The Summit Family as a Body
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
We have heard 2022 called “2020 Season 3.” That gives most of us a good chuckle, but in many ways, we want to #unsubscribe from this nonsense (as the kids might say) and fast-forward to a time when “Covid is over.” (In quotes because, although often many of us refer to some future moment when Covid will actually be a memory, who knows whether this will ever be truly “over.”) Even so, we are all ready to move on, right?
We have plans.
We have things to get done.
We are ready to take back control of our lives.
And more than ever, we are ready to stop being inconvenienced.
(Face it – we have ALL felt and thought those things.)
But God.
God has a plan.
God has work to do IN us.
God is ready to remind us that He’s always in control.
God is always working all things out for our good and His glory.
In His sovereignty, He has called us to this time, given us so much to learn and has continued to bless us abundantly as a school community. Right now, as we are home for a week, he has given us the opportunity to have our hearts knit together once again as our community rallies around the fact that we can come out of a stint at home more thankful and grateful for each other than ever.
No one wants to be home this week. No teacher, no administrator, no parent and (hopefully) no student wants this disruption to our lives.
But alas, here we are.
And although none of us want to be home, how school gets handled after Covid exposure is something that we won’t and don’t all agree on. We are members of this body and yet, we are all different.
We recognize the context of the passage in Corinthians is referring to the Body of Christ, not necessarily a Christian school body, but the principle is applicable to us a covenantal partnership school.
Paul asks, If all were a single member, where would the body be? (v 19).
We need families and individuals with varied, strong convictions along the continuum. We are made to be different and that’s on purpose.
To be clear, on primary doctrinal issues, unity is absolutely essential. Because we are unified in primary issues and the principle of parent-partnership, on which we firmly stand, we can and must operate in Christian charity. We can disagree on secondary issues, and still remain unified overall.
As one school body and family, we all have a role in maintaining the culture and health of our school. If you are reading this, you have a role in maintaining the culture and health of our school. Different body parts have different roles, but we all, whether the hearts, minds, hands or feet of our school, have a role to play in our body.
As one body, we are all moving in the same direction, and that direction is towards partnering together in the important calling of discipling children so that we can raise up the next generation of Christ followers. Since the onset of the pandemic, our school made the commitment to unequivocally partner with families, and we intend to continue in that as we continue to navigate these nuanced times.
When you think about our current situation, we ask for your grace, partnership, and charity as you consider how, although we are all one in Christ, we are different members of the body. We have different convictions about Covid and different ideas about how moments like this should be carried out.
What does this mean practically?
Please pray and ask God:
for patience with us and with one another.
before speaking in anger or frustration.
that this would be a time of growth and learning for our students and teachers.
for health for our entire community: physical, mental/emotional and spiritual.
for wisdom for our administration.
Please pray and thank God:
for His blessings during trials.
for His children, who we have the privilege of raising up to know Him.
for His protection this year.
for this community, who loves Him.
for these teachers, who serve sacrificially.
Please be on the lookout for meal trains or other ways you can help this week.
Our responsibility as Summit Administrators is to care for the entire body and we thank you for your grace as we do our best to serve you and your children. Serving such a diverse group of parents is our joy – we love you and your children very much! Thank you for the opportunity to do just that.
Greg Forrest
Cristi Cooper
Jacy Armbruster