Hello Classical Conversations Friends!
There is no greater time to be thankful than the present.
Because Gratefulness and Compaining cannot occupy the same space, I decided to share some of the things that I am thankful for, as a parent/tutor/director who has been involved in this program for eleven years – now heading into Year Twelve!
We can take offense, and sometimes the voices of the offended can echo louder than those who are not – even swaying the mind to question one’s own contentment.
I’d rather Stand on the Offense, and make a power-move of gratitude!
Our family has benefited tremendously from the structure of this program. We have seen the leaders at the highest levels of leadership up close and personal, as they would have planning meetings on our ministry property. As the kids and I would refresh the toilet paper rolls in bathrooms, wipe down the kitchen, clear the laid out breakfast for lunch, and set out coffees, teas, and snacks, we would hear the vibrant chatter and intellectually stimulating dialogue — trust me; they spent their time on task to provide beautiful material, and with hearts of kindness and love.
On our campus, we’ve walked through the changeovers of directors through the years, always asking, “What can we do to help? What do you need? How can we serve?”
Why?
Because of what this program – and being a part of community – was doing for our homeschooling experience.
Were there ever bumps?
Yes.
What did we do?
We became MORE involved, to see what we could do to help foster the environment that we were desiring.
Mike directed with a TEAM LEADERSHIP approach for two and a half years before his sudden passing. From there, I continued to direct for the next two and a half years, relying heavily on a team of incredible, rock-star mamas!
Relationships grew.
Things YOU can do to foster Relational Connection within YOUR CC campus:
- Mom nights
- Field Trips
- Intentional Events — go all out with your End of Year Ceremony!
- Include all ages whenever you are able!
- Family experiences
- Spring Field Day
- Yearbooks
- Art Gallery
- BizTown event
- Individual class outings
- Be creative, and use the interests of your families as your gauge!
When needed, invite uncomfortable conversations, but don’t tolerate gossip, slander, or critical embittered venting. It’s not helpful to anyone, and eats away at relational growth like a cancer!
Instead…
Celebrate what you LOVE!
Share what is going RIGHT!
Breathe LIFE into your leaders, and into one another!
Foster a Spirit of Encouragement!
Acknowledge the POSITIVES in every child and parent — it’s there!
What have you done to support your CC community? How involved in solutions have you been willing to become? Are you relationally committed and connected to others, and if so, how did that grow?
Everyone has a great story to share, and we’d love to hear YOURS!
Let’s REVIVE and REFRESH with gratitude this season!!!
Expressing thanks and believing favor,
Ami
Director and CC Mama in North Carolina
Ami, What a blessing you are to so many! I am so excited for your new leadership role with CC in High Point!!! I too, have been blessed by Classical Conversations. This year I graduate my last child (of 4) from CC! It has been a 20 year ride (with lots of hills and valleys. I am so grateful for the academic accountability of this program, the lifelong friendships, the spiritual guidance for my children and the ability to direct a Challenge for many years. May God continue to bless you for your faithfulness to Him! Love you!!!
You have raised a generation that is impacting the next in such powerful ways!
Thank you for always pouring into new CC families and offering all of your love and support!
And thank you for writing your gratitude!!!
Ami, thank you for your transparency, your commitment to CC, your continual commitment to serve the Lord and the CC community. I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve Him in this way, to love and connect with families every week, and see families connect, encourage, and love on one another through the celebrations and trials of life. As Dawn said, I love the accountability of the program, the ability for my older children to have safe, fruitful conversations as they begin to speak about their faith with peers, how they are challenged in world views and have the freedom of speach under the head of a grounded Christian director who loves and cares not only for them as a person but has a passion to see them become world changers. I am thankful for our Host Church, The Bridge Fellowhsip, for their commitment to CC and our Lord who is the head of our program, and whom we can serve alongside with the same mission to Know God and Make Him Known. I am so thankful for the moms and dads who have stepped it up and trusted God to equip them for what they are called to do in tutoring/directing God’s children classically, as well as the ones who are taking the step of faith in serving the community and look forward to what God has for them 1year, 3 years, 5 years from now in CC. It takes commitment to trust the process and having relationships in the community help to foster that commitment when maybe you don’t see it! Thank you for all who are reading this and are committed, and for those who are willing to see God work in their lives and their children’s life as we continue to train up our children in the way they should go, so that when they are old they will not depart from it! Praise be to God for The encouragement that individuals receive from this post as we all serve Him together as sister communities one with another.
What amazing words, Jen! I love this and am thankful for you! You are just the right director for this time, and you are doing remarkable things in the Spirit of the Lord! Love you!
Real question, no snark: did CC ask you to write this?
Not at all 🙂
I just get extremely tired of the negative.
Thanks for asking!