Spring 2012: The Prayer Edition - Timothy Christian Schools

a publication of Timothy Christian Schools 

The 

Prayer Edition 

Feature Story 

the power of prayer 

SPECIAL FEATUREs 

faith into action 

His Faithfulness Continues 

SPRING 2012 www.timothychristian.com

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9/12/11 11:08 AM 

Contents Spring 2012 

4 

8 

His Faithfulness 

Continues 

Psalm 100:5 

Editorial 

30 

1 from the editor 

2 the breakdown 

Timothy by the Numbers 

Get to Know A... 

From the Mouths of Babes 

Features 

4 the power of prayer 

6 Faith into action 

8 his faithfulness continues 

Prayer Points 

Timothy Updates 

10 the 3 a’s 

Academics 

Athletics 

Arts 

16 from the administrators 

24 alumni News 

29 Prayer for the Future 

2 REFLECTOR SPRING 2012

FROM THE EDITOR 

“Timothy didn’t start with any building 

or even any person. Timothy began 

with an idea and a prayer: an idea of a 

Christ-centered education and a prayer 

dedicating this vision to God.” 

Timothy’s Prayer 

Chromosome 

Think back to the very beginning of Timothy Christian 

Schools. Exactly when did this 100 year old Christian 

school begin its existence Can we trace Timothy’s 

origin to a single point in time Timothy didn’t start 

with any building or even any person. Timothy began 

with an idea and a prayer: an idea of a Christ-centered 

education and a prayer dedicating this vision to God. 

When this idea and this prayer met – THAT was when 

Timothy Christian Schools was conceived. 

Since its beginnings, prayer has been encoded into 

the very DNA of Timothy Christian Schools. Timothy 

has an expressive prayer chromosome that permeates 

everything that we do. The school day, worship 

services, sporting events, snacks, meals, musical and 

dramatic performances, parent/teacher conferences, 

administrative team meetings, board meetings, and 

society meetings all begin with prayer. Both the formal 

business of the school and the goofy, crazy activities 

that organically sprout from working with children are 

dedicated to God in prayer. Prayer is mandated in the 

Timothy Christian Schools Constitution: “The meetings 

of the Board of Directors shall be opened with prayer…” 

(Article VII, PP3.) 

public and private that we are His and that without him, 

we can do nothing. 

I encourage you to not only read through this Reflector, 

but to PRAY through this Reflector. Throughout this 

issue, you’ll see “Timothy Prayer Points” that will serve 

as reminders for prayer. Just imagine the entire 6,500+ 

mailing list of the Reflector offering up Timothy to 

Almighty God! 

Just like those visionaries 100 years ago, we need to 

bathe the next hundred years in prayer. As we wrap 

up a full school year of celebrating God’s faithfulness 

to Timothy for 100 years, let’s remember that it’s 

about God. I can’t think of a better way to kick off this 

community’s second century. 

Ready Let’s pray! • 

Rudi Gesch 

Rudi Gesch 

Director of Marketing 

01 REFLECTOR SPRING 2012 

In fact, we pray SO much, that it might be easy to 

overlook its importance. There’s something very simple 

and yet profound about the commonness of prayer at 

Timothy. In starting everything in prayer at Timothy, we 

regularly acknowledge God’s sovereignty. We praise him, 

thank him, and glorify his name. We proclaim in both 

Prayer Point: Thankful for god’s goodness to TC for our 1st century // Request for God’s Continued direction 

for 2nd century // Praise for God’s blessings on the Timothy community

The Breakdown 

TIMOTHY BY THE NUMBERS 

Newsworthy 

TCHS was identified as one of 96 

“Outstanding 

High Schools 

in America” 

by the U.S. News & World Report 

High school Faculty 

timothy christian schools profile for 2011-2012 

31 77 18 62 1:13 

Certified 

staff members 

on staff 

percent 

hold Master’s 

degrees 

YEARS 

average teaching 

experience 

PERCENT 

have taught at TCS 

for at least 10 years 

ratio 

of certified facultyto-student 

Grade school Tests 

Iowa Basics Testing 

Over 40% of our middle school students scored 

at or above the 95th percentile on their Iowa 

Test of Basic Achievement, qualifying them for the 

National Talent Search. 

In 2010-2011, Timothy's average ranking for grades 

2-8 was in the 94th percentile at the national level. 

DEMOGRAPHICS 

13% African American 

5% Asian 

76% Caucasian 

6% Hispanic 

ACT TESTS 

100% of the class of 2011 took the ACT test. The results below compare 

this class with the state of Illinois and the nation. 

Timothy 

Illinois 

Nation 

English 


Illinois 

Nation 

Reading 


Illinois 

Nation 

Composite 

25.1 

20.6 

20.6 

24.5 

20.8 

21.3 

24.6 

20.9 

21.1 


Illinois 

Nation 

Math 

24.4 

20.9 

21.1 


23.7 

Illinois 

20.7 

Nation 

20.9 

Science 

of the class of 2011 

entered either 4-year 

83% college or university 

enrolled in a community 

college program 

14% 

63 

TOTAL TCHS students 

took 103 Advanced Placement 

Examinations 

3.86 

average grade 

85% of the scores were equal or 

better than 3.0 

Get to 

know a... 

4th generation 

student* 

Linnea Venhousen 

Years at Timothy: 14 

Grade level: Senior 

What I love about 

Timothy: I have been 

repeatedly blessed by the 

community at Timothy 

Christian. Through 

faculty, coaches, friends, 

and peers I have been 

consistently challenged 

and encouraged by the 

people I interact with. 

Hobbies: Volleyball, track, 

art, and reading 

Best book read this 

year Redeeming Love by 

Francine Rivers 

Favorite lunch: Portillo’s 

cheeseburger, cheese fries, 

and chocolate shake 

Favorite movie: Pride and 

Prejudice 

Favorite place to visit: My 

grandparent’s house in 

Arizona 

Best gift ever: Family trip 

to Mexico 

Best thing about being a 

long-time Timothy family: 

I love being able to share 

in my family’s history and 

long-time commitment 

to Christian education. 

My grandparents and 

parents have made 

great sacrifices in order 

to give their children a 

learning environment 

where they can not only 

gain knowledge, but also 

mature in their faith. I 

am very grateful for their 

sacrifice and the sense of 

commitment to God that 

has been demonstrated in 

my family from generation 

to generation. 

*Previous Generations: The late Catherine Boeringa Ven Huizen; Robert Venhousen Sr. and the Late Donna Visser Venhousen; Robert 

Venhousen Jr. and the late Sherri Vriesman Venhousen 

FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES 

“When is Mrs. Spaghetti coming” 

– A Kindergarten student in Mrs. Wories’ classroom. Upon further examination, the 

child was referring to substitute teacher, Mrs. Micheletti. 


“ 

Prayer Point: Thankful for Timothy’s high quality education and and academic achievement // Thankful for our youngest 

students’ energy, enthusiasum, and curiosity // Thankful for a diverse and increasingly global community of students // 

Thankful for God’s faithfulness throughout Tom Day’s career at Timothy

Get to 

know a... 

WORLDVIEW 

International 

Student 

Dennis Zhang 

Grade: 11th 

Years at Timothy: 2011- 

2012 

Host Family: Doug and 

Judy Groters 


Timothy: Everyone is 

friendly. The school is 

filled with love. It’s a 

beautiful campus. I love 

the sports, the fact that 

the teachers are like 

friends, and that there are 

a lot of crazy activities. 

Hobbies: Playing 

basketball, singing, and 

thinking. 

Best book read this year 

the Timothy yearbook! 

Favorite American lunch: 

Pizza 

Favorite movie: Forrest 

Gump 

Favorite place to visit: MIT 

Best gift ever: Having the 

chance to come to America 

Best thing about being 

an international student: 

American students are 

interested in you and care 

about you. It makes it 

easier to show our true 

selves. 

Hardest part about being 

an international student: 

completely getting use 

to American culture, and 

getting involved in all 

kinds of activities. 

Something surprising 

about you: I heard that 

American people are 

friendly, but I didn’t 

expect that they are SO 

friendly. Also, Americans 

place a strong emphasis 

on sports, volunteering, 

and work. 

If you’re interested in 

hosting an International 

Student, please contact 

our WORLDVIEW 

International Student 

Program Coordinator 

Laura Hernandez 

at hernandez@ 

timothychristian.com 


Retiring Teacher 

Tom Day 

Years at Timothy: 38 years 

at TC; 41 in education 


Timothy: Timothy has 

become “home” for me 

and my family. It is truly 

a Christian community in 

every sense of the word. 

