From the Board of Directors

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9.

I do not like to plan – just ask my wife. As we get ready to begin our weekend each Saturday morning, she typically asks me if I have a plan. My normal response is some variation of, “I’m not sure yet,” followed by 30 minutes devoted to reading golf instruction articles and then bouncing from one home improvement project to another. This process is rooted in my desire to be actively doing something, in the short-term, rather than wasting any amount of time to strategically plan my work, for the long term. And while I am relatively productive most weekends, I do not believe you would classify my weekends as being effective. Completing tasks in and of themselves is productive. But, completing tasks in a logical order, with the later tasks built upon the results of earlier ones, to achieve a desired result is effective. The consequences of a focus on productiveness instead of effectiveness are minor when applied to the upkeep of my family’s home. They are not minor, however, when applied to the actions taken by a board of directors seeking to provide governance and oversight for an organization.

Looking back on our meeting minutes from the past 18 months, it has become clear to the Heritage Board that we need to revitalize the strategic plan for Heritage Christian School. There have been several significant changes in the educational landscape (see the previous edition of the Heritage Herald for more detail) and it is the Board’s responsibility to see that Heritage is able to complete its mission effectively in the face of this changing educational environment. Over the next several months, the Board will focus intently on identifying Heritage’s current strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and threats we perceive in the current educational and cultural landscapes, so that we can develop strategies and actions to ensure Heritage is effective in serving Christ, partnering with parents, and providing a biblically faithful, academically excellent education.

But we need your help. Primarily, we need you to pray for the Board as a whole and each of the board members individually. As Solomon tells us in Proverbs 16:9, a strategic plan is worthless unless it is rooted in total dependence on the provision of God. Therefore, please pray that each of the board members will submit our hearts to God’s will as we work through this process; please pray that the Board will seek wisdom in the fear of the Lord, and not in our own strength; please pray that the glory of God would be at the forefront of all the Board’s actions and decisions.

And, maybe come to a board meeting once in a while.

In Christ,

Christopher D. Stoakes

Board President