Red Lion Christian Academy "Reach Magazine" Winter 2018

MAGAZINE

A student publication of REACH CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS

Record Breaker Red Lion volleyball senior Mollie Betters breaks the school record for kills

also inside

Reformation Day

Tall Oaks celebrates the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the church door

Heart for Missions

Glasgow Christian senior Jessica Harrison shares her love for the mission field

and much more...

WWW.REACHSCHOOLS.ONLINE

issue 9 WINTER 2018

table of contents 04-05 06-07 08-09 10-11 12-13 14-15 16-17 18-19 20-21 22-23 24-25 26-27 28-29 30-31

Events a life of teaching: Mr. mural Rao reach worship team reaching new heights jessica Harrison: A heart for missions celebrating 500 years of Reformation Reformation Day at tall oaks Girl Scouts Clara and Hannah Ethan Driver: a natural bowler tall oaks Spotlight: Trevor Baines volleyball record holder Mollie Betters fair hill campus: the winstead family tall oaks Spotlight: Jacob Munson red lion dancing queen: Reese Cannelongo Winter Sports Coverage

Reach Magazine

A message from the

Class President Hi, my name is Brennan Fisher. I am the Red Lion Christian Academy student body president. I have been attending Red Lion since the sixth grade and have seen it grow tremendously to the school it is now. It feels like yesterday that I was learning how to use the master lock on my first locker. You never really know how time flies until you look back on it. I encourage all of the students whether you are in sixth grade or a senior to keep working hard and make the most out of everything in your years at school. No one year will be perfect and there will be ups and downs, but with a good attitude you can find the positives in every situation. I think you will find your years at Red Lion ones you will remember for a lifetime. I hope your midterms went well and that you have a great rest of the year!

Winter 2017 ADVISER

Aaron Hamrick

EDITOR IN CHieF Bria Dickerson

RED LION STAFF Zach Albano Brian Dickerson Kirsten Heusser Morgan Kline-Hill Kaitlyn Larson Kevin Mills Benny Nequist Tony Wright

TALL OAKS STAFF Lydia Brown Delainey Gray Faith Hollister Naomi Mengal Katie Rippon

GLASGOW CHRISTIAN STAFF Luke Papili, Adviser Joshua Betters Anthony Feghali Sophia Small Isabella Wicks

Red lion campus 1390 Red Lion Rd Bear, DE 19701

www.reachschools.online

302-834-2526 The four houses at Tall Oaks competed in a dance competition during the Reformation Day celebration.

Sophomore Sam McGarvery and his seventh grade sister, Lily McGarvey, dance to a French Renaissance tune called “Bransle des Cheavaux.�

on the cover Red Lion senior Mollie Betters led the volleyball team to the third round of the DIAA state tournament. She also broke the previous school record of 418 finishing her career with 497 kills. photo by Aaron Hamrick

Reformation Day

Play Auditions

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October 23- 27

October 27

The play is back! After an outstanding performance of The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Nathan Gioconda and Reach Christian Schools will present the musical The Pirates of Penzance.

Auditions started a week before Thanksgiving break.

Students were required to sing a song from any musical and read lines from the play. Students from all four schools will be participating in this musical.

Tall Oaks celebrated the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing the 95 Theses on the door of the All Saints’ Church in Wittenburg, Germany. They celebrated by dressing in costumes of the era of Martin Luther. They competed in archery, human chess, and dodgeball games among the four houses. They also had a dance contest using a dance from that time period. Red Lion, Tall Oaks, and Journey gathered in the Pusey Center for a reenactment of Martin Luther’s life.

Veterans Day

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Powder Puff

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November 9

November 17

The Friday before Veterans Day, Red Lion, Tall Oaks, and Journey came together in the gym to celebrate those who serve and served in the military. Lt. Peter Glover, father of Red Lion students Claudia and Lydia Glover, read a portion of Scripture. There was a special speaker, OJ Dilulio, who spoke to the students about serving in the military and how God is faithful. Also, the men and women that serve and have served were honored at the assembly.

The Red Lion seniors and juniors went head-to-head in the annual Powder Puff flag football game. The game helped support the Red Lion senior mission trip to Costa Rica. The fundraiser was headed up by parent Delisia Dickerson and teacher Nicki Pizzulli. The senior boys put on a halftime show choreographed by the senior cheerleaders. The seniors won 116-99 in a game that had many rule changes that allowed points for donations. The fundraiser raised over $2,000.

Christmas Concert

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Girls Basketball

December 11 & 12

December 28-30

The Red Lion upper school choir and band performed in the annual Christmas concert at Reach Church on the Summit Bridge Road campus. Mr. Nathan Gioconda led the band and choirs through Christmas songs. The band also played popular Christmas carols so the audience could sing along. The next day the elementary and pre-school gathered in the church to for their Christmas concert also led by Mr. Gioconda.

During the Christmas break, the girls basketball team traveled to Annapolis, Maryland, for an overnight basketball tournament. Placing fourth place in the Annapolis Area tournament, the girls fought hard and pulled out a win over Chapelgate Christian. When not playing, the girls went to the mall and had time to bond over pizza and to share testimonies with each other.

