Ovilla Christian Chats

It's admission season and applications are rolling in for next year! We are joined by Mallory Teck, OCS Admissions Director, to get some direct answers to the questions of what we're looking for in families who apply to be a part of Ovilla Christian. Our church (ORBC) and school (OCS) are growing at the same time, and we are intentional about maintaining the core mission as a discipleship school—not just adding more families. Keeping that as the focus is the heart behind our admission standards, including our connection with local churches and our families' church involvement. Church/Home/School is how we say it: this is the three-legged stool of Christian education at OCS. Mallory Teck, OCS Admissions Director, came to us with an array of experience in both private and public schools. She loves those squirrelly middle schoolers, the Denver Broncos, and guiding families through the OCS admission process to find the ones that will add to the culture that we aim to protect and cultivate. Mallory also actively works to equip students as they sign up for dual-credit classes, work through conflicts with teachers or professors, and prove to themselves that they are capable of handling challenges that arise in life.

Whether you're tackling questions of politics, identity, or hot topics in culture, ORBC Family Discipleship Pastor Joe Zinkgraf outlines a helpful framework for Christian parents to approach these conversations with your kids. 1. What's your goal as a parent? Step back and let that shape how you have conversations with your kids. 2. Is your end goal to raise someone who looks like you or someone who looks like Christ? Think of the 25-ish year age difference between you and your child in light of eternity. It's so small! 3. "Drip, drip, drip" conversations: this isn't one big conversation but many small, open, age-appropriate ones throughout their growing years. 4. Using the conversations you have with your kids as a gauge, do your kids only know which way you lean, or do they know what God is like? Philippians 4:8 ESV "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Resources Mentioned: Parenting with Words of Grace by William Smith ChristianParenting.org; "How to help kids process disturbing news in a digital age" What Do I Say When: A Parent's Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children and Teens by Andrew and Christian Walker

Erich, Julianne, and Pastor Matt hop into this delightful conversation with Jenni Osgood, LPC-A, about the connection that kids desire with their families. Jenni Osgood is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate who provides individual and family counseling for OCS families. She is also the Guidance Counselor for high school students as they consider careers. "Do you think that you spend too much, just the right amount, or not enough time with your family?" When Jenni asked several middle and high school classes this question, she was surprised by the answers. Overwhelmingly, the students replied, "Not enough time." Join us as we unpack the responses Jenni heard and give some encouragement to parents who want to spend quality time with their kids in this hectic world. Resources Mentioned: "Hurt 2.0: Inside the World of Today's Teenagers" by Chap Clark "Habits of the Household" by Justin Whitmel Earley "50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving the Home" by Dr. Josh and Jen Mulvihill

Welcome, Coach and Bible Teacher Ian White! Ian and Erich accompanied the high school students to the Biblical Worldview Conference in September, and for the first time, we also sent the 8th graders. We chat about what stood out at this conference, including:

• Melissa Dougherty and her talk on "New Thought" (Melissa and Alisa Childers discuss this topic here); this is something that is a part of our students' lives.
• "Your calling is seasonal but your purpose isn't." Ruslan KD
• How can students be sure that everything heard at the Biblical Worldview Conference was biblical?

Resources Mentioned:

• Knowing Faith (podcast)
• BibleTalk (podcast)
• 9Marks (book series)

Remember parents, you are the primary discipler of your children! Make sure you're steeped in the truth of the Word of God so you can direct what they are intaking. We hope this conference produced some fruitful conversation in your homes.

It's a full house today! Erich and Matt welcome two alumni who are now teaching at OCS and have their children enrolled here. Caleb Rudolph and JoAnna Rozier, both graduates of the class of 2010, not only met and married OCS classmates, but they were in each others' weddings. Now, Caleb teaches high school English and is an adjunct DBU professor for dual-credit psychology at OCS. JoAnna is entering into her first year in 1st grade, having taught Kindergarten the past two years at OCS. We ask them: why have they decided to come full-circle and bring their families back to OCS? How does OCS support the discipleship that they as parents foster in their homes?

Julianne chimes in at the end to tease the upcoming OCS Homecoming events on September 12. Now is the time to come back to campus to see how much has changed and how much has remained the same. Join us for an Alumni Reception before the varsity football game in our very own version of Friday night lights in Ovilla on September 9!

Pastor Matt, Erich, and Julianne are joined by Ms. Shannon Williams, our new Elementary Bible teacher. We talk about how this will function in the classroom and what our students will be learning to prepare them for middle and high school Bible classes. Shannon spent the summer working on the scope and sequence of the Elementary Bible curriculum she is creating and implementing this year. She approaches this new role with tenacity and excitement as she partners with homeroom teachers to lay the foundation that the Bible is not a thousand separate stories about God or morality but rather one big story about God's plan to redeem humanity and dwell with us again one day. Our conversation ventures into how the church and school function in different ways in the life of a Christian family. Why do we think it's so important for our families to attend a local church? Listen to hear the reasons!

Christians should be people of the Word—that is, the Scriptures. This is God's chosen way to reveal himself and his plan of redemption. But should the Bible be the only book that Christians read? How do you choose good books: ones that stretch your imagination, solidify your faith, and stand the test of time? Join Julianne, Erich, and Pastor Matt from OCS and ORBC in this discussion about books, including a list of titles we wholeheartedly commend.

Recommendations:

• "10 Books That Screwed Up the World: And 5 Others That Didn't Help" by Benjamin Wiker (link)
• "Habits of the Household" by Justin Whitmel Earley (link)
• "The Tech-Wise Family" by Andy Crouch (link)
• "God's Glory in Salvation Through Judgment" by James Hamilton (link)
• "Knowing God" by J. I. Packer (link)
• Augustine's Confessions (available free through Project Gutenberg eBook)
• "From Eden to the New Jerusalem" by T. Desmond Alexander (link)
• "Total Truth" by Nancy Pearcey (link)
• "Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave" by Edward Welch (link)
• The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson (link)
• "What is Biblical Theology" by James Hamilton (link)
• "None Like Him" by Jen Wilkin (link)
• "God With Us" by Jeremy Pierre (link)

Do you know what day in January is considered National Quitting Day for New Year's Resolution? Find out if you've made it past National Quitting Day in this conversation with Pastor Matt, Erich, and Julianne. Whether you've started a new Bible reading plan or want to improve your health, we all know the best way to keep your resolutions is to have accountability. How does the local church fit in with this? Resources Mentioned:"Wonder Confronts Christianity" by Gary Saul Morson "Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing" by Jonathan Leeman "Life Together" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

In a 2023 study by the American Psychological Association, 89% of responders said the holidays stress them out. (Source) Julianne and Pastor Matt guess the top 10 reasons for increased stress as cited in the survey—see if you can get #1 before Erich reveals it.

How can Christians re-orient their hearts and minds around this hectic time to participate in the anticipation of the return of Christ? Join us for this conversation about consumerism, stress, and the season of Advent.