Red Lion Christian Academy "Reach Magazine" Fall 2019

MAGAZINE

A STUDENT PUBLICATION OF REACH CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS

ISSUE 16 FALL 2019

Reaching New Heights Red Lion sixth grade student, Timmy McKernan is a champion rock climber.

ALSO INSIDE

One Night at Reach The Reach Church family fellowshipped and worshipped in the annual One Night event.

Ministering in Rwanda

Ministering to the children of Rwanda, Tri-State Christian senior Sevannah Arches shares her story.

AND MUCH MORE...

WWW.REACHSCHOOLS.ONLINE

Reach Magazine Fall 2019 Adviser Aaron Hamrick Red Lion Staff Mitchell Beeman Caiden Bernal Tyler Crew Joe Helton Sierra Husser Ana Lane

Tri-State Staff

Adviser - Mrs. Billie-Jean Rinehimer Sevannah Arches Eli Milburn Grace Singleton Tori Thompson

Glasgow Staff Adviser - Leigh Ann Betters Olivia Bush Grace Feldmann Ethan Loppatto Tyler Morgan Sakal Wilson

Red Lion Campus 1390 Red Lion Rd Bear, DE 19701 www.reachschools.online 302-834-2526

ON THE COVER Sixth grade Red Lion Christian student Timmy McKernan hangs on by one hand on top of one of the rock climbing walls at the Delaware Rock Gym off Porter Road in Bear, Delaware. He was introduced to climbing before the age of four by his grandfather, Chris McKernan. This past year Timmy was ranked 56th nationally in his age group. photo by Aaron Hamrick

6-7 ROCK CLIMBER Sixth grade Red Lion student Timmy McKernan is a competitive rock climber and competes on the national level.

8-9 ONE NIGHT Students, teachers, and friends gathered at Reach Church for One Night, an event for the Reach Christian School family to praise and worship God.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 18-19 RWANDA MISSION TRIP Sevannah Arches, a Tri-State Christian student shares her experience on her mission trip to central Africa.

22-23 BUILDING A COMMUNITY Students on the Glasgow Christian student council help encourage school unity.

20-21 TEACHER REDEEMED First year Red Lion teacher, Mr. Doug Clarke, shares how God saved his life from a life of drug abuse to being a believer in Jesus.

24-25 TAEKWONDO BLACK BELT Tri-State Christian Academy seventh grade student Xander Earlston earned a 1st degree black belt in Taekwondo.

As the retreat came to a close on September 18, several high school students walk on the pier as the sun begins to set at Sandy Cove Retreat in North East, MD. The students enjoyed a time of fun and games and had two services where they worshipped and heard a message from the Word of God. photo by Aaron Hamrick

REACH CHRISTIAN SCHOOL EVENTS Tri-State Back to School Bash Friday, September 27 On the evening of Friday, September 27, Tri-State Christian Academy hosted an annual event on the soccer field. Students, staff, and families gathered together to celebrate the start of a brand-new school year at “Back to School Bash.” The bash had inflatables such as the “Big Dip” which is a huge slide, and various bounce houses for the littles ones to enjoy. There was an array of food ranging from pizza and hotdogs to cotton candy and snow cones. Christian and dance songs were played in the background by a DJ, who also hosted various games such as limbo, and even a hula-hooping contest. Tyler Clarke, a senior at Tri-State said, “I’ve had a blast hanging out with all of my friends during the bash. The basketball game was my favorite thing to play and the food was amazing!

I’m glad I became a Crusader and have made a family with everyone at Tri-State.”

Red Lion Homecoming Dance Saturday, October 12 The highly anticipated Red Lion homecoming dance took place on October 12, a day after a thrilling victory at the homecoming football game vs McKean HS. Students, dressed in their best, enjoyed a variety of music and food as they danced the night away.

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HS & MS Retreat

Color Wars

Wednesday, September 18 & 26

Monday, October 7

The eagerly awaited Color Wars games were held on Monday, October 7. High school students put on their war paint for the annual event as they competed against the other classes in a series of games from tug-o-war to musical chairs. Engaging in a final thrilling battle for first place, the senior class lost despite their best efforts, leaving the sophomore class as this year’s victors!

The MS & HS students at Red Lion took the day off school and made a trip to Sandy Cove Retreat. Interacting through games, small groups and singing, students got to spend a day learning more about God.

SYATP

Back to School BBQ

Thursday, September 25

Thursday, August 29

Red Lion students came to school a little earlier to meet around the flag pole to pray for the school, the country, and for special needs in the annual See You at the Pole event.

On the eve of the first day of school, Red Lion families gathered for the annual Back-toSchool BBQ. Students mingled together as they enjoyed food, games, and music alongside friends www.reachschools.online

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CLIMBING

HIGHER

Starting out as an after-school activity to do with his grandfather, Timmy McKernan finds himself turned into a full-fledged competitive rock climber competing at the national level. copy & layout by Ana Lane

W

hen someone thinks of a sport or a fun after school activity, some of the popular everyday options that may come to mind would be soccer, basketball, or football.

But not for Timothy McKernan. He finds himself the odd man out when it comes to his go-to sport: rock-climbing. “It’s just really fun.

It’s hard, and no one else really does it,” the sixth grader said.

Timmy was first introduced to rock-climbing by his grandfather Chris McKernan, otherwise known as Pop-Pop, on his third birthday at the Delaware Rock Gym. B e f o r e Timmy was even four years old, he was practicing once a month, and the older he got, the more frequently he worked out. “It’s just a good overall body workout. You’re really in the moment while doing it,” his Pop-Pop said. Mom was apprehensive at first, naturally worried about the heights Timmy would be climbing. She soon saw that it was a great way for Timmy and his PopPop to spend time together.

Despite their gym being the only gym in Delaware not to have a youth rock-climbing club, that hasn’t stopped Timmy from climbing up the national rankings. Just last year, he was ranked 40th in his division and 56th in the nation. Getting to this status was no walk in the park for Timmy as it required him to practice as much as three to five times a week. Recently his training has been cut down to only once

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or twice a week since joining Red Lion’s middle school soccer team. On top of that, Timmy travels a lot to participate in competitions that take place on Saturdays, leaving no days off for the young athlete.

