FACTS Parent Login
By: Kim Mullins
“Christ has no body but Yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which He looks compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good, Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world.”—St. Teresa
At CCA, we strive to create a habit of service with the hope that serving others is just a way of life as they become adults. We start this with our PreK through 5th graders serving locally and then branching out as our students get older.
This all starts with being intentional, and we have the best example in Jesus Christ. Mark 10:45 is very clear that Jesus came to earth “to serve and to give”. We want our students to look beyond themselves in active service to others.
When students enter middle school, serving locally is still important and encouraged, but at this stage we start expanding our ministry by serving regionally. Regional Inter-Faith Association (RIFA) in Jackson is the organization that 6th-8th grade students serve four times a year. CCA has been serving this organization for five years. Students serve food in the soup kitchen, sort donations for the thrift store, or help pack meal boxes that day.
When students enter high school, we start preparing to serve nationally as we partner with Marklund Day School in Geneva, Illinois. This is a school for adults who have profound disabilities. This partnership includes praying for their ministry, supporting the ministry by participating in the gift drive they have for Christmas, but the best part is going there to serve in person. This trip takes place each summer for the group that has just completed their tenth-grade year. This is an amazing experience where students can interact with the residents by playing games, making crafts, going on outings, helping with music therapy, and helping with water therapy. It is a humbling experience, and it has given each of the students a new perspective on embracing differences. This summer’s trip will be CCA’s fourth year of serving.
Lastly, our seniors have the grand finale of service at CCA, but prayerfully it’s not the end of their service to others as they enter adulthood. This March we will be sending our second group of seniors to serve internationally in Italy. Students are given the opportunity to experience firsthand many things they have learned about throughout their classical, Christian education. Last year’s group experienced serving by offering facepainting to children in a park in Rome and passing out treat bags. Some were also able to share their personal testimonies with others, and a favorite was worshipping with people from all over the world in different languages, but yet still worshipping the same amazing God.
Our groups may be small in number as far as making a big splash in the water, but God can use us to make a ripple which prayerfully will make an impact on our community, our country, and our world. Edward Everett Hale said it best: “I am only one. But still, I am one. I cannot do everything. But still, I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
