Posts Tagged "Community"
Kingsmen Café: There's No Place Like Home
January 06, 2025
When I first stepped into the Café at Christian Heritage School, it was not yet a café. It was 1981; I was a CHS student and Mrs. Wahlberg was the librarian and that space was her domain. She had it neatly arranged with posters on the wall encouraging us to read just for fun. The books were all in their place on the shelving, and the tables were in clusters, allowing us to sit with large groups of friends. Mrs. Wahlberg knew that the small school I had just transferred from did not have a library, so she greeted me warmly and took extra time to show me how to find books and sign them out. I spent the next five years creating many of my favorite memories in that room; some of them actually involved studying. Though if you know me, you would know that the memories I cherish the most are the ones where I was sitting beside my friends, talking, giggling, and sharing in one another’s lives. Ultimately, building relationships, some that would last for generations.
When I came to the end of my senior year, I stood in that library, wearing my blue cap and gown. I had anticipated the excitement that my graduation would bring, but I was surprised that it was woven with hints of sadness. Christian Heritage had become my home away from home and my heart hurt at the thought of leaving it. That was forty-four years ago. Since then, three of my daughters have attended and graduated from Christian Heritage, and although I spent some time away, I never quite left entirely. That’s the way it is with “home”, isn’t it?
Our world has seen many changes in the last forty-four years, among them is a very different way of enjoying a cup of coffee. Coffee shops have become a place to hang out with friends, a safe place to meet acquaintances. They’re a quiet place to study or write papers; a common ground to hash out relational issues or just to get to know someone better. People go there to unwind after work, treating themselves to their favorite drink as a means of celebration or consolation. In short, it has become less about the caffeine and more about community. The Kingsmen Café is much the same, with one major difference: the community that we are striving to cultivate is a Christ-centered one.
The world’s view of community is often me-centered. “How can you improve my life? Make me feel better? Bring me more income? Further my career?” But throughout scripture Jesus commands us to love one another. He calls us to do life together, not for the good of ourselves, but for the good of our neighbors; ultimately to bring glory to our Father. I Peter 4: 8-11 says: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength that God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever.
This verse is the heart of what we hope to emulate when encouraging community in the cafe.
If you were to wander into the Kingsmen Café at any given time you would be able to witness tables of students with a warm cup of coffee and open books, studying side by side. Or you may see students huddled in the corner quizzing one another on their bible verse for an upcoming test. If you are truly fortunate, you may be treated to the harmonizing sounds of the boy’s ensemble, practicing in the loft, their voices low and barely detectable, but beautiful nonetheless. After school is another story; the excitement of the day's end is palpable and sometimes deafening. This is the time that the younger students are given access to the café and are able to enjoy picking out their treat. They choose their snack, then count out their money and hand it over the counter to one of the women who work here. You can see their faces light up in the process, delighted by their newly acquired independence. Sometimes the older children in line will step in to help, much to the joy of the star-struck little ones. The laughter at that time of day is contagious. The conversation is fluid; creating a continuous hum from 2:30 to 3:30. Every thought that the students have had to hold in throughout the day seems to overflow once they reach their friends in the café. In this room, it doesn’t matter if you’re five or one hundred and five; you’re welcome and you belong.
I’m going to use this opportunity to make a pitch to all who are reading this. Come check out our little café. Stop in when you drop your student off and witness the beauty of our children gathered together around the tables. Or bring a friend during the day and sit down for a cup of tea or coffee, letting them see for themselves the value of the God-centered community that you are investing in for the sake of your children. It doesn’t matter how many years go by, that is one fundamental thing that has not, nor will ever change in our school.
It is my prayer that one day, when your student has completed their time at CHS, they too will stand in the room that was once my library but is now their café, and think to themselves: “there’s no place like home.”
Lorna Tyrrell is the Kingsmen Café Manager. She graduated from Christian Heritage in 1986 and went on to major in Early Childhood Education. She taught preschool for many years before becoming a stay-at-home mom to daughters: Olivia, Rebekah, Mary and Naomi. Lorna began a career in baking in 2013, learning her new craft of cake art at a local bakery. She has continued this passion while helping at the Kingsmen Café; stepping into the Manager position 2 years ago. When she's not baking or creating coffee, she can be found soaking up the joy that her six grandchildren bring.
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What Does it Take to Build Community?