DAY of SERVICE Before Thanksgiving break, the Red Lion high school students participated in different service projects around the community. The freshmen and sophomores traveled to Hickory Woods for Rake and Run. The students raked leaves for multiple houses in the neighborhood and spread the love of Jesus.

The juniors went to the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear to pick up flags from gravestones. The senior class served at the Sunday Breakfast Mission, Door of Hope, and the Friendship House.

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Sophomore Kaitlynn Kline rakes leaves during the Rake and Run in Hickory Woods.

the

of

BEAT

REACH Here’s what’s happening around Reach Christian Schools

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copy and design by Bria Dickerson

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Volunteering at the Delaware Veteran’s Memorial Cemetary, junior Chizzy Anyaegbu gathers up the flags that were left on the gravesites for Veteran’s Day.

Working at the Sunday Breakfast Mission, senior Autumn Stubbs arranges boxes of food on the shelves. www.reachschools.online

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Mural Rao

A Life of

Teaching Although this is first year teaching at Red Lion Christian Academy, Mr. Mural Rao is no stranger to the life of educating young adults in the field of math. Teaching at a college level for many years and then switching to high school education with Tall Oaks Classical School before coming to Red Lion makes Mr. Rao more than qualified to teach high school math.

Copy and design by Morgan Kline-Hill Photo by Aaron Hamrick

B

alancing two jobs, family business, and everyday life can be a hard task for many, but Mr. Mural Rao makes it work.

Mr. Rao is a new high school teacher at Red Lion Christian Academy, who teaches Honors Precalculus, Calculus, Statistics, College Algebra, and Algebra II. Not only is he employed at Red Lion as a teacher of six classes, but he is also a college professor at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania.

After a long day at work at Red Lion, a few days out of the week, Mr. Rao drives forty-five minutes to Widener University to teach math on a college level. To some, it may seem crazy to want to do so much work in one day, but Mr. Rao says that he enjoys it very much. He said, “My department chairman is a great guy. He gives me classes that start after four o’clock, so I don’t have any competition here. I do my work here; I enjoy the work here, and then a couple of days out of the week I do the college teaching. It’s a little bit of a challenge [to balance the work], but it’s not something that I can’t do. It’s something that I have done for a while and that I enjoy doing so it’s worth it.”

Before beginning to teach at a high school level, Mr. Rao

was teaching at Widener University at a college level. In 2002, he taught at Tall Oaks Classical School when he was offered a job by Mr. Don Post, the headmaster of the school at the time. A math position opened up at Red Lion, and through connections with Mr. Jones, who is now the principal at Tall Oaks, Mr. Rao was offered the job and gladly accepted it.

Now Mr. Rao enjoys teaching math to the students at Red Lion and preparing them for the next step in their lives. He said, “All of my students are terrific. I thank the Lord that I get to work with all of you. It’s a privilege to work here, and I thank the Lord that He has brought my son and me here. I am eager to stay here a good long while and get to know the students better. The Lord gave me a chance to work in the students’ lives, and I hope He uses that for their benefit.”

Mr. Rao is married and has five children. His youngest son attends Red Lion as a sophomore and says he enjoys being here. His four older children have either already graduated high school and college or are attending college now.

www.reachschools.online

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new

Reaching

hEights

the members of reach worship share their experience on being a part of the band

Jeremy BEtters

Nehemiah Wilson

I’m 22 years old. I play violin, guitar, and I sing for Reach Worship. I began playing for Reach when I was 12 years old. I have played at Reach for my entire life but have not been used in a worship leader role until recently. I led worship for Reach youth group for several years before taking on a larger role in the Sunday morning production. God has blessed me and Reach Church by allowing me to now express on Sunday mornings this fire I have for Christ, with several of the same members from the old youth group days. This band has been together for many years, and I foresee the band being together for many years to come.

I am 17 years old. For about eight years, I have been playing the guitar. Over the course of playing with the GCA band, I enhanced my skills and eventually played on the band for the Reach youth group. I knew I possessed a talent for playing the guitar, and I could not shake the feeling that I longed to be on stage using my gifts and talents to further the message of “Nothing but Jesus.” After a service one Sunday, I spoke with Jeremy Betters and Tyler Schoenberger, the leaders of the Reach Band, and made it a point that I felt God was pushing me to play on the band.

About a week later, I started my journey with the Reach Band, and so far, it has been life-changing. I have been so moved by the worship that we as a band are able to produce that I am constantly brought to tears during worship because I am so consumed with the wonder of the gospel.

Julia Hoopman I am 17 years old and have been playing the piano for ten years and have spent three of those years with Reach Worship. My musical journey began when I joined my school’s worship band at the end of ninth grade. Only several months later, I auditioned for Reach Worship. It is incredible to see how much growth the band has experienced. When we launched Reach Church, it really marked the beginning of a new journey. I specifically remember playing at a Saturday night service and finding myself completely awestruck.

Over a hundred teenagers and young adults were all gathered together with the same purpose in mind: to worship Jesus. Their excitement and anticipation was infectious, and I felt so amazed at the power of God.

LAuren foraker I am 22 years old. I began singing with the Reach Band in the spring of 2017. When I was six years old, I felt the Lord calling me to serve Him in music and theatre.

