In 1982 I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education. My professors had taught me the essential requirements for plant growth; sunlight, and water with the correct soil nutrients. Now in today's world food is even grown under artificial lights without soil. Tomatoes grown in that environment may be beautiful to behold but, most of us would agree that they fail the acid test when it comes to taste.

I have now been in Christian school administration for four years and in that time I have not been able to discern on my own or through the experiences of those who have gone before me any single quality that leads to Christian school growth. I do believe that the kind of growth that we need here at BGBS is the product of God's blessing bestowed upon a people who earnestly seek God's Lordship for their lives and the lives of their children.

Bill Kelly is the superintendent of Christian High School of Scott Memorial Baptist Church, San Diego, California. Kelly began with a school of 280 students. Today he heads four schools with a combined enrollment in excess of 1100 students. He says that very early in the process he became aware that before any Christian organization considers launching a long range growth program it must first come to grips with a very simple question: "Do you really want to grow?" There is a price to pay for growth. Everyone involved; board members, teachers and parents must be willing to put up their dues. No one can have the attitude that I have already done my part or feel that what I do is enough. To grow anything for God's kingdom requires sacrifice, "Are you willing?" We know our children are worth it, "Are we willing?"

The 2002 – 2003 school year is an accreditation renewal year for BGBS. This will be a process that will require us to look deeply at who we are, what we do and how we do it. The accreditation process is an essential tool for school growth but it is only one essential element in what I am sure is a list of things we need in order to grow our school. Will you support us in praying for BGBS? My wife and I are not particularly interested in our children going to a Christian school with a student body of 1100 students. We do pray for the day BGBS has 280 students in pre-K through 12th grade.

Over the coming months I hope we can together dig deep into the soil, till the ground that we have been given, plant good seed, pray and wait for God to bless and sustain us so that BGBS will be a blessing to the kingdom of God. May our goal be to provide for our children a Christian education that is not tasteless but, may it be sweet and full of flavor so that they are compelled to know more of Him and to serve Christ with all their mind and heart all the days of their lives. May God have mercy on us when we have not lived up to this goal as parents, teachers, principal and board members.

For His children,
Mr. Causey

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