6 minute read
What’s Most Important?
What is most important?
by Dr. John Patterson, Head of School
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I am often asked what the most important role is for the Head of School at FPD. Without question, the most important role I carry is the same one you do: to be the greatest example of Christ I can be to Viking Nation. While I recognize my brokenness, it is the Holy Spirit living in me that provides the means for me to lead with Godly integrity. My desire is to live out Jesus’s greatest commandment every day: To love God and love my neighbor as myself (Luke 10:27). Nothing can supersede that responsibility.
Second, there is no greater endeavor than the building of TEAM FPD. Everything that is done to support our mission of educating and equipping young people to change the world for God’s glory begins with our TEAM of educators, staff, and administration (otherwise known as TEAM FPD). As you would suspect, the effort in retaining and attracting educators with Christian character begins with prayer and seeking God through His word.
This year’s theme, “HE is Greater,” represents a focus on Christ above all else to include who makes up the members of our TEAM. There are two driving factors in this pursuit. First, the foundation of our TEAM rests upon the retainment of our current, exceptionally qualified faculty and staff who view their role as a ministry to educate and equip young people to change the world for God’s glory. This is accomplished through the lens of Godly relationships. Second, we strive to improve our TEAM by hiring highly-qualified, master educators of Godly character who value and practice the mission statement and core values that we are committed to as a body of believers. It is TEAM FPD that allows us to say that we are the best educational option for young people in Middle Georgia.
The most important decision I must make as the FPD Head of School is determining the men and women that we retain and hire to teach and interact with your children daily. Be reminded, your children spend more than 1,000 hours per year at FPD.
So, how do we find the right people? What characteristics define a TEAM FPD member or a potential TEAM FPD member?
While the goal of TEAM FPD is defined in our mission: to educate and equip students to change the world for God’s glory, it is our core values that define who we are and what we believe.
TEAM FPD Core Values:
• Glorify God: We believe the chief end of man is to glorify God. Therefore, we seek to bring glory to Him in everything we do, whether in thought, deed, or action.
•Biblical World Life View: We believe God has given the Holy Scriptures as His authoritative and infallible rule for faith and life. Thus, our curriculum and instruction, our programs and administration, our communication, every aspect of our school will be founded in a Biblical understanding of the world and life.
•Advancing God’s Kingdom: As Christians we are called to be redemptive agents in the world, acting as stewards of creation and having an impact on our culture that glorifies God and advances His kingdom.
•Excellence: We strive for excellence in all aspects of our program. We pursue excellence in our curriculum, our faculty and staff, our Board of Trustees, our athletic programs, our fine arts programs, and our physical plant, property, and equipment.
•Integrity: We desire to exhibit complete honesty and integrity in our interactions with parents, students, faculty, staff, vendors, and all others whom God may put in our path. We also seek soundness in our financial condition, business practices, and policies.
•Serve Families: We acknowledge that God has given the responsibility of raising and training a child to their parents. We view our role as one of supporting parents and assisting them as they seek to fulfill God’s command to “train up a child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Our policies and actions are intended to support parents first.
We wholeheartedly believe in our mission and core values and are thankful that they drive our educational and evangelical mindset.
However, at FPD, we have taken our organizational health one step further. As our core values support our mission, there are practical behaviors which fuel those values. Hence, we created a working set of behaviors known as the TEAM FPD Pact.
A “pact” is otherwise defined as a promise, an agreement, a treaty, or a formal arrangement. Regardless of what role one plays on our TEAM, the FPD Pact guides us in our expectations of one another, our relationships, how we communicate, and most importantly, how we love one another. I want to share “The FPD Pact” with you.
TEAM FPD PACT:
1. Spiritual, Relational, Physical, and Financial Fitness (Colossians 3.23)
•Question: What am I doing to ensure that I am progressing towards being fit spiritually, physically, relationally, and financially?
2. TEAM SPIRIT (Mark 12.31 | John 13.4)
•Question: Is my daily attitude one that honors Christ in every way?
3. Make It Better (2 Corinthians 8.7 | Proverbs 22.9)
• Question: What am I seeing that needs to be made better and what am I doing about that?
4. Take It Personally (Galatians 6.5)
• Question: How am I personally engaged in our mission inside and outside my realm of influence?
5. Our Voice is our Life (Hebrews 13.15 | Proverbs 18:21)
• Question: Is all my language (verbal and written) efficient and honoring to God?
6. Open to Change (2 Corinthians 13.5)
• Question: How do I manage the tension triggered by new ideas, innovation, and change?
The FPD mission statement, core values, and pact allows us to focus on the organizational health of TEAM FPD. Patrick Lencioni in his book, “The Advantage,” states:
The leadership TEAM at FPD understands that for Viking Nation to be united and healthy, TEAM FPD must set the example.
Two years ago, our school-wide vision was “ONE” stemming from 1 Corinthians 1:10, “Be united in mind and purpose.” I tell TEAM FPD often: “the evil one does not like what we are doing; he does not consider us a friend, and he knows if he can divide us, he can win.”
We believe the TEAM FPD Pact and our core values work together to prevent the enemy from gaining a foothold in our relationships. I believe all organizations, families, teams, etc. should take the time to evaluate their culture and define how they are going to relate to one another. Yes, we believe in writing it down! In fact, you will see the FPD Pact in every classroom and written on the wall of our lecture hall.
TEAM FPD is committed to being the very best in the way we relate to one another. In turn, that commitment to relational excellence is extended to Viking Nation. I want you to know that we are committed in every way to remain organizationally healthy so that we can best serve your family and offer you an educational experience that is the very best in Middle Georgia.
Thank you, Viking Nation. I am honored and humbled that God has allowed me to serve alongside this incredible TEAM and to serve you as well. I so appreciate working with families who desire academic excellence and the foundation of Christ being built in the hearts of their children. TEAM FPD remains focused on our mission, core values, and pact to best serve you as we educate and equip young people to change the world for God’s glory.
Dr. John Patterson is starting his third year at FPD.
Originally from Williamsville, IL, he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1996. Following his graduation, Dr. Patterson served five years active duty in the U.S. Army. After being called to education, he went on to receive his doctorate degree.
One thing everyone would agree on— he bleeds red and black (all the way down to his red and black shoes). In his spare time, he loves to golf and fish.