Since I vowed to serve Him at that tender age, my life has been a beautiful whirlwind of opportunity and experience. The Lord brought me to the Reach Band through the Reach Bible Study. One evening, we were talking about our musical gifts, and I was invited to participate. I have thrived serving Jesus alongside of so many amazingly gifted individuals on this team, and I am excited to continue in this blessing..

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KEndall Kerr I am 16, and I play acoustic and bass guitar. I joined the Reach Band in 2015. I was originally asked to play on the Reach Band back in 2012, but I was too scared to play in front of people and with such an official band that I declined the request. Flash forward to 2015. One day, without warning, I was placed on the schedule to play that Friday night. Little did I know what God had in store for me by finally saying yes.

I feel so honored and humbled to be able to help others worship God. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the technical and musical aspect of things, but when you’re playing onstage and you see so many people worshiping Jesus, all the technicalities fade away, and you are left with Nothing But Jesus. When I joined the band, I never knew I was actually joining a family. And that’s truly the best way I can describe the band- a family.

Tyler SChoenBerger I am 28 years old. I first started playing guitar at five years old and joined my church worship team at twelve years old, playing bass. When I went to college, I joined a band called “UpperRoom” and played bass all four years during my time there. After I got married, I attended Reach Church with my wife for the first time and I loved the music (and of course

the church as a whole). The second Sunday I ever attended Reach, I found myself on stage playing guitar.

Since then, I’ve never stopped being a part of Reach Worship, and through a lot that transpired, now find myself as the leader. Looking back on my life, from growing up in Bedford, PA, to my time at Geneva College and now at Reach, music has been the constant thing that has tied all of it together. A large majority of those who now play in Reach Worship started playing together in the youth room at youth group. As the leader, I take telling the stories/ messages of songs and relating them back to scripture very seriously. To live in a community of musicians who share that vision and focus of “Nothing But Jesus” is a very special thing.

Marshall Smith I am 17 years old, and I’m the drummer for the band.

I started playing with the Reach Band my seventh grade year on Friday nights for the youth group.

Jeremy came up to me after church one Sunday and asked me to play the next Friday night. Soon, I realized that drumming in worship settings was a real passion of mine. God was sovereign in the whole process of bringing me into the band. One of the main reasons I love playing in the band is the people I get to play with. They are so incredibly talented musically, and their desire to know Christ and share His love is obvious. They are always striving for excellence when we play and that pushes me to work hard and do my best.

katie betters I am 19 years old, and I am a vocalist for Reach Worship. I started singing in the Reach youth group band when I was in middle school and have been a part of it ever since. While many of us grew up both physically and musically playing worship music in this band, I believe that Jesus has used and continues to use worship music as a catalyst to further mine and everyone in the band’s spiritual growth. There is so much room for creative, musical, and relational growth during our times both playing and hanging out with each other. Everything we do as a band, we strive to do for “Nothing but Jesus,” and I love being able to reach people with that message through the music we play and write.

jeremy betters

kendall kerr

tyler shoenberger

katie betters

Photos by Luke Papili

reach worship Front Row: Amanda Schoenberger, Cora Vasquez, Turner Jones, Jeremy Betters, Keri Betters, Julia Hoopman Middle Row: Stephanie Jones, Lauren Foraker, Katie Betters, Michael Markakis, Kendall Kerr Back Row: Tyler Schoenberger, Ryan Youngdale, Jordan Schoenberger, Nehemiah Wilson, Wilson Forney

reach worship album Over the summer of 2017, the musicians of Reach Worship set their hearts and minds on creating their own worship music. All five of the songs on the album EP were written with a passion to reach listeners with Reach Church’s message of “Nothing but Jesus.”

On January 18, 2018, Reach Church hosted an album release concert. The night was filled with vibrant worship and celebration. Not only was the stage packed with musicians and vocalists, but the room was also packed with a very enthusiastic and excited crowd.

The Reach Worship album EP can be found on Spotify, iTunes, Sound Cloud, and multiple other music downloading sites.

www.reachschools.online

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Jessica Harrison A Heart for Missions Design by Zach Albano Photo by Luke Papili

“I have always felt a call to a ministry through travel,” Jessica Harrison, a senior at Glasgow Christian Academy, has shared with people. Jessica is not only a student, but she is also an athlete, a sister, and a traveler. Missions has always influenced Jessica’s life, and her passion for sharing the Gospel with others continues to this day.

Jessica says that God placed the love for foreign ministry in her heart at a young age, and it grew even stronger when she traveled to China to adopt her younger sister.

What inspires Jessica to keep going on mission trips?

The feeling of having the chance for Christ to use her for His purpose, Harrison explained. To Jessica, missions is more than a thing to do; it is an opportunity that she chooses to take even when it is challenging and difficult.

Jessica’s sister’s adoption was one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, processes Jessica has ever gone through. It was life-changing. Before her sister’s adoption, Jessica was the youngest in her family, so the change to being the older sister taught her many lessons, two of which are the most valuable to her: patience and laughter. “Patience to make it through trials,” Jessica explained, “And laughter when it is over.”

Jessica’s love for missions continues as she prepares to graduate in the spring. Jessica will be departing soon for a missions trip to Boys and Girls Christian Home in India.

