The Journey: PCA Parent Podcast

Meet the PCA Campus Ministry Team

Parents, I know you’re going to be thrilled to meet the PCA Campus Ministry Team - take a listen and learn more about who they are and what they do to serve our PCA community!

PCA Campus Ministry Team Members:

Lainie Montgomery

Stephen Bryant

Courtney Caldwell (PCA Alum, 2012)

Caitlee Nabasny (PCA Alum, 2011)

Caleb Snyder

The Campus Ministry team at PCA coordinates all things in terms of spiritual growth and development for our students and enjoys doing life together with our staff and families. The Campus Ministry team is responsible for the US and MS retreats, chapels (10 each week!), advisory time, Pride of Brothers/Society of Sisters, Red Ribbon Week, various aspects of Homecoming (including H2OCO) Service Project Day, Texas STOMP, Junior/Senior Banquet, National Day of Prayer Graduation, and Operation Christmas Child (to read more about these events, click here). They serve students, families, and faculty at both the Plano and North campuses.

Unleashing the Peace of God

PCA parents, I am so excited to share this incredible episode with you - our guest is Dr. Jeremiah Johnston and he's talking about his new book Unleashing Peace - Experiencing God’s Shalom in Your Pursuit of Happiness - you're going to want to get a copy or two of this resource! Below are just a few highlights of what Jeremiah will share in his book and on this podcast - these truths can literally transform your life and the life of your family!

It saddens me that the church is woefully behind in helping people with mental health issues, because every single person is somewhere on the mental wellness trajectory. Mental wellness is a conversation that includes all people of God.

According to the World Health Organization, depression is now the leading cause of disability in the world.

The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness as the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.

As I see it, Jesus was talking about and teaching wellness before anyone, but he used a different word: shalom - the best form of wellness there is.

Stress kills people and poisons our bodies. Debilitating anxiety has become ubiquitous, unfortunately increasing in all age levels. Rates of major depression in teenages increased 52 percent in the 2010s from the previous decade and 63 percent among young adults.

Shalom, along with its variations, appears 550 times in the Scriptures.

50 Happiness is not a feeling; it is a lifestyle, according to Jesus.

Peace happens through an action verb: thinking.

Philippians 4:8 - Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:9 - What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.

Each time you experience anxiety, try to identify the lies you are thinking and instead focus on the truth. Common lies include: God has forgotten me. God doesn’t love me. God has given up on me. I just committed that sin for the hundredth time. I am never going to make it. I am alone. I am a failure.

Key application: You are never more like Jesus than when you - with great concern (not condemnation or anger or frustration) - intervene with someone in their time of affliction.

So how can we implement the “Presence Principle”? Two words: create margin. We have to resist the busyness of the time that pulls us from the unscheduled moments to be the presence of Jesus for others (and in doing so, experience His power in fresh ways in our own lives).

To experience peace, we must learn to live by faith in the promises and character of God. No one lives by having faith in explanations.

The Bible presents vulnerability as a necessity of balanced Christian living.

“My grace is sufficient for you.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

The seventeenth-century Puritan thinker Richard Baxter keely wrote in a treasured hymn, “Christ leads me through no darker rooms than he went through before.”

You see, our bodies, including our brains, are part of who we are, just as the Holy Spirit is part of who we are. It’s a whole package: body, soul, and spirit. To be at our best, we need to invest time and energy pursuing our best possible health spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

Immediate Steps to Care for Your Body and Mind

• Get enough sleep

• Have daily fitness time

• Work on daily stress management

• Be intentional about what you put into your body

• Maintain a healthy weight

Celebrate PCA‘s 25th Anniversary!

Congratulations PCA on your 25th Anniversary - and thank you to the Caldwell family for all that you did to make PCA a reality! Eddie, Paula, Josh (2010 graduate), Courtney (2012 graduate), and Ryan (2016 graduate) Caldwell.

Eddie Caldwell shared what he thought made PCA the best school and he said that the best part of PCA then, and now, is still the faculty and staff of PCA - those men and women who are with your kids eight hours a day!

Paula Caldwell shared some great life advice for younger parents - enjoy the time, it goes by quickly!!!

Eddie Caldwell also shared a profound question - How do parents raise their children in this world today without a solid Biblical worldview foundation as part of the equation? Well, if you’re at PCA, you’ve already answered that you don’t want to try to raise your children without a solid Biblical worldview as their foundation!

Don't forget to celebrate PCA's 25th year of serving our community with a Christ-centered education founded on God's Word! PCA parents, thank you for being a part of this incredible school - and a special thank you to all the men and women, like the Caldwell family, who helped launch this vision 25 years ago!

