For up-to-date information on IICSE and Leadership Academy.
*This article was written in 2003 and references the conferences from that year.
The International Institute for Christian School Educators (IICSE) will take place July 12–17, 2003, at Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina. It is designed for participants to experience total saturation. If you attend, you will be with educators who share your passion for ministry—a passion for both knowing Christ and making Him known in your Christian school. From early morning breakfast until late evening prayer time, the focus is on becoming all that God intended for you to be as a Christian educator.
The following are comments by some of last year’s IICSE delegates:
- "This Institute is a model in excellence on organizing an effective training time for us!"
- "Spiritual challenges were outstanding."
- "Thank you for treating us as professionals!"
- "The Institute was more than I ever planned. We will come again!"
Delegates often come to the Institute with some measure of burnout. The keynote and general addresses remind each of them of the tremendous calling that God has placed on their lives. The Institute provides delegates with a unique opportunity to step away from their responsibilities and see ministry, excellence, and professionalism with fresh eyes. As a participant, you will experience a renewal of heart and a recommitment to your ministry. Your spirit will be refreshed!
Dr. J. P. Moreland, professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, will challenge you as he gives the keynote addresses. Dr. Moreland’s theme will be "Worldview Thinking and the Struggle for Education." As a result of hearing him, you will want to think through the essentials of a Christian worldview.
Frequently, delegates come with specific professional needs such as how to strengthen their leadership, what steps to take in a curriculum review, and how to encourage and develop their board. The various tracks for continuing education units (CEUs) and graduate credit are designed to provide practical help. This summer institute will emphasize the how-to aspect of your ministry. Some of the topics this summer will include budgeting, curriculum development, James Carver’s Policy Governance Model, students with learning disorders, linking assessment to instruction, planning and development, English as a Second Language, and the unique challenges facing women in leadership, to name only a few.
For those who would enjoy a different challenge, we offer the ACSI Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy 2003 will take place July 24–27, 2003, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The theme "The Christian School and the Spiritual Formation of Students for the 21st Century" will continue from the Academies held previously. Keynoter Dr. Steve Hayner, formerly the president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, will focus on this theme as he shows his passion for leadership that makes a difference.
The presentation of professional papers will further develop the Academy’s theme. You will find the question-and-answer times with each speaker invigorating as you thoughtfully explore this vital theme. In the words of a Leadership Academy 2002 delegate, "I attended with the expectation that my thinking would be stretched. Not only did that happen, but the varied interaction format provided challenge and hope to honestly face real needs in my school."
On Saturday night, July 26, ACSI will commemorate 25 years of ministry to the Christian school movement. We will celebrate God’s faithfulness throughout our history, and we will look forward to our future and the difference we can make!
Those attending the Academy will receive both a copy of Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard and written copies of the keynote addresses and all thematic papers presented. In addition, every delegate will receive one semester hour of graduate credit in educational leadership/development from George Fox University.
Plan now to put one or both of these professional experiences into your summer. Brochures will be available in January.
Put ACSI Into Your Summer Plans 6.3