“I am both nervous and waiting in joyful anticipation of being able to visit and see what God has been doing through those working in ministry there,” Jessica said.

As far as being a student, Jessica says GCA has helped her prepare for college and next steps. Learning time management has been the most helpful thing for Jessica, not only with school, but also with extracurricular activities like sports and working part-time. Jessica’s schedule is packed with classes, traveling, playing sports, and more, so how does she keep it all together?

“I truly owe my senior year sanity to coffee,” Jessica

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admits. She also thanks her close friends and family for constantly directing her back to Christ in this stressful season of life. “The prayers of encouragement and comfort from so many people in my life have been so impactful to my year so far.”

As Jessica continues to prepare for the next chapter of life, she has one piece of advice for lower classmen.

“Seek validation from Christ rather than your peers.

In our day and age, popularity and attention is such a prioritized status in high school. Anything that we seek other than Christ will not bring us true joy. Truly invest yourself into the spiritual wellbeing of your friends…pray for and with them, have fun with them, and find those who encourage and support you in your pursuit of a life lived for Jesus.”

“I love missions for the gospel joy. Being able to see God’s creation of culture up close and personal…the deeper sense of understanding and appreciation for true humanity, the raw vulnerability in immersing myself in the unknown.”

www.reachschools.online

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0 50 Celebrating

Tall Oaks Classical School celebrated the 500th anniversary of the reformation. students and staff dressed in period costumes, played games of the era and finished with a king’s feast.

Years of

Reformation

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Reach Christian Schools

Copy Naomi Mengel Design Katie Larson

Photo Aaron Hamrick

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On his way to Lion’s stadium to view the archery contest, second grade Tall Oaks student Johnny Hendershot carries a pretend falcon on his arm as he portrays a falconer for Reformation Day. He said that everyone kept asking him if they could touch the fake bird.

On October 31, 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenburg, sparking a movement that radically challenged the church’s role in all spheres of life. Luther’s criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church were the catalyst for the rise of the Protestant church as well as the spread of Scripture in the common languages through the new invention of the printing press. October of 2017 marked the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

At Tall Oaks, the celebration of Reformation Day is a long-standing tradition in which students from kindergarten through twelfth grade dress in medieval costumes and participate in a variety of activities designed to teach more about the Reformation and the time period in which it began. This year, archery, dodgeball, and a blacksmithing demonstration numbered among the events for the upper school, as well as the annual human chess game.

Journey Christian Academy also participated in a number of the activities, and a campus-wide assembly was held, featuring a visit from Martin Luther and the singing of his famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” To conclude the day, Tall Oaks and Journey congregated in the gym for a feast, and members of each house performed a time period-appropriate dance for the entertainment of the rest of the school. www.reachschools.online

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Activities The human chess game on Reformation Day is a long-standing tradition at Tall Oaks. A chess tournament is held among the students during the weeks leading up to the day, and the winner plays against Mr. Jones as students and teachers stand in for the various chessboard pieces.

This year, junior Josh Pozsonyi was the student champion. Mr. Jones won the final game after moving one of his pawns all the way across the board to turn it into a queen.

Ryan Silver, a sophomore, competes for the House of Kuyper in an aggressive game of dodgeball against the House of Kepler.

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Reach Christian Schools

Sophomore Sam Hernandez of the House of Kepler won the annual archery contest. Each of the four houses held a competition amongst its members. The winner proceeded to the final round, where he or she competed against the champions from the other houses.

Costumes

Costumes for Reformation Day included everything from princesses, knights, and archers to blacksmiths, bishops, and gypsies. Sixth grader Sarah Hernandez shows off her costume during the dance competition. Upper school students earned points for their houses by incorporating their house colors into their costumes.

Rita Dong, a senior, participates in the dancing contest with other members of the House of Kepler. “I am wearing a German dirndl [traditional dress] that my friend brought back from Germany. It’s where Martin Luther is from, so it fits the Reformation Day theme.� She also pointed out that the blue and pink color scheme almost matches her House colors of blue and red.

Performance Dr. Mark Reagan led the rhetoric school in a multi-movement choral piece based on Psalm 46 that he composed specifically for the occasion. The vocal ensemble also performed movements of the piece.

Junior Christal Fan plays the cello to accompany the dancing competition.

The orchestra performed various arrangements of medieval melodies and traditional dances that added to the atmosphere during the feast.

www.reachschools.online

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QA &

HANNAH Eighth graders Hannah Zipf and Clara Kelly answer questions about their invovlement in the Girl Scouts.

Q: How long have you been in Girl Scouts?

H: Since first grade.

C: Same, first grade.

Q: Why are you in Girl Scouts?

H: My mom wanted me to start Girl Scouts, but I just kind of enjoyed selling cookies and hanging out with my friends and making business plans to make people buy cookies.

C: I do it because I experience things that I would not do... like horseback riding. I don’t do a whole lot of adventurous stuff with my family.

Q: What is your favorite project you have done?

H: Ooo... I like the one we are doing now, but I once built a garden for my church for the early learning center so the kids can learn about gardening and stuff.

C: I did my bronze award which was in fifth grade. We saved butterflies and we built a butterfly garden at Lums Pond.

