VCS | 75th Anniversary Campaign by Village Christian School

VILLAGE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

75 th ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN

75 Years of God’s Faithful Provision

In 1949, Rev. Phil Gibson’s spirit-led vision for a Christ-centered education set a course that has impacted generations of families at Village Christian School.

Students were empowered. Lives were changed.

For 75 years, God has faithfully used parents, alumni, and friends to provide for and protect the VCS community. Now, as we celebrate our diamond anniversary, we eagerly anticipate the Lord’s provision amidst our most ambitious fundraising effort to date.

Village has always been bold in its pursuit of God’s plan, beginning with the launch of a school out of Village Church in Burbank and the first “Loyalty Dinner” in 1956 to raise funds for the Sun Valley property purchase.

Through it all, the Lord made a way.

The 75 th Anniversary Campaign will take all of us coming together to support our students in powerful and sacrificial ways over the next five years.

It’s the perfect way to commemorate such a landmark milestone, and exactly what VCS families have done through the generations.

As missionary William Carey’s words read in the Village Church sanctuary and in the school’s chapel, “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.”

Thank you for being part of His plan for VCS as we faithfully embark on the next 75 years.

Important Project Update

SOUTH ATHLETIC FIELD

In 2018, Village Christian had the rare opportunity to expand its campus footprint for the first time in decades with the purchase of two properties at the end of Village Avenue.

Through the Legacy Campaign from 2019 to 2023, resources were provided for the addition of the South Athletic Field just outside of the Field of Dreams, representing a major stepping stone to a new facility.

After extensive delays through Los Angeles County’s permitting process, the new field is scheduled for completion in Spring 2025, and the upper field can officially become home to an exciting new gymnasium/multipurpose facility – the cornerstone of the 75 th Anniversary Campaign and an invaluable answer to prayer for thriving programs across campus.

Field specifications subject to change.

The new South Athletic Field is scheduled for completion in Spring 2025 and will be the new home to our two-time CIF Southern Section division-champion softball team. It will also provide valuable training space for all of our field sports and alleviate scheduling conflicts on the Field of Dreams.

Preparing for the Future

Over the next five years, the 75 th Anniversary Campaign aims to raise $7.5 million across seven initiatives that will benefit every corner of the Village Christian community.

Throughout Village Christian’s history, families have rallied to support students and teachers. Whether raising money for new programs, buildings, or even the purchase of the Penrose property, the community has historically come together in special ways, including through events like “Loyalty Dinners,” galas, auctions, magazine drives, and more.

The launch of the 75 th Anniversary Campaign marks another landmark turning point for VCS, highlighted by the construction of a desperately needed new gymnasium/multipurpose facility on the upper field.

And we need the community to come together once again.

For years, the Pavilion was a fixture at the center of campus. However, the construction of the gymnasium in 1986, later to be renamed the Kendall Pavilion, transformed programs campus-wide.

Initiative Spotlight | New Upper Field Gymnasium

The Kendall Pavilion is bursting at the seams

Athletics. Fine Arts. Weekly chapels. Special events. Physical education class.

The demand for this centerpiece venue is overwhelming, and it isn’t slowing down. It hasn’t since it opened in 1986.

The gymnasium’s completion changed the landscape of Village Christian School. In response to extensive community feedback, as well as assessing program needs, the addition of a second high-profile facility will do so again.

When ground broke on the new Sun Valley campus in 1957, it was estimated that only half of the 30-acre property was level.

Tucked into the foothills, and with an astounding projected cost, it would take a miracle to open up more usable space to expand the campus. However, as it says in Matthew 17:20, with faith the size of a mustard seed, God can move mountains.

That’s exactly what He did in the late 1960s.

When CalTrans needed materials to build the Hollywood Freeway, they hauled away thousands of tons of hillside and paved the way for new campus-wide construction.

First came the Pavilion, an enormous metal awning on top of a centrally located concrete slab.

However, it wasn’t until the gymnasium was completed that VCS truly had the broad-scale, showpiece event space it needed, including a new home for mainstage fine arts productions and an on-campus venue for court sports.

The facility allowed programs to grow and thrive, a theme that took a new and exciting turn in 2011 with the gym’s renovation thanks to a $4 million donation from the Kendall family.

The Kendall Performing Arts Center was added to the back of the building and featured the Black Box Theatre, teaching spaces, and the Performing Arts Room. The sound system and lighting were upgraded, stadium seating was purchased, and acoustic treatments were added.

Since then, Fine Arts continues to grow K-12,

earning prestigious awards and attracting notoriety across Southern California. Meanwhile, every court sport has won at least one CIF Southern Section championship.

VCS continues to push the envelope into this exciting new chapter. Currently in the design phase, the new facility will be located on the upper field and is the next invaluable advancement for VCS students.

The building is expected to include a full slate of athletics facilities, offices, an athletic training room, and more, freeing up critical venue space to accommodate more teams, as well as Fine Arts productions, concerts, and school-wide events.

The benefits will be widespread and will lead to additional enhancements to the Kendall Pavilion meant to complement the Fine Arts upgrades made in 2011.

It will be a tremendous undertaking, both logistically and financially, but will be well worth it – now and in the future, propelling VCS programs forward like the new gymnasium did in the 1980s.

All it takes is a little faith.

Initial plans for the new gymnasium include a full-size court lined for basketball and volleyball, an athletic training facility, offices, lobby with displays and concessions, and more.

Building specifications subject to change.

The 75 th Anniverary Campaign will encompass seven initiatives that were developed as part of the Strategic Plan using survey data and input from VCS students, parents, and employees.

Primary Campaign Initiative

No. 1 | NEW UPPER FIELD GYM AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE KENDALL PAVILION

This new showpiece gymnasium/multipurpose facility is the first major campus addition of its kind in decades and will be built on the current softball field. The new building will feature athletics facilities, office space, an athletic training room, and more, giving our thriving programs room to grow, while alleviating scheduling burdens in the Kendall Pavilion.

Building specifications subject to change.

No. 2 | CAMPUS REFRESH AND IMPROVEMENTS

As we build our new gym, we want to ensure our other facilities remain fresh and functional. Through this initiative, we will remodel many of our older classrooms, as well as repaint buildings, conduct roof repairs, replace aging air conditioning units, and more.

No. 3 | SPIRITUAL FORMATION AND BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW TRAINING

In our Spiritual Formation initiative, we will provide Biblical worldview training to our faculty and staff through our national strategic partner, Summit Ministries. We are thrilled to be one of a handful of Christian schools included in Summit Ministries exciting new pilot program.

No. 4 | TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES

Technology is ever-changing, and through this initiative, we will fund new classroom instructional technology, WiFi expansion, and a new digital marquee to enhance the communication with our families.

No. 5 | ACADEMIC ENHANCEMENTS

In our Academic Enhancements initiative, we will improve access and support for students with learning challenges and enhance signature programs at all levels.

No. 6 | EMPLOYEE RETENTION AND JOB SATISFACTION STRATEGIES

In our Employee Retention initiative, we will explore new compensation, benefits, leadership training, and job satisfaction strategies, as well as funding our new summer fellowships designed for on-the-ground research/training around the world.

No. 7 | THE VILLAGE WAY INITIATIVE

Within this initiative, we will communicate and reinforce our CARE Values and answer our Essential Questions, fostering accountability and the Christ-centered culture the school was founded upon.

Donor Recognition

There are so many ways you can be part of the 75 th Anniversary Campaign. No gift is too small to have a valuable and lasting impact on the VCS community.

Please prayerfully consider a muli-year pledge. Your contribution will be celebrated in numerous ways: