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PowerPlus... We're here to serve!

We are pleased to have a ministry that was awarded the ACSI Exemplary School Program Award.
Part of Calvary Schools’ mission is to build Christian character and develop servant leaders. This was the guiding principal in the construction of a substantial program called PowerPlus. This effort is our discipleship/ministry practicum that occurs every Wednesday afternoon for every secondary child enrolled in our school. It has become the distinctive for our school program. Initiated over a decade ago, it now is a central part of the educational process, and serves as a defining element both inside and outside of our school.

All of our students in the secondary level are assigned gender-specific small groups.  These groups meet together for 45 minutes during the lunch hour where they will discuss various biblical topics - making application to the life.  These groups are then bussed to different ministries throughout the Holland/Zeeland area.  These ministries include: By the end of each year, each secondary student is discipled for about 30 hours beyond chapel and Bible class and will have at least 40 hours of hands-on ministry experience. So our seniors graduate with 180 hours of discipleship time with 240 hours of ministry experience.

Goals and Objectives

The vision of PowerPlus is to develop adults with strong character and a heart for servant leadership.  Supporting goals for students include:
  •  Developing a hunger and thirst for servant oriented activities.
  •  Developing loving relationships with individuals through experiencing the rewards of sacrificial    service.
  •  Developing an ability to relate to individuals of varying age, gender, and socioeconomic    backgrounds.
  •  Developing an awareness of community needs coupled with personal experiences outside    individual comfort zones.
  •  Experiencing activities promoting teamwork, encouragement, and personal growth.

Assessment

CSH assesses program performance in three areas:
  1. immediate student impact,
  2. community impact, and
  3. long-term student impact.

Profiles of PowerPlus Groups

"Our group went to LakeSide Vista this quarter. The girls were apprehensive the first day. After the first couple of weeks, we entered the dementia unit which challenged them even more. What was amazing is that as the girls interacted with the residents, and one started to play the piano, the residents' joy illuminated on their faces! As the weeks went on the girls looked forward to going and when we finished our quarter at Lakeside Vista two girls are planning to return on their own to volunteer. What a blessing both to the residents and the girls!"
(Laurie Kuipers, group leader)
~ ~ ~
"We spent the first part of the school year helping at VanderBilt Academy. The kids helped individual teachers with stapling, correcting papers, and other things that are busy work for the teachers - but help teachers get those things done. Other students did work in the library - filing, sorting books, etc. We are now at Bibles for Mexico - putting up Christmas decorations (especially their 60+ trees), sorting clothing, electronic games and gaming systems."
(Lanny DeWitt, group leader)
~ ~ ~
"This fall our first PowerPlus assignment was tutoring students at the Plasman Campus. Our boys helped elementary students in all the grades. The younger students so look forward to working with the high school students. I loved seeing the interaction between the older and younger students! Two of the teachers mentioned what a great job the high school students were doing and how willing they were to do whatever was asked of them.

"Our next assignment was the Holland Rescue Mission Mens' Ministry. Our service involved cleaning the cafeteria... mopping floors, cleaning the tables, working in food prep in the kitchen, and stocking shelves in the food pantry. They are doing a great job... I'm so proud of them! A special treat is that at the end of the service time the kitchen usually has a snack for the boys as a thank you."
(Kirk Zylstra, group leader and school's academic dean)
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"We are currently serving at Central Wesleyan Church. We help the Children's Department with MANY needs that help them prepare for their Wednesday and Sunday programming. One week, we created bulletin boards for 8-10 classrooms. They wanted trees on all of them so that during their class time the kids could trace their hands and put them on the Thankful Trees. The next week my girls were able to see what they had done the week before, but the trees were now transformed with colorful handprints from the children that attended that week on Wednesday and Thursday. 

"Recently, they prepared packets for 80 kids that were coming for a movie and craft night. There were LOTS of pieces and parts that went together in the baggies for the kids! Our girls were able to make a few of the crafts - it's fun to see my 'older' girls enjoy things that bring them back to when they were 'younger'."
(Stacey Hill, group leader)
~ ~ ~
"My group is serving at Vanderbilt Academy right now.  We split off and help in different classrooms, the computer lab, and the library.  We grade papers, cut out stuff and help the kids.  In the library we read to the kids, check books in and out, and straighten the shelves as well as anything else we are asked to do."
(Jennifer VandenBerg, group leader and teacher)