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Interview by Bria Dickerson Design by Bria Dickerson and Kevin Mills Photos by Aaron Hamrick

with CLARA Q: What is the process with selling cookies?

H: You can do door-to-door or booths. I love doing booths because I love making pitches and talking and embarrassing myself to sell cookies.

C: I like doing booths to get more attention and stuff. I do a lot of booths, like ten booths a year. It will be snowing and freezing cold.

H: Yeah, you have to have hand warmers and do these dances to keep warm. And we are always competing with the daisies, the kindergartners, to sell more cookies.

Q: What is your favorite Girl Scout cookie?

H: Samoa C: Truffles

Q: What advice would you give to anyone who would want to join Girl Scouts?

H: It’s all about just having fun and finding out who you are. You can do arts, science, and camping, and it’s fun to find out who you really are.

C: Yeah, same.

Q: How many patches do you have? And what is your favorite one?

H: Good question. Half of them are not even on my vest but I have around fifty, but camping is my favorite one.

C: I have around fifty, but I really like my bronze award patch. It’s sparkly!

www.reachschools.online

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Steady Strikes

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Reach Christian Schools

All Natural Sport Copy and design by Morgan Kline-Hill Photo by Aaron Hamrick

W

hen he was four years old, Ethan Driver started going to Mid County Lanes, a bowling alley in Middletown, DE. Kids could bowl for free during the summer. “Every summer they would take us bowling because it was kids bowl free during the summer, and we would bowl every day. I just got used to it and I liked it because it was the only sport that I knew how to do and do well,” Ethan remembered.

Ever since then, Ethan has found that the sport gives him an activity where he can be himself and do something that he is good at. He said, “I was always an awkward child,‑ and bowling helped me make good friends and bond with people. It gave me a sense of security, and it helped me get closer to my family and friends because my whole family bowls.”

Ethan travels around the state of Delaware winning tournaments and is able to play the game that he loves. Everyone says that his talent is all natural because of a certain thing that makes him unique. He said, “I am left handed so my parents couldn’t really teach me anything, and that is why everyone says that I am

all natural.” Ethan does not have that many people that can teach him how to bowl because he is left handed, but when looking at his scores, it’s obvious that he does not need it.

In bowling, a perfect score is 300. Ethan has come close to a perfect game when he bowled a 289, which is his highest bowling score ever. He said that the game was cool, and it was a good game, but that is normal for him. Ethan shared, “I was bowling on a league in the summer, and it was the first game of that day. I bowl a lot of high scoring games, but it was still cool.” This high score, along with many other scores close to it, have earned Ethan the title of the number one bowler in his age division in the state of Delaware.

Ethan bowls on two teams in two different leagues. On Saturday mornings during the school year, he bowls with his team, “One More.” Ethan said, “Our friends in Massachusetts are like family to us and the own a company called ‘One More.’ We named our team ‘One More’ because it could mean many different things like one more strike, one more spare, or one more throw.”

“... it gives me a sense of security and is something that I enjoy doing and am good at doing.”

www.reachschools.online

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Trevor Baines A student at Tall Oaks since kindergarten, senior Trevor Baines has been involved in missions, sports, and has plans to study cyber security in college.

Interview by Faith Hollister and Katie Rippon Photo by Aaron Hamrick

education

“I just want to be remembered as a person who loved God and showed love and joy to others.”

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“I have been a student at Tall Oaks Classical School since I was in kindergarten. Being at Tall Oaks since kindergarten has been amazing. I love classical education because it teaches you the regular school subjects; however, it works in how all of them relate back to God. I love the education so much that I even wrote my thesis on it last year.”

missions I’ve gone on five missions trips in the past four years, and the most notable one has been my trip to Honduras this past summer. I went down to Honduras for a total of ten days. I traveled with FBCS (First Baptist Church of Selma), the same group I do all my missions trips with. The main objective of the trip was to plant a youth group at the local church while staying in the families’ homes so that we could build relationships with the people while we were there. We each got to teach a different lesson to the teens there about the fundamentals of Christianity. I got to teach two lessons because there was an extra, and I asked to take it. It was also really cool because even though we had a translator, I was able to assist in translation because of the training in Spanish I had with Tall Oaks. It was an amazing time, and it was

awesome to see God work in the community while we were there and to see how the Christian faith spreads to everyone despite differences in language or location.

athletics I played basketball for Tall Oaks, I ran track last year for Red Lion, and I played football for Red Lion this year. I love playing sports. If God gifts you with athleticism, then you should use it and then go out to bring Him glory in whatever sport you play. I have loved the friendships I have made and the team aspect of them.

future plans I am committed to Grand Canyon University and will major in cyber security. I wanted to go specifically to a Christian college, but finding a Christian college with the major I wanted was not easy. However, after my campus visit, I fell in love with the school. I want to do cyber security because it is a tremendously important field that is going to have very real effects on our day-to-day lives. So we need many Christians in the field to help steer it in the right direction. I also find anything involving computers super interesting and have been working with them pretty much my entire life. I have also built a computer.”

www.reachschools.online

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SERVING UP

HISTORY

Leading her team to the third round of the playoffs for the first time in school history, senior Mollie Betters broke the school record for kills with 497.

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MOLLIE BETTERS has been playing Red Lion volleyball since the seventh grade.