With a goal set in mind to soon be able to climb a V8, which is a higher level of climbing intensity, Timmy turns to his heroes like Magnus Midtbo and Alex Hamill.

Timmy actually got to meet one of his idols, Alex Hamill, famous for climbing 3,000 feet without a rope who was also featured in the movie Free Solo. Timmy, finding them as a source of inspiration, can oftentimes be found watching them climbing on YouTube, striving to be an expert climber like them and learning from them.

As of right now, Timmy can climb a V7. “At the gym that we climb at, only a couple people can do a V8, and he’s done a V7,” his Pop-Pop, who can climb a V4, said proudly. Timmy described that getting to nationals was a very exciting experience, because the previous year he did not make it. “I think I was probably more excited than he was about it, because in my mind, I’m the one who got him there,” said Pop-Pop. With plenty of goals to strive for and the support of his family, Timmy is ready to further progress in rockclimbing. He said, “It is hard, but you just have to stay positive since it’s mental. You just have to keep doing it and you’ll progress. Don’t just give up in two months.” Pop-Pop added, “It’s not as hard as you think it is.”

“No one else can really figure it out why we do it.”

- Chris McKernan www.reachschools.online

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ONE

NIGHT Reach Church hosted the annual One Night event that united all the Reach ministries on Sunday, September 22 at the Summit Bridge campus. copy by Gwen Schoenberger

One Night is the night that we all come together - our church campuses, our ministries, and our schools. From our congregation and volunteers, to our students and their families, to our teachers and staff, together we all play a part in “reaching all people with Nothing But Jesus.”

Our individual stories and backgrounds may vary, but God has joined us together for a purpose bigger than ourselves. At ONE NIGHT, we will be reminded of that purpose, celebrate what God is doing in and through us, and encourage one another in our united mission.

It was an evening filled with fun, laughter, tears, and the joy of being with God’s people in His presence. It is a gift to celebrate the work of Jesus in churches and schools across two states, and we do not take it for granted! ONE NIGHT was an opportunity for us all to link arms and pray for a great year at our church and schools because of Nothing But Jesus!

photos by Aaron Hamrick

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www.reachschools.online

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inside THE SCHOOL GARDEN

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STUDENTS LEARN HANDS-ON ABOUT AGRICULTURE copy and layout by Sierra Hull photos by Aaron Hamrick

he garden at red lion has been fulfilling the students hunger with its newest addition: The salad bar. Mrs. Gina Byer, a parent at Red Lion, came up with the idea and with the help of many different people she has been able to achieve her main goal which was to allow children to have a healthier option at lunch or fit their specific dietary needs. “It is really a driving force with that salad bar,” said Mrs. Byer. “The teachers love it, the students love it.”

However she doesn’t take all the credit. Mrs. Byer claimed she couldn’t do it without: Lulu Calbanzo, Ian Brennan, and Donna Long.

It all started with just a simple idea starting five years ago. Mrs. Byer simply saw how other schools had a garden and Red Lion didn’t. At first, she reached out to the school but they concluded that it wasn’t a good time for the school at that moment.

Nevertheless that didn’t stop her.

After two years of initial rejection she reached out to the founder of the organization called “Healthy Foods For Healthy Kids,” who informed her that the

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company Whole Foods gives grants to schools that want to pursue their own garden. She worked for hours trying to make sure that she and the school had everything they needed to obtain the grant that was required for the continuation of the growth of the garden. Soon that hard work paid off because they were able to obtain the grant and not too long after, they began construction.

Mary Beth Huey, to whom the garden is dedicated, had a son, Jonathan, who went to Red Lion and he needed a project for his Eagle Scout project. Jonathan organized building the entire garden, including the fencing and the initial 4x8 beds that they started out with.

Since the original reconstruction they have had many successful events associated with the garden. Some of these examples include: A 5K running event, and even strawberry fund raisers. With the money that was gained from these fund raisers they were then able to expand even more with more 4x8 garden beds that were built by herself, her husband, and many more

volunteers that wanted to show support for the garden.

She also makes sure that there’s an educational factor that goes along with the garden. In association with “Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids” Students come out to the garden and learn how to harvest the garden when it is needed and along with them learning these techniques they will be able to possibly carry agriculture into there everyday lives if that’s what they are interested in. The second and third graders till and water the soil and prep for the kindergartners. The kindergartners actually plant the seeds. After this the third graders come out again and water the new planted seeds using an irrigation system. And after this is all said and done the fourth and fifth graders come and finish it of with harvesting. Interesting enough however Byer said she had little to no prior knowledge on gardens or on how to properly take care of one before the RLCA garden. She says that Thianda Manzara teaches her new things about the garden all the time and has taught her everything that she knows right now. She claims that she did not expect to be the manager for the whole operation but that’s what the Lord had in mind for her. And even though it can be stressful there are many people that have contributed to the making of the garden thus far. For example a father from RLCA donated gravel to the garden and that saved them over $1,000 and they were then able to add not only the salad bar for the upper school, but another one to the lower school. This was great because it expanded healthier options to more students and allowed those who had gluten free diets to be satisfied during lunch if nothing else fits there dietary needs. This drove Byer to make sure the continuation of the salad bar happened. She reached out to local farmers and farmers markets and now she gets the produce the salad bar needs from a place called Newark Natural Food Market on Main Street. They used to get there salad leaves from the market however they now have an abundance of salad leaves from their new harvest. Also the radishes, tatsoi, swiss char and soon to come snow peas all come from there garden and into students stomachs at lunch time. When she doesn’t have the necessary produce and they need to buy from the Market, she always makes sure that the vegetables are 100% organic. This is very important to her because this assures that the students are being served the freshest food with a fresh taste. Because this is the first year with the salad bar they harvest in smaller amounts and offer the bar to students only twice a week. This is expected to increase overtime as the garden grows and the spring mix leaves become bigger. Mrs. Byer is learning new techniques and requirements to garden all the time. For example after the first year she realized that the plants needed to be watered twice a day instead of onewhich was most common for other school gardens. Because of the way that it is placed this requires Mrs. Byer to come every weekend and make sure that the plants are properly watered and taken care of. She has worked very hard over the years along with the parent volunteers, teachers and staff, and many organizations that help not only with the cost of the garden and its supplies but the labor that comes with it and she thanks them for their contribution to making her idea a reality.

