NCS alumni from the early 70s gathered at multiple events in May to celebrate lasting friendships made through their years at Norfolk Christian. Nearly 100 people attended the two events, held on a Friday evening for the Class of 1972 and on Saturday at Harbor Park for all classes from the early 70s. See the full recap with more photos here.
Retired NCS English teacher and Swim Coach Karen Graves has made the most of her time in Italy. Over the last year, she’s been delighted to catch up with former students and get to see a bit of their lives on their home turf. From touring Stuttgart with Louis to meeting Debora for breakfast in Salerno to watching Italo graduate in the traditional laurel in Naples, Mrs. Graves has been honored to be included in these Ambassadors’ lives. “These students are such a blessing to me. I’m grateful we can maintain this connection on the other side of the world because NCS is still a big part of all of us. These moments give us a chance to have our own little reunions!”
Joshua Tafeni ’18 learned that he is one of the final three candidates for the coveted Keane Fellowship at the University of Arizona. Josh graduated summa cum laude in April from Grand Canyon University with a B.A. in Government. He will attend UA in the fall to pursue a Masters of Public Administration, with the hope of a career serving in local government, first in the United States, and eventually in his native South Africa.
From the University of Arizona: “The Keane Fellowship is designed to identify the country’s most talented students aspiring to executive levels in local government.”
The Fellowship provides for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship while the student pursues a Masters in Public Administration, along with a paid internship that gives valuable hands-on experience serving in local government in the towns of Marana and Oro Valley, AZ.
NCS teacher Greg Moses, Josh’s former host parent and forever honorary dad, joined sister Nobi at Josh’s graduation. Mr. Moses is ecstatic that Josh has made it so far in the Keane Fellowship process but he’s not surprised. “Joshua has always had a servant’s heart and a desire to help others. I can’t imagine there could be a more fitting student for this honor.”
We have much conversation here about what it means to equip Ambassadors. Carrying out that mission is the cornerstone of all we do, but what does it look like from day to day? I recently gave this encouragement to our staff, as they work daily to arm our students with all the weapons of faith God has given them. Through God’s grace, this is how we equip students to be Christ’s Ambassadors in the world.
When I think of an Ambassador, I don’t normally think of a warrior. However, this analogy is apt. Sometimes, it takes all that we have merely to stand, and not run away or surrender in fear. An “ambassador in chains” (Ephesians 6:20) is a warrior who will, after everything is said and done, stand (vs. 9). This is our charge as Christian educators: to train children with the skills they need to succeed on the world’s stage, while we also equip them to stand firm and experience all that God has designed for them in the spiritual world.
Let’s take a moment to look at the pieces of equipment we must train them in:
We begin with the helmet. This is the most important piece of armor we can put into place. If the head is damaged, none of the rest of the armor will matter. Many years ago, my father hit a deer while riding his motorcycle on a paved road. The momentum flung him off his bike and he skidded down the macadam on his helmet. If he had not had that helmet to protect his head, I would not be alive today because he would have been with Jesus before I was even born. The helmet is our most critical piece of protection.
In our Christian life, we see those who don’t understand the importance of their own salvation and are stuck, as if immobilized at square one. Others think salvation is merely a bauble that can be worn or discarded when the mood strikes. Such flippant Christians misunderstand the vital nature of this piece of equipment and, when doubts assail, will be double-minded and unstable in their ways (James 1:8). But the believers who don the helmet regularly have an eternal perspective, allowing them to see beyond the present circumstances to that promised day of salvation. This is the maturity we strive to develop as students grow in their faith.
Body armor is made of strong fibers that work together to dissipate the force of a life-threatening blow and render it ineffective. In warriors, this armor is worn on the chest, protecting the vital organs from attack. When the helmet of salvation is issued to Christians, the body armor is also issued to us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Attempting to equip ourselves with our own righteousness would be akin to wearing a T-shirt into battle. We equip this armor by seeking God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), which will protect our hearts and souls from evil.
The body armor needs to be secured by the belt of truth; without it, our armor can become insecure and unable to protect us. When we aren’t grounded in truth, it’s easy to convince ourselves that the righteousness we are wearing is our own–a result of our ability to follow the rules. Or we might decide that we don’t deserve to wear such armor because we are not good enough. Unless we are firmly established in truth, the body armor meant to protect our hearts and souls becomes insufficient. We will either fail to put it on through pride in our own accomplishments or discard it because of self-loathing.
With the proper footgear, the Christian is always ready. When I was in high school, I would always wear high-tops to school. The reason? I wanted to be able to play a game of basketball at a moment’s notice, and one could not reasonably expect to play a decent game in dress shoes!
