Campaign 125 Update

Charles Dickens began “A Tale of Two Cities” with this line: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. Lately, it feels as though we are indeed living in the worst of times, the best of times.

COVID-19 has brought about what many think is the very worst of times. Clearly this is a frightening time for the entire world. As we humans face this difficult time though, we also see some of the best in people and community. In my town, I’m seeing some of the best as people care for each other and encourage each other. God’s church is moving in ways that none of us could have expected just three short months ago, reaching more seekers than ever. And Eastern Christian School is continuing to pursue its mission with excellence, providing a Christ-centered education to every one of our students every day. Praise God for his protection and his provision.

Despite the fact that EC quickly transitioned to remote learning, many things had to change and major adjustments needed to be made. Our faculty rose to the occasion and thanks to their incredible effort, Eastern Christian has become a model for remote learning that others are following. Now plans are being made for September. We expect to be providing an excellent Christ-centered education on our campuses, but things will probably look a bit different than they have in the past. I am so thankful for our gifted and dedicated leadership team who is planning for numerous contingencies.

Another thing that has been impacted by the pandemic is our schedule for the high school field renovation. I am delighted to report that we have received all necessary approvals from local, county and state authorities to proceed with the field. It had been our intent to begin the work in April and finish in August. That plan was scuttled by the state of emergency and the shutdown of the school and non-essential construction. Eastern Christian School leadership has been considering all the implications of beginning the field renovation once the state lifted the restrictions on construction.

With so much uncertainty regarding the way school will open in September and with the likely scenario that Fall sports will not be permitted, the Board of Directors made the decision last week to delay construction. This is a temporary delay. The funds given to Campaign 125 are restricted and may only be used for the work outlined in the campaign plan. 

Phases I and II of Campaign 125 were completed. That work included security upgrades, classroom renovations, parking lot paving and air conditioning of every learning space on all three campuses including the high school cafeteria. Only the field improvement remains. This summer, the Elementary School parking lot and the High School student/bus parking lots are being paved. This work was also part of Campaign 125. Our plans for the field improvements are complete, our construction manager is ready to move forward, and we will proceed when it is clear that it is safe and prudent to do so.

We are so thankful for your support of Campaign 125. We want to assure you that the gifts you have given for this campaign are safely being held in a restricted account dedicated to the renovations of the field. You can look forward to the announcement that construction is starting and we will celebrate together when the field is completed.

May God bless you and may he continue to bless Eastern Christian School.

By: David Visbeen

David is the Executive Director of the Foundation for EC

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