“It is really a driving force with that salad bar. The teachers love it, the students love it.”

Mrs. Gina Beyer

www.reachschools.online

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photo by Aaron Hamrick

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DYNAMIC

DUO

For the last eighteen years, the husband and wife teachers Bill and Brenda Smith have served together at Tri-State Christian Academy.

copy by Tori Thompson

Coach Bill and Brenda Smith have been an integral part of Tri-State Christian Academy for almost twenty years. This dynamic duo has been involved in multiple parts of students’ lives, both during and after school. Between being coaches, teachers, and parents, Coach Smith and his wife lead busy and productive lives. They have been married for thirty-three years and have spent eighteen of those years teaching and coaching together at Tri-State Christian Academy.

The Smiths heard about Tri-State Christian Academy from Mrs. Smith’s father, Dr. Bill Bowen. They were looking for a big change, and their options were between a school in California and TriState Christian Academy. Coach Smith traveled to Maryland and interviewed for a teaching position and was granted the job. He and his wife were working at a small Christian school in Chicago, their hometown at the time. They finished up the school year there. Then that next summer, they packed up their things, sold their house, and moved their family of six to the East Coast.

Coach Smith started that next school year (2002-2003) working as a middle school teacher. He became the school’s athletic director and varsity basketball coach the next year. Over the years, Coach Smith has taught Bible, history, and many more classes. Mrs. Smith started working there during the same year also starting out as a middle school teacher. She has taught middle school science, physical science, health, and physical education. They have also coached a variety of sports, such as boys and girls basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball, cross country, softball, and cheerleading. Coaching and working with the different teams have been some of their favorite memories during their careers at Tri-State Christian Academy, especially when their eldest son, Brandon, coached alongside them.

Brandon, as well as their other children, Ashley, Caleb, and Aubree,

have all graduated from Tri-State Christian Academy. They were heavily involved at the school because of their parents’ jobs. “It made us a stronger unit,” Mrs. Smith said regarding the effect of their family being together all the time.

“He is easy to talk to. He’s a guy I can always count on to be there. He’s a tough coach, but he always wants the best for his players,” said Eli Milburn, a junior, about Coach Smith’s impact on him. Tyler Clarke, a senior, had this to say about Coach Smith: “He is a great coach with a fun personality who makes us love the game of basketball more.” Tyler added to this by saying that he would not be where he is today without Coach Smith. Savita Conner, one of many of Mrs. Smith’s students, said, “She’s nice, thoughtful, and a people person.”

Coach and Mrs. Smith have spent twenty-three of their thirty-three years of marriage working together. “It’s our normal,” Mrs. Smith said.

When asked if they had any advice for couples that work at the same place together, Coach Smith said, “Go with it, have fun, (and) count it as a privilege.” Mrs. Smith added in closing, “It is God’s will for our lives, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

photo by Aaron Hamrick

photo by Aaron Hamrick

photo courtesy Laura Briggs Photography

www.reachschools.online

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Homecoming Week

photos by Aaron Hamrick

Red Lion Christian showed their school spirit and celebrated homecoming during the week of October 7-12. The week began with the annual class hall decorating where each class decorates a section of the hallway to compete against the other classes. The classes also competed during the Color Wars event in the Pusey Center on Wednesday, October 9.

There were games such as musical chairs, dizzy bat, and tug-of-war. The sophomore class upset the seniors in a close battle for the coveted Spirit Stick. On Friday, October 11, Lions Stadium was packed to see the football team defeat McKean HS 45-28, followed by a bonfire. The week was capped off on Saturday, October 12 with the Homecoming Dance.

Emma Murphy and Colin Pargoe were announced at halftime of the football game as Homecoming Queen and King.

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Showing his class spirit, senior Timmy Holly shouts out to his classmates during the musical chairs game.

Breaking through the line, Donald Solomon runs the ball against McKean HS. He ran for 64 yards and scored a touchdown. He also ran for two 2 point conversions.

Sophomores Haley Pancake and Reagan Mendick decorate their hallway.

Bible teacher Mr. Doug Clarke gets the crowd hyped during the outside pep rally.

With his friends hoisting him up in the air, freshman Jason Breidenbach enjoys the homecoming dance.

After the big football win, sixth grade cheerleader Hannah Pargoe leaps in the air with the bonfire roaring behind her.

www.reachschools.online

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Happy Life In Kenya

REACHING ACROSS THE GLOBE

H

appy Life Children’s Home, located in Juja, Kenya, is a home for abandoned babies which was founded by members of Reach Church, Reverend Jim and Sharon Powell.

One of Happy Life Children’s Home’s main missions is to find homes for these precious babies. Sadly, these kids have experienced trauma and heartbreak that is unimaginable.

However, for those who live there, Happy Life truly IS the happiest place to be.

This past summer, I had the amazing opportunity to share the love of Jesus when I traveled to Happy Life with a team of GCA students, parents, and alumni – all members of Reach Church. Before the trip began, I was nervous to meet all the kids and ‘house moms’ at Happy Life. Knowing everyone else on the team had previously traveled to Kenya, I was concerned that the kids would rather

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catch up with them then spend time with me.

However, when we arrived, I was instantly greeted with warm hugs and bright smiles.

My fears quickly faded. Before we knew it, the eager children had pulled our whole team over to the basketball court. Until sundown, we played games with them -- basketball, soccer, ‘Miss Mary Mack,’ rolling tires – while some kids and team members sat and talked.

