Dear Harbor Light Christian School Family,

In October, HLCS paused instruction for two days in 7-12th grade to focus on serving our local community. Mission work and serving others is a core value we aim to impart at Harbor Light. In the Gospel of Mark, we are reminded in verse 45: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” As a staff, we desire to model a joyful Christ-like servitude for our students. In addition to serving in the community and in our churches, our staff members consider their role missionary positions. We have the desire to also provide opportunities to reach out to the community in the name of Jesus.

On a personal note, prior to joining the staff at HLCS, I honestly hadn’t spent a whole lot of time thinking about missions or service. Sure, I thought it would be fun to go on a mission trip “one day” with my family. I also joyfully served in the community, but it wasn’t necessarily with a mission mindset. I hadn’t been taught or trained to serve. In my time here at HLCS, my heart for missions has grown. I see that growth in our students, too, as I watch them serve, connect to the community, and bless others. I am glad we have the opportunity to intentionally train and model serving for students.

A few weeks ago when I was teaching Senior Seminar, I showed a Right Now Media video on living life on purpose. One of the speakers shared a John Piper quote that caught my attention. He said, “You have three choices in world missions: be a joyful, sacrificial goer, be a joyful, sacrificial sender, or be disobedient.” Classroom time and learning days are so important to educators. I am thankful, however, that we sacrifice some of our classroom seat time for reaching out in the name of Jesus. The great commission calls us to, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 This great encouragement grounds us in the purpose of what we are doing. As much as we are preparing students for their future occupation, we are also helping shape disciples.

In conclusion, let me share a summary that our HLCS local missions coordinator, Heather Standish, put together describing how God used the students of HLCS:

• We went to 40+ different locations in East Jordan, Pellston, Alanson, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Boyne City, Conway, Indian River, & Harbor Springs.

• We helped widows, homeless, overwhelmed, elderly, disabled, sick & lonely.

• A total of over 550 hours devoted to making bags for the homeless, picking up garbage so God's beauty could be seen, organizing so an elderly woman could find important documents, raking, mucking, wood hauling & stacking.

• Over 30 dinners & desserts cooked

• Missionaries Brian and Venera Peters, who served in Russia for 10 years, led a devotion for the students each day.

• For the first time, elementary students joined the older students in serving around the school!

• God received the glory for our efforts!

As we approach Thanksgiving, let me share a heartfelt “thank you” for the continued opportunity to serve as the administrator of this incredible school. It is a blessing to watch the way God knits the community together at Harbor Light to prepare the next generation to lead and love for Christ. We have pretty amazing students! I cannot wait to see where God sends them!

Many blessings,

Mrs. Dutcher

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• "vs." indicates the game will be played at home.
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November

18- Junior High Basketball @ Alanson

25- Alumni Games

December

2- Girls Basketball vs. Brimley (5:30 pm)

5- Boys Basketball vs. TC Christian (5:30 pm)

6- JV/V Basketball @ Gaylord St. Mary's (5:30 pm)

6- Girls Basketball vs. Alba (5:30 pm)

8- Boys Basketball vs. Ellsworth (5:30 pm)

9- Girls Basketball @ Ellsworth time TBD

12- Boys Basketball @ Wolverine (5:30 pm)

20- Varsity Girls Basketball @ Pellston (6 pm)

22- Varsity Basketball vs. Atlanta (Girls @ 5:30 pm, Boys @ 7 pm)

Please click HERE for the school calendar which is updated as needed.

This month, we feature Christin Goldsmith's review of Growing up Social. Christin is the mother of Pippa, Lincoln, and Crew.

"One morning, I was scouting the internet for yet another parenting book, and the book 'Growing Up Social' by Gary Chapman and Arlene Pellicane popped up. I knew that Gary Chapman was a reputable author having wrote “The 5 Love Languages” and many other books. The reason for my search was probably for the same challenges that parents my age are facing : Why won’t my kids just listen? Why do they not respect me? Why can’t they focus? Why is our house filled with yelling- when we are loving, present parents? Why is our discipline not working?

I was not prepared for raising children in a digital age! Once I started reading the first chapter, tears were streaming down my face. It was as if the Holy Spirit was gently correcting me as a parent and downloading a plan for our family and what changes needed to be made. I had to grab sticky notes from my glove box just to keep up with all of the tools, tips, and information He was sharing with me! I started implementing the changes right away and we have seen a shift in our house. Was it sunshine and rainbows day one, No! But is God up to something huge for us, Yes!

If you have asked yourself any of those questions or feel ill-prepared for raising children in this digital world, please pick up this book. I have been sharing with every parent that I can what a difference this has made for our family!"

We are a few short months from being able to open the Solid Rock Center to the public, and we are in the midst of a game-changing campaign.

A generous donor has stepped forward and is offering a matching grant of $100,000, so, during the month of November only, your gift of any size will have double the impact.

Call the school at 231-347-7859 to donate by phone, or contact Jennie Cope at jcope@harborlight.org to talk about other ways to make a gift!

Check out the gauge to the right to see our progress so far, and enjoy the following video featuring our very own Clark Hewitt!

Have any leads? Contact Jennie Cope at jcope@harborlight.org.