She has been able to see the team and program develop into something that is really big. With the new installment of volleyball players from Tall Oaks, the attitude of the team changed quite a bit. Mollie said, “We had a lot of motivation and desire to go far. This season the competitiveness in the team was high.”

With being a senior, Mollie is not able to really connect and make friendships outside of her class. This season she got really close with her teammates. “I was able to get close to girls that I wouldn’t have because of volleyball. Shout out to Janai and Morgan,” Mollie said laughing.

Janai Gibson, a junior, and sophomore Morgan Mendick, have been playing with Mollie for three years on the Red Lion volleyball team and have had an opportunity to share the court with Mollie. The three are known around campus as “Together Forever.” They made this up during the season because of the countless hours they spent together during the season. “It was great playing with her. She is a good teammate and a great captain. I am going to miss playing with her next year,” Janai Gibson said. “I am going to cry next year when we start. I do not know what I am going to do without Mollie. It is only going to be Morgan and me, two out of the three ‘Together Forever.’” Morgan Mendick said, “We have gotten closer during the season, and I have learned more about her. She has really developed as a player. I really loved playing with Mollie. I am going to miss her.”

“Our best game was against Indian River in the second

Copy and design by Bria Dickerson Photo by Aaron Hamrick

round of the playoffs. We had so much energy and we played so well,” remembered Mollie. During that game, Mollie had four kills, fourteen digs, and two assists. They won the first three sets which moved them to the third round against Tower Hill.

Students came to support the Lady Lions and came decked out in their spirit gear. For the first game, it was a black-out for the student section. The stands were filled with students cheering for every play. “The atmosphere was electric. It was cool seeing a decent fan base come to the games,” Benny Nequist said. It was extra special for Benny because he is Mollie’s cousin. He has seen her develop as a player since they were young. He said, “It was nice seeing all of her work pay off.”

For the third round, the students planned to wear pajamas to the game. Most of the students were in onesies and sleepwear. “It was cool seeing the spirit throughout the playoffs,” observed Mollie. “More and more people who wouldn’t normally come to a game came to the games. We were so excited. We have a real school. We were playing not just for us but for our school and God, of course.”

As far as plans for Mollie in the future, she will not be playing volleyball in college. She is focusing on nursing at University of Delaware. “I might play club, but I do not know,” she shared.

When asked how the future of this team will go, Mollie responded, “There is a lot of talent... a lot of young talent.

The future of Red Lion volleyball is bright.”

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Reaching Out O

With a membership dwindling and a possibility of the church closing, the Winstead family reached out and got support from Reach Church.

Copy by Wendy and Barry Winstead Photo by Aaron Hamrick

ur family became part of Reach Ministries only a few years ago, when our church in Elkton had come to a crossroads and were looking for a solution. We had around 30 members continuing the work of the church, and we had grown weary, and worse, our children were not excited about worship.

We were at a party after Owen’s graduation from Red Lion that Pastor Chuck Betters was also attending and spoke with him about our situation. It became apparent that Reach had the energy, vision, and the manpower to put it together and enable us to continue our ministry in Cecil County. Within months, Reach Church at Fair Hill campus had a bright future. Members of Summit Bridge Road campus came alongside us, and with the core group from former Christ Presbyterian of Elkton, we began to grow. It was awesome to see God’s hand beginning a new chapter. Later, we selected Peter Lammé as our pastor, and his energy and pulpit ministry have been a blessing to our congregation. After three years, our growth and ministry potential, both to our families and to our community, has grown beyond our expectations. We now average over 100 attending worship, with a recent record Sunday attendance of 134. It feels good to need more seating and parking spaces.

Fair Hill campus now enjoys a church family growing through several generations. It is a beautiful thing to have grandparents and young families as familiar faces, along with new attenders for baptisms, weddings, and holiday events. Our nursery on a recent Sunday enjoyed rocking three infants and a cute bunch of toddlers while more are coming. We host a community group in our home, where church family and visitors can gather to discuss the sermon, pray, and fellowship together.

During the changes happening in our church, it was our conviction that we stay in our own community. We wanted to minister to our community because this is where we live and do business, and our town has been plagued with homelessness and the effects of addiction. We couldn’t do that without the resources of a larger church like Reach Church. Our members are involved with the Paris Foundation and Community Kitchen in the town of Elkton, and our men spend several Saturdays helping out neighbors in the community who could use a hand in the name of Jesus. For the past two summers, we hosted Vacation Bible School, something we were unable to do before because we just didn’t have the resources. We have also reached neighbors through our booth each year at the Cecil County Fair, which has been fun.

We have been “in the mix” of Reach Christian Schools for a long time as well. In the early 90’s, our church family, Christ Presbyterian Church of Elkton, began to talk about sharing the labor of our kids’ education, as many were homeschooling their growing families. From living room floors, kitchen tables, and ACCS Conference

lounges we attended together, we began to put together Christ Classical Christian School, now Tall Oaks Classical School. Our church and new school were meeting in a little sanctuary, now United Redeemed Church in Elkton, only a few miles from where Fair Hill Campus is now located. For 15 years, Barry served on the Board of Tall Oaks. God saw fit to transform us and sustain us, even as our families grew and other families from the Tri-State area began to join us, and our location for both school and worship changed often. When Tall Oaks Classical School became part of Reach Christian Schools, we trusted that the Board also saw Reach Ministries as an integral part of its mission, “...that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified” (Is. 61:3).