One of my favorite parts of the entire trip was bedtime. The team was asked to pray with the kids before bed, so every night after dinner, team members would spread out to the six separate houses where the kids lived.

A different team member prayed every night, followed by leading the children in singing a few verses of a worship song. My favorite night was when the kids decided to lead us in the song “Ten Thousand Reasons.” Observing how Christ is working in these kids was such

copy by Sakal Wilson

an amazing blessing.

In addition, the relationships I made on this trip are very special to me. One little boy, in particular, holds a special place in my heart.

Almost all my memories of Happy Life feature Oscar. Every morning, he greeted me with a huge hug and his unforgettable laugh. He loves dancing, art, and making necklaces. His laugh is contagious, and his smile lights up a room. He truly is special. The self-sacrificing, hardworking house moms who care for the kids also had a tremendous impact on me. Every day, they cook, clean, wash, and bathe all the kids. Building stronger relationships with them through devotions and everyday conversation was undoubtedly a highlight of the trip.

Hearing their stories and watching them care for the children inspired me. I am so blessed I was able to experience such an amazing and memorable trip.

www.reachschools.online

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A Nation of a Thousand Hil s My

Trip to Rwanda

Tri-State Christian senior Sevannah Arches traveled to Rwanda in central Africa with her church to share the love of Jesus to the children through Vacation Bible School.

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It is hard to love in a world full of hate, but that is exactly what the people in Rwanda have learned to do. This summer, at the age of seventeen, I traveled to Rwanda, Africa, on a missions trip with my church, Word of Life Christian Center.

The plane ride to Rwanda was about twenty hours, but it was definitely worth it. When I stepped off the flight, it was about a twentyminute drive to the guest house, which was provided through the organization, Africa New Life. This organization set up our trip, and they are a group that helps to build schools and sponsor children, so that they are able to get an education and make an impact on their villages.

While in Africa, for the first few days, I was able to get to know the country and see what the culture was like. Twenty-five years ago, there was a genocide in 1994, and in less than a hundred days, over one million people died. I cannot imagine the pain and terror this country went through. There were neighbors killing neighbors and family killing family, all because they wanted to survive. During this

copy by Sevannah Arches layout by Caiden Bernal

time of hatred and war, the people were on edge and never knew what would happen next. After this occurred, the people of Rwanda joined together and rebuilt the country they loved. We visited two memorials. Both of them were hard to go into. One of them was a church where approximately ten thousand people had died. The second memorial was about the culture and logistics of what life was like leading up to the genocide.

Towards the middle of the week, we began doing home visits where the people who sponsored children from afar could go out and actually meet their sponsored child, see their homes, and meet their families. It was special for me because even though I have not had the opportunity to sponsor a child of my own, children from miles would come to see us, and we would get to interact with all of them. We could even get the sponsored child’s parents involved in our time together.

The joy of them seeing us gave me more peace than I have ever known. Something

as simple as blowing bubbles or dancing meant the world to them, and it changed me.

That week on Thursday and Friday, we got a really special opportunity to go into a brandnew community and introduce the love of Jesus to about five-hundred children and some of their parents. We did a small medical intake where we took the basic information about the children in the morning, and in the afternoon, we were able to do a “Vacation Bible School.”

During the VBS portion, I had a very special encounter that made me realize why I was meant to go on this trip. I met a young girl, around the age of 6, named Bernadette. She came over to me and tried to talk to me, but it was difficult to communicate due to the language barrier. So instead, she smiled, grabbed my hand and spent the whole day by my side. She made me realize that the reason anyone was put on this earth was to love others, just as God loved everyone. I hope I was able to show love to her, because she showed me so much love that day.

When I had to leave the first day of VBS, on Thursday, I didn’t think I would get to see her again, and it was hard; but I should have known God had a plan. I woke up the next day and did the same process I did the first day, but I found myself looking around for her. During a medical exam I was giving, she walked over, but this time she wasn’t alone since she had brought her mother, her eldest sibling, and a translator. Her mother introduced herself and her eldest daughter and then Bernadette who I had seen the day before. Bernadette’s mother had told me that her daughter had come home

and told her about a girl she had met, and then she proceeded to thank me. I was confused with what I had done to deserve a “thank you” from her, when her daughter was the one who had helped me all along. I thanked the mother, and then she hugged me and told me that I had been a blessing in her daughter’s life and to the rest of her family. This is when I realized I had made the right decision by going on this trip. I spent the rest of that day with her.

I was so glad God gave me the opportunity to see her again.

At the end of the second VBS, we had a party with the children, and we gave them drinks and food and just celebrated the love we had for Jesus together.

There was dancing and music and laughter, and a community that was once lost and in need was now filled with God and love. It was beautiful.

One of the mothers even taught us a native dance. She had told us this was the first time she had been full of joy in a long time, and then said she was so grateful that God was still with her people and in her village.

Rwanda is a beautiful country full of love, hope, inspiration and God. His peace covered the land and His love has helped a nation to rise that was in a valley. I am hoping to return to Rwanda in two years and to continue to see the country and its growth over time. I believe this land of a thousand hills has overcome so much and has the ability to rise up and be a nation that is committed to following God and what He has to offer for them as a country.

“She made me realize that the reason anyone was put on this earth was to love others, just as God loved everyone.”

www.reachschools.online

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A story of

REDEMPTION copy and layout by Mitchell Beeman photos by Aaron Hamrick

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From a life of drug addiction to finding Jesus, Mr. Clarke shares his life-changing story.

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I

felt that they shoved Jesus down my throat at every turn of my life,” were the words of Mr. Clarke in regard to the idea of Jesus during his childhood.

Nowadays, Mr. Clarke loves the Lord and teaches Bible at Red Lion Christian Academy, as well as being a deacon for Mercy Ministry at Reach Church.

But Doug did not always love Jesus as he does today, and, in fact, he was appalled by the very thought of Jesus when he was a child. Even though he and his parents went to a church in Wilmington, he was still appalled by the thought of the religion.

