Seacoast Christian School
– A History
(excerpt from History of Seacoast Christian School by Roy Reynolds)
1984 – “The Beginning”
Seacoast Christian School (SCS) is blessed with a long history of God’s faithfulness to people who love Him and want to see children educated in a school that blends sound Biblical teaching with solid, traditional academics.
The birth of SCS occurred during the summer of 1984 and stands as a testimony to God’s ability to make “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28. The story of how several teachers and many families pulled together during that challenging summer, in obedience to God’s leading, lends a different perspective to just what God can do when people set out in faith.
June 1984- “Drawing faith in bleak circumstances
The "summer of 1984" found seven teachers and many school families feeling the need to establish a new Christian school, called of God, and wondering how it would all come together before the approaching fall and school year. The future seemed uncertain and rather bleak. Several options were discussed—among them the potential for starting another Christian school in New Hampshire, as a private corporation. Informal meetings were held, ideas were posed, and questions raised.
However, deep down was a gnawing feeling of doubt that something so huge could come together so quickly. A new school year loomed a few short months ahead. The door for a New Hampshire school was closed quickly and other ideas only led to similar dead-ends.
So we continued to pray. The stories and hymns of old inspired us with the assurance that God was faithful to those who followed Him in the past and we were reminded that He was still on His throne.
Mid July, 1984 - "God's Mysterious Ways"
God moves in mysterious ways, as the hymn says, setting the stage for His wonderous works. One of the teachers encountered a friend who shared about a new State of Maine ruling, recently passed, which allowed churches to begin day schools with a minimum of state regulations. Could this be a door beginning to open?
We steered ourselves into a closer look at a church-run school. Discussions with the Maine Association of Christian schools revealed that is it was indeed possible for us to start a school if a church would sponsor it. Although it seemed unlikely that a little Baptist church with no expendable resources could ever start let alone sponsor a school, the deacons of the South Berwick Free Baptist church were approached to see if they would consider this arrangement.
It was soon apparent that God, indeed, was leading us through the storm. One deacon was somehow reached by telephone while vacationing in Nova Scotia, and the rest of the board was contacted and each one was accepting of a move forward to support this new ministry. There was, however, one stipulation for the new ministry: the church could not provide any financial commitment.
Being already July, and with this looming stipulation, interested families were contacted and a meeting was set up. A ray of hope was breaking through the darkened clouds! During the meeting a proposal to speak to the pastors of The Bible Speaks was made. It had been years since their vacant facilities were used as a parochial school but they would be a suitable location for the school. At a meeting with the pastors they agreed to progress with this possibility, noting that “if God was leading—and if we can get it all together in time – they would rent space to us”. However, even they held out little promise. Again, it all seemed too much to accomplish in the time available.
Late July 1984 – Stepping out in Faith and Prayer
Several teachers met to plan and to pray. Two key teachers were in Europe backpacking. They were aware of the situation and one, Glenda Farrington, had assured us she would teach if things worked out. We were hoping the other key teacher, Belinda Marenius, would also agree to join the staff in the fall. We desperately needed her to teach 7th and 8th grade English and History.
We were unable to contact them directly to confirm arrangements. All we could do was to contact their parents and hope they could relay the situation to them when they called from Europe. We were counting on Glenda, but Belinda was as yet undecided. Her parents advised that Belinda couldn’t confirm her availability until she returned from Europe just days before our school’s targeted opening--another variable we had to leave in God’s hands.
The rest of the teachers we needed willingly stepped out in faith with this new venture! It was humbling to see the simple faith and trust they exhibited. No one questioned that God would indeed direct and guide. Everyone fully trusted Him despite the incredible uncertainty—even precariousness—of the situation. Several of the teachers actually offered to work for no salary, if necessary, in order to get the school off the ground.
Early August, 1984 - “It’s really happening!”
Another meeting was held for the parents. But this time it was different—we were finally able to announce that we were moving ahead with our vision. We would now be accepting registrations for school. It would be a step of faith for everyone, since we really had no guarantees of anything at this point.
Pastor Roy Reynolds, of the sponsoring South Berwick Baptist Church, approached Mary Alessi, a member of the church, requesting her to consider being the school treasurer. She willingly agreed, offering to do it for no salary, as a ministry for the Lord. Another need was met, and what a blessing she has been.