Hobbies: I love playing 

golf. I love watching my 

White Sox play baseball. 

I love traveling with my 

wife Debbie. 

Best book read this year: 

I am in a men’s fellowship 

that is studying Love 

and Respect by Emerson 

Eggerichs and it is a 

life-changing book. I’d 

recommend it for all 

couples! 

Favorite lunch: Portillo’s 

is always pretty awesome, 

but since my heart surgery 

in ’07 I have discovered 

bison burgers. They’re 

pretty awesome as well. 

Favorite movie: I 

would have to say It’s a 

Wonderful Life. Cool Hand 

Luke, The Shawshank 

Redemption, and Sleepless 

in Seattle are in my top ten. 

Best gift ever: my children! 

. . . and my grandchildren. 

Thing you’ll miss most 

about being a teacher 

at TC: the relationships 

with students; the 

commeraderie with 

faculty friends. 

Thing you’re most 

looking forward to 

about retirement: my 

retired friends tell 

me that “everyday is 

Saturday, Tom.” I like 

Saturday so that should 

be great. I’m hoping to 

do some caddying, spend 

quality time with my 

grandchildren and my 

wife, volunteer work and 

perhaps pursue a dream 

of mine – to do some 

voice-over work. And, of 

course, getting on the golf 

course now and then is 

something I definitely look 

forward to. 

Something surprising 

about you: I can make 

a pretty good batch of 

chocolate chip cookies. I’ve 

had two holes-in-one in 

my golfing career. •

feature The Breakdown article 

“ 

To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be 

alive without breathing. 

The Power of Prayer 

By Matt Davidson, Superintendent 

“– Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Prayer…do you believe that God is able to do 

immeasurably MORE than we can even ask or imagine 

(Ephesians 3:20, 21) Do you really believe that God hears 

us, listens to us Do you really believe that God’s desire 

is to give His children exactly what they need Too often 

we view prayer as “twisting God’s arm” or pleading with 

Him for a single merciful act. Yet the Bible consistently 

teaches us that God is inclined to show us kindness and 

love. God desires to provide for us and to help in times of 

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Don’t think for a moment that Timothy Christian School 

would be the same today without prayer. Over the course 

of a century, God’s people here at Timothy have planned 

and worked tirelessly…but make no mistake about it— 

most importantly, people have prayed. It is so reassuring 

to know that the Timothy community of today is still 

known for faithful prayers. Here at Timothy we still 

start ballgames and Board meetings in prayer…we pray 

in class and in meetings…we pray in assemblies and 

chapels…we pray on the playground or in the hallway… 

we pray in the bus garage and the maintenance office… 

we have a group of moms who pray weekly (Moms in 

Prayer) and a group of dads and grandfathers who pray 

at 6:30am every Friday morning (Big Boys on Campus). I 

think you get the picture—WE PRAY! 

Prayer Point: Thankful for the power of prayer throughout Timothy’s first century // thankful for the prayer 

groups that meet weekly to uplift our school to Almighty God 


prayer groups 

Big Boys on 

Campus 

Is Timothy Christian School on your prayer list If not, please add us. 

Prayer changes things. I am aware that we ask a lot of our community. 

We ask for your input, support, volunteerism and even money. But I 

mean it with all sincerity when I say that we covet your prayers more 

than anything else. If faith can move a mountain, then let’s pray for big 

things here at Timothy. What a mighty God we serve! Literally every 

week I submit the identical prayer request to our mom’s prayer group 

that meets on campus every Friday: “please pray Ephesians 3:20, 21 over 

our school.” It is worth repeating that God is able to do MORE than we 

can even ask or imagine. 

As we reflect once more on our centennial, it is good to remember that 

we are to “enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise” 

as we approach God in prayer (Psalm 100:4). We have so much to be 

thankful for here at Timothy. God is worthy of our praise and adoration… 

He is worthy to thanked. There was a time when ten people came to 

Jesus in desperation—they had leprosy. You are probably familiar with 

this event, and if so, you remember that only one person took the time 

to give praise and thanks to Jesus (Luke 17:11-19). We are quick to point 

fingers at the ungrateful nine, and yet I wonder if even ten percent (1 

out of 10) of the church today takes time to pray and to say thank you 

on a regular basis. Let’s be a school that gives thanks! 

Please pray for the kingdom work of Timothy Christian Schools and 

be certain to let us know how we can pray for you. Perhaps you will 

even consider keeping this edition of the Reflector in a spot where you 

will see it daily, and it will serve as a reminder to pray for our school. 

Imagine if every person reading this took a few moments of each 

day to pray for Timothy. Imagine the power behind those prayers and 

the amazing impact of those prayers. And then…try to imagine so 

much MORE. 

Who: Any man interested in 

lifting up Timothy in prayer 

on a weekly basis 

Where: Office of the Superintendent 

When: Friday mornings at 6:30 

Interested Contact: 

davdison@timothychristian.com 

Moms in Prayer 

Who: Any woman interested in 

lifting up Timothy in prayer 

on a weekly basis 

Where: High School Conference 

Room 

When: Friday mornings at 8:30 

Interested Contact: 

MomsInPrayer@timothychristian.com 


God is able! • 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more 

than all we ask or imagine, according to his 

power that is at work within us, to him be glory 

in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all 

generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

special feature 

Faith Into Action 

Profiles of Three Timothy Students Who “Walk the Walk.” 

What volunteer activities are you 

involved in What led you to connect 

with these specific activities I 

volunteer at The People’s Resource 

Center because it specifically helps 

people in DuPage county and allows 

me to help people in my community. 

I also volunteer at Feed My Starving 

Children which helps kids on a global 

level who are starving. I started 

Kelly Powers volunteering there because it was 

fun, easy, and I knew it would make a 

difference for the children receiving the food. One other 

thing I am involved in is student ministries and this 

year I was placed in charge of the Humboldt dinner and 

started a pen pal group with kids that go to Humboldt. 

I got involved in this because I wanted to get other 

students from our school involved in volunteering. 

Why are you so active in volunteerism I feel called to 

help others less fortunate than I am. It is a way for me 

to give what I have to others and it is not only beneficial 

to others but more importantly teaches me new lessons. 

What is your favorite part of volunteering Seeing how 

it impacts the people in need. Seeing people receive 

what they need and being able to take a small amount 

of stress out of someone’s life is a great reward. 

What is the most challenging part of volunteering 

Realizing you can’t help everybody. I tend to want to fix 

every problem by myself and that isn’t always possible. 

I’ve had to learn to be patient and work with other 

people who want the problem fixed as well. 

Do you have a Bible verse that inspires you to live 

out your faith Acts 20:35 which says, “In all things I 

have shown you that by working hard in this way we 

must help the weak and remember the words of the 

Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to 

give than to receive.’” is one of my favorite verses that 

speaks specifically to volunteering and inspires me. 

What does God have in store for you after you graduate 

Timothy I am going to be attending Marquette 

University where I will be studying Speech-Language 

Pathology. I hope to continuing volunteering while 

at college and plan on going on a missions trip in the 

summer of 2013 for 2-3 months. 

How has your time at Timothy Christian Schools 

helped your drive to live out your faith It has given 

me opportunities starting when I was younger. Doing 

this when I was younger showed me how much I 

enjoyed serving others. Now having opportunities like 

student ministries and care convention are all awesome 

easy, ways for our student body to be in a light in the 

community. 

People’s Resource Center: peoplesrc.org // Feed My Starving 

Children: fmsc.org // Humboldt/TC Student Ministries: 

humboldtccs.org 

What volunteer activities 

are you involved in What 

led you to connect with 

these specific activities 

I volunteer weekly at the 

Willowbrook Wildlife 

Center and the DuPage 

Convalescent Center. I go 

to By the Hand once a 

month through Timothy 

and I am also a leader 

Kate Berens 

of Student Ministries at 

Timothy. I was led to volunteer at DuPage Convalescent 

Center because of my love of spending time with the 

elderly and being involved with healthcare. I visited 

Willowbrook Wildlife Center and just immediately 

wanted to get involved. I was invited to go to By the 

Hand by Mr. Rinsema and I learned about Student 

Ministries when I saw their booth on High School 

Preview Day. 

Why are you so active in volunteerism I believe that 

we are all called by God to make a difference in our 

communities and the world through showing love to 

others and being aware of our world’s needs. I think 

that specifically God wants each of us to discover what 

bothers us about the world or what we think our world 

needs, and do something about it. Students, including 

me, shouldn’t wait until we’re adults to start making an 

impact in the world around us. Also, I just really enjoy 

volunteering; it’s one of my favorite things to do. 