“I lived to get high. Like every day I woke up, I didn’t function unless I smoked a bowl,” was what Mr. Clarke was going through in his middle to high school years. He started smoking weed when he went to Red Lion, by means of people outside of the school. Once he got back into public school, however, he found a group of people who smoked like him and started to smoke even more. It got to the point, starting when he was a junior, where he would start smoking weed in the morning, and then he’d get to school and be too high to even go into the school. This caused him to start skipping school, and he dropped out of high school in the middle of his senior year.

After a time, however, he started to use more powerful drugs. He would work various jobs for money, such as building cubicles.

It got so bad, that he ended up going into a detox center. While he was in the detox center, though, he “found Jesus” and had an emotional response to Him. Little did he know that this so-called emotional response would eventually lead to his salvation later in his life. However, once he got out of the detox center, he ended up going back on prescription painkillers when he moved out to Kansas. Afterwards, he ended up on more powerful drugs, and ended up in a trailer, where he was on the floor, crying. “Now I

was turning to crime, and I was in the depths of sexual immorality; I was robbing people a lot. Robbing drug dealers, robbing my friends, robbing the girls I was dating. I was fighting people, I was robbing people with guns, and that’s where things got really, really dark.”

“So, I’m lying in the trailer. It’s about five in the morning. I knew that because the sun was coming up. I could see, the sky changing, and the sun’s coming up. And I’m lying there on the floor of the trailer, cold, shivering, not knowing where the next day’s drugs are gonna come from. Who am I gonna rob? Who am I gonna hurt to get it?” were the words spoken by Mr. Clarke as he was in his darkest and worst moment. He was trying to use Suboxone at the time, to try and help him get off drugs, as well as his girlfriend, but he ended up addicted to Suboxone instead, and his girlfriend resisting every attempt he tried to help her. At this point, he thought he was losing his mind, and he asked God to show him that He was real.

Twenty minutes after he asked God, he got a message from a drug dealer saying that his girlfriend slept with him in exchange for heroin. He went back to his house and found the heroin in his girlfriend’s make up bag. He was so overjoyed that God was real, and he ended up burning all of his Suboxone so that he could have a new start.

His trials did not end, however, when he went into withdraw immediately afterwards.

“I went through two and a half months of withdraw. Two and a half months of physiological and physical torment. To the point where I had nothing but the Word of God. It’s the most intense physiological and physical torment I’ve ever gone through.”

Immediately after the withdraw was over, his father asked him to help him go into the prison ministry with him. He then proceeded to go and meet the director of the jail, who was named Mr. Gregory, and begged him

for a job, which he gave him. His job was being a corrections officer, as well as a prison minister when he could, which he gladly accepted.

“Prison ministry was very much a blessing.

It allowed me to care for others and love others and be around like-minded people who were struggling and hurting and going through pain. Prison work, on the other hand, brought out the worst in me, and the Lord began to sanctify me through it. Those traces of the old man that were still in me: the mentality that made me go out and fight people, and steal from people, came out when I was in the prison work.” He was very good at his job as a corrections officer and enjoyed being in the prison ministry.

However, he ultimately left corrections because he could no longer do the very thing that he was good at, which was treating the inmates like animals, when he knew that they were sinners that needed grace, just like he did. “I was told by the higher ups that each person who comes in is a number, and that number makes x amount of dollars a day.

And if I keep my numbers up, I get a big fat bonus, and if my numbers go down, then they will fire me and find somebody who can keep people incarcerated.”

Mr. Clarke has been married for five years to his lovely wife, and together they have two biological children, who are Zeke, who is three years old, and Jake, who is three months old. They have adopted one of two biological children of Lindsey’s: Anthony who is twelve years old. They are in the process of adopting her other biological child, Chloe, who is eight years old. Mr. Clarke graduated with his masters degree at Liberty University for Arts and Theological studies. He and his family started to attend Reach Church about four years ago, when he and his family were looking for a church to attend. He is currently the deacon for Mercy Ministry, elected in September of this year. www.reachschools.online

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building a sense of

COMMUNITY Students at Glasgow Christian Academy take on extra responsibilities from their normal school work to plan activities such as spirit days, ministry opportunities, and running the weekly chapel services. copy by Olivia Bush layout by Tyler Crew photos by Ethan Loppatto

“It brings me joy to go help our community and shine the light of God,” replied Alex Andrews when asked what made being on Student Council at Glasgow Christian Academy such a rewarding experience. “I wanted to give back to GCA for all the awesome years I’ve had here.” Alex is one of eleven GCA students serving on this year’s council, which is comprised of eleven students: president, Ethan Loppatto; vice-president, Sarah Feldmann; treasurer, Sakal Wilson; secretary, Leah Hoopman; chaplain, Lincoln Pritt; 11th grade representatives, Arianna Gardner and Alex Andrews; 10th grade representatives, Kaylyn Littleton and Harrison Pritt; and 9th grade representatives, Cecilia Feldmann and Palmer Burch. According to Palmer, one of the newest members of the council, the process of running for council was nerve-wracking but incredibly exciting. The candidates put themselves out there, into the hands of their peers, some of whom they don’t personally know, hoping to be chosen to represent them. However, the risk is worth the satisfaction that comes from fulfilling the council’s vital purpose: fostering a community of students and families focused on Jesus.

Because most GCA students attend classes only once a week, building a sense of community is more challenging than it is in a traditional school setting where students spend five days a week together. However, GCA’s Student Council works hard to encourage school unity by sponsoring spirit days, organizing special events,

planning mercy ministry opportunities, and running the weekly chapel services. Council members also assist GCA’s administrative team at events like the back-to-school Meet and Greet, Informational Meeting for new families, and Student Showcase – greeting attendees, handing out programs, giving tours to prospective families, and helping in countless other ways.