Our eight kids have been fully “invested” in this mission. Our oldest son, Brandon, was in the first Tall Oaks fifth grade class 24 years ago. After graduating from Furman University, University of DE, and Auburn University, and serving seven years active duty as an Army Captain, he is now a forester in Tuscaloosa, AL, with his wife MaryBeth and three daughters.

Carly, Tall Oaks Class of 2009, is a graduate of Houghton College, and now lives with her husband, Reagan Fisher in Raleigh, NC, and has worked as a social worker settling refugees and re-settling hurricane victims. She is currently an NC State graduate student. Grayson, Tall Oaks class of 2010, graduated from Wake Forest University and is currently serving as First Lieutenant with Army National Guard and working in Raleigh. Owen, Red Lion class of 2014, attended Harford College to play lacrosse and has plans to join the Marines this summer. Mary Esther, Tall Oaks class of 2015, is currently a junior in the nursing program at Salisbury University.

When our sixth child, Cassidy, who had been homeschooled all that time, was ready for supportive and godly classmates outside of home and church, we enrolled her in classes at GCA. She has made many wonderful friends who embraced her and her “special needs” and have been a priceless encouragement to us. Cass is involved in her third year of GCA Drama now, and she also attends the STEP Program through the Cecil County Public Schools, endeavoring to prepare her for employment and independence.

That leaves only two Winsteads currently at Tall Oaks. Asa is in sixth grade and plays lacrosse and soccer. Katherine is in ninth grade and is on the basketball team and plays soccer as well.

It has been encouraging to see how God attends carefully to the “special needs” of His flock and our family has certainly enjoyed this benefit over the years. We look forward to seeing how Reach Ministries will continue this work for generations to come.

“It was our conviction that we stayed in our own community. We wanted to minister to our community because this is where we live and do business.”

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Reach Christian Schools

Owen, Red Lion Class of ‘14 and his sister Esther, Tall Oaks Class of ‘15

Reagan Fisher and his wife Carly, Tall Oaks Class of ‘09; Grayson, Tall Oaks Class of ‘10; and Brandon, class of ‘01

Katherine is currently a freshman at Tall Oaks Classical School.

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Jacob Munson

A student, an athlete, and woodworker are only a few words that one could use to describe Jabob Munson.

Jacob is always busy enjoying one of his many hobbies and talents that God has Copy by Lydia Brown and Delainey Gray Design by Morgan Kline-Hill Photos by Brenda Munson

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Reach Christian Schools

J

acob Munson, a junior at Tall Oaks Classical School, has many hobbies, one of which is woodworking. Jacob picked up woodworking from his dad when he was around seven years old. Most people do not think of the equipment when they think of woodworking, but Jacob notes that many tools go into the process. Just a few of the tools he uses are a carpenter’s bench, an electric planer, chisels, a belt sander, a bandsaw, a scroll saw, a skill saw, a jigsaw, and a miter saw. Even though he enjoys working with all of the tools, Jacob notes that they can be very dangerous.

Jacob estimates that he has around fifteen thousand dollars’ worth of wood; however, between many people giving him wood for a low price or for free and collecting wood from his backyard, he has managed to get all that wood for about five hundred dollars. He uses whatever wood he can including very exotic wood.

The projects Jacob has made include a table for his mom, a bow, and a hidden bookshelf door. He likes to make smaller, artistic projects more than larger ones. Almost everything Jacob makes is for sale, but he said, “I don’t really do it for the money; I do it because I like doing it.”

Jacob loves woodworking, but he would not do it for a living and is thinking instead about going into medical science. He has studied things like herbal remedies and how to reset bones. Jacob even reset his own finger when he broke it at the Tall Oaks House Day competition in October.

Another of Jacob’s hobbies is martial arts. His uncle was a martial arts instructor, so Jacob started martial arts at the age of seven and has practiced seven different types: Karate, Jiu Jitsu, Taekwondo, Judo, Hapkido, Krav Maga, and Wing Chun Kung Fu. He enjoyed Wing Chun the most because “it’s extremely fast-paced and brutal.” But he believes he was best at Hapkido, which primarily uses armbars, pressure points, and joint locks. “It uses a body against itself,” he said. Using his woodworking skills, he made training knives and sold them to the people he met when he did martial arts. He has stopped doing martial arts to free up some of his time to do other things, including being in the school musical, The Pirates of Penzance, in the role of a pirate. Acting and singing are two of his other hobbies, and he is also in the Tall Oaks vocal ensemble.

Jacob loves to exercise, wanting to be healthy and strong. His goal is not to achieve a certain look; he just wants to do what is good for his body. Jacob said, “That’s the point of exercising; you don’t want to work on one specific thing. You want to work overall. I just do it to kind of better myself.”

One of the many art pieces that Jacob has created in his years of woodworking.