What is your favorite part of volunteering Seeing how 

people benefit from the work I do, and the feeling of 

fulfillment I get out of it. I only wish everyone could 

know how good it feels to volunteer! 

06 6 REFLECTOR SPRING 2012 2011


Taking time out of a busy schedule to get involved. I 

have to remind myself that God is asking me to do 

this and I can’t make excuses. On a more personal 

note, it is very hard for me to watch as people at the 

Convalescent Center experience illness, depression, 

and sometimes death. It hurts when I don’t get to say 

goodbye, and it deeply hurts knowing that some of 

them did not know Jesus. 

Do you have a Bible verse that inspires you to live out 

your faith Hebrews 12:1 says: “Therefore, since we are 

surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us 

throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so 

easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the 

race marked out for us.” I also appreciated working for 

“The least of these” as mentioned in Matthew 25:34-43. 

Jimmy Larkin 

What volunteer activities 

are you involved in What 

led you to connect with 

these specific activities 

Feeding the homeless at 

my church’s soup kitchen. 

I tutored a new freshmen 

at Timothy. I was told that 

there was a need for help 

and I knew it was what 

God wanted me to do, so I 

did it. 

Why are you so active in volunteerism I have seen it in 

others – especially my parents. And I know that Jesus 

has called all of us as Christians to serve Him by serving 

others. Jesus set the ultimate example in John 13:14-15. 

“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that 

is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have 

washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s 

feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as 

I have done for you. 

What is your favorite part of volunteering Being used 

by God to better the life of someone else. Seeing the 

joy on the face of the person I am serving is great too! 


Especially when working with the homeless, it is 

challenging putting my pride in the back seat. I try to 

make what I’m doing not for my glory, but for God and 

His Kingdom. 


Timothy I want to go into medical missions when I am 

older. I am planning to become a nurse practitioner, and 

go where God calls me to provide healthcare and the 

Gospel to those who need it. 

How has your time at Timothy Christian Schools 

helped your drive to live out your faith It has helped 

me develop my beliefs and inspire me to give all that 

I am to God. It has given me the belief that everyone 

has a passion about a need in the world that they 

want to get involved in, for me it’s providing medicine 

and healthcare to those who don’t have it. Once one 

discovers their passion, they should get involved and 

make a difference. 

Willowbrook Wildlife Center: willowbrookwildlife.com // 

DuPage Convalescent Center: dupageco.org/convo/ 

By the Hand: bythehand.org // Humbolt/TC Student 

Ministries: humboldtccs.org 

Do you have a Bible verse that inspires you to live out 

your faith Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28. I know 

that if I’m obeying God’s word and living my life for him, 

that all the other things in life will be taken care of. I 

don’t need to worry about things because God has a 

plan and it will all work together for good. 


Timothy I don’t know – only God really knows! 

How has your time at Timothy Christian Schools helped 

your drive to live out your faith I’ve been surrounded 

by great Christian friends that have been able to 

keep me accountable. I’ve been able to form close 

relationships with teachers and coaches who have set 

a good example for me. The examples that they set 

let me see what it looks like to be a man of God and a 

man of integrity. They encouraged me in my faith walk 

and actually personally care about me. I’ve had many 

opportunities for service through sports teams and 

other organizations at Timothy. The chapels at Timothy 

have been a big part of my growth in faith. I’ve been 

able to share testimonies of my life in front of the 

entire school and hear how God has worked in other 

students’ lives. 

Chicago Alive Youth Camp // Christ Church/CMA Soup Kitchen 

PADS Homless // Feed My Starving Children 


Prayer Point: Thankful for Timothy students who live out their faith

special feature 

His Faithfulness Continues 

Capital Campaign 2012: High School Science Wing 

Assuming that our fundraising efforts are successful and everything goes according 

to plan, we hope to open this new wing of the high school sometime in the fall of 

2012. We are determined to complete the Science classrooms as a priority, but we 

would like to complete the entire project and avoid having a Phase 2 of the project. 

However, in order for us to successfully complete the entire project as projected 

here, we still need your help to get to the finish line. Please contact Bob Venhousen 

(venhousen@timothychristian.com) to find out how you can help. Moreover, be 

certain to stop by this summer or check the school website for updates on the 

construction progress. 

Plan Features 

Big impact – 8,330 Square Feet 

of new or remodeled space, allowing for a high school 

capacity of 450 students; Five new classrooms and two 

remodeled classrooms 

Safety – Elimination of mobile classrooms; every 

High School student is finally under one roof 

Room to breathe – Creation of second High 

School corridor, resulting in a better foot traffic pattern 

Beautification – Creation of “Alumni Courtyard,” 

Timothy’s first enclosed green space 

Upgrades – Photography and Orchestra come out of 

converted storage spaces and into first-rate facilities 

Curriculum Expansion – 

New space allows us to add new courses to Timothy’s 

curriculum 


His Faithfulness Continues with a significant commitment to Timothy’s science program. Timothy’s current science 

labs were built in 1962. While we are currently able to make due with these spaces, the facility simply doesn’t 

match our mission. We strive to develop academically prepared Christian disciples. God has blessed us with a 

phenomenal science program and faculty. Our science program’s excellence (not to mention how much has 

changed in science since 1962!) challenges us to upgrade these facilities. 

The Arts have always held an esteemed place in Timothy’s curriculum. And yet, our photography and orchestra 

programs currently meet in converted storage spaces. Photography will move into a state of the art media lab that 

offers cutting edge technology experiences. Our orchestra space will triple in size and will feature a renovated 

classroom with acoustic tuning worthy of our outstanding program. 


Finally, it’s tough to talk about beauty without mentioning the Alumni Courtyard. This beautiful green space 

will act as an outdoor hallway when weather permits, and will offer gorgeous views to virtually every high 

school classroom. 

With the five added classrooms, every high school student is finally under one roof. We can wave goodbye to the 

portable classrooms! With a second high school corridor, faculty and students will enjoy a vastly improved foot 

traffic pattern. New locker locations will encourage a much better traffic flow when the bell rings. 

New space and more flexibility allow the high school curriculum to expand. This facility will match our mission to 

develop more academically prepared Christian disciples. New science and media offerings will be the first fruits 

of this expansion. 

This will be our first addition to the high school since 1989! • 

“ 

This specific project will greatly enhance our High School 

facilities, classrooms, and curriculum, benefitting our students 

“for years and generations to come. 

Prayer Point: Thankful for the fact that “His Faithfulness Continues.” We praise God- he has so richly blessed 

our school with first rate facilities and we are excited to see His plan continue to unfold // Request for the 

safe and efficient construction of this project this summer

The 3 as 

Academics | Athletics | Arts 

Academics 

Timothy Students Named in National Merit 

Scholarship Program 

Five of our high school seniors have been acknowledged in 

the National Merit Scholarship Program this year. 

Holly Frankfurt and Elizabeth McKay were both recognized as 

National Merit Semi-Finalists. Out of the 1.5 million entries, these 

two ladies scored in the top 1%. Only 16,000 of these awards are 

presented nationally. 

Jordan Frankfurt and Christian Smith were named as National 

Merit Commended Students. They ranked in the top 5% on the PSAT/ 

NMSQT test and will receive Letters of Commendation in recognition 

of their outstanding academic promise. 

Jasmine Stein was named as a National Achievement Scholarship 

Program Finalist. The NASP is an academic program established to 

honor scholastically talented Black American high schools students 

and provide scholarships for the most outstanding participants in 

the annual competition. 

Congratulations to all of our award recipients! • 

TOP TO BOTTOM: 

National Merit Semi-Finalists, 

Holly & Elizabeth; 

National Merit Commended 

Students, Jordan & Christian; 

and National Achievement 

Scholarship Program Finalist, 

Jasmine 

Timothy Christian is a school that knows the power 

of prayer. Timothy is a school that prays. 

the 3 As cont. on page 12 

Prayer Point: Thankful for Timothy’s academic program and for quality teachers and talented students who 

accomplish great things 


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Athletics 

Left: Undefeated MSC Champions –Girls Volleyball 

Above: MSC Champions – Girls Basketball 

Below: In prayer 

Timothy “Plays Big” In Metro Suburban Conference 

When Timothy Christian High School along with 

fellow Private League cast-off Illiana Christian joined 

the Metro Suburban Conference in the fall of 2009, 

there were many questions regarding the level of 

competition. Specifically, Timothy’s enrollment was 

substantially smaller than every school in the Metro 

Suburban Conference. As a Christian school, we love 

the Bible, but did we really want to take such a literal 

approach to emulating the story of David and Goliath 

Could a high school of 400 students compete against 

league opponents whose enrollments are two, three, or 

even four times our size 

Fast forward to this school year, now in our 3rd year of 

competition in the MSC and the answer is a resounding 

“Yes!” Timothy does more than just compete; our school 

is proudly a major player in this competitive conference. 

