In This Issue:

Celebrate Right Now

Outstanding Teacher Award

Graduates

Alumni Corner

Upcoming Events:

AUGUSTBack to School Picnic/BBQ

Back to School Activities

21

28

SEPTEMBERSchool Resumes

High School Retreat.

2

3-5

Legacy

Celebrate the BlessingsThe LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalms 28:7

In this fleeting life, in our broken human nature, we spend inordinate amounts of time focused on the time when things will be better. We look forward to what will be, plan for the days ahead, and watch the distance for another time, another place, a bigger school building, a larger student body, a bigger impact. With the overwhelming appeal of what “could be” too often we lose sight of what is. God wants us to have a vision for the future, but we should never lose sight of the blessings we have today.

The very nature of the school year, and twelve years of education, afford us some fantastic opportunities to reflect on the past and rejoice in the present:

• Our Central Christian graduates received nearly $90,000 in scholarships

• Students logged more than 4000 hours to help our Sparrow

• Thirty-three students, staff and chaperones spent six days in Italy

• Hands for God team was invited to perform in front of Parliament (Victoria, Canada)

• Eighth grade boys explored new aspects of God’s glory and their own abilities through the first

Mt. classroom--a week long survival trip into the outback of eastern California

• Central Christian graduates and alumni were accepted to colleges including Notre Dame Law

School; Pepperdine Law School; Torrey Honors Institute, Biola; Oregon State; Grand

Canyon University; George Fox University

• Students and Alumni have served, or will serve this summer, as missionaries in Kenya, New

York; Costa Rica; Victoria, Canada; Washington state; Albania

• United elementary and high school prayer time for National Day of Prayer, May 1st

In truth, God has called us to love and serve him today. At Central Christian we rejoice in this opportunity. We celebrate academic excellence, servant leadership and relationships that bind us like family. Every moment, every step, every breath is a gift from God. Take time to celebrate the blessings in the present.

OCTOBER

24

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Summer 2013-2014 • Volume XXIII

Stand United

Thank you Business and Ministry Partners for supporting our mission of

Save the Date

The Bridge Church, Capstone Christian Fellowship, City Center Church, Desert Song, Dan Young of Edward Jones, Elemental Eyecare, Highland Baptist Church, Kingdom Connection, Les Schwab

Redmond, Mountain View Fellowship, Northstar, Nosler, PatRick, Powell Butte Christian Church Men’s Bible Study, Ray Austin-Country Financial, Redmond Community Church, RDD, Redmond

Veterinary Clinic, Smith Rock Community Church, Stillwater Fly Shop, Straw Propeller Gourmet Foods, Wells Fargo, Word of Victory, Yo Wild

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

BEND, OR

PERMIT NO. 12

PO Box 639Redmond, OR 97756

2014October 24

Colin & Emily

Kyle & Lindsay Luke & Lydia

Congratulations Alumni Newlyweds

Congratulations Alumni GraduatesBen Belli (’09) has completed Naval basic training and the first phase of A-

school. He received the highest grade in his basic enlisted sub school class, the

Academic Achievement award, and promotion from E-2 to E-3. He won the

Honorman award for maintaining outstanding military bearing and standards

throughout the whole course. Pray for Ben and his wife Christy as they are now

living in Connecticut as Ben continues his training.

Rob & Alisa

Josh & Brianna

Lindsay Merrill (’10) and Kyle Bird married in October of 2013. Their first major adventure was a mission trip together to

Costa Rica. They currently reside in Redding, California. Colin Mahnke (’10) graduated from Olivet Nazarene in December.

He and Emily married in January. Luke Valenti (’04) and Lydia married in January 2014. Together they will continue serving

in Albania as missionaries.

Alyssa Phillips (’10) graduated from Wheaton College May 11th Summa Cum

Laude (with highest honors) with a degree in Political Science and Urban

Studies Certificate. Alyssa received honors from PI SIGMA ALPHA, the

national honor society that recognizes excellence in political science. She was

also inducted into the PI KAPPA DELTA, an honor society in forensics, that

signifies "the art of persuasion, beautiful and just," and consists of educators,

students and alumni committed to encouraging the education of articulate

citizens. Alyssa will be pursuing a law degree at Notre Dame University Law

School in the fall.

Bryce Wolford

Ben and Christy Belli

Alyssa Phillips

Rob Douglass (’09) and Alisa Rasmusson married on May 31. Rob and Alisa have moved to Coos Bay to be youth pastors.

Josh Allen (’08) and Brianna Nelson (’08), both Central Christian graduates recently celebrated their nuptials and continue

to call Redmond home.

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Bend chapter, honored our very own Bobbi Sloan, high school history teacher, as their Outstanding Teacher of American History for the 2013-2014 school year.

Ms. Sloan is a beloved staff member and teacher. She has been a part of the Central Christian family for thirteen and a half years. She teaches middle school and high school history, government, and economics. Her twelfth grade US History class may be taken to earn concurrent college credits through Northwest Nazarene University.

Parents and students at Central Christian agree that Ms. Sloan empowers students to be successful. Sam (2014 graduate) says Ms. Sloan is “the best history teacher in the world!” and that’s not just because Ms. Sloan helped lead the travel club to Italy earlier this spring.

Ms. Sloan brings history and government to life through her own passion for the subject, a Biblical perspective, lively debates, mock trials and other creative teaching techniques. Congratulations to Ms. Sloan and thank you for your commitment to excellence!

Sydney, Bobbi Sloan, Sam, and Abby in Italy (Travel Club)

Outstanding Teacher Award

Erik Valenti (’04) graduated with honors (Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society)

with a Doctor of Medicine degree from Loma Linda University School of

Medicine May 25th.

Bryce Wolford (’09) completed Army basic training at Fort Sill, in Oklahoma

City. He is on the way to becoming en exceptional Army Officer.

Eric Valenti

Class of 2014

There are certain challenges with being a pre-K through 12th grade school housed in one relatively small building. Everyone has experienced the frustration of too few parking spaces, and even fewer restrooms. During passing times, there is the occasional traffic jam in the hallways. But there is no denying what this kind of closeness does for our student body. This year’s graduating class represents the largest number of students completing their entire school career at Central Christian.

Class of 2018

This summer the Hands for God team is serving a two week mission trip through Washington, Vancouver Island, and Victoria, Canada--a mission field brimming with promise. Nearly fifty percent of people living in the Vancouver Canada area claim no religion, this is the largest number of non believers in all of North America!

The Hands for God team serves as a witness for Christ, with each person using his/her God given gifts. They share God's word through a variety of methods including drama, human videos, puppets, gospel illusions, blacklight puppetry, and testimony.

The team will present shows in front of the parliament building, in a juvenile detention center and local churches. They will also serve by painting a foster care home.

God's Word says: How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? Romans 10:14 The people in Canada desperately need to hear the Word of God.

Staff, friends and family gather to pray for Hands for God before they left on their mission trip June 9th.

Manifesting Servant Leadership

Go, Make Disciples

We are in the unique situation of pouring into student’s lives from their earliest years, through high school graduation. Twelve years ago this year’s senior graduates roamed the same halls and learned in the same classroom that the class of 2026 experienced this year. The feeling of family and unity that grows was evident in this year’s valedictorian and salutatorian speeches, delivered by Luke McRae and Samantha Biever respectively. Central Christian is about relationship as well as academic excellence.

Academic Excellence

Class of 2026