In addition to these responsibilities, the council members are also students with homework, drama and sports practices, jobs, and social lives. How do they do it all? While some have established a reliable system to balance their council duties with the rest of their commitments, others still struggle to prioritize in order to make sure they stay on top of their responsibilities to the council. But they all take the job seriously. As chaplain, Lincoln Pritt states, “It’s a very important job…it’s a learning experience and will help me in the future, so I stick with it.”

Although they leave their position to others after graduation, many of the senior officers have learned valuable skills they will carry with them in the years to come. The experience has taught them time management, organization, the value of hard work, and the importance of being a good example. Lincoln relates, “They are looking up to me, and I don’t want to be a bad influence on others.”

One aspect they all valued was the opportunity to become leaders.

Holding the highest leadership position himself, Ethan says, “Being president requires me to have an open mind, and I can’t do that if not first thinking of others before myself.”

Although all that hard work may sometimes go unnoticed, the results are clear. Based on the laughter and chatter that fills the halls of GCA every Thursday, the council’s goal of encouraging friendships and building a community focused on Jesus has been achieved.

Sarah Feldmann: As the treasurer for student council, I keep track of all our financial records, oversee our fundraisers, and help staff the school store. I also help budget our school events and keep track of how much money we will have for our prom at Class Representatives: Cecelia Winchester (9), Palmer Burch (9), Kaylyn Littleton (10), Harrison Pritt (10), the end of the school year.

Arianna Gardner (11), Alexander Andrews (11)

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“As the treasurer for student council, I keep track of all our financial records, oversee our fundraisers, and help staff the school store. I also help budget our school events and keep track of how much money we will have for our prom at the end of the school year.”

Sarah Feldmann

“As the student council secretary, my job is to handle correspondence and promotion. I am in charge of recording and distributing the minutes from our meetings. This year at GCA, I hope to work alongside my fellow council members to create a positive and encouraging environment and to point our students and families to Jesus.”

Leah Hoopman

“My job as president is to lead the Student Council, run our meetings, and oversee the planning of GCA’s events, such as a dance, a one-day retreat, and so much more. My goal is to make this year a fun and memorable one for the GCA students!”

Ethan Loppatto “As chaplain, I oversee our weekly chapel service. This includes opening in prayer and leading students in reciting our school verse (I Corinthians 2:2) and the Pledge of Allegiance. In addition, I schedule the speakers, which are usually high schoolers. This year, the representatives are responsible to plan speakers from their class for a specific month. It’s awesome to see our whole school come together every Thursday to worship Jesus!”

Lincoln Pritt “My duties as vice president include overseeing missions and outreach we do as a student body. As a school, we support Happy Life Children’s Home in Kenya, so I oversee and promote collections for the two children we sponsor. I plan to organize some community service events in order to spread the love of Jesus while we also have fun as a team.”

Sakal Wilson www.reachschools.online

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BLACK

After a long and hard two years of training, Xander successfully earned his black belt in Taekwondo.

copy by Grace Singleton layout by Mitchell Beeman photos by Aaron Hamrick

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BELT

photo courtesy Earlston family

Xander Earlston, a seventh grader from Tri-State Christian Academy, recently achieved his black belt in Taekwondo. Xander has been participating in Taekwondo for about two years. His grandmother gave him a Taekwondo outfit set for Christmas two years ago, and ever since then, he has had a love for this martial art.

Xander’s Uncle David also played an influential part in engaging him in martial arts by taking classes with him.

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ander participates in classes at technique in martial arts. There are different “Since his very first Usi Taekwondo Academy where types of sparring that range in different levels day as a white belt, he of contact and styles. For the black belt test, he his instructor, Master Chang, has assisted him in achieving his has always shown up had to do much of the same tasks as he had to black belt. “Xander Earlston is achieve his other belts, but he had to do several to class with a smile currently a World Certified 1st more repetitions of each activity. Xander also Degree Black Belt here at the U.S. Taekwondo had to know certain Taekwondo terms and orally on his face, eager to Academy,” according to Master Chang. them to pass the test for his black belt. learn! With his positive recite The classes are three times a week for about Although Taekwondo is a physical activity, it attitude and hard work, also takes mental skills and awareness to achieve an hour and a half. During practice, he learns different techniques specifically on fighting and success. Even though a karate student must be he was nominated control. His favorite part about participating in physically strong to participate in Taekwondo, Student of the Month Taekwondo is competing in tournaments. Even Xander also said that, “you have to be mentally though Taekwondo is usually seen as a martial strong enough to do it.” Xander earned his black and received an art, Xander thinks that it can be considered belt in August of this year. After earning his black invitation to our elite a sport because of the physical activity and belt, Xander says that he was very excited. sparring competition competitions that accompany it. According to Most students achieve their belt after training Xander, one of the most difficult components is for approximately four years, but because of the team, ‘Team Chang.’” having control over his nerves when competing. effort that Xander put into earning his black belt, Master Chang During competitions, the number of people he was able to achieve it about two years after watching can often be intimidating, which is why it he started practicing. is important to be mentally strong.

Xander plans to still participate in Taekwondo for at least a couple A black belt is the highest level of achievement that anyone can more years. His next goal in Taekwondo is to continue to practice earn when participating in Taekwondo. Xander said that black belts and improve his skills. He also thinks that he might be interested in can be obtained from anyone by, “time, dedication, and hard work.” instructing it sometime in the future. Xander has much enthusiasm and To achieve his black belt, he had to pass a series of belt tests which, is very passionate about learning more about Taekwondo. “took a lot of time and effort.” Before earning his black belt, Xander Achieving a black belt is certainly a special achievement that not had to earn several other belts as he progressed. Master Chang all martial arts students can claim. Master Chang, Xander’s teacher, stated, “Since his very first day as a white belt, he has always shown states, “Achieving a black belt is no easy task, and Xander has up to class with a smile on his face, eager to learn. With his positive persevered through many obstacles to earn his status. It has truly attitude and hard work, he was nominated Student of the Month and been an honor to have Xander as a student. We are so proud of how received an invitation to our elite sparring competition team, ‘Team far he has come and are so excited to see what the future holds for Chang.’” him!”