• Girls tennis – MSC 2nd Place 

• Volleyball – Undefeated MSC 

Champion (and eventual IHSA 2A 

Sectional Champion) 

As is frequently the case, with team success comes 

individual accolades. This year, sophomore Jenna 

Lodewyk (volleyball) and senior Cassidy Block 

(basketball) were recognized as Metro Suburban 

Conference MVP’s in their respective sports, and senior 

golfer Chris Szandzik was the medalist (low score) for 

the MSC varsity golf tournament. 

Here’s a glimpse at just a few of the recent conference 

accomplishments from this school year: 

• Girls Basketball – MSC Champion 

• Competitive Cheer – MSC Champion 

(and eventual IHSA Small Varsity 

Division State Runner-Up) 

• Golf – MSC Champion (and eventual 

IHSA State Tournament 3rd Place team) 

Prayer Point: Thankful for the opportunity to exemplify “Excellence with Christlike Character” in competition // Thankful 

for the public eye that is on athletics and the platform that is presented to share the gospel because of this interest 



Top: TCS may be small in enrollment, but we are 

large in school spirit. 

Bottom left: MSC Champions –Golf Team 

Our athletic department’s motto, “Excellence with Christlike 

Bottom right: MSC Champions – Competitive 

Character,” calls us to not only be excellent in the win column, 

Cheer Team 

but to do so in a distinctly Christian way. This calling is always 

a welcome challenge. This edition of the Reflector focuses on prayer. Prayer is one major way that our athletic 

program publically demonstrates our Christlike character. Hosting conference athletic events with large public 

schools and praying before the competition starts is a major opportunity for Timothy to proudly and boldly 

proclaim that the audience in the stands isn’t the main audience that we’re playing for. 

Metro Suburban Conference 

SCHOOL town Nickname Enrollment 

Fenton High School 

Riverside-Brookfield High School 

Bensenville 

Riverside 

Bison 

Bulldogs 

1,573 

1,466 

Glenbard South High School 

Glen Ellyn 

Raiders 

1,451 

Elmwood Park High School 

Elmwood Park 

Tigers 

1,040 

Ridgewood High School 

Norridge 

Rebels 

879 

Illiana Christian High School 

Lansing 

Vikings 

632 

Timothy Christian High School 

Elmhurst 

Trojans 

399

Arts 


God’s Love for His People 

This year’s community art project is a sculpture 

featuring the work of our Kindergarten – 6th 

grade students reflecting on God’s love for His 

people through all generations beginning in the 

Garden of Eden. The rock represents His word – a 

solid ground for our faith. The roots symbolize Old 

and New Testament believers. The cross reminds 

us of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and God’s grace. 

The branches represent our ancestors. The leaves 

represent our students who are called to serve 

others, demonstrated God’s love, and represent 

Christ in the world. • 

“ 

Shout for joy to the LORD, 

all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before 

him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who 

made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his 

pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with 

“ 

praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD 

is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues 

through all generations. – Psalm 100 

Prayer Point: Praise the God of creativity and of beauty. Thankful for talented teachers and students who can glorify God 

through picture, painting, and song 


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from the administrators 

Prayer- 

Faith Into 

Action 

By Sue Schemper, 

Assistant Principal 

In the grade and middle 

schools, one of the ways 

we intentionally put 

our faith into action 

is through restoration activities. Each grade level has 

a project that puts students into contact with people 

who are in need of care and compassion that we can 

participate in providing. It is a way that we can, as part of 

a community of faith, attend to the stories of others, bring 

their needs to God in prayer and participate in tangible and 

transformative ways. 

The second and third grade partners with Alan and Gert 

Heerema, grandparents of several Timothy students, in 

supporting the Hogar de Ninos orphanage in Honduras by 

raising money and awareness. The project is called “Linking 

Hearts to Honduras” and involves the sale of paper chains 

and hearts to students and teachers during the month 

of February. Besides creating a beautiful atmosphere in 

the 2nd and 3rd grade hall, proceeds from the sale go to 

provide ongoing care for the hundreds of children who live 

and go to school there. We actually have several Timothy 

connections to Hogar de Ninos as our Development 

Director, Bob Venhousen, leads annual work trips to 

Honduras with volunteers that have included students, 

faculty members and alumni. As Jane Duiven, third 

grade teacher writes, “Our goal with this project, besides 

providing support to children in Honduras, is to have our 

students think globally and develop hearts for service to 

those in need throughout God’s world.” 

In each activity we seek: 

An Educational Component: students should develop some 

global awareness and sensitivity for people and situations 

around the world. A Relational Component: students 

should develop a connection with people or organizations 

with whom they are working. A Fundraising Component: 

students can be expected to participate in supporting their 

organizations in a variety of funding projects. A Sustainable 

Component: students should be engaged with the activity 

throughout the course of the school year. • 

Preschool 

• Keeping the room neat, picking up litter, planting bulbs, 

and weeding 

• Raising money to help purchase supplies for Westside 

Christian School 

Kindergarten 

• Collecting toiletries for Strong Tower, a shelter for 

woman and children associated with Roseland Christian 

Ministries 

• Recycling plastic and cans in the classroom, and helping 

to clean up the campus 

First Grade 

• Sending out shoebox gifts for needy children around the 

world through Operation Christmas Child, a project of 

Samaritan’s Purse 

• Recycling plastics, aluminum, and cardboard from lunch 

and snack garbage 

Second Grade 

• Promoting awareness about recycling through mini 

lessons and a student recycling program 

• Participation with Compassion Child and Pennies for 

Penicillin in the Philippines 

Third Grade 

• Donating 100 books to needy schools through the 

Scholastic Program 

• Helping the Hogar de Ninos Nazareth Orphanage in 

Honduras 

Fourth Grade 

• Adoption of a classroom missionary, Michelle Akauati, 

with Greater European Missions, and a monthly focus 

country with a speaker 

Fifth Grade 

• Regular visits to Children’s Hunger Fund 

• Supporting needy people through Heifer International 

Sixth Grade 

• Working with the Gwaimen Center in Nigeria. The 

center works with widows and orphans who have been 

victimized by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Former Timothy 

teacher Mary Sytsma is very involved in the center and 

coordinates our relationship. 

Seventh Grade 

• Using an Ecological Footprint project in an attempt to 

be more responsible and resourceful as a grade level 

• Developing a relationship with Elim Christian Services 

Eighth Grade 

• Using a service learning model in conjunction with 

visits to New to You, a local food pantry and Westside 

Christian School 

• Picking up the paper/cardboard in the kindergarten 

through eighth classrooms 

Prayer Point: Thankful for our teachers and students who put faith into action and make the world a better place in the 

name of Christ // Request for every organization that Timothy helps support – that God would work mightily through them 



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Looking Back 

Looking Forward 

By Clyde Rinsema, High School Principal 

I began my teaching 

career in 1972. Those were 

the days of black boards, 

ditto machines, grade 

books, and even vestiges 

of corporal punishment 

in schools. At that 

time school computers 

were not yet imagined, 

Smartboards would have 

been considered science fiction and PowerSchool would 

likely have been used to describe a school with strong 

athletic teams. The internet, Facebook, blogging, iPhones, 

Twitter, iPads and a host of other terms that are now part 

of our everyday experiences would have sounded like a 

foreign language to students in 1972. 

It seems like just yesterday but at the same time like an 

eternity ago. I began teaching history and PE in a middle 

school in New York, switched to high school history and 

then transitioned to administration in Florida. The next 

stage of my career led me to be principal of Pella Christian 

High School for 14 years. The last 10 years of my career I 

was blessed to serve right here at Timothy Christian High 

School. 

I leave you with a few thoughts as Timothy celebrates 

God’s faithfulness during the last 100 years and 

anticipates the future of Christian education. 

