* Students who make a difference instead of being overwhelmed
* A place prepared for Christian families, while improving and becoming more effective
* A sustainable school, using technology to broaden our impact across the globe, and helping other Christian schools get stronger.

Make no mistake…all the money that will be given, all the buildings that we build, all the technology we use will all fade away.

And when that day comes, we will look at our children–a vast sea of thousands of men and women who graduated from Westminster Christian Academy–and we will ask the same question Paul asks in his letter to the Thessalonians:

“For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes?”

And Paul answers his own question:

Is it not you? Indeed you are our glory and joy.”

The work God enables us to do in the lives of students and families is what will stand, when all the buildings are gone.

Thank you for being here tonight.