so proud

I've seen so much growth in our students this week. After having the opportunity to speak with several of the kids and watching them work in these local missions projects this week, I am further encouraged by the type of students we have at SCS. They really are exceptional. I spoke to so many people that have made their life's work serving their community, and to hear each of them talk about how impressive our kids are and to hear genuine feedback that was consistently positive was so encouraging to me. The softball girls, for instance, had such a wonderful experience speaking with the seniors over at Heritage Oaks in Arlington that they are planning a return visit on their own time. They ran into a special lady they called "Mrs. Georgia" who is turning 96 in May. She told them about her life as a slave and some of the atrocities she saw - but spoke more about her relationship with Christ and her love of God. Dare I say that this kind of education does not happen within the walls of our wonderful school, you have to get uncomfortable and step outside of your normal boundaries to get an education like that...here is a pic of the girls with Mrs. Georgia and a small video clip of her speaking with them. Enjoy.

Making a difference...

"These kids are amazing." This is a quote from the homeowner over in Como that is the recipient of the work the baseball boys did today. She baked them a cake. What more do I need to say to relay how people in the community feel about what our kids have been doing this week? Special missions called bingo numbers today and were a joy to several elderly folks that don't get the attention they deserve. Several of the students in that group felt like they were the ones being ministered to. The softball girls were at Mission Arlington today and had their opportunity to see "Mrs. Tillie" hard at work (just like she is every other day. The tracksters did a bit of painting and also spent some time a Cook Children's and were impacted. Again, what an amazing week, and what an amazing group of kids! Here are some pictures from the Habitat project with the baseball boys (there were some rather omnious looking clouds out today):

Day 1...Success!

There was a lot of excitement this morning as the local missions groups gathered in the cafeteria. I had the opportunity to speak and pray with the students before they left this morning, the anticipation was great and the day did not dissappoint. Baseball headed up to Grapevine at GRACE Ministries, softball was at JPS, and Track was at Heritage Oaks nursing home. Here are a few pictures from the special missions group working at Mission Arlington. We had the pleasure of speaking to and praying with Tillie Burgin (who started Mission Arlington). You can find out more about Mission Arlington by clicking here.

How much of a difference can we really make?

A world of difference! Since I have been at SCS I have been so honored to watch our kids go out and make a marked difference in their community. My favorite part of the entire year is to sit at graduation and listen to the number of hours of Christian service our students put in over their high school careers. Even better than that is the number continues to rise every year! This year will be no exception in part because of this week. Our baseball, softball, and track teams have all committed to use their hands to worship God this week through service. They will be all over the Metroplex spreading love and help to people that need it most. They will tackle a Habitat house, spend time talking to and getting to know over 400 senior citizens, will lend a hand at the largest food bank in Texas, will lend aide to battered women, and spend time working at a local hospital - just to name a few of their contributions. There is another group that will taking part in the same activities - our special missions group. These students had opportunities to travel the world through the many Minimester offerings and chose to stay in Fort Worth because they felt called to help here at home. I applaud these students as well as the others for making this commitment to their faith. Check back here as I will update this blog with photos and reactions from the students as they give back to our community. Thank you! - Mr. Richards