We are now in the third and fourth generation of parents 

in many of our schools. We need to continually evaluate 

whether we are still on track. The times change, society 

changes, but we must remain true to the original goals 

of Christian education. Would the founding fathers of our 

schools be pleased with the direction of our schools in the 

year 2012 Are we promoting a worldview and personal 

piety which merges into an integral whole for our young 

people Are we speaking to the head and the heart of 

the next generation We must be aware that the track 

record for Christian institution remaining true to original 

goals is not impressive. We must be diligent in our efforts 

to remain true to the biblical worldview in an age that is 

post-Christian. 

Paul said to the first generations of Christians that they 

must “understand the present time.” (Romans 13:11) This 

is no less true at 

the beginning 

of the 21st 

century. Christian 

schools must 

communicate 

to the next 

generation about 

the nature of our 

times. We are 

living in a different time than when our schools were 

founded. We have uneasiness about our culture and yearn 

for bygone days when a Christian consensus was still 

prevalent. In our lifetimes a major shift in society is taking 

place. We must understand our times if we are to help the 

next generation not only cope but also confidently live out 

the gospel of Jesus Christ. The era we are now entering 

may provide greater opportunities for the spread of the 

kingdom of God than we might imagine. 

We must teach our young people to hold to the principles 

of the Word of God while communicating the love and 

grace of Jesus Christ. The body of Christ must hold to 

absolute truths while being compassionate. Too often we 

are seen as people who condemn and not as people who 

attempt to restore the brokenness of our world. We must 

be people of conviction and compassion. One without the 

other is a distortion of the gospel. 

The next generation of Christians must critically discern 

the many forms of media that dominate our culture and 

society. We must go beyond just reacting to the media and 

begin to use this tremendous power for good and for the 

advancement of the good news of Jesus Christ. 

Christian education must become more inclusive of all 

Christian families. We should be reaching out to parts 

of the body of Christ that have not traditionally been 

identified with the Christian school movement. Perhaps 

we even need to open our doors to people open to the 

Christian worldview but not yet in the faith. 

We must nurture our students to become life-long 

learners. Christians of the 21st century will need to be 

prepared for change more than previous generations. 

People who can continue to learn and adapt to changes 

will be best prepared for the future. 

Prayer Point: Thankful for Godly wisdom in leadership positions at our school // Thankful for Clyde Rinsema’s service in 

Christian Education // Request for Clyde and Beth in the next chapter of their lives 


A Prayer by Blaise Pascal 

“I ask you neither for health nor for sickness, for life nor for death; but that you 

may dispose of my health and my sickness, my life and my death, for your glory. 

You alone know what is expedient for me; you are the sovereign master; do with 

me according to your will. Give to me, or take away from me, only conform my 

will to yours. I know but one thing, Lord, that it is good to follow you, and bad 

to offend you. Apart from that, I know not what is good or bad in anything. I 

know not which is most profitable to me, health or sickness, wealth or poverty, 

nor anything else in the world. That discernment is beyond the power of men or 

angels, and is hidden among the secrets of your Providence, which I adore, but 

do not seek to fathom.” 

Over the last 40 years I have had the privilege of knowing 

thousands of young people and scores of dedicated 

Christian teachers. So many memories: good and bad, 

positive and negative, bitter and sweet. God teaches 

though all of life’s experiences if you are open to what can 

be learned. 

Christian education has been a wonderful way to spend time 

and talents. I was never bored and never watched the clock. 

I was able to spend myself teaching about God’s creation or 

working along side teachers who sincerely desired to share 

the mystery of God’s ways through His world. 

The theme of this issue of the Reflector is prayer. I leave 

you with a favorite prayer of mine composed by a person 

who was one of my “teachers” in history. May the Lord 

continue to bring about healing and restoration to this 

world through the lives of those who teach and learn at 

Timothy Christian Schools. • 


A 

Promise 

is 

Hope… 

Bright Promise Fund 

seeks to enrich Chicago and its 

neighborhoods through schools 

of character, conviction and 

achievement by providing new and 

sustaining sources of revenue for 

affiliated Christian schools. 

Interested in learning about 

Christian schooling in Roseland, 

Kenwood, Chinatown, the South 

Loop, Lawndale and Humboldt Park 

Visit www.brightpromisefund.org. 

Dave Larsen, Director


Marketing Matters 

NEW FAMILY REFERRAL CARD 

WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN THE TIMOTHY COMMUNITY AND 

DISCOVER HOW OUR SCHOOLS DEVELOP ACADEMICALLY 

PREPARED CHRISTIAN DISCIPLES WHO EMBRACE 

CHRIST’S CALL TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD. 

This recurring column is written to keep the Timothy 

community informed of our progress in the fields of 

marketing and recruitment. 

By Rudi Gesch, Director of Marketing 

Word of Mouth – Timothy’s best Marketing 

Within a prospective family’s first phone call to Timothy, 

it is very common for them to say, “I’ve heard nothing but 

great things about Timothy.” Timothy Christian Schools has a 

positive reputation. This reputation is due, in large part, to all 

of the positive experiences that families have had at Timothy 

over the years. 

“Word of mouth marketing isn’t about marketing at all. It’s 

about great customer service that makes people want to 

tell their friends about you. It about fantastic products that 

people can’t resist showing to everyone.” -Sernovitz, Word 

of Mouth Marketing. 

Put in “school terms,” if Timothy continues to live up to our 

relevant 100-year-old mission of developing academically 

prepared Christian disciples, and if we continue to strive 

for an excellent, Christ-centered education where every 

student and family feels connected and loved, people won’t 

be able to resist telling everyone about this place. 

The Marketing Committee of the Board of Directors has 

focused much of our marketing efforts around capitalizing 

on Timothy’s positive reputation. We ran “Word of Mouth 

March” for the second straight year, we encouraged 

families to do whatever they could to help spread the 

good news about what God is doing at Timothy. The basic 

premise is this- “If you only tell one person about Timothy 

this year, make it during the month of March.” 

DESIRE, DEDICATION & DETERMINATION 

are a part of my “Daily Bread” 

◆ 

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Full-Time Realtor with over 15 years experience 

Serving 1st time buyers to senior citizens 

Residential resale, new construction to 

commercial leasing 

Member of the Timothy Christian School 

community 

CAll ME TODAY! 

And Timothy families responded! People placed yard signs 

in front of their houses, they gave us positive reviews 

online, they shared our new video, and they handed out 

new family referral cards. Timothy families encouraged 

friends, family, and neighbors to experience Timothy for 

themselves with a personal tour, shadowing experience, 

or by attending and open house. Thanks to all who 

participated in this important promotion that is already 

generating results. 

Thank you for your interest in the marketing efforts of 

Timothy. I’m always open to meeting new people and 

hearing new ideas. If you would be so kind as to connect 

me with any families interested in a Christian education at 

Timothy, or if you have any new ideas of how to promote 

our school, please don’t hesitate to contact me. • 

Diane M. Karpman, CNS 

CNS 

847-636-0200 

dkarpman@koenigstrey.com 

www.dianekarpman.com 

540 S. York Rd. Elmhurst, IL 60126 

Rudi Gesch 

Director of Marketing 

630.833.4616 ext. 108 

gesch@timothychristian.com 

Watch our new video 

To watch, scan this 

code or go to: 

timothychristian.com/ 

parents.php 

Prayer Point: Thankful for the ever-growing reach of Timothy Christian Schools and all of the new families that God 

brings to us every year // Praise for the amazing Technology that is present in our lifetimes // Thanksgiving for generous 

donors who allow us to make technology accessible to our students 


Going Mobile 

An update from the Technology 

Department 

By Kevin Hackert, Director of Technology 

One of the fastest growing movements in education 

is the increased availability of mobile devices in the 

classroom. It is a pleasure to watch that movement 

change education here at Timothy. We are seeing many 

of the benefits our students are already reaping from 

using these devices. 

1) They have access to the engaging, media-rich, wealth 

of knowledge on the internet. If a student has a 

question which the teacher cannot answer, or if a 

teacher is looking for another way to demonstrate a 

concept, they have that availability. 

There are as many different types of devices as there are 

ways of using them. Our choices have been intentional; 

we seek to provide the technology that is most 

beneficial for each setting. In first and second grade 

we use iPads because they are simple to use, while still 

providing a powerful selection of apps mainly geared 

at early elementary. In third, fourth, and fifth grade, we 

use netbooks because they are an affordable way to 

run the online resources that accompany our textbooks 

and provide a physical keyboard for typing. The sixth 

grade, and the middle and the high school each have 

a cart of laptops. These devices can run more powerful 

software for editing photos or videos and can leverage 

the full advantages of our network by giving every user 

his or her personal settings and networked storage. The 

idea of using the best device for each situation carries 

across all technology here at Timothy, where business 

classes learn Quicken on PCs while our photo classes 

use Photoshop on iMacs. 

