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As is the case with most private schools, the cost of operations is beyond what you are able to charge for tuition. Therefore, many private schools are dependent on outside donors for keeping the school solvent; Windermere is no different.
Raising money is never an easy prospect, however as a Christian school we, much like other ministries, are confident that God will provide for all our needs. As it says in Matthew, “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow,” as we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. It is amazing to see the uniqueness of this Christian school and the manner by which God has provided and preserved his work here. In effort to involve as many as we can in the work of the school, we held a fund raising banquet last night.
The banquet had an abundance of food – as should any decent banquet ought :-). We had alumni serve through the evening’s program with a special keynote speaker. Mr. Kevin Pinder was the speaker and a Windermere graduate, yet while he was here as a student he was a somewhat difficult student. However last night, he gave testimony that only a few years out of high school he finally realized the importance of following through with his commitment to Christ, as was taught him here at school. He has gone from being a trouble student who was temporarily expelled, to being a significant Christian preacher and leader here on the island.
Our preacher expounded on Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” He did a fantastic job, especially in the context of a fund-raising banquet, to remind us that God’s provision is not simply a matter of cash, but that His supply comes through faithfulness and that reaping is a product of sewing love and faithfulness. Windermere is a distinct school as it has been known through out island as a school “Founded on the Rock,” and dedicated to spiritual growth as much as educational growth.
The rest of the banquet was filled with various entertainment acts and special presentations from the 12th grade class, including a skit to the “Rocky” soundtrack – it was hilarious and inspirational. At the end of the night, and with the small crowd that we had, we raised over $10,000 for the school. But the reality is that no matter what the amount is we will be continual dependent on God to meet our many needs here at school.
I was recently talking with a co-worker about the challenges of teaching students in this day and age, and it occurred to me that much of what we do here as faculty and staff is not in the realm of “harvesting.” Rather we have our calling in “planting” and “watering.” It is a honor and privilege to serve the Lord in this more humble fashion, most especially when you see the long term transformation that faithfulness to His word and work produces. May God continue to bless Windermere and provide for all of the school’s needs, to His honor and glory.