EDITORIAL Fruit of the Spirit But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This familiar verse from Galatians 5:22–23a continues to be memorized by hundreds of thousands of students in Christian schools around the world. It isn’t uncommon to find this verse painted in large letters near a school’s front entryway. As students, parents, and guests walk into these schools, these words remind us of how difficult it is to establish authentic Christian community and how passionate we are to have these words characterize all human interaction in our classrooms and on our playgrounds. This verse speaks to the heart of the school’s mission, painting a word picture of what it looks like to be a servant of Christ. As the school lays a foundation of thankful service for its students, these nine fruits highlight the distinguishing characteristics of thankful living. This intentional focus on the behaviors of kindness, gentleness, and self-control goes well beyond character building. An emphasis on exhibiting love, joy, and patience goes well beyond learning how to be nice or easy to live with. These behaviors are an acknowledgement of who “owns” us. Jesus Christ, through his death and resurrection, paid an extremely high price for us, his children, on the cross at Calvary. We demonstrate these fruits as an acknowledgement of the price Christ paid for each of us. It is with grateful hearts for Christ’s unlimited love for us that we accept and demonstrate the various fruits of the Spirit. Each of these spiritual fruits becomes part of the “muscle” Christian school students develop as they prepare themselves to be effective servants of Christ wherever God plants them in life. At a time when brokenness and tension lurk around every corner with what seems to be unprecedented intensity, we imagine a day in which kindness, faithfulness, and gentleness characterize the spirit in our homes, neighborhoods, and places of work. We long for the day when the peace of Christ will rule! As partners, Christian schools and Christian homes provide intentional reminders to our children about how these fruits can be demonstrated. Collectively we nudge our children toward behaviors that will help build positive, trusting relationships. We do this not only to acknowledge the power in these behaviors but also to honor and bless the Christ who conquered death and paid for our sins on the cross. This issue of Christian Home & School provides helpful reminders of the importance of adult modeling as we disciple our children to express thankfulness through grateful living. Pamela Kleibrink Thompson offers a helpful reflection on cultivating an atmosphere of joy. Randy Saller reinforces the truth that so much of the atmosphere around grateful living is “caught” by our children through watching us behave, rather than learned when we simply tell them how to behave. The power of modeling is reinforced in David De Jong’s article on mentoring relationships. The expression “It takes a village to raise a child” suggests the power of consistency from school to home in reminding our children of the power of the Spirit’s fruit. We long for the day when God’s kingdom will come fully on Earth, just as it already envelops and permeates heaven, a time when God’s shalom will reach every corner of a once again pristine creation. May we never underestimate God’s power to use the gifts of the Spirit to establish that shalom. Dave J. Koetje President/CEO Christian Schools International Managing Editor Rachael Heyboer Flickr/Shadow-or-Light Assistant Editor Christina Van Eyl Designer Tori VanTimmeren Christian Home & School is published by Christian Schools International in order to promote and explain the concept of Christian education while encouraging Christian parents in their daily walk as disciples of Jesus and helping them to improve their parenting skills as a form of discipleship. The magazine is provided free of charge to schools that are members of Christian Schools International for distribution to parents. Christian Home & School (ISSN 009-5389) is published two times per year: Fall and Spring. Address: 3350 East Paris Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512-3054. Telephone 616-957-1070; fax 616-957-5022; e-mail RHeyboer@CSIonline.org; Web site www.CSIonline.org/christian_home_and_school. Copyright © 2014 by Christian Schools International. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S. Individual subscription price: $13.95 per year (U.S. and Canada only). The opinions expressed in editorials, articles, reviews, and letters are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Christian Schools International or its member schools. Inclusion of an advertisement does not indicate an endorsement of any sort. Registered as Second Class Mail under permit #9304 at Norwich, Ontario. A Publication of Christian Schools International | Spring 2014 3