I would like to take this opportunity to once again 

thank the many generous families who have made 

the recent explosion of mobile devices a possibility 

here. In the past two years we have added 190 mobile 

devices of which 160 were gifts to the school. Thank you 

for joining us in our mission to develop academically 

prepared Christian disciples. • 


2) They can actually interact with that content and/or 

with others via interactive programs, blogs and wikis. 

3) They can bring these necessary tools right to the 

point of instruction. For example, a student can 

conduct a lab in the chemistry room with a laptop 

there for analysis rather than scheduling a computer 

lab to enter results the next day. 

4) The Web 2.0 tools and applications available today 

empower students to be creative in how they present 

what they have learned: creating movies, comics, 

websites... 

5) A teacher can more effectively differentiate 

instruction with these devices. Programs can track a 

student’s progress and adjust for individual skill levels. 

Teachers can guide students to different applications 

depending on what each student needs. Either way 

these devices are meeting students where they are 

and allow the teacher to come beside the individual 

that needs immediate help. 

Technology Facts: 

1st grade – 25 iPads 

2nd grade – 25 iPads 

3rd grade – 30 netbooks 

4th grade – 30 netbooks 

5th grade – 30 netbooks 

6th grade – 30 laptops 

MS – 30 laptops 

GS Impact – 15 netbooks 

GS Discovery – 5 iPads 

During this school year we have added 30 laptops and 

55 iPads (6th grade lab and all iPads) 

In the past two years we have added 190 mobile devices 

In the past 4.5 years we have added 51 SmartBoards 

Our first mobile lab was purchased in 2003, thanks to 

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

To make the mobile access possible, we needed a better 

wireless infrastructure. We installed our first enterprise 

class wireless access point last summer. We now have 

44 up and running! 

Timothy currently uses 550 computers/ laptops/ tablets.


What a 

Friend We 

Have In 

Jesus 

An update from the 

Advancement Office 

By Bob Venhousen (’79), 

Director of Advancement 

“Pray continually; 

give thanks in all circumstances, for this 

is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

– 1 Thessalonians 5: 17-18 

I was excited to learn that the theme of this Reflector was 

about prayer. Yet I struggled with what God wanted me 

to say and what He wanted me to write about. That is 

until I attended the 2nd & 3rd grade Wing Sing. As Board 

Members of All God Children, Al Heerema and I attended 

the Wing Sing to accept a check from the children. The 

students worked hard this school year raising money for the 

children being raised at an orphanage in Honduras called 

Hogar de Ninos Nazereth. After we gave a presentation to 

the students we sang with the students and teachers. We 

sang many songs but the one that kept coming back to 

me was “What a Friend we have in Jesus,” especially verse 1. 

Hearing this from the lips of our children was inspirational. 

“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to 

bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! 

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, 

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” 

What a powerful reminder of the incredible gift God has 

given us in prayer. It truly is a privilege. We have direct 

access to Him in prayer any time 24/7. Prayer has played 

such a vital role in my life and in my walk with God. I am 

so thankful for Godly parents, grandparents, teachers, and 

fellow Christians who modeled prayer to me at a very 

young age and consistently throughout my life, in the good 

times and in the difficult times. The times when I do not go 

to Him I forfeit the peace that He promises us in Philippians 

4:6-7. Prayer also has a wonderful way of aligning us with 

God’s will and is like a compass in our lives. Guiding and 

directing us when we do not know which way to go. Where 

do we turn when life gets really difficult; when a spouse is 

diagnosed with terminal cancer, when someone close to 

us dies, when a child, a parent, or family member becomes 

very sick, when one loses a job, when one’s business is 

failing, when the economy tanks, or when one just becomes 

discouraged with daily concerns These are the times when 

our faith is tested and we quickly realize that God is in 

control and not us. There is no one or nothing in this world 

that we can turn to or put our trust in like Jesus. He is truly 

our best friend! 

God also wants to hear from us when things are going 

well. Prayer keeps us grounded and helps us avoid the 

temptation of being self-reliant. He wants to hear from 

us in the details of our everyday ordinary lives. He wants 

to hear from the student facing the challenges of a day 

at school or the adult facing the challenges at work and 

home. God has personally challenged me this year to keep 

our current Capital Campaign in constant prayer. I recently 

had an opportunity to share this with our middle school 

and high school students. We have prayed every step of the 

way; before the campaign was launched, before brochures 

were mailed, and before every meeting with a constituent 

or before e-mails were sent out. We are blessed to have an 

Administration & Staff at Timothy Christian Schools who 

continually bring these matters to God in prayer before any 

action is taken. This doesn’t mean that every step of the 

way is smooth. God also has a way of keeping us on our 

knees and continually looking up to Him. 

Lastly, I Thessalonians 5:17-18 reminds us to be thankful 

as we approach God. He has given us the indescribable 

gift of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. We have much to 

be thankful for even in difficult times. I am thankful for 

this school and for the students and families that make 

this place what it is today. I am thankful for teachers and 

staff that pray with our children. I am thankful for the MIP 

(Mom’s in Prayer Group) and the BBOC (Men’s prayer group) 

that meets every Friday morning to pray for our students. 

Let’s keep talking and praying with our best friend Jesus 

and let’s keep praying for this school and our students. If we 

as parents and as those placed in their lives don’t pray for 

our children…who will 

To God Alone Be the Glory. 

Contact me if you would like to learn more about how you 

can support the mission & vision of TCS. • 

Bob Venhousen 

Prayer Point: Thankful for prayer itself // Thanksgiving for the work being done in through Bob and the 

advancement office 


Around the corner 

…Across the globe 

calvin engages the world as close as downtown grand rapids 

and as far away as a desert in inner Mongolia. calvin students 

participate in more than 3,000 local service-learning projects 

and study abroad in nearly 30 countries on six continents. 


www.calvin.edu 

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Alumni news 

Transforming the World 

“Serving God and His people, Timothy Christian Schools develops academically 

prepared Christian disciples who embrace Christ’s call to transform the world.” 

Transforming the World…through Family 

Engagements and Weddings 

Jorie Ellens (’07) is engaged to Jesse Antuma and plan to wed 

on July 14, 2012. 

Tahnee Ellens (‘05) will celebrate her wedding to Nathan 

Kuder on August 11, 2012. 

Maria Post (‘01) and Mark Lecocq were married on September 

18, 2010, in St. Charles, Illinois 

Steve Kranenborg (‘07) and Krysta (Boroski) Kranenborg (‘06) 

were wed at Elmhurst CRC on June 4, 2011 and are currently 

living in Naperville. Krysta is a nanny and Steve is a civil 

engineer for V3 Companies. 

Christa (Hyde) Muanica (‘87) and Abel Sergio Muanica, 

from Mozambique were recently married. They met in 

Mozambique in 2003 when they were both students at a 

3-month missions training course. They became friends, but 

lost contact in 2006 when Abel became a missionary in 

Kenya and she was working as a missionary in Mozambique. 

They re-connected at the end of 2010 on Facebook and the 

rest was history! Abel started a mission organization in 

Kenya called Nurmay Missions and they are both working as 

missionaries in Nurmay. nurmaymissions.org 

Jessica Garcia-Martinson (‘06) recently married to Anthony 

Martinson on October 17th 2010. They live in Lombard and 

Jessica is currently at Elmhurst College studying Business 

Management and works at Starbucks as a supervisor. They 

attend Harvet Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows. 

Prayers for Paul Huck (‘05). He arrived in Afghanistan at the 

end of 2011 andhe will be serving as a medic in the army. 

He has been serving in Ft. Lewis, Tacoma, WA and enlisted 

January 2011. He was married in July to Kelsey Huck and she 

is in medical training in Honolulu, HI. They met at medical 

training in San Antonio, Texas. Prayers for all our military 

this year. 

New Arrivals 

Ellen (Kennedy) Barrios (‘98) completed her residency at UofC 

and is now employed as a pediatrician with the Lawndale 

Christian Health Center in Chicago. She and her husband, 

Bernardo, welcomed a son, Mateo, into their family in November. 

Tyler Benjamin (‘01) and his wife, Grace, were blessed with a 

baby boy, Jeremiah Dean Benjamin on August 27th, 2011. He 

was 8 lbs even, 20.5 inches. He’s their first child. 

Diane Jannenga Blocksma(’91) and Matt Blocksma welcomed 

daughter, Anneka Jameson Blocksma, born on Nov 30th, 2011. 

