By Al Gainey
“God provided the avenue to what we needed through RenewaNation. RenewaNation literally assisted us from the ground up!”
In spring 2021, a request to launch a Christian school came across our desk. Sara Choat from Carson City, Nevada, along with a few of her church members and fellow teachers, had decided to launch a Christian school in their community. After a couple of meetings with RenewaNation, we agreed to proceed and signed a simple, no-nonsense agreement.
Over the next 18 months, the launch team met every two weeks with a thoughtfully planned agenda, with homework assignments when there was no meeting. Anytime Sara or a team member needed us, we were available for her and the team.
The 18-month plan covered every possible area of starting the school they named Legacy Christian Academy and included a lot more than they expected. Sara and her team saw the task ahead and second-guessed their decision. They needed some reassurance, and that’s exactly what our launch team did. After over a decade of testing the process, our goal is to assist teams in removing most of the anxiety and frustration that come with launching a school.
The LCA Board Chair, Larry Rodriguez, said, “We had God’s mission and vision for discipling children, but we had no building, no staff, no students, no funding, nothing.” Almost every launch team struggles with a few areas in the beginning, and the LCA team experienced a couple of those, with the facility being the primary concern. While some churches wanted to work with them, their buildings were not what was needed or could not pass inspection unless significant upgrades were made. God provided a facility almost as a last resort. It had been reviewed earlier, and the team kept coming back to it but thought it would not work financially. When there seemed to be no hope, God showed up as He always does. This “showing up” at just the right time and place brought along two other ministries, and all three share the space and the finances. God is never late, and He always provides.
With our extensive templates, it was easy to keep the team on track and accountable for the work to get launched in fall 2022. All of the coaches have a saying they tell every launch team: “In order to keep your team on schedule, I am going to be ‘lovingly brutal.’” That seems to work every time we launch a new school.
Fast-forward to fall 2022. Parent meetings, school tours, and parent interviews were conducted, and faculty and staff were hired. All the rooms were painted, furniture deals were made, the playground was equipped, and operational items were in place. The launch countdown to fill the classrooms with children was at “T-minus” a day, and everyone was praying for a strong start to growing God’s kingdom in Carson City.
The school opened with 53 students and, like any new school or business, experienced some bumps along the way. RenewaNation was there to help them through some of those tough spots. Overall, year one went well, with a retention of over 90 percent!
Now, Legacy has completed year two and begun year three. At this writing, they report a healthy increase in students this fall.
Here is Sara’s perspective as she reflected on this journey: “Our team and now our Board of Trustees will always have a passion for providing a Christian school grounded in a biblical worldview that immerses our children with biblical truth in every subject. Our mission and vision included a Christian school where every class starts with prayer and a Christian school where discipling children is why we do what we do!”
Larry continued, “We can’t believe we have completed two years and starting our third year. God is so good! We would like to give you a brief update on just a few things that God has done through and in Legacy over the last two years.”
Completed year two with a beautiful school body of 63 students (48 families) who attend 16 different churches in our area.
Rejoiced with our excellent, hard-working staff who love the Lord.
Completed our immersion in a biblical worldview curriculum.
Conducted joy-filled, weekly chapels led by local ministers.
Carried out two amazing and successful fundraisers suggested by our RenewaNation coach.
Participated in community service projects from helping in a local retirement center to picking up trash in our neighborhoods and several other service projects as we train children to serve as Christ served while on earth.
Raised funds and provided financial assistance to LCA families, as well as assistance with the Nevada Opportunity Scholarship Fund.
Sara shared her appreciation for the work of RenewaNation, saying, “This provision is no doubt a reflection of God’s goodness! Thank you, RenewaNation, for all of your prayers and support to carry out God’s plan for the lives of these children as we continue in this mission to partner with families as they raise their children to live out their Christian faith by understanding the world through the lens of scripture and the love of Jesus!” (Sara Choat, Head of School, Legacy Christian School)
She and Larry had a lot more to say, and their passion is a great example of what the Lord is doing for others who make an “all-in” commitment to sacrifice and work hard to launch a Christian school in communities around America. Every person in every Christian school ministry is making an eternal difference. As partners in God’s kingdom work, we share the joy Paul expressed in Philippians 4:3-6, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Al Gainey is the Director of Christian School Launch for RenewaNation. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business from Brenau University and has been involved with Christian schools for 30 years, including launching and being selected as the first head of school of Lanier Christian Academy. Having owned several businesses, he currently owns a background screening business, PeopleCheck, Inc. Al and his wife, Ann, live in Gainesville, Georgia, and are blessed with two adult children and two grandchildren.
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