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E

ver since she was a little girl who would dance around the house, Reese CanneLongo knew she wanted to dance. Reese is a current eighth grade student at Red Lion Christian Academy, and she is also a first-year competition dancer at Fierce Dance Academy in New Castle, Delaware. Although she is in her first year of competition dancing, she has been dancing the styles of lyrical, pointe, ballet, jazz and hip-hop for four years now. Even with only four years of training, Reese’s dance instructors and teachers have noticed how much she has improved over a short amount of time.

As a member of the teen team, she and her team are very involved both inside and outside the dance studio. The team participates in many team activities and team bonding events during the dance season.

Reese really enjoys being on a competition dance team. Reese said, “Being on a team is really fun because I get to become really close with my dance friends, and then we get to become family.”

During the Christmas season, her team participates in a Secret Santa event, where they exchange presents and just have a great time as a team. Another one of her team bonding activities that they started this year is the “big buddy, little buddy” program where she has an older teenager as a big buddy to encourage her to perform well on stage so that Reese won’t be nervous for her next performance.

Since she is a first-year competition dancer, she has yet to receive any kind of major accomplishments or metals that prove her excellency, but since her teachers have seen major signs of improvement in her dancing, she soon will begin winning big.

Besides dancing, she currently does not have any other hobbies or activities she does, other than attending school at Red Lion. However, in elementary school, Reese played field hockey, but she decided to stop playing once she reached the middle school level because she really enjoys dancing and wanted to continue to focus on it.

Like other sports, dancing does have a risk of injury. For several years now, Reese has had problems with her knee, and a recent injury to it had taken her out of dancing. During one of Reese’s pointe classes back in November, she strained a muscle in her knee. Because of the strain, she was taken out of dance for a few weeks.

As both a full-time middle school student at Red Lion Christian Academy, and a competitive dancer at Fierce Dance Academy, Reese CanneLongo is a well-rounded, hard-working, and busy individual.

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Reach Christian Schools

Dancing Queen

Reese CanneLongo, a Red Lion eighth grade student, began her first year as a competition dancer after four years of dance training.

Copy and design by Kirsten Heusser Photo courtesy of Jake McWilliams (jakejoe.com)

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WINTER Varsity Boys Basketball December 1 December 8 December 11 December 12 December 14 December 19 December 21 January 11 January 13 January 16 January18 January 23 January 25 January 27 January 30 February 1 February 3 February 6 February 8 February 15

St. Georges Tech DE Military Academy Newark Charter School Bohemia Manor HS MOT Charter HS Conrad School of Science Lake Forest HS Newark HS St. Andrew’s School Wilm Friends School First State Military Academy William Penn HS Charter School of Wilm DE Military Academy St. Thomas More Archmere Academy Hodgson VoTech HS Caravel Academy Newark Charter School AI Dupont HS

JV Boys Basketball December 1 December 12 December 14 December 19 December 21 January 11 January 13 January 16 January18 January 23 January 25 January 27 January 30 February 1 February 3 February 6 February 8 February 15

St. Georges Tech Bohemia Manor MOT Charter Conrad School Lake Forest HS Newark HS St. Andrew’s School Wilm Friends School First State Military Academy William Penn HS Charter School of Wilm DE Military Academy St. Thomas More Archmere Academy Hodgson VoTech HS Caravel Academy Newark Charter School AI Dupont HS

Christian Murray Tony Wright

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Reach Christian Schools

SPORTS Varsity Girls Basketball December 5 December 12 December 19 December 28 December 29 December 30 January 9 January 11 January 12 January 16 January 18 January 20 January 25 January 30 February 3 February 6 February 8 February 13 February 15 February 20

MOT Charter HS Bohemia Manor HS Conrad School of Science Annapolis Area Christian Chapelgate Greater Grace Christian DE Military Academy Newark HS Tower Hill School Early College HS @DSU First State Military Academy Wilm Friends School Charter School of Wilm Archmere Academy Hodgson VoTech HS Design-Lab DE HS Newark Charter School Mt. Pleasant HS AI Dupont HS Lake Forest HS

Bella Denk

Varsity Wrestling December 6

December 12 December 13 January 17 January 19 January 20 January 24 January 31

February 2

February 7

Charter School of Wilm Conrad School of Science Tatnall School Glasgow Invitational Tournament First State Military Academy Tower Hill Tournament Green Knight Classic Wilmington Christian School Archmere Academy First State Military Academy Newark Charter School St. Mark’s HS Design-Lab DE HS

Luke Sherman

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Red Lion Christian Academy 1390 Red Lion Road Bear, DE 19701

Welcome to our Fair Hill Campus!

Located on the border of Fair Hill and Elkton, Maryland, the Fair Hill Campus is spreading the message of Jesus’ grace and love to Maryland. The preaching is tailored to you and your life, that you will know the love of God in Nothing But Jesus. The campus’s smaller environment makes it easy to meet people, find community, and get involved, while also offering all of the large-scale ministries of Reach Church as a whole. So come be a part of our church family and the larger mission of Jesus. Join us at Reach Church at the Fair Hill Campus, where we are dedicated to living to reach all people with Nothing But Jesus in Fair Hill, Maryland.

Service Times Classes - Sundays at 9:15am Join us for age-appropriate teaching for the whole family. We offer something for everyone!

Worship - Sundays at 10:30am Our energized time of worship is filled with great music and relevant preaching centered around Nothing But Jesus!