She weighed 6 lbs, 11 oz. but is now over 11 lbs. She’s a little 

redhead and a good baby! 

Alexander Robert Mulder Dewey born on August 7th, 2011 

at 8 lbs, 1 oz, to Jill Mulder ( junior high ‘85) and her husband 

Robert Dewey. Proud Aunties Joy Mulder (‘85) and Jane Mulder 

(‘84), and Grandma Barb (Evenhouse) Mulder (‘60) join in the 

celebration! 

Joanne Keizer Gritters (‘97) and her husband, Matt, were 

blessed with another son! Emmett Phillip Gritters was born on 

November 1, 2011 weighing 8lbs 10 oz. God has truly blessed 

us! Big Brothers Matthew (5 yrs) and William (3 yrs) adore him! 

David Kennedy (‘01) and his wife, Dana, welcomed a son, Tanner 

Preston, on June 17, 2011. They reside in Whispering Pines, NC. 

David is serving in the military and located at Ft. Bragg. 

Patrick Knight (‘90) and his wife, Jennifer, just had their first 

child. Lucas Wells Knight was born January 9, 2012 weighing in 

at 8 pounds, 9 ounces. The Knights live in Miramar, Florida. 

Julia (Kennedy) Murray (‘95) and husband, Paul, welcomed a 

daughter, Annalise Katherine, on May 2, 2010. They reside in 

Nashville, TN. Julia was a third grade ESL teacher for eight years 

but is at home fulltime with Annalise now. 

Ashley (Vos) Zandstra (’05) and husband, Joel, gave birth to 

a healthy 6 pound 11ounce baby boy on February 7, 2012. His 

name is Owen Arthur Zandstra. Grandparents Ken (’78) and 

Cindy (’82) Vos are very happy. All are thankful for the blessings 

God has allowed in their lives! 

Robert Zownorega (‘02) and his wife, Kelly, welcomed Liam 

Robert Zownorega into their family on February 7, 2011. • 

Prayer Point: Thankful for God’s hand in relationships and in new life // Request for marriages with Christ at the center 

// Request for each new life that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion 


Left to right: Jorie Ellens and Jesse Antuma; Tahnee Ellens and 

Nathan Kuder; Maria Post and Mark Lecocq; Krysta (Boroski) and Steve 

Kranenborg; Christa (Hyde) Muanica and Abel Sergio Muanica 


Left to right: Ellen & Mateo Barrios; Jeremiah Dean Benjamin, Alexander Dewey; Anneke 

Jameson Blocksma; Annalise Murray; Emmett Phillip Gritters with brothers Matthew & 

William; Liam Robert Zowonrega; Lucas Wells Knight; Owen Arthur Zandstra

Alumni news 

Transforming the World… 

through Career and Calling 

Tyndale will be 

releasing Caryn 

Dahlstrand 

Rivadeneira’s (‘90) 

new book Grumble 

Hallelujah in 

September. 

Thomas Feller (‘95) has recently 

been appointed as the Race to the 

Top Coordinator for Pitt County 

Schools and the Music Director for 

the Beaufort County Choral Society. 

He also serves as the Music Director 

at Landmark Baptist Church in 

Greenville, North Carolina. Thomas 

and his wife Melissa Feller reside 

in Greenville, North Carolina with 

their two daughters, Chloe, and 

Celeste. He can be reached at 

thomasrfellerjr@gmail.com or 

thomasrfellerjr.wordpress.com 

Jason Boomsma graduated from 

Anderson University in 2011 with 

a triple major in Math, Physics & 

Computer Science. 

Paul Luchtenburg accepted a position 

as the Senior Operations Officer for 

Microfinance covering the East Asia 

Pacific region for IFC ( International 

Finance Corporation) which is a part 

of the World Bank group. Based in 

Hanoi Vietnam his region includes 

Vietnam, China, Thailand, the 

Philippines and Indonesia. Previously, 

Paul served as the CEO of AMK in 

Cambodia which specialized in 

delivering cost effective financial 

services to remote rural poor. He 

built up the organization to 72 

branches reaching half the villages 

of the country and servicing 260,000 

clients with an average loan of $115 

for a total organizational portfolio 

of 36 million dollars. Apart from the 

above, Paul has more than 20 years 

of experience in the Euro/Asia region 

working in many countries from 

Mongolia to Kosovo. Paul holds an 

MBA from Eastern University. He has 

also contributed to a number of books 

and articles related to microfinance. 

Laurie Veenstra Baker teaches K-6 

music at Whitinsville Christian in 

Whitinsville, MA. She is mom to 4 

children Lauren (15), Andrew and 

Katelyn (13), and Jonathan (10). Her 

family is also hosting an 11 year old 

Korean boy for 2 months. Laurie also 

works for Apple Tree Arts, a non-profit 

school of the arts (appletreearts. 

org). Through Apple Tree, she 

teaches pre-school music in several 

communities. She also co-directs 

musicals throughout the year. She 

and her husband, Darrell, who grew 

up in Whitinsville, keep very busy with 

their family, school activities, and 

Home Missions church plant. Darrell 

is a buyer for Koopman Lumber (www. 

koopmanlumber.com). 

Leonard Stob has written a new 

book “Mission-Directed Governance, 

Leading the Christian School with 

Vision, Unity and Accountability”. 

In his first meet of the 2012 track 

season, Rob Stein (‘10) broke the 

University of Miami Ohio indoor 

shot put record. With a throw of 58’ 2” 

Rob demolished the previous record 

of 57’0” which had stood for more 

than 35 years. Rob is a sophomore at 

University of Miami Ohio. 

Kimberly Balles (‘75) is attending 

Northeastern Illinois University. She 

will be graduating with a Bachelors of 

Arts in Social Work (BASW) on May 5. 

Henry Iwema III is graduating from 

Trinity Christian College this May with 

a degree in Exercise Science. 

Daihee Cho was selected to be part 

of a a new program at NIU called 

Northern Light Ambassadors. He will 

be at the President’s Tailgates on 

September 24th before the football 

game. He is representing the college 

of business and was selected to be 

part of a tax case competition. • 

If you have news on an alumni 

transforming the world, contact 

Jay Evenhouse at 630.782.4040 or 

evenhouse@timothychristian.com. 

Top left: Caryn Rivadeneira; Top right: 

Len Stob; Bottom: Laurie Baker 

Prayer Point: Thanksgiving for our alumni community // Thanksgiving for the opportunities to glorify God and transform 

the world through unique accomplishments 


Reunions 

Class of 1956 

The 55th reunion of the class of 

1952/1956 was held on August 

30 and 31 at the Country Inn and 

Suites in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

Class of 1961 

On Friday, September 30 and 

Saturday, October 1, 22 members 

of the TCHS Class of 1961 came 

together and celebrated their 

50th high school reunion. The 

class also joined the celebration 

at TCSFest, Timothy’s 100th 

birthday celebration. 

Class of 1966 

The High School Class of 1966 

celebrated our 45 year reunion 

on the weekend of November 

26, 2011. The main event was a 

banquet on Saturday evening, 

at the Grotto restaurant in Oak 

Brook, attended by 63 guests. 

Class of 1956 

1st Row from left: June (Filkin) Taylor, Joanne (Van Byssum) Yee, Joyce (Van Byssum) 

Dirske, Mary (Stob) Luchtenburg, Jurine (Medendorp) Wickersham, Helen (Weidenaar) 

Blauw, Sue (Wierenga) Vander Lei, Alice (Teune) Winter 

2nd Row: Peter Huizenga, Theresa (Vandervelde) Reitsma, Gloria (Dykstra) Van Ryn, 

Alyce (Swierenga) Houskamp, Marcia (Hoving) Noor, Phyllis (Hoekstra) Kort, Henrietta 

(Lubben) Driesenga, Florence (Teune) Zaagman, Richard Noorlag, James Rozendal 

3rd Row: William Schaafsma, Kenneth Van Byssum, Ronald Schaaf, Sam De Groot, Peter 

Roeters, Russell Groot 


Class of 1966 (below) 

Seated (L-R): Minnie (Veldsma) 

Huyser, Audrey (Laning) Serritella, 

Marlene (Noorlag) Iwema, Jayne 

(Bulthuis) Lindemulder, Nancy 

(Boersema) Pommer, Barbara 

(Zeilstra) Brouwer, Ruth (Bardolph) 

Terpstra. 