Next, Helen Corson, a former school secretary who had taught at another school with the other teachers, graciously took charge of the entire registration process, greatly relieving us of those responsibilities. What a blessing it was to have many hands taking up the many tasks before us! It seemed miraculous when people actually showed up to register their children. We wondered at the magnitude of the undertaking. Did we even know what we were doing?
They say the wheels of government turn slowly. But it was amazing to see how the Lord opened door after door with the agencies we had to deal with to enable the school’s opening. In spite of the timing of our many calls to several state organizations during a heavy summer vacation period, all the necessary contacts were established.
However, one critical matter needed to be resolved before Seacoast Christian School (a name suggested by one of the teachers, Esther Wooten) could officially open. The facilities had to be approved by the state fire marshal.When contacted, however, he referred to his significant backlog of inspections and doubted if he could make it to South Berwick in time to inspect the building for the school's opening. His response to our question,”Can we open conditionally until he arrived?” was answered with a firm “no”. This matter was brought to fervent prayer.
In another step of faith, trusting that God was still leading, we moved ahead with our plans and hoped for what seemed to be the impossible. Registrations continued to flow in, a great encouragement to us and a big step of faith for parents who had no real assurance that a school would open in time. Yet God granted to each one, in different ways, the assurance to step out in faithfulness to His leading.
Classrooms at The Bible Speaks facility were made available, however there were no desks or supplies yet. Through various meetings with the folks at The Bible Speaks, we learned they had some desks in storage, desks unused for many years. Both teachers and parents worked together in the storage loft above the gazebo, sifting through piles of miscellaneous debris, broken pieces of old furniture and musty boxes. Somewhere in the middle of it all, dusty wooden desks of all sizes and shapes began to appear.
Yes, they were archaic ones, complete with ink wells carved into the lids, but they would more than serve our purposes! They were desks—and they would clean up nicely, given a little elbow grease. In God’s providence, we found just enough in the right sizes to meet our growing enrollment.
But we still needed something for the little ones in first and second grade. Someone suggested borrowing adjustable-height banquet tables from True Memorial Baptist Church as a temporary measure. When the True Memorial church leaders were approached, they graciously agreed. So on the weekends, the tables were to be transported back and forth between the church and the school. Many volunteers offered to help transport them, making the cumbersome task manageable.
A few monetary donations came our way as God stirred hearts. We were able to procure teachers’ desks, a spirit duplicator for making copies of lessons and tests, and were able to acquire our own tables and chairs. It was encouraging to see God’s faithfulness in providing all things, both small and large.
Late August, 1984- “Final miracles take our breath away”
In the midst of all the meetings, phone calls and work, several teachers drafted a school calendar and other necessary paperwork. No one can forget the excitement in planning our own days off for holidays and vacations! For the first time ever, we could decide to close for Columbus Day and how many snow days to allot! Putting a calendar together made everything look so real—it was amazing yet staggering.
By the time we were able to place the book order for our first year of classes only three weeks remained until opening day. All the parents agreed to pay cash up front for the books. We mailed out our book order with a cashiers check and bathed the order in prayer that it would arrive in time. The book company offered no assurances. We explained our situation, but were told the expected time for delivery was six to eight weeks, well into our first month of school. This order emerged as an area needing much prayer. If nothing else that summer, we were all palpably aware of our complete reliance on God. How would God work out the myriad of details?
It was not just the book order, we were still operating under the extremely tenuous prospect of the fire marshal performing an inspection to allow the school to even open its doors. We felt a little like the pleading father of the demoniac son to whom Jesus said, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” He responded, “Lord, I believe; help Thou my unbelief.”
Then, literally out of the blue, we received a phone call one morning from The Bible Speaks saying the state fire marshal was there waiting to do an inspection! In God’s providence, Pastor Reynolds, new administrator for SCS, “happened” to be home when the call came. And it just so “happened” that the fire marshall was one of God’s own. He was, unbeknownst to us, a brother in the Lord and another tool in God’s hand to facilitate His work. After inspecting the building, the fire marshall gave us the needed approval along with a list of modifications to the facilities required for compliance.