Xander’s positive attitude and hard work helped him master each Not only is his Taekwondo teacher proud of him, but so are belt test as they became more difficult to earn. During these tests, he family and friends. Xander’s black belt proves his dedication and had to do tasks such as push-ups, sit-ups, kicks, and board breaking. persistence to excel in Taekwondo and shows that this Tri-State He also had to do sparring which is a basic, controlled, fighting seventh grader has the ability and discipline to achieve much more. www.reachschools.online

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Ashley’s Garden copy by Wendy VanWingerden layout by Caden Bernal photos by Aaron Hamrick

Ashley VanWingerden 26

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When faced with the question “how will we mark our daughter’s life?” we wondered what we would do. We considered giving a scholarship to her school in Ashley’s memory. It was a good idea but would only leave and impact on one person each year. Knowing Ashley, one person was not enough! She left an impression on every person she met. Not knowing what else to do, we began with a tree. We asked the school if we could plant a tree with a plaque in Ashley’s memory at the school. We also wondered if maybe a bench would be appropriate. We wanted Ashley’s friends to have a place to go to and remember her.

We were amazed when we were granted permission to do what we wanted in a much larger space than we imagined. The tree soon turned into many trees, a flower garden, and a patio with benches! Ashley always dreamed big...and so did we!

The garden was designed, and we broke ground over the summer. It wasn’t long before it took shape! The raised flower bed would be completed last, as we invited Ashley’s classmates and teachers from her years at Red Lion to leave a lasting mark in her garden. What a touching day it was for us.

We worked hard, pouring concrete and all, but also enjoyed watching as everyone gathered together in Ashley’s garden.

We enjoyed talking to Ashley’s friends and their families. We shared memories together. Not only did Ashley touch the lives of these people, but they touched her life! Each one of them was important to her. She loved school. She loved her friends. She loved her teachers! Ashley left impressions in each of their lives, and now they were marking theirs!

So many things about the garden are special to me. Leaving handprints has been a tradition in our family. Since we started

On a warm afternoon in October, Wendy VanWingerden and her youngest daughter Grace put new flowers in the flower bed of Ashley’s Garden on the campus of Red Lion Christian Academy.

our greenhouse business here in Maryland, we would have our children leave their hand prints in the concrete as we poured it. There are several places around our home and farm where Ashley’s prints are found. It only made sense to include handprints into the garden!

Ashley often dreamed of having her own “secret” garden. One year, she even took the liberty to build her own garden behind our goat barn. She carried rocks back there, stacked them up, filled the garden with dirt, and carefully chose her favorite plants from the greenhouse to plant in her garden. She proudly showed it to each of us! We desired a flower bed that would be carefully planted with her daddy’s flowers each season. What a treasure it was for her daddy and her brother to visit the garden last week and to plant the first flowers in her garden!

When I think of Ashley’s “space,” it is not her bedroom. Ashley’s space was outside! She loved to be outside. Ashley checked the weather each morning on the computer. She wanted to see if today she could play outside! She picked flowers, chased butterflies, caught frogs, climbed trees, played sports and imaginary games, built tents..... and so much more! When I want to feel close to Ashley, I usually go outside. The garden is a place where people can be outside...to

visit, to study, to wait, to teach. A class period outside was always a highlight to Ashley’s school day!

The part of the garden that most represents Ashley is what it is meant to do. The garden is a gathering place. A place to sit, relax, enjoy others, and the outdoors! I will never forget the times we were “all together” as a family...it didn’t matter what we were doing, just that we were together. I can still hear her say “Look, Mom! We are all together!” It was right up her alley to have family gatherings, birthday parties, picnics, social events....whatever! as long as everyone was all together!

Ashley worked hard to be sure that everyone got along! She knew the interests of each person she was with and orchestrated the situation to makes each person fit in. She didn’t like anyone to feel left out. She wanted everyone to get along. What a blessing it has been for us to watch people gather in Ashley’s garden. She would love this.

It is a secret garden, a place to gather together, a place to visit....we dreamed big as Ashley always did....we gifted it to the school because Ashley loved to give, and it holds the handprints of the friends who touched her life, and it will remain forever as a lasting impression of our sweet Ashley. www.reachschools.online

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ou have probably seen him around the buildings of Red Lion Christian Academy or walking the halls of Tri-State. He pops in from time to time at GCA as his office resides in Reach Church. Meet Pastor Steve Coward!

He is part of the Pastoral Team at Reach Church, and he has also taken a more active role within Reach Christian Schools. What you may not know is that he is no stranger to working with younger generations.

You may have gathered, from his slight southern accent, that Pastor Steve was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. During his high school years, he began to get involved as a student in Young Life, a campus ministry to middle school and high school students.

Through the mentorship of adult Young Life leaders, he was encouraged to grow deeply in his faith. His desire had always been to attend Georgia Tech and pursue an engineering degree, and he received scholarships to do so. But during the end of his senior year of high school, God began to work on Pastor Steve’s heart, completely changing his desires for the future, and making clear that he was being called into lifelong full-time ministry.

Following graduation from high school, Pastor Steve decided to focus on preparing for a future in ministry. He enrolled in the history program at Armstrong State University in Savannah. During his freshman year, he began to get involved in volunteer ministry opportunities both at his local church and

Pastor Steve photo by Aaron Hamrick

SHARING THE MESSAGE OF NOTHING BUT JESUS copy by Gwen Schoenberger

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with YoungLife. At the same time, he found himself leading a middle school Bible study.

Through conversations with the YoungLife area director, he decided to start from scratch a middle school version of YoungLife in Savannah called WyldLife. The YoungLife committee quickly decided to bring him on staff as the WyldLife Director during the second half of his freshman year in college.

Throughout his four years in undergrad, he ran and grew this middle school outreach ministry.

