An open letter to our students and community

Dear Students,

With the difficulties of this year and the past 21 months, we wanted to take a few moments to remind you of a few important truths.  

We are your teachers. We love our calling. We love our subjects. We love teaching, leading, and seeing learning and growing taking place. 

We are your teachers. Lansing Christian is a community to which we have been called. To which we are invested. For which we are passionate.

We are your teachers. We are committed to seeing you – become all that you didn’t even know you could be, become who God has created you to be, become your whole self.

These past months have been some of the most challenging months as teachers and of our lives. We have learned to adapt our daily functioning. Learned to meet ever changing needs. Learned to give you grace when you are struggling.

And in our learning, we admit, we can be short with you. We can be unclear with you. Because, many days we are struggling as well, struggling to navigate our contentious culture, struggling to care for ourselves and our families.

Still, we are committed to walk with you as we all grow and learn. To learn how to comply and question authority and mandates with honor and respect. 

To learn how to disagree with another person and demonstrate civility and dignity. To learn how to be honest with struggles and yet have courage to see each day brimming with the hope of Christ. 

We see that you are going through challenges as well. We see that some of you are just wanting to feel okay. We see some running to distractions when stress arises. Some who are simply tired of navigating ever-changing demands and dynamics in your daily life. And still others of you who are trying to hold on to the little control you may feel like you still have.

Many of you feel tired of wearing masks. Many of you feel unseen, unnoticed or unheard. Many of you just want things to feel like they always did, to have a sense of normalcy.

In the midst of these circumstances, we see your formational failures and successes. We see your disappointment after a low quiz grade paired with determination and resilience.

We see your stress of life and paired with authenticity and grace. We see your frustration and boredom paired with brilliant creativity and potential. 

Ultimately, we see your commitment to improve, learn, and grow in the midst of hardship. You are fighting and trying even though you may be fatigued, which inspires us more than you can know.

And we want you to remember this truth from God’s Word.

Let us not grow fatigued in doing good. For at the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in this community.

We are your teachers. We want you to grow and feel known. And we want to remind you that we are thankful for you. We pray for you. We care for you. Have a restful and blessed Thanksgiving.

Thank you,

Middle and High School Teachers and Staff