November 14, 2023
While I was on a mission trip with our students in a small village in Mexico, I was struck by the overwhelming sense of community. They didn’t talk about it, they didn’t strategize how to facilitate it, they simply lived it. At midnight the night before we were leaving, about 30 young people showed up at the family's house that I was staying in, a 10’ x 20’ concrete block home, with music, a cake and joyful hearts to sing Happy Birthday to the girl who was just turning 16. I found out later, it was a village tradition. Coming together to “share life,” it was great!
CHS has enjoyed a vibrant community of families coming together to “share life.” During my 40 plus years of working here at CHS, the common bond of seeking to raise children with a heart for the Lord, and preparing them well to do what the Lord has created them to do, has been strong.
Several of you have mentioned, “Hey, we saw you choked up as you closed the Veterans Day Program last week.” The power of the moment was overwhelming in all the right ways. As I looked out from the podium, sitting on the floor directly in front of me were some of our youngest students. Just 25 feet further back sat our guest, Navy veteran Mr. Carl Massaro, 98 yrs young. As a 19 yr old, he landed on Okinawa in heavy fighting to preserve the freedom that allowed the men who were assembled just to my left (made of students, alumni, parents and staff) to sing the most beautiful rendition of “How Great Thou Art.” What a special glimpse of community!
When my youngest daughter Abby was a senior at CHS, early that September, she asked to stop at Dunkin’ Donuts on the way to school for an iced coffee. Excited for the new year and wanting to do something fun for her, I of course, said yes. The same request came the following week. Thinking I would like to do something special for her again, I said yes. The third week rolled around and as we were approaching Dunkin’ Donuts Abby looked over and said, “Dad, you know ‘it’s tradition.’ We really need to stop again.” As I quickly did the math in my head (36 weeks left of school + 1 iced coffee a week = $$) and being the easy target that I am, I pulled into Dunkin’ Donuts… and you know the rest. I share this because in Abby’s senior reflections on what was most special to her during her final year, she included, “…waking up super early every Tuesday for my father-daughter coffee date!” I’ve always recognized that special moments and events were important, but as I read her reflection for the first time I was so struck by that obvious reality that the foundation of what we do at CHS is critical. The academic preparation and the Biblical foundation are the reason we exist but we can help better achieve both those goals and objectives by supplementing with a rich community and times of coming together as we “share life.” The moments and the experiences matter and will often be what is remembered.
As the Director of Student Life and Operations, I have seen that community is often most richly built through common challenges and goals. I am so grateful that CHS has always worked to embrace the lifestyle of service to others for the glory of our Lord. Scripture is clear that we are built to serve. I have been on many service projects and mission trips and, in these situations, I have often wished that the parents could get a glimpse of this experience. For example, on a recent senior class trip we had the opportunity to do a service project in Florida. The Lord brought this family to our attention. They were young parents in their forties with two teenage children. The dad was quite ill and, as a result, was blind. The family was facing many difficulties and we couldn’t address them all. However, we could address the physical needs of yard work, building a wheelchair ramp and painting their house. At the end of a very long day, close to dusk as the sun was setting, we completed the work and the family was brought back home for the reveal. As the mom stood crying on the newly added front porch saying thank you to the kids, the husband grabbed my arm while sitting in his wheelchair. He pulled me over to speak into my ear, saying, “I can’t see the work that the kids have done but I can feel the joy that it brings my wife. Please bring the students over to me one at a time so I can thank each one individually.” You can only imagine the scene as this gentleman reached out and grabbed the hand of each student to say thank you!!! This was a very powerful moment! I’m quite certain that the class was never so unified and never felt such a stronger sense of community with each other as they did at that moment with our newly adopted family.
CHS intentionally works to create opportunities and special moments, such as Fall Festival, Veterans Day, Grandparents Day, School Spirit Week, service projects, special events and a number of social opportunities for the express purpose of building a stronger community to help us achieve our core goals. It is our desire to help our students become the person that God created and built them to be - one lesson, one class, one special event, one service project and one moment at a time!
We are so thankful that YOU are part of our community!
John Naeher is the Director of Student Life & Operations. He started at CHS in the fall of 1981 and began his 43rd yr in the fall of 2023. His daughters, Amanda 06', Alyssa 06' and Abigail 10' attended CHS from K-12. John has had the privilege of coaching several teams, sponsoring many Senior Classes and been a part of building community at CHS throughout his career. “CHS has been a rich part of my family for which I will always be grateful.”