Not So With You

We are grateful for every Greenhouse Builder who prays, provides, and promotes. Yours is a vital role in the ongoing work of this ministry.

Our annual spring fundraiser, Flourish, will be held on April 27. I want to invite you to surround this event with your prayers. Kindly pray that the various student musicians and presenters will participate with joy and confidence. Pray that Dr. Root’s keynote address will be encouraging and thought-provoking. Pray that many will want to attend and be blessed in doing so. Pray that invitations will be warmly received. Pray for those helping behind the scenes. Pray that there will be robust giving and prayer support for the mission of Greenhouse.

There are many ways to misstep when organizing a fundraising event. One can substitute manipulation for invitation, self-reliance for godly dependence, fear for faithfulness. Being aware of our unsanctified propensities is a gift. From our post-Resurrection vantage point 2,000 years after Christ, it is easy for us to find fault with Jesus’ disciples. For example, when we read about James and John asking for places of honor, we wonder how they missed the point.

Mark 10:41-45 (NIV)

When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 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.”

In his shocking humility, Jesus upends our notions of greatness. If you want to be great, then pick up your towel and basin and start washing feet. Christ Himself is the greatest example of a servant, who not only serves but sacrificially lays down His life for the sake of others. As we pass through Holy Week and into Eastertide, consider those places where you resist serving, and invite the transforming presence of the Risen Christ to soften and strengthen your heart. May we rush headlong into the greatness that comes only by habitually serving the people around us, trusting in the power of God’s Spirit.

An Arrow Prayer

Your support as a Greenhouse Builder is not something we take for granted. Thank you for giving, praying and promoting.

Every March the students perform in the play. This year’s play – Here, in the Gates – is set in ancient Israel and includes some of the history of Nehemiah. Please pray that the directors, Ellie Tate and Robin Wiper, will be able to draw out the students’ best collaborative efforts. Pray for the students to rehearse faithfully, and to perform with joy, offering the play as a gift to their audiences. Pray for Michelle Keil and Sydney Lawrence as the producers, and for all the volunteers helping with aspects of the play. Pray that the community will be strengthened as everyone works together.

During one of our chapel times (Opening Doors) in play season, we point students to the life of Nehemiah when he petitions King Artaxerxes to be able to return to the ruins of Jerusalem to rebuild the city. The passage suggests that Nehemiah shot a quick “arrow prayer” to the Lord in the midst of his fraught conversation with the king.

Nehemiah 2:2-5 (NIV)

I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

In the reign of Artaxerxes, appearing sad in the presence of the king could be a capital offense. That’s why Nehemiah was frightened. He tells us that, in the middle of the conversation, he prayed to God (a quick arrow prayer) and then answered the king. His heart’s reflex in a stressful encounter was to turn to the Lord before responding. Is that your heart’s reflex? Are you so accustomed to speaking with the Lord that it is He to whom you turn when distressed? May it be so for each of us. And may we be ruthless in repenting of habits of heart which blunt our communion with the Lord who loves us.

Draw Near to God

Builders, we appreciate every time you have prayed, given, or advocated for Greenhouse. Thank you.

Our servant leadership motif in 2025-26 is Believing. This month we invite you to pray for all those connected with Greenhouse to be strong in their faith. Some of our students and alumni do not claim follow Jesus Christ at this point in their lives. Others are wrestling with difficult questions or overwhelming circumstances. Please pray that we may all be strengthened to trust God as he reveals himself in the Scriptures, through his Son, by his Spirit, and among his people. May we find our rest in him alone.

At Greenhouse we have been memorizing Hebrews 11 together, related to the theme of Believing. It is often referred to as the “Hall of Faith” chapter as it rehearses the lives of many who placed their trust in the Lord God. The God of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Sarah, Abraham, and the others is the same God we worship. He is as utterly worthy of our trust, allegiance, and adoration today as he was in Bible times.

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Are there situations in which you are tempted to doubt the existence, or perhaps the goodness, of God? Let us draw near to him at those very moments because in the act of drawing near we acknowledge his existence. There are times we cry out like the father in Mark 9, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” In approaching the Lord, we attest that our hope is fixed on him. It is he who rewards those who seek him. May we increasingly rest in that truth this year.

The Will of God for You

Thank you for being a Greenhouse Builder. Thank you for giving, praying and promoting. We cherish your partnership in the ministry of Greenhouse.