In May of 2000, Pastor Steve graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History

with a minor in Philosophy. With the encouragement of his pastor, he enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in Oviedo, Florida. During seminary, he worked as a Student Counselor in the Admissions Office of RTS. He also worked one summer at Young Life’s Frontier Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado, as the intern in charge of the high ropes course and rappelling cliff. (He had previously volunteered two summers during college at Frontier Ranch on the ropes and rappelling crew.)

The most important part of seminary was meeting the love of his life and partner in ministry, Adriane. During his second year of seminary, Adriane was entering into the first year of a two-year Master of Arts in Counseling program. They disagree on when they first met (go ahead and ask them), but regardless shortly after meeting they began to date. They love to tell people that they spent a (very!) large number of their dates at Disney World. Pastor Steve promised Adriane that because they spent so much time at Disney when they were dating that they would never go back when they had children. (They have been back twice with their children and are planning another trip soon!)

In the summer of 2003 Pastor Steve began to serve at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, as the Director of Youth Ministry. He completed his internship and started the Licensure and Ordination process in the Philadelphia

photo by Aaron Hamrick

Presbytery. Before he was able to complete the process, the church suffered some major financial setbacks. As a result, Pastor Steve began to look for a position at another church.

In February of 2005, Pastor Steve and Adriane moved to Decatur, Alabama, where he had been called as Assistant Pastor of Decatur Presbyterian Church.

He was licensed and ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America in May of that year. During their time in Decatur, they were blessed with three children Grayson, Shepard, and Adeline. In Decatur, Pastor Steve served as the youth pastor as well as

the administrative pastor of the church.

After nine years in Decatur, Pastor Steve accepted a call to serve as Assistant Pastor of Reach Church in Bear, Delaware. His main areas of ministry are overseeing the discipleship ministries of the church (especially our Reach Groups) and overseeing pastoral care. He also serves on the Board of Reach Christian Schools, Inc. His children all attend Red Lion Christian Academy. Pastor Steve and his family love the Reach Church and Reach Christian Schools community and our message of Nothing But Jesus.

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Papi photo by Luke

photo b y Luke

Papili

photo by Luke Papili

www.reachschools.online

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Red Lion Alumni layout by Joe Helton copy and photos courtesy Max Stevens

A Lion In

The Field Spending six years at Red Lion Christian, Max Stevens graduated from Red Lion in 2008. He is currently married and living in Poland working as a manager in marketing and relations for a local company.

“Oh, What? ‘08!”

It is crazy to think that I graduated from Red Lion Christian Academy more than ten years ago. I guess that makes me sound old now, but as we know the Bible is very clear on the topic of respect and elders, so listen carefully “Gen Z.” I have had the blessing of six wonderful years at RLCA. In retrospect, I can see how these experiences at Red Lion have guided me to where I am today.

They have shaped my career and aided me in finding my wife Agata, and for this, I could not be more thankful.

I look more fondly on my time at RLCA than my time in the three universities I have attended.

I would sincerely like to thank Mr. Hamrick for helping me discover and teaching me the fundamentals of one of my life’s biggest passions: photography.

Beyond the classroom, he has become one of my lifelong friends whom I still keep in touch with today. Although it has been more than ten years, I still consider Red Lion alumnus (as well as exchange

“Follow your dreams; God has given you these passions in life, follow them. He has astonishing things in store for you. “

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Max Stevens Class of 2008

students) as some of my best friends. I have the continued blessing to be a part of their lives, weddings, and now their children’s lives.

During my time in university, I had the opportunity to study in France for a semester. Photographing nearly a dozen different runway shows during Fashion Week 2012 was undoubtedly a highlight of my undergraduate career. I also work for a fashion magazine, and after my first year of being a staff photographer, I became the director of photography for the next two years. A developer in Newark, DE, saw my work and hired me, ultimately becoming their director of marketing and advertising. This role eventually expanded into managing three properties.

While living in Newark, I spent some of my free time having pen pals around the world. Yes, actual handwritten and stamped letters that took two weeks to be delivered. After several letters, one of my pen pals from Poland was visiting her friend who lived in Boston. They were having a road trip along the East Coast. We met in Philadelphia.

Fast-forward a few years, and we married in September 2018. I certainly believe this was God’s will for so many right things to happen for Agata and me to meet.

The classes at Red Lion of yearbook, photography, and English have provided me with the basics for me to begin my international career.

Agata and I are currently living, working, and studying in Gdańsk, Poland. I am currently working as a manager in both marketing and relations fields at a Polish company. University aside, if not for the knowledge and skills I have gained in these three classes, I would be at a severe disadvantage and probably in a completely different

field of work, let alone in a different country. Learning the basics of photography and the program Adobe InDesign in yearbook has allowed me to produce countless web and print materials.

Thankfully my classes in English have kept me from making a fool of myself on an international level. As much as I thought that I would “never use” some of these concepts or rules, I am certainly glad I did, so here is to a sincere thank you to Mrs. Beattie and Miss Geshay.

Thanks to work, I currently have the opportunity to do one of my favorite things: traveling. Work takes me to many countries within Europe, so trust me when I say education matters.

Currently, outside of work, I am enrolled at the University of Gdańsk to become fluent in the Polish language. Additionally, I am currently working on publishing my second book of my photographic experiences and perspectives as an American in Poland. I want to use this opportunity to share something with you. Follow your dreams; God has given you these passions in life. Follow them. He has astonishing things in store for you.

www.reachschools.online

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CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS RED LION CAMPUS 1390 Red Lion Road Bear, DE 19701

Success on the Court

The Red Lion volleyball team defeated Indian River HS 3-1 in the 2nd round of the DIAA state tournament at Ursuline Academy on November 2.

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1. Sophomore Sloane Rudemetkin reaches above the net to block the ball. 2. After the match, Coach Dan Betters lets the team know how proud he is of the way they played.

3. Outside hitter and junior Caroline Capps spikes the ball down between two defenders to earn one of her 25 kills. 4. After the match-winning point, the bench leaps up for joy after they realized they were on their way to the quarterfinals. photos by Aaron Hamrick