“If you can dream—and not make dreams your master…”
— Rudyard Kipling
In the August of 2019, Kawartha Classical Christian School was ready to launch its first operational school year. But, in many ways, until that first student walked through the doors in September, wearing her little uniform, greeted by her principal and teachers, KCCS was still a dream. Apart from the steering committee and a few pioneering families who saw the vision crisp in their mind’s eye, it must have seemed an invisible and overly-ambitious endeavour.
One does not simply stroll into Mordor, after all.
And perhaps, from the outside, that is what it looks like we did. Perhaps it may have seemed like the driving force for the creation and sustenance of KCCS lay in the power of a dream alone. And surely, without a like-minded team of individuals coming together, a dream it would have remained.
But although the dream of a Classical Christian school right here in Peterborough, whose aim would be to educate children in and for the glory of God, was certainly a common occurrence, the dream was not our master. Nor is it our master even now that our school has a year notched in its belt.
Rather, our master has forever been and forever will be the Lord Jesus Christ.
Two and a half years ago, God brought together three pastors, their wives, and a university student, the unlikely ingredients of what would soon after become the founding KCCS Board. But even with little money (did I mention three pastors and a student?) and no school building, the ploughmen began to put their hands to the plough. In his gracious providence, it was not long before we not only had a building, but a gifted principal and four gifted teachers who were both able and indeed eager to serve the KCCS community.
The dream was beginning to take shape in more fullness than we could even have anticipated.
To supplement our funds—or lack thereof—a cloud of faithful saints who saw what the dream could be graciously donated to our cause. Not only were donations given by community members who might directly benefit from KCCS, but in fact donations were received from across the world, from churches not even in Canada. Like the Macedonians who were eager to give out of their poverty (2 Corinthians 8:1–5), we were able to see first-hand the Lord’s people cheerfully giving for the sake of these young students, not only out of abundance, but some despite their lack.
Then, in the second semester of our first operational year, just as the culture of the school was growing and the students were beginning to thrive in their rhythms, a global pandemic prevented our school from remaining open physically.
And yet, despite this setback, our principal and teachers continued to labour with parents to tune minds, train hearts, to the glory of Christ. Where giving may have slowed due to uncertain times, we providentially received anonymous donations to meet costs associated with the change of format. And while some parents may be waiting the uncertainty of the pandemic out, our enrolment for the upcoming year has already gone up.
Believe me when I tell you that this is only a snap-shot of the grace of God to the KCCS community. From the unlikely people with a multitude of gifts that God himself brought together, to the financial sacrifices, to the ability to be standing amidst a pandemic awaiting our second operational year, it was no mere dream that caused such to be; it was and could only be the Lord Jesus Christ, accomplishing his purposes through his people. This being the case, it should not be the dream, however lofty, that garners our awe, but the Lord himself. Even though the way our first year has gone may not have been what we were dreaming of those two years ago—certainly the pandemic was a surprise—in serving Christ as the master above even our dearest hopes and ambitions, we have been blessed in more ways than we could ever have imagined.
If you are one of our Board members, teachers, principal, donors, volunteers, students, prayer supporters, I thank the Lord for you. I hope you can join me in saying with Paul, “I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). I thank the Lord that such an inconceivable dream is on its way to year two and I thank the Lord that it is not because of us, because of our dreams, but because of the grace of God that continually works through all of us as we seek to glorify him.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Meghan Visser
Meghan is a founding board member of KCCS. She lives in Peterborough, Ontario, where she is also a member at Hill City Baptist Church. She is currently pursuing her M.A. in English at Trent University.