This month we invite you to pray for the elective program. Several courses will start in January:  Applied Psychology, Basic Art Skills for Kindergarteners, Contra Dancing, Improv, Orchestra, Painting, Rivendell Readers and Writers Guild, and Rock Climbing. Please pray that teachers will build strong rapport with their students, and that students will get acclimated to their new classes. Pray as we discern what new classes to offer next school year. 

Let’s consider these admonitions from Paul as we embark on the New Year.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

It is not unusual to hear Christians, especially young people, talk about trying to discern the will of God. Thankfully, the Lord has told us in some jarring general terms exactly what His will for us is:  Rejoice, pray, and be thankful … always, continually, in all circumstances. As we embark on a new year, ask for the Spirit of the Lord to show you where you may be constraining joy, neglecting prayer, or struggling to give thanks. When we soft-heartedly and trustingly follow Him in these simple yet profound practices, we live in His will for us. May it be so among the greater Greenhouse community throughout 2026.

In Quietness

Thank you for your ongoing intercession on behalf of Greenhouse. We appreciate your doing the work of prayer as we seek the Lord’s favor.

This month, please pray for the members of the board. Their governance role is important as they seek to safeguard the mission of Greenhouse and discern how the Lord is leading into the future. Ask the Lord to prepare new people to join the Board in the months ahead, as several veteran members reach the end of their terms.

In the church calendar, Advent is a season in which God’s people prepare their hearts to celebrate Christ’s first coming and anticipate His second coming. We must step outside the frenzied currents of our culture, if we are to gather some moments of solitude. It takes great intentionality to be quiet in our day. Listen to the Lord’s rebuke of the obstinate nation in Isaiah’s prophecy.

 Isaiah 30:15 (NIV)

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

During this Advent season, contemplate whether you resist the rest and quietness to which He calls us. Are there places where you need to repent, turn about? Are there ways in which you are looking to yourself for strength, rather than trusting in the Lord? Searching questions, asked in quietness, can reveal our neediness and prepare our hearts for the Lord. May it be so for all of us!

Take Heart

We are so thankful for your role in supporting Greenhouse with your prayers and gifts. This month we ask you not only to pray, but also to advocate for Greenhouse with any families you know who would be well-suited to our mission.

Along that line, we ask you to join us in praying for additional students to join the core program in January. Specifically, we are praying for 6-9 students in first and second grades, as well as a few in eighth grade and one each in third and fourth. Pray that suitable families aligned with our servant leadership mission will apply before the November 15 deadline.

This school year, we are memorizing Hebrews 11, which many refer to as the Hall of Faith, followed by this passage…

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NCB)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that weighs us down and the sins that so easily distract us and with perseverance run the race that lies ahead of us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Are you aware of anything you need to “throw off” or any sin which is distracting you in the race? If so, in what ways could you better fix your eyes on Jesus? After all, He is the author of our faith, and it is He who has written the story in which we live. Therefore, let us trust Him fully as we live out our stories. Sometimes mid-story, we may be tempted to lose heart, or grow weary. That’s when we do well to consider Christ.

For the sake of the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, ignoring its shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Reflect on how he endured such great hostility from sinners so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.

In our life together at Greenhouse, in our families, neighborhoods, churches and workplaces, may we consider Christ and take heart this month.

Drawing Near to God

Thank you, Builders, for every time you have prayed, given, or promoted on behalf of Greenhouse.

During October and early November, most Greenhouse families will be involved with our annual Serve-a-Thon. Pray as they select their service projects. Pray as the students send out letters asking for people’s support. Pray as everyone serves side-by-side at various sites. Pray that the ministries and individuals we serve will be blessed by the work done on their behalf.

In his letter, the apostle James speaks candidly about how we can pray ineffectively, even wrongly. Let’s read and heed his admonition:

James 4:2-8 (NIV)

You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?  But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

To be numbered among the adulterous people, sinners and double-minded is humbling. None of us wants to be characterized in that way. And yet, our friendship with the world, and our desire to please ourselves, set us at odds with the way of Christ. Thankfully, God shows favor and mercy when we humble ourselves, confessing the prideful postures of our heart. As we prayerfully invite the washing and purifying work of God’s Spirit, He draws close to us and our prayers more closely reflect Him and His Kingdom. May this be true as pray for Greenhouse, as well as for those whose life’s journey we share.

Belief and Unbelief

Builders, we appreciate your prayers, provisions, and promotion for Greenhouse as we start the 2025-26 school year.

