Educating towards the Kingdom
It’s been two weeks now since our applications opened up, and we’ve really enjoyed getting to know the families that are considering Heavenly King. Their enthusiasm has been such a buoy to our spirits! There is one looming question, though, that seems to be on everyone’s minds – where is your home? Where will you be opening your doors? Where will this important work begin?
It is our heartfelt wish that we will be able to announce soon what seems to be an ideal space (large classrooms, natural light, no need to set-up and take down, beautiful green space, the list goes on), but we are navigating the zoning and occupancy permits necessary to host a school, and while everything looks very positive and encouraging, these things take time. May God grant us ways to speed up the process, speaking into our hearts and working His wonders, and also the patience necessary to submit to His will. This will come together in God’s time, not our own. As St Isaac of Syria said, “If God is slow in answering your request, or if you ask but do not promptly receive anything, do not be upset, for you are not wiser than God.” Whenever there have been delays in the past, it has been revealed in due time that the delay has been to our benefit. May it also be so with this!
Of course, being unable to share our location leaves us in the difficult position of encouraging families to apply before the end of February, to secure their space and to secure our teachers’ positions, without being able to share the nitty gritty details of where they’re going to drop their children off and pick them up at the end of the day. We understand that the logistics of work and life make it hard to make the leap without that (admittedly, crucial!) piece of information. So what can we lean into to motivate you to still apply? The answer lies in what will happen between the drop off and pick up. The answer is, and always will be: we are offering your child(ren) the gift of an Orthodox education.
But what does that really mean? What makes an Orthodox education unique? How can that convince you take the leap of faith and join us? We encourage everyone to visit our Facebook page, where we’ve been doing a little mini-series on what sets Heavenly King apart, but if you’ll indulge us, we’d like to take a moment to dive a little further into this here.
An Orthodox place of learning, first and foremost, recognizes your child as an icon of Christ. In the book, Parenting Towards the Kingdom, Dr Mamalakis writes that “Parenting is about raising children who understand themselves and others as icons of Christ. This is true self-esteem.” Dr Mamalakis is speaking about parenting in particular, but of course this applies to Orthodox educators as well. We’ve talked about the three pillars of education before: the Church, the home and the school. As you raise your children in your home, and as your child attends services and absorbs lessons in Church, so too our school will echo and reinforce this teaching. Of course, being icons of Christ doesn’t mean that we won’t struggle. But as a school we will work alongside one another as we struggle together towards the Kingdom. Heavenly King Orthodox Academy is not just another secular school with an added religion class that happens to have Orthodox themes. Our faith permeates all. Our love of Christ permeates all. Our Heavenly King permeates all.
So please, if you’ve made it this far, don’t wait this year out. Take that leap of faith with us and dive headfirst into this work. We are ready for you. We have highly qualified, experienced and faithful teachers lined up to come on board – as soon as we have students who need them. The class sizes will be small, and your child will be seen and heard, encouraged and supported. The academics will be strong, getting your child ready to participate and engage in the world. And the faith – the one, true Faith – will be central.
As always, we love to hear from you. Please reply to this email with any comments or questions you have!
With love in Christ,
The HKOA Team