God’s provision to accomplish these modifications came through a man named Keith Redimarker, the maintenance man at The Bible Speaks. Keith was with us when we met with the fire marshal, and graciously volunteered to install the sprinkler system and do the other extensive work items necessary to bring us up to code. We will never be able to thank Keith enough for the hours he put in.
Two of our key teachers, Belinda Marenius and Glenda Farrington, arrived back from Europe and both agreed to teach for a minimal salary, along with the rest of us. Praise God! We now had the teachers, the students, the building and the desks. What we still didn’t have was the books, and the school was to open the Wednesday after Labor Day.
Enter another miracle…something we will never forget. Exactly seventeen days after we ordered the books, to our amazement (but in direct answer to our prayers), a delivery truck pulled up to the church. Four huge cartons of school books were unloaded. Pastor Reynolds recalls standing in amazement at the sight. It as the Thursday before Labor Day weekend. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Early September, 1984 – “Seacoast Christian School opens its doors!”
On Wednesday, September 5, 1984, Seacoast Christian School opened its doors for class for the first time, on schedule and meeting all state requirements.
We stood there waiting to see if students would actually walk through the doors. It all seemed too good to be true. God’s hand of guidance had clearly been on every step of this journey. God may move in mysterious ways, but when He does, He moves in mighty ways. Soon, sure enough, cars began to arrive, and we watched little girls and and little boys getting dropped off dressed in their newest school clothes, all excited for a new year at a new school.
It had begun!
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Epilogue
On that day in the fall of 1984 eighty-eight students arrived opening day of Seacoast Christian School, settling into classes in grades pre-K through 8 with six full-time staff members.Impossible? With God all things are possible!It was a giant leap of faith that got us all there. No one knew for sure if the school could make it. But by God’s grace we completed the first year in the black and never missed a single pay period.
The parents of those children were not looking for a new facility with all the accoutrements that some have come to believe are necessary for a good education today. They were thankful to God for a place to have their children educated by godly teachers with servant hearts. The building really didn’t matter. A solid education based on Biblical principles was what they wanted. And that, by God’s grace, is what their children received.None of us will forget that first year.
The memories of the children in the lower grades playing dodge ball out a at recess with the “big” eighth-graders; the little hole-in-the-wall “main office” from which went forth the first of many Parent Weeklies; all the many other things God did to provide for us in ways beyond what we could ask or think, or even imagine.
As the school grew, so did our need for more space. Thankfully, Keith Redimarker was always willing and ready to put a new wall here or tear down an old one there to accommodate our classroom needs. Other hurdles appeared from time to time over the years. Some were major, like the removal of asbestos from the building, others were minor. But God always provided the funds and the way to surmount them.High School classes were added and we had our first graduating class of two students in 1988.
Our athletic opportunities expanded from recess dodge ball games the first year to physical education classes, volleyball teams, track teams, undefeated basketball teams, a championship swim team, and a class D state cross-country team. Other extracurricular activities included spelling bees, math meets, high school choral group and art classes.Scripture tells us to “be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord,” I Corinthians 15:58.
Just what is it that gives value to all of the labor and cost involved in starting a new Christian school? Perhaps it can be summed up in the experience of one of those first families. One particular grandfather felt a burden for the school and, in addition to donating money, he was one of those who volunteered to transport those banquet tables back and forth from school to the True Memorial church each week. He wanted to make sure his grandson had the opportunity to attend a Christian school. Well, that little boy was one of the first to receive Christ at one of our very first chapels. This made it all worthwhile!
Truly our labors are not in vain in the Lord.From the human side of things, the real credit must go to that handful of teachers who took that first step of faith together because they loved the Lord and desired to serve Him, regardless of the cost! What a blessing they were and what a testimony they had AND still have, today!
God bless you, Linda Dawson, Esther Wooten, Glenda Farrington, Lois Kent, Belinda Marenius and Glenda McChesney. You were the heart of the school and instruments God used to do His bidding.
Only God knows how many children came to Christ through your labors.And praise be to God for His faithfulness in honoring the faith of those who trusted him to provide and to bless. To God be the glory, great things He hath done! That was how it all began for Seacoast Christian School.
Our goal today remains what it was twenty years ago: “That in all things Christ might have the preeminence” Colossians 1:18
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