First Row (L-R): Ruth (Jelinek) Vander 

Kamp, John Lindemulder, Barbara 

(Kooy) Dykhouse, Mary (Stob) Vanden 

Bosch, Donna (Gelderloos) Erdman, 

Nancy (Niemeyer) Teune, Joan 

(Laninga) Smrha, Robert Ottenhoff, 

Norman Tameling, Donald Meyer, 

Kenneth Post. 

Second Row (L-R): Richard Lanenga, 

Patricia (Voss) Miller, Jody 

(Sykora) Allen, Leona (Tameling) 

Boerema, Gwen (Groot) Hopper, 

Edwin Hoogstra, Larry Vander 

Leest, Barbara (Vos) Vroom, Diane 

(Schurman) Schaap, Beverly (Keizer) 

Folkerts, James Korringa, Bennett 

Wieringa. (cont. >) 

Class of 1961 

Seated: Ken Rusthoven, George Vander Velde, Derek Brouwer, John Kieft, Judy 

Tameling Erffmeyer, Sandy Groot Van Poolen, Nancy Rozendal Boer, Betty Visser Clark, 

Evelyn Balzer Cronk, Doris Meyer Miedema 

Standing: John Bernbaum, Ken Wassenaar, Wayne Oostman, Art Jongsma, George 

Evenhouse, Fred Stulp, Arlene Mulder Bosma, Winnie Diepstra Van Tholen, Conrad 

Ottenhoff, Bill Vander Velde, Carolyn Drenth Smith, John Bulthuis, Leroy Prins 

Third Row (L-R): Judith (Venema) Menninga, Roger Boerema, Richard De Boer, Patricia 

(Baker) Dozeman, Dennis Schaaf, Nancy Tuene, Roger Wiltjer, Donald Marema.

Alumni news 

Reunions cont. 

Class of 1986 

The TCHS graduating class 

of 1986 had it’s 25 year class 

reunion on Saturday, August 

13, 2011. It was held at The 

Lodge at Brewster Creek in 

St. Charles,IL. We had a great 

summer get-together with 25 

classmates in attendance! 

Class of 1991 

Timothy Christian High 

School’s Class of 1991 hosted 

its 20-year reunion at Drury 

Lane Oak Brook on October 

22. The event drew 30 Trojans 

from 5 different states. 

Want to know more 

Each reunion Committee has 

written a summary of their event 

underscoring all the highlights 

from their reunion. To access these 

reviews visit the “Reunion Recaps” 

section under the “Alumni” tab at 

Timothychristian.com. 

Class of 1986 

Front row sitting: Andrea(Dykema)Mather, Jacqueline(Hann)Ponce De Leon, Julie Bundrick, 

Susan(Anderson)Meadows 

2nd Row; Douglas McCabe, Amy(Nagel)Riekse, Lisa(Hoekstra)Benshoof, Christine(Iwema) 

Buiter, Susan(Iwema)Sarmiento, Amy Weiner, Christine(Allen)Kocol, Anne(Beube) 

Christensen, Jeff Huiner 

3rd Row: David Zuidema, Lauren(Noorlag)VanderVelde, Sherri(Mochel)Biscan, Timothy 

Barak, Dave Boer, Michael Auriemma, Edward(Atwater)McNabb, Robert Barnes 

4th Row: Gayle(Didier)Briley, Christine(Tameling)Schultz, Ruth(Boccuzzi)Tyson, John Peklo 

Reunion Committees Wanted: 

If your class is due to celebrate a 

reunion and you are interested 

in finding out more information, 

Contact Jay Evenhouse at 

Evenhouse@timothychristian.com 

or by phone at 630 782-4040. 

If you’ve “liked” 

Timothy on Facebook, 

you already had your 

sneak peak at this Reflector’s 

cover. If you haven’t liked 

Timothy, log on to Facebook and 

like us today! 

Class of 1991 

Front row left to right: Chad Brower, Diane Jannanga, Kelly Schuurman, Sarah Vie, Carissa 

VanderLeest, Liz Sutherland 

Center row left to right: Justin Hoogendorn, RJ Van Tholen, Chris Langkamp, Russ Hoekstra, 

Dianne Vander Schoot, Brandon Van Dyke, Holly Petersen, Tracy Heerema, Beth Van Slooten, 

Tiffany Sutton, Elise Van Hout, Chris Schipma, Dan Roeters, Jill Muszynski, Carrie Romano, 

Laurie De Salvo, Areill Ives, Tim DeJong, Bill Poltrock 

Back row left to right: Jason Decker, Jeff Doot, Joel Tameling, Scott Smith 

Prayer Point: Thankful for class community and for the opportunity to reconnect relationships // Thankful for Godly 

parents, students, teachers, and leaders who went before us and helped make Timothy what it is today 


REFLECTIONS 

Prayer for the Future 

Taken From 50th Anniversary Pamphlet: “Timothy Christian School, 1911-1961” 

God of our parents; God of our children; 

God of our School; and our very own 

God: in Thee we live and move and 

have our being. Without Thee we cannot 

raise a finger, much less build a school. 

Without Thee we cannot think, much less 

teach others. 

We thank Thee for our children. Forgive us for forgetting 

that they are really Thine, and we are their temporary 

custodians for only a few short years. Grant us and them 

Thy Holy Spirit; the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge, of 

understanding and counsel. Help us all to know the Lord 

Jesus, Whom to know is life everlasting. 

Give us great faith for the future. We do not know what 

the future holds in store, but we know Who holds the 

future. Provide every material need for our school as Thou 

hast so lavishly done in the past. Above all, supply every 

spiritual want. We beg Thee that every graduate of Timothy 

may be a true child of Thine, a spiritual son of that first 

Timothy who possessed the unfeigned faith that dwelt 

earlier in his mother and grandmother. 

If Jesus should return before another fifty fleet years have 

passed away, grant that we and our children may be ready 

to meet Him. If Jesus tarries, we pray that what we are doing 

today and shall do tomorrow may be blessed memories 

in the minds of the teachers and students at Timothy 

when they celebrate its centennial in the year of our Lord 

2011. Hear this plea of Thy people only for the sake of Thy 

Son, our Savior. Amen. 

– Rev. Rolf Veenstra 


Serving the Timothy 

community with investment 

and financial planning 

advice since 1990 

Securities offered through 

Securities Service Network, 

Inc., a registered broker/ 

dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, for 

which Gregory De Jong, Bryan 

Holstrom & Richard Sackett are 

Registered Representatives. 

Gregory De Jong, CFP 

Bryan Holstrom, JD, CFP 

Richard E. Sackett, CPA 

Paragon Advisors LLC 

1730 Park St. Suite 100 

Naperville, Illinois 60563 

630.357.2224 / 800.210.8365 

www.paragonadvisors.com

NON PROFIT 

US POSTAGE 

PAID 

OMAHA, NE 

PERMIT NO. 678 

188 W. Butterfield Rd. 

Elmhurst, IL 60126 

Address SERVICE Requested 

Yes, I want to participate in the Brick Paver Program! 

We invite the entire Timothy community to make an investment in the “His Faithfulness 

Continues” Campaign by purchasing a brick for the Alumni Courtyard. These bricks will form 

our outdoor walkway in the Alumni Courtyard that is created by this capital campaign. 

$100 small brick sized 4”x 8” 3 lines with 14 characters per line 

$250 square sized 8” x 8” 6 lines with 14 characters per line 

$500 square sized 12” x 12” 9 lines with 21 characters per line 

$1,000 square sized 16” x 16” 12 lines with 28 characters per line 

Signature_ __________________________________________________________ 

*Please include your contact information when you mail this form to Timothy 

BRICK PAVER PROGRAM 

Help Support Timothy 

Be part of the Brick Paver Program 

Purchased bricks will be personalized with engraved 

messages of your choice that will create a lasting 

representation of your support for Christian education. 

Bricks can purchased by mailing in this tear-off form, or by clicking on the brick 

paver link at www.timothychristian.com 

• Alumni Brick 

• Favorite Bible Verse Brick 

• Current Student Recognition Brick 

• Extra-curricular group recognition 

• A Business that supports Christian 

Education 

• Gift for the person/parent that has 

everything 

Ideas for personalized Bricks 

• “In Memory of” Brick 

• Family Brick 

• “In Honor of” your favorite teacher 

• Word of Wisdom 

• Class Reunion Recognition 

• High School Team Acknowledgment 

• Personal Achievement Brick 

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Jay 

Evenhouse by phone 630-786-4040 or by email at evenhouse@timothychristian.com

Spring 2012: The Prayer Edition - Timothy Christian Schools

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