The readiness that comes with the knowledge of the peace Christ has given allows the Christian to stand, prepared for what may be coming. When one is at peace, all other distractions fade, the chattering voices calm, and the Christian stands to face down the enemy without fear (John 14:27).
Faith is often seen as something “less than” rational thinking. It’s that thing we rely on only when everything else has failed. In reality, this is our main defense against spiritual attacks. We recognize that faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1) and that “without faith it is impossible to please [God]” (vs. 6). Faith allows us to take God at His word, refusing to allow the enemy’s attacks of doubt, fear and dismay to penetrate our defenses. It is by faith that we can be assured of victory that has overcome the world (I John 5:4).
The only offensive weapon in our arsenal, the Word of God is “living and powerful.” It enables us to divide “soul and spirit” and the “thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12), for this battle is not against flesh and blood but against “spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:12).
Just as a soldier would not charge into battle without his weapon, we should go through this life ready to wield the power of God’s Word in every situation.
As we walk through the days with those we are blessed to teach, they learn academic skills, performance skills, and life skills. But our greater goal is to methodically lay out the pieces of armor that God has gifted us, reminding them of each item’s purpose, and how to secure and use it in their lives. At the end of the day, our earnest desire is that students grow in maturity, understanding the deeper truths of God’s Word so that they may “by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:13-14).
And so we equip ambassadors. Not only as messengers of Christ’s Good News, but also as warriors, prepared for the spiritual warfare they will encounter, equipped to stand firm. And after they have done everything, to stand.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Ephesians 6: 10 – 13
I am honored to share his thoughts with you below. I’m also grateful that our students are mentored by Mr. Vaughan and other NCS teachers who equip them to be Ambassadors for Christ!
This year marks 31 years since I graduated college. Back then, I was a relatively new believer, raw with enthusiasm and passionate about the Lord and the Bible. It explains why I forsook my career path in engineering to pursue my love for the Bible at a Bible college. I remember those days of being blown away by the truths of Scripture and captivated by the wealth of knowledge that my professors possessed. I thought, “Man, they’ve spent a lot of time with the Lord.” One professor never came to class with notes. He would show up and just start oozing Old Testament theology and pontificating words in Hebrew. I felt like a ground-level apprentice.
What I didn’t anticipate was the different cultural context in which the Bible was taught and my everyday life experiences played out. I mean, I knew I was going to be attending a predominantly white college but it was just a factual reality. That is until I had to live in the dorms and sit at desks alongside people who didn’t look like me. My city, Plainfield, New Jersey, was predominantly black. Aside from the teachers (and one friend and a crossing guard), my world was saturated with a multiplicity of shades of brown, even albino. My religious context was no different. There was a particular sound for worship. There was a particular style of preaching.
This was a dramatic change in college. Being a minority was a distant truth that never intruded home but quickly it became a close and personal, lived experience. Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum’s best-seller Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? (2017) was a reality for which I could’ve provided commentary. The black table in the cafeteria was a mini oasis for me. Though no one was from Plainfield, everybody was from Plainfield. There was an instant connection of sorts centered around the obvious racial identity and shared experiences of life in a white space.
The “black table” wasn’t exclusive. Others were welcome to sit and dine but it was according to our cultural terms. There were occasional “others” who would dine with us. One, in particular, made me suspicious. She seemed a bit too comfortable, like she was used to being around people who looked different than her. Come to find out she was indeed comfortable. She was from Philadelphia. She attended The Philadelphia School of Creative and Performing Arts which was very diverse. The awkward conversations didn’t happen with her. The curiosity over hairstyles, do-rags, Ebonics, and the like wasn’t there. At this point in her life, she had had a myriad of experiences that afforded her the confidence to be herself and appreciate others.
Over the course of a few years, we developed a pretty good friendship. That’s an understatement. Actually, our seven years of friendship culminated in marriage in 1998! This August 15th, Heidi and I will celebrate 24 years of marriage. Whether directly or indirectly, intentionally or not, we have had to confront ideologies regarding race. This season of life has brought us to a renewed desire to see our “mixed marriage” as an asset and testimony of God’s power to unite two people from two different cultures and ethnicities and create a family that seeks to put the Lord first.
As one who has spent over 30 years in white spaces, I am convinced that the Church can be a lighthouse for how to live, function, and thrive in relationships with those who are different from us. Here are some helpful suggestions for developing those relationships.
The nationally recognized events of 2020 and 2021 revealed that our array of perspectives on race, specifically in the body of Christ, has been underdeveloped, often avoided, and/or rarely examined. However, the hope of our glorious Gospel provides us with the desire, the power, and the means to reflect the heart of Christ to all tribes, nations, languages, and people.