PCA Fine Arts

In this episode, you'll hear from Joel T. Rutherford - PCA Director of Fine Arts. Mr. Rutherford is in his 21st year at PCA. To listen to Joel’s professional performances, visit the website for Acoustix, or you can listen to Joel sing our country’s National Anthem at the Mavs game

Mr. Rutherford shares about so many great things happening at PCA in our Art, Band, Choir, and Theater programs at both the PCA Plano and North Campus including that PCA Band just won the TPSMEA All State competition!!!

PCA Band’s Facebook page

PCA offers a play in the fall, and a musical in the spring

PCA also has a Black Box Theater

Support the Arts at PCA

Prestonwood Baptist Church Tree Lighting Festival, Wednesday, Dec. 1 from 5-8 pm

Excellence in all things and all things to the glory of God!

 

National Adoption Month with the Matthews family

Parents, this is more of a call to prayerful action than an informational podcast episode - we get to hear the inspirational story of Tim and Kati Matthews, both staff members at Prestonwood Baptist Church and parents to three PCA lions. The Matthews have a moving and powerful story of God opening their hearts, through some difficult circumstances, to the idea of foster care and/or adoption. After giving birth to two biological daughters, that desire to adopt actually became a reality for the Matthews family as they welcomed J.J. into their family as their son. Listen as Tim and Kati share about the opportunities and challenges of adoption and the call to obedience to be available for God to use as He sees fit.

To find out more about fostering and/or adoption, check out the CHOSEN Ministry at Prestonwood at their website ChosenforChildren.org.  CHOSEN Ministry meets regularly at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. CHOSEN stands for: Christ’s Hope for Orphans: Supporting, Embracing, Nurturing. It is CHOSEN'S collective mission to raise awareness of the need for permanent families for orphan and foster children in the USA and abroad, while supporting families considering or who have already adopted, as an outreach ministry to engage people in the life and love of Jesus Christ through Prestonwood Church.

For purposes of providing a framework to understand foster care and adoption, currently more than 11,000 foster children are currently in foster care throughout the DFW Metroplex, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. However, there are only about 7,000 licensed foster homes, which leaves almost one-third of children in state care without a domestic setting to call home.

From the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website:

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) oversees all foster care standards and requirements. These are some of the basic requirements for potential foster parents; find a complete list here.

• Foster parents must be at least 21 years old; potential foster parents working with Jonathan’s Place must be at least 23 years old.
• There may be no more than six children in the foster home, whether they are adopted, biological or foster children.
• Each child requires their own amount of space based on square feet.
• Children ages 6 or older cannot share a room with a child of the opposite gender.
• There are no set income requirements, but foster parents’ financial stability is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

3+ WAYS TO HELP FOSTER PARENTS—WITHOUT FOSTERING

Being a foster family might not be for everyone, but there is something almost anyone in our community can do to help kids in need. Here are three ways to support foster families:

• Babysit and mentor: Whether through respite care designed to give foster parents a break or just for an occasional outing, babysitting can be arranged formally through an agency or on an individual basis. Mentoring at the residential shelters on-site at Jonathan’s Place can also be formalized with a background check and official inclusion as a volunteer.
• Give material resources: A foster parent spends an average of $500 on each new placement, according to leading statistics, as a foster child usually arrives without any personal items. It’s uncertain how long the placement will last, and foster children often take items with them. Items such as clothing, shoes, diapers, sheets and other daily-use articles can make an important difference in a child’s quality of life. A child often changes schools when he or she goes to a new foster home; for that reason, school supplies are needed year-round. Amazon.com’s wishlists and monthly donations are also easy ways to give.
• Sponsor a unique interest: Foster children are just like kids everywhere, with interests such as sports, cheer, music, dance and other motivating passions that instill confidence and build skills. Continuing with a previously-established routine through a series of classes or being involved with a familiar pursuit kids have an affinity for already can also provide a sense of normalcy to a child whose life is otherwise in transition. Consider sponsoring an after-school activity, purchasing needed items such as band uniforms or dance shoes, or coordinating a themed birthday party.

Another interesting note - The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services reports that 6,397 sibling groups in the state of Texas are currently in foster care. Of those, 33.8% of them are not placed together. The multiple losses a child experiences when entering foster care is compounded by the unexpected loss of sibling separation. As one foster care alumni shared, “Being separated from my entire life was bad enough but being separated from my siblings is still painful.”

