Photography: - Timothy Christian Schools

Summer approaches, and with it comes the annual menu of
summer choices. At Timothy Christian Schools, we have our
own carefully developed schedule of academic and athletic
summer camps. Parents will be faced with the temptation
to over-program and make unrealistic demands on their
children. Let’s pray that together we will find that delicate
and healthy balance between encouraging our students to
be more, and the gracious acceptance of God’s image
bearers as they are.
As Sandel put it in the Atlantic article: “To believe that
our talents and powers are wholly our own doing is to
misunderstand our place in creation, to confuse our role
with God’s . . . To acknowledge the giftedness of life is to
recognize that our talents and powers are not wholly of
our own doing, despite the effort we expend to develop
and to exercise them. It is also to recognize that not
everything in the world is open to whatever use we
may desire or devise.”
It brings to mind the words of a famous historical
confession which grew out of the Protestant Reformation:
“. . . I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life
and in death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.”
It also brings to mind several notions from Timothy’s
Mission and Vision Statement, directives which guide
our policy and decision making here:
“We reflect God’s kingdom by serving Christian families
from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds and
students who possess a wide range of abilities.”
And . . .
“We develop and encourage the gifts and talents of one
another to serve Christ and renew His creation.”
There may be a sense of satisfaction in designing your
own car. There is also a great deal of satisfaction in
recognizing and accepting a gift that is nothing of your
own design or merit.
It is important to understand the broad reach or natural
limits to the giftedness of our children. And we will always
remind our students (and parents) that gifts are never given
in isolation. They are given so that they may be returned—
in service to the God who gave them in the first place.
Dave Larsen
Director of Advancement
Corrections:
In the last issue of the Reflector we inadvertently
missed listing student Julia Moran in the photo
credits. And in the reprint of the article from the
Elmhurst Independent newspaper about the New
to You Resale Shop, the revenue generated is, on
average, $1,200 per day, not per week as stated,
and the portion to be distributed by Timothy
to its parents does not go to need-based
scholarships. The money will be distributed
equally on a per student basis.
SPRING 2004
Reflector
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