WELCOME FROM YOUR LEADERSHIP

A Vision for One Body Anchored in His Love

Through God’s Spirit and Word, we commit our

vision for our 2021-2022 school year! We find Ephesians 4:11-16 to be a refining reminder of our role. “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip...build...the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity...that we will be mature in the Lord...” As we equip our faculty and hire new teachers, this year is a powerful opportunity to embrace our Spirit driven responsibility to equip, build, and pursue unity. In this pursuit, our middle school and high school will embrace a theme of “One Body” affirming the beautiful tapestry of Phoenix Christian with a renewed God inspired unity. Our preschool and elementary students will follow a theme of “Anchored in His Love” based on Hebrews 6:19 calling for hope rooted in the love of Christ. With an eye on the challenges of last year and a passionate and hopeful pursuit to lead our school to new horizons, I am completely committed to the responsibility to best equip Phoenix Christian’s team to build up the next generation of the body of Christ. As our culture becomes increasingly opposed to the ways of Jesus, Christ-centered education is more important than ever. Phoenix Christian’s mission is more important than ever. Phoenix Christian’s faculty and staff must be more unified and equipped than ever to best guide our students toward spiritual maturity. Our vision is “to be a vibrant, Christ-

centered school in our community, prioritizing resources to continually pursue new horizons in educating minds, forming hearts, and equipping

hands of students.” Now is a bold opportunity to further strengthen our academic rigor as we continue to invest in new and innovative K-12 curriculum, technologies, continual campus enhancement and expansion of our teaching and support staff. We have completely rebuilt our middle school faculty to construct and protect a unified and dynamic Christ-centered culture. We have developed an Athletic Strategic Plan to develop and maintain championship caliber programs which also provide our student-athletes with a daily encounter with God’s Truth. I hope you enjoy learning about our incredible students, especially our promoting 5th and 8th grades and graduated seniors! We are so proud of their many talents and rejoice in their spiritual growth. They have shown remarkable “grit” this last year and a half of insurmountable obstacles. The Class of 2021 earned over 2.3 million dollars in scholarships and 363 college credits. Five grads will play collegiate sports, three will pursue music degrees on scholarship and one has already enlisted in the US Army. This issue of CougarNow also highlights you; our partners in Christian education. Our alumni and friends of Phoenix Christian have blessed us in so many ways; whether through your continual prayers for PC, financial support, or through the AZ tuition tax credit programs. We cannot do this work without you! You are making a difference in the lives of our beautiful students. With God-driven ambition to step further and courageously in faith, I ask for your prayer. With prayerful anticipation,

Jeff Blake Superintendent

God is at Work in Us and at PC

In the popular Bible Study “Experiencing God”, Henry Blackaby offers a suggestion for Christians who desire to be used by God for the sake of His kingdom, “Watch where God is working and join Him.” God is working at Phoenix Christian. Since the beginning, God has had His hand on Phoenix Christian. Moreover, God is working in the individual lives of those who comprise the Phoenix Christian community. This certainly includes those of us who are currently on campus, but it also extends to the greater Phoenix Christian family around the world. If you are receiving this issue of CougarNow, we are excited that somewhere along the line God has invited you to be a part of the fabric of PC and we celebrate again this year all that God has done and is doing in, through and around the Body of Christ that finds its roots in a relationship with Jesus and also with Phoenix Christian. Whether you are looking forward to this coming year on campus, just finished your time as a student or teacher at PC, or even if your days at Phoenix Christian are a distant memory in the rear view mirror of life we thank God for you. Regardless of when or how your path crosses with PC we thank God for allowing us to know you and to celebrate the ways in which He is working in your life and in our midst collectively as a community. In the devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers writes, “You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.” When the Lord seizes someone with the power of His great affection and makes changes on the inside, nobody is more amazed than the person who He is changing from the inside-out. This phenomenon reminds me of Phoenix Christian. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, always has been and always will be. PC is an extension of His church for the purpose of evangelism and equipping for the sake of His Kingdom. Over the years, and certainly in recent years, we have seen God make changes at PC that nobody could imagine taking the credit for apart from the Lord. May the Lord continue to receive glory and honor for the things that only He can do in, through and around Phoenix Christian. We will never cease to be amazed at what He has done and is doing for us on the inside. We know that He is working. He has invited us, He has invited you, to join Him in what He is doing. Will you ask Him to reveal how he wants to use you and the gifts He has given you for His glory and for the good of those around you right where you are today? May we continue to pray this simple prayer that I often hear myself offering, “Lord, if you really can use anyone would you please prove it by using a knucklehead just like me?” Thank you for being an important part of the PC family. We appreciate you, Steve Woods PC Board of Trustees PC Class of 1983

We are excited that somewhere along the line God has invited you to be a part of the fabric of PC.