This month please pray that our new faculty and staff will get acclimated quickly and begin building good rapport both with colleagues and the students and families they serve. This fall we welcome five new employees: Melissa Aldana (Anatomy & Physiology Teacher), Jori Root (Designer), Olga Shroff (Applied Psychology Teacher), Jessica Smith (History & Lit Teacher), and Emily Wencel (Spanish 1 Teacher).

Throughout 2025-26, we will focus on “Believing” as our servant leadership theme. Many of us will memorize Hebrews 11, that great catalog of those who believed God. Perhaps you wonder whether your faith is in fact comparable to that of the saints of old. Perhaps you more closely identify with the man in Mark 9 who hoped to have his son delivered from a demon.

Mark 9:21-24 (ESV)

And Jesus asked [the man], “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

The man was on the right track. He had come to the right person. He believed that the hope for his son’s healing could be realized through the remarkable person of Jesus, despite the failure of Jesus’ disciples to help. Jesus’ invitation to believe comes amidst wavering faith: “All things are possible for the one who believes.” How deeply do we believe Him? Is our heart’s posture similar to the man who cries out “I believe; help my unbelief”? What is God calling you to trust Him for in this season? Rest in the promises of His Word. He is worthy of our utter belief. May we believe in Him, more than we believe in our ability to believe.

How People Know We Follow Jesus

We are thankful for all who give to, pray for, or promote Greenhouse and support our mission.

Before the school year begins, I invite you to pray for the community which will be formed at Greenhouse this year. Pray that God will be honored, students will be built up, and families and teachers will be encouraged. Pray for the 80 new students to quickly feel at home and begin building friendships with classmates. Please pray for the Lord to bless the Community Care Coordinators as they help new families get connected and acclimated. Ask the Lord to help us become “a community marked by integrity, humility, and love.”*

1 John 3:18 (ESV)

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

John 13:35 (NIV)

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

Sacrificial, demonstrable acts of love, large and small, reflect the One who has perfectly loved us. It is such acts of love, inexplicable outside of Christ, which bear witness to the One we follow. Ponder if there is someone who God is asking you to love by way of a deed or a truth today. Watch for the opportunities and circumstances He provides. Purpose in your heart to do more than talk, to reinforce your words with meaningful action. Pray that the whole Greenhouse community increasingly demonstrates the love of Christ throughout the new school year.

———-

*that’s a phrase from our mission statement.

Unless the Lord Builds the House

We appreciate every Greenhouse Builder whose faithful prayers support our mission.

July is often a time of respite for our teachers, but a busy time for our facilities crew. Since October we have been seeking approval to replace our parking lot. Our property lies in a flood zone, complicating the process. Please pray that the permit will be issued and that the work can be completed by early-August. David Bendele, our facilities & safety manager, and his workers plan to address various projects in the building this summer. Pray that the projects will be completed without complication, and will serve teachers and students for years to come. Pray for wisdom, skillfulness, and safety for all the workers and volunteers.

Building is an apt metaphor for our ministry as a co-school Consider the psalmist’s words as you pray about what is being built in your life, as well as that of the Greenhouse community.

Psalm 127:1-2

Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
    for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Quietly consider if there is something you are trying to build or protect in your own strength. In what areas are you “eating the bread of anxious toil?” Prayerfully invite the Lord’s presence in such areas of effort, recognizing that ultimately it is He who builds and protects. Are you ready for the rest (sleep) He gives to His loved ones? Ask the Lord to be the One who builds and protects Greenhouse, as He deems best, so that none of us labors in vain.

Discern What is Best

Thank you, Greenhouse Builders, for participating in the mission of Greenhouse through prayer.

During the month of June, we invite you to pray over the admissions process, which requires discernment on the part of many. Please pray for the families who will be offered enrollment as they discern whether to proceed. Pray for our registrar (Jacqui Michel) as she manages the details of admissions for 60+ families. Pray for our principal (Mary Kiel), lead teachers (Lynne Cowell, Jan Geiger, Kari Ziman) and Head of Co-School (Tom Spacek) as they make decisions about student placement. Ultimately, please pray that every class and cohort will be configured for optimal growth for the students, academically, socially, and spiritually.

Consider what the apostle Paul says about the source of discernment.

