February 2008

Last year I looked back upon our fifth annual Pursuing Wisdom Colloquy with much satisfaction over the work God has accomplished in our school community. This year our sixth colloquy was another affirmation of the truth, beauty, and goodness flowing from the midst of our Providence community. This year we had over 150 participants with parents, faculty, and visitors from other schools and our outside community. One school brought its entire staff for a time of refreshing and fellowship. We also had visiting speakers from three different schools as well as Patch Blakey, the Executive Director of ACCS. God is clearly using our school community to reach out to other schools where classical Christian education is taking root.
            I want to offer a special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Moody, and Mrs. Lucio who led their band of willing students in the preparation of our Coffeehouse and Marti Dobbs, who provided a wonderful dinner for our speakers and lunches for our guests. If you missed the colloquy, you missed a work of beauty in the space created for fellowship around great ideas. I also want to thank all the students who gave of their time to serve our visitors by working as baristas, on the matre di staff, and as our concierge team. Robert Lewis, Matt Norman, and Matthew Breeding provided much needed support by duplicating our talks on CDs. It is amazing to witness what can be accomplished when the body of Christ works together using each individual gift.
            If you were not able to attend, I suggest you purchase one or more of our CDs for your edification. When you listen to our teachers and staff speak on those topics they are passionate about, it will affirm your decision for your child to sit under these teachers. I am so pleased to work alongside teachers, parents, and students who acknowledge the presence of Christ in our midst and convey His love to those around them. I guarantee that you will be encouraged by what you hear. You can find a list of talks on our website on the colloquy page. I also encourage you to put the weekend of February 6 and 7, 2009 on your calendar as we look forward to our 7th annual Pursuing Wisdom Colloquy. I am confident you will be blessed to attend.
            Finally, as I will always encourage you, until my last breath is spent, pursue wisdom in between our conferences. Not only is it good for you to turn off the TV and read a great book, but it will send a clear message to your child about where your values lie. Classical education is not only for the young. If you have thirty to seventy years left of your life, you have plenty of time to begin recovering for yourself what you are recovering for your children.

Serving alongside you,

Troy Wathen