FREEDOM WEEKEND Information with Jason Mick

Parents, you’ll want to sign up your 7th - 12th grade students for FREEDOM WEEKEND asap! Visit the Prestonwood Students website to find out all the information you’ll need and to sign up your students for this incredible event. Everything (and I mean everything) you need to know, including the ability to purchase MERCH (merchandise) for your students is on this site. Mark your calendars now for FREEDOM WEEKEND - Feb. 2, 4-6, 2022. And, don’t forget that the location and ability to sign up for BEACH CAMP is announced at FREEDOM WEEKEND - you won’t want to miss that either!

Meet Lisa McNair at STCA

Listen to the heart and vision of Lisa McNair, Head of School at St. Timothy’s Christian Academy, a school “made up of extraordinary students, encouraging parents, and great educators and support staff” addressing the various learning differences and styles of their student body. 

From the STCA website:

St. Timothy Christian Academy exists to support families and educate students with learning differences in grades K-12 in a redemptive Christian environment, helping them realize their full potential as a child of God.

Recognizing the unique learning style of each student, we are committed to bringing academic success to students who may have faced failures in traditional classroom settings. Skilled in innovative teaching methods and approaches, our staff strives to stimulate the learning style of each student through the adaptation of individualized curriculum, specialized assessments, pacing, and grading that is tailored to each child. We celebrate their differences!

Certified teaching professionals provide a multi-sensory learning environment in all core classes, as well as Bible, Art, technology, and adaptive P.E. classes. Social skills are an integral part of the educational program. Our staff incorporates social skills instruction in all that we do, interweaving Biblical principles. Social skills are modeled for our students in daily interaction with peer interns from Prestonwood Christian Academy.

Our students have at least one diagnosed learning difference. These could include, but are not limited to:

• ADD/ADHD
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Processing and Speech Disorders
• Dyslexia and Dysgraphia
• Mood Disorders
• Chromosomal Disorders
• Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

We have a low student/teacher ratio which enables us to meet each child’s individual learning needs. Each of our certified teachers employ a multi-sensory approach to instruction.

To learn more about STCA, please visit their website at https:www.staplano.org/

Parent Prep for BWI

Parents, get ready for an incredible two-day Biblical worldview training conference - PCA’s Biblical Worldview Institute (BWi) will be Tuesday and Wednesday, November 9th and 10th. This year’s theme is Civility and the line-up of speakers and topics is fantastic - we would love to see you for any or all of the sessions! On Tuesday, students will hear from Alexandra Hudson, author of Against Politeness, a soon-to-be-released book on why “civility” is more important than “politeness” in our current cultural climate. There will also be a panel discussion with college presidents Dr. Adam Wright (DBU) and Dr. Blake Thompson (Mississippi College) along with Alliance Defending Freedom attorney and former PCA parent Ryan Bangert discussing the “cancel culture” on the college campus and how as Christians we need to learn to engage and not shy away from the opportunity to live boldly for Christ while in college. The final session for Tuesday morning will feature Dr. Jeremiah Johnston, president of the Christian Thinkers Society and author of a new book titled Unleashing Peace: Experiencing God’s Shalom in Your Pursuit of Happiness. 

On Wednesday morning, students will get to hear from Darrell Harrison with Just Thinking Ministries as well as Caleb Kaltenbach, author of Messy Truth: How to Foster Community without Sacrificing Conviction - incredible book, convicting and encouraging at the same time! And Wednesday’s session will end with a crowd favorite - Christian illusionist Jim Munroe - check out his I Am Second testimony!

To learn more about the BWi event and to register for attendance, check out the PCA website HERE. To check out some of our incredible past BWi conferences and speakers, click HERE.

Meet the PCA US College Counselors

Listen as we learn from the incredibly wise PCA college and career counseling department at PCA, Plano and North campuses - Jodi Benavidez, Toni King, and Kristin Dysart share some great insight for parents about how to prepare for the next chapter for their students following graduation from PCA. What does it mean for a college to be a “good fit” for your student? How important are grades and SAT/ACT scores? Should I attend the same college as my parents and/or friends? What role does your faith play in selecting a college? Listen and learn from the vast experience of these incredible women who want to make the college search process smooth and successful for your family!

Meet Dr. Thomas at The King‘s Academy

PCA Parent Podcast - Dr. Shailendra Thomas

The King’s Academy

469-372-2502

office@tkadallas.org

https://www.tkadallas.org/

Served for the past 25 years for three outstanding Christian schools

Head of School for Fellowship Christian Academy

Head of School at Scofield Christian School

Head of School at The King’s Academy 

Member of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship

 

An exemplary education with a Christ-centered distinctive meeting the needs of a lower socio-economic community in the Bonton (Dallas) area.

 

Prayer requests:

1. Want to continue to expand one grade each year
2. Want to get a building of their own - and stay in the 75215 zip code
3. Looking for partners who want to sponsor a child’s monthly education costs