Philippians 1:9-11

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Ponder whether your prayers align with Paul’s in this passage. Are you praying for love to increasingly abound? For love to be rooted in knowledge and deep insight? That based on this rooted, abounding love you will be able discern what is best while you are being purified and filled with Christ-like fruit? That all of this will circle back to the praise of God? As we learn to pray in these ways, we invite the Spirit of God’s transforming work into our lives and our world. May it be so.

Walk in the Light

Those who regularly pray, give or advocate on our behalf we call “Greenhouse Builders.” We deeply appreciate your participation in the mission.

During the month of May, we invite you to pray for the seniors. Several still have their capstone thesis presentations to make. Pray that each will experience healthy closure with their classmates, teachers, and younger buddies as they finish the school year. Pray that they will grow in faith and courage as they anticipate their next season of life. Pray that they will humbly embody servant leadership wherever God leads them, becoming leaders who see and serve.

As we pray let’s consider the words of the apostle John:

1 John 1:5-7 (NRSVCE)

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

All of us encounter darkness in ourselves and in the world around us. We cannot fully comprehend the holiness of God in whom there is no darkness at all. Light has multiple functions in our daily life. Light exposes and illuminates things. It brings warmth. It sanitizes. Light conveys energy and information.

Ask the Lord to bring to light anything that needs to be exposed or confessed. Pray that He will warm what has grown cold, and display in brilliant color the life to which He calls us in Christ. Please pray that the students, families, and teachers connected with Greenhouse will humbly walk in His light throughout the final weeks of the school year.

A Time for Everything

Builders, we appreciate your help in building Greenhouse through your prayers, gifts, and advocacy.

During the month of April, we invite you to pray for the art classes at Greenhouse as well as the art show coming up in May. Pray that students will grasp some of the beauty and creativity of the Lord through their art classes and projects. Pray that they will grow in their ability to observe and see, as well as in their artistic skillfulness. Pray for art teachers David LaPlaca (core) and Hal Metzger (electives) as they seek to encourage each student in creating their artwork.

Consider these words from Ecclesiastes 3.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 (NIV)

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Prayerfully ponder how you would characterize this period of your life. Is it a time of building, a time of weeping, a time of searching? If you see nothing beautiful in the midst of this season of life, ask the Lord to help you perceive the beauty that is there. Thank Him for His faithfulness, and trust that everything in His providence has its appointed season.

Not to us, Lord

Thank you, Builders, for your active participation in the ministry of Greenhouse through praying, giving, and promoting.

During the month of March, we invite you to pray about Flourish ‘25 our new spring fundraiser on April 28. Please pray that many who are not familiar with Greenhouse will accept invitations to attend. Please pray that our keynote speaker Dr. Michael Lindsay (President of Taylor University) and other presenters will encourage and inspire people, and cause them to consider supporting Greenhouse financially and in prayer. Pray that all the preparations will lead to an evening that truly celebrates the work of God.

Let us echo the prayer of the psalmist.

Psalm 115:1, 14-15 (NIV)

Not to us, Lord, not to us

but to your name be the glory,

because of your love and faithfulness.

May the Lord cause you to flourish,

both you and your children.

May you be blessed by the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

Are there ways in which you subtly or blatantly seek to appropriate God’s glory for yourself? In contrast, ponder how God has demonstrated His love and faithfulness…throughout the Scriptures, in history, and within your lifetime. Consider how your own attempts to flourish compare with the flourishing which the Lord causes. Invite the blessing of the One who made heaven and earth to cause you, and your family, as well as Greenhouse, to truly flourish at this time.

Not to Be Served, But to Serve

We are thankful for the support of each Greenhouse Builder. We appreciate your giving and praying, as well as your promoting Greenhouse among those you know.

During the month of February, we invite you to pray especially for our former students and alumni, many of whom are now young adults. Please pray that they will follow the Lord and trust Him wherever He leads. Pray that they will lead by humbly serving those around them. Please also pray for the Lord’s shepherd-like care of those who have wandered, those who have been wounded, and those who struggle to hear His voice.

Especially if you know former students by name, we invite you to fashion your prayer for them, and your own household, along the line of Jesus’ teaching in Mark 10.

Mark 10:43-45 (NIV)

But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

How have you been served by the Son of Man (Jesus)? Contemplate what He has given you. Worship Him. Then prayerfully consider times when you are tempted to “lord it over others.” What does it mean to become a servant at those moments? Pray for the Lord to strengthen you to serve those He’s placed in your life. Pray that everyone connected with Greenhouse may grow in servant leadership, rooted in Jesus Christ.