Christian Education

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: The Fourth “R”
by Renee Sereno



Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14


“Mom, we had a lockdown drill at school today,” Lance informed me matter-of-factly.

This conversation took place two years ago, but it feels like yesterday to me.

“What’s a lockdown drill?” I asked my son. It was the first time I had come across the phrase, but its sinister connotations didn’t escape me.

“It’s when you lock all the doors and close all the windows and turn off the lights and find some place to hide so the bad guys can’t find you.”

Now that was already a disturbing sentence to begin with, but believe me, it’s even more disquieting to hear it being spoken in a singsong manner by a four-year-old. In kindergarten, no less.

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for my little boy, whose very innocence was now tainted by this sad, but necessary, exercise. What an unfortunate introduction to this sinful world, where even the smallest of schoolchildren are exposed to the sordid wretchedness of human nature. I guess it’s to be expected. After all, the nation went through a collective shudder after Columbine, and it was only a matter of time before the ripple effects were felt at my son’s elementary school.

But it’s ripples like these that rock a parent’s sense of well-being, and once again, I found myself wishing that we could afford to send our children to a Christian school.

When my husband, Lorenzo and I lived in the Bay Area, some of our church members sent their kids to Milpitas Christian School, and we could see the difference in their demeanor compared to other children their age.

We also observed the same qualities in the students we have encountered here in Modesto Central, most of whom attend Central Valley Christian Academy (CVCA). Whether they are teenagers assisting in cradle roll, middle school kids in uniform during Pathfinder weekend, or little tikes sharing crayons with Lance and Troy in Adventurers Club or Sabbath School, they all exhibit a wholesome quality sorely lacking in most public school populations these days.

And what accounts for this difference? Both educational systems teach the basics: the Three R’s, which form the foundation upon which learning is built. But Christian Education goes one notch higher, by providing the Fourth “R”, which most schools sadly shy from, in an age when it is needed all the more. And it is this key ingredient which sets students in schools like CVCA apart from the general population.

Now, people might think this Fourth R that I am referring to is Religion. It is not. Indeed, I hesitate to even say the word because it has gotten to be quite a minefield through the ages. No, the Fourth “R” which I am referring to is Relationship. A personal relationship with Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

I used to live in Canada, and I remember being very impressed with the French-speaking kids of some of my friends there. Most of these young children came from English-speaking backgrounds, but they attended French “Immersion Schools”, where most of, if not the whole curriculum was taught in French, and students were encouraged to converse, and even think, in French. It didn’t take long before it was second nature for even the youngest students to speak fluently in French.

How very interesting that the word they use is “Immersion”. Because there lies the difference between Christian schools and public schools like the one my children attend. Just as we are baptized by immersion, students in Christian schools like Central Valley Christian Academy are steeped and immersed in an atmosphere where God is the center of all learning. Where faith is integrated into life lessons taught by teachers and mentors who are believers themselves. In contrast, my sons, who attend public school, just get their “sprinkling” of the Fourth R when they are at home or in church.

These days, I find myself driving through Central Avenue in Ceres more often. And every time I pass that short stretch between Ceres SDA church and the open field by KADV, I find myself saying a short prayer to the Lord. And although nothing much has changed for us financially, a lot has happened to us spiritually since we moved from Milpitas. And now, even though our minds still tell us we can’t afford it, our hearts are filled with new-found hope. A hope born of faith.

I know that in His perfect time, my children, too, will be in Central Valley Christian Academy, God’s “Immersion School”, where the Fourth “R” is an integral part of the educational equation!



(This article was featured in the May 2006 edition of the "Central Clarion", the monthly newsletter of the Modesto Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church.)

Newbies Notes

Newbie’s Notes: OUR FIRST CAMP MEETING By Renee Sereno

(This article was featured in the August 2006 "Central Clarion", the monthly newsletter of the Modesto Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church.)

I’m back from my mountaintop experience.

Has it just been a week since the end of Camp Meeting? Was it just six days ago when my kids informed me they were anything but “Ready to Go Home”? They meant Modesto, of course, not our Heavenly Home, but I expected it. They were simply having too much fun.

I, on the other hand, looked forward to Camp Meeting with more trepidation than excitement. Oh, I had no problems seeing the Great Outdoors from the relative comfort of my air-conditioned minivan, but the idea of ten days in a tent with three squabbling kids, no electricity and no ensuite was a bit too In-Your-Face for me.

Nevertheless, I prayed about it. Being new members of the church, we weren’t even sure if we could get a tent assigned to us, knowing most people made reservations a year in advance. When we were informed that they had found a tent for us less than two weeks before Camp Meeting was to start, I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that God wanted us to be there.

God also surrounded us with people who were so supportive and helpful, like Teri Johnson and Donna Bearden, who helped to ease my family through our first Camp Meeting experience, and Pastor James Scarborough, whose efforts brought us there in the first place. I was also thankful for Debye Rusk’s company. She was a new Adventist, just like me, so it was nice to be sharing the excitement with another neophyte.

Together, Debye’s children and mine explored the wonders and delights the Children’s Divisions had to offer. Each tent had its own theme: from the jungles of Borneo to the African savanna, to the Ten Tribes of Israel and the farthest reaches of space. Lance and Troy learned to praise God in Swahili while Reanna was a missionary sailing the Cradle Rolling seas to teach children in far-away lands about Jesus.

And while our kids learned about Jesus, Debye and I took in some meetings of our own. My favorite part of the day was the evening program, where I was renewed by Henry Wright’s wit, Shelley Quinn’s warmth and Shawn Boonstra’s exuberance. I also sang my heart out, discovering new songs like “Lift Up the Trumpet” and “As the Deer Pants”, while listening and learning from other people’s stories of how God made an impact on their lives.

My husband, Lorenzo and I, also got to share our own story on stage during the “Miracle Roadways” portion of the program, where they featured people who recently joined the Seventh Day Adventist church through evangelistic seminars like the one we attended in January. It was wonderful to be able to share our testimony, and although we were a bit shy and nervous, we got to meet so many people who came up to us after the appearance that it was all worth it.

Troy also celebrated his fifth birthday at Camp Meeting, making the experience all the more special. All in all, we had sixteen children with their families come over, eating cake and yogurt and sipping pink lemonade and fruit punch in front of our cabin. We appreciated their presence, despite the short notice, and we would like to thank them again for making Troy’s birthday so memorable.

Indeed, this whole Camp Meeting experience is one that we will never forget. Oh, there will be more Camp Meetings to come, I know, but you only get to see it for the first time once.

Next year, I will be a veteran on the Cook House circuit, battling it out with the other mother hens for the last available working burner. Next year, I will show up bright and early for the ABC Patio Sale, before all the good stuff runs out. Next year, I will avoid Case Lots at lunch time, when the samples are snatched up even before they make it to the trays. Next year, Reanna’s feet will be big enough to fit into rubber flip-flops, so I don’t have to bring her stepstool every time we go to the Bath House. And next year, I will remind myself to bring a smaller, more discreet container for my flushable wipes, making that slow, purposeful trudge to the public toilets a lot less awkward.

Oh yes, I’ve been taking notes. Because my family and I will definitely be back.

Next year.