Teachers' Conference 2000

Generally, a teachers’ conference is held every other year. This year's conference was in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Teachers from our schools, from the west and the east, from far and near, came together to discuss school marters and to meet each other.

Each year there is a principals’ conference, at which the principals of our schools meet, together with the Synodical Education Committee. This year the principals’ conference was held before the teachers’ conference, on Tuesday, August 8.

The Tuesday principals’ conference marked the beginning of a busy week. In the morning, we met in Plymouth Christian High School in Grand Rapids. Since Rev. Vergunst will leave us this fall, the Synod appointed Rev. H. den Hollander as a committee member. This year, Elder G. Moerdyk attended his last meeting as member of the Synod Education Committee; in his place the Synod has appointed Elder John Vander Waal, of Chilliwack. Brother Moerdyk has been a member of the committee since it was established nearly 25 years ago. Gratefulness was expressed for all the labors he has performed for our schools, with the wish that the Lord might gladden him with His nearness and favor.

We had a good and pleasant meeting that day. It was evident that the principals wanted to make use of and learn from each other's experiences, and to exchange ideas and information that might be helpful for the functioning of our schools.

At night, there was a prayer service, held in the First Netherlands Reformed Church on Beckwith Street. Rev. Vogelaar spoke from Deuteronomy 5:28-29:

“And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken. O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!”

The theme was “Obedience to the Lord.”

1. The obedience promised by Israel (verse 28).

2. The obedience required from Israel (verse 29).

3. The reward of such obedience, received by Israel (verse 29b).

Israel, deeply impressed by the majesty and greatness of God, had made a solemn promise. However, the Lord asks for more than words, He looks for the truth in our hearts. “O, that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear Me.”

Also, as parents we made our solemn vows to the Lord, “to instruct and bring up children in the aforesaid doctrine and to cause them to be instructed therein.” But what did we do with our vows? We may have meant well at the moment that we stood before the Lord at baptism, but did we keep our vows? Do we have a heart to fear the Lord and keep His commandments always?

The concern was addressed that there is an increasing laxity, a kind of lethargy among us, also in regard to our schools and the important cause of Christian education. Then we take for granted what we have, and there is not that strong commitment to our schools as there was in the past.

The spirit of this time, of materialism and of individualism, is also among us. It is to be feared that we do not always see the great privileges we have and the necessity of an education that does not conflict with what is taught in church and in the home. Parents and teachers were encouraged to seek a heart to fear Him who gives so many blessings, but also such great responsibilities, to our families and us.

On Wednesday, August 9, the teachers’ conference began. After a word of welcome and some opening remarks by principal David Engelsma, the teachers’ convention was opened by the reading of Psalm 78 and prayer.

The theme for this convention was Christian Education into the 2P’ Century—Kindling the Flame. Besides workshops and sectionals in various classrooms, there were presentations centered on this theme.

Mr. James Beeke, elder from Chilliwack, spoke about Christian Education in the 21” Century—An Educators Perspective.

Mr. Rob Ver Heulen, who has been a school board member in Grand Rapids, spoke on Thursday about Christian Education in the 2P’ Century—A School Board Perspective.

Thursday night, after the banquet for teachers, school board members, and parents, Rev. Vergunst spoke of Christian Education in the 2P’ Century— The Role of Parents.

On Friday morning Rev. Vogelaar had the last general session: Christian Education in the 21st Century—A Pastor's Perspective.

The 21s t century is the age of secular humanism, materialism, individualism, increasing worldliness in the churches, and criticism, also of teachers and schools. This spirit does not pass us by. Also among us there are parents who prefer high academic levels or abundant opportunities for sports and leisure activities above a good and scriptural education, and they do not support our schools anymore.

When the first schools were established, most of them 20 to 25 years ago, there was willingness to sacrifice. The need for our own schools, in which our youth could be taught according to what we believe, was strongly felt, and there was willingness to make big sacrifices for this cause. In various school communities, teachers now sometimes face a lack of commitment, and they feel that some parents, especially in the area of discipline, do not back them up. Further, it seems that some families do not set the right priorities.

What must we do in order to kindle the flame?

First, we must acknowledge that we cannot turn the tide, the current course of the world, the flood of increasing worldliness. What should we do then? We should again turn to God's Word and search the Scriptures to seek the answers to what appear to be the entirely new questions and problems of today.

In order to find these answers, however, we need to be on our knees, seeking God's guidance. There were times when parents, after sending their children off to school, bowed their knees to plead with the Lord for His help and guidance of the teachers and for blessings upon the education.

We must beg for a powerful, quickening, and reviving work of the Spirit in our schools and families.

We should also seek, by the grace of God, to be better role models for our youth, living examples of what we profess and teach!

Parents and teachers who live their teaching. What a mighty influence a humble, sincere, God-fearing mother, father, or teacher may have upon the youths they are training up in the way they should go. A few examples of those who lived the truth were given as illustrations. How we miss them in our days! If only the lives of those who profess to possess grace might speak more clearly!

If only true godliness, the tender, childlike fear of God, and the sincere love to souls, also of our young people, might be seen by our children, church and school would look so different from what they do in our days. May the God of the covenant have mercy upon us, He who says, “O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always.”

On Wednesday afternoon, there was another general session, in which three delegates from the Pieter Zandt School in Kampen (the Netherlands) informed us about ICT—The Use of Computers and Multimedia in our Schools. They gave us an insight into the situation in the seven Reformed high schools in the Netherlands, each with between two and three thousand students. These schools are supported by the government, and thus they enjoy enormous financial privileges compared to us, but they often face problems and dangers similar to those which we experience in our schools.

On Thursday afternoon, Rev. Vergunst presented a thought provoking topic about Biblical Courtship, which could give much material for further discussion.

Besides these general sessions, there were instructive sectionals, a few of which were:

• Student Safety and School Emergency Issues
• Christian Education as a Holy War
• Identifying and Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities
• Technology Its Use and Its Abuse
• Poetry in the Classroom
• After High School: What?

There were also sessions for exchanging ideas on a variety of subjects, such as mathematics, language arts, science, Bible, social studies, and the like. On Friday, the convention concluded with lunch, after which Rev. Vergunst offered some closing thoughts, and closed with prayer. Then most teachers left Michigan, no doubt with many impressions, with much new information, and, we hope, a little more equipped and encouraged for their responsible, but beautiful, task. The new school year has begun. Teachers and parents may feel so inadequate to fulfill their responsibilities. It would be a blessing if, realizing how insufficient we are, we might come on our knees and ask the Lord for a heart “to fear Him and keep His commandments.” Paul in his weaknesses received a comforting message: “My grace is sufficient for thee.” That word is also true today for those who are called to educate our children. May that grace be needed, sought, and experienced in our schools and families. That would be a real benefit and a rich blessing for our children.

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