‘Facing the Giants’: Alabama Christian school lets its light shine

The Montgomery Advertiser in Alabama reports:

To say Prattville Christian Academy coach Grey Powell has taken the football team by storm doesn’t do justice to the idiom’s definition of rapid and overwhelming success.
Powell has blown through with the force of a spiritual hurricane.
“It’s unbelievable,” senior Michael Gregory said. “Coming from 3-27 and all the struggles. I was there from the beginning. Then he came and everything changed.”
When the 2008 season ended, the team was down to 13 players. There are more than 50 now (varsity and junior varsity roster). The Panthers won seven games last season and made the playoffs.
And Powell said none of it would be possible without putting God first.
“We’re moving forward and building the house,” Powell said. “I think last year we spent a lot of time laying a foundation of what we are about honoring God in all we do on and off the field. The more like Christ we are, the better football player they will be, the more like Christ you are, the better newspaperman you would be, etc.”
“There’s the will to integrate that in all parts of our lives.”

Read the full story.
Philip Patterson, president of the National Christian School Association, an organization of K-12 schools associated with Churches of Christ, passed along the above link. Patterson said:

“This is a school that is showing in a visible way what we hope happens over and over in all our schools every year — that you can glorify God in every part of your school, in this case, the football team. Read it all the way to the end and look at the baptism photos on the back page. You will be glad you did.
“Congratulations to Ron Mitchell and his staff at Prattville Christian School for being a light in their community.”

Do you know of K-12 Christian schools that are serving as lights in their communities? Please leave comments with examples.

• Feedback
  Bobby, I read and appreciated the article very much. I may have missed it, but is there a church of Christ connection? (I read closely enough to catch the Wake Forest connection!) 🙂

  Lisa D. Brewer

  August, 25 2010

  Lisa, it’s a member of the National Christian School Association, an organization of Christian schools associated with Churches of Christ. Thanks for reading!

  Bobby Ross Jr.

  August, 25 2010

  Lisa, I’ve added a line to clarify that in the post. Thanks for your question.

  Bobby Ross Jr.

  August, 25 2010

  I can tell you about a Christian school that has been a light in the community for many years. Northland Christian School is a school that has and continues to have a tremendous impact for Christian education and in the community. Many students and teachers are members of my congregation, Bammel Church of Christ in Houston, TX. It started as an outreach of Bammel; however, it’s a stand alone non-denominational Christian School. Their website is www.northlandchristian.org.

  Kevin

  August, 25 2010

  Many congratulations to the Prattville Christian Academy for their decisiveness to put God first – make
  Him the “Head Coach” of their Godly team and “play the game” according to His Rules which is the only way to ensure a truly winning team – to be that light, that minister and servant that God expects us to be.
  The Mission Statement of Southwest Christian School, Inc.(SCS), in Phoenix, Arizona, is L.I.G.H.T. and its summary mission statement is “Reflecting Christ-Lighting the Future.” It is a small Christian School (Preschool through 6th grade) of approximately 85-100 students housed in the Southwest Church of Christ located at 8720 West Indian School Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85037 (623-877-6427). SCS, although small and economically strained most years, has been serving as a light for God for over 27 years. God has blessed this small school in many powerful ways, not the least of which is to just keep us operating all these many years. The faculty, staff and students are quiet, sweet-spirited individuals who devote much time to helping those who are members of the Southwest Church of Christ, as well as parents, relatives and friends of students by sending letters, artwork and cards to the ill, the elderly and others who are experiencing hard times in their lives. The students provide canned goods to the benevelence program of the Southwest Church of Christ, and work hard to participate in other programs that support the benevolence programs of Southwest Church of Christ. Our opening chapel on the first day of school was about being a light for Jesus and we had all of the students turn on glow lights in a darkened room to reinforce you are never too young or too old to be a light wherever you may be.
  Thanks to all of you – and especially the NCSA – who work so hard, devote so much of self and get little or no pay for doing whatever is necessary to keep christian education available for so many to help ensure souls are being touched by Jesus.
  Jane Wasson
  Administrator / Principal
  Southwest Christian School, Inc.
  8720 West Indian School Road
  Phoenix, AZ 85037

  Jane Wasson

  August, 27 2010