Welcome to the Legacy Newsletter, a monthly communication updating you on key events, campus enhancements, and overall Legacy Campaign progress. Through this newsletter, we have the privilege of informing you how the community’s investment in the campaign is already impacting VCS and helping students thrive.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF VCSERVES
For 10 years, Village Christian students have loaded onto buses and served at locations all across the Greater Los Angeles area.
And for 10 years, the VCS community has rallied around VCServes and its mission to help those in need — in the meantime, fostering hearts of service within each student.
VCServes was introduced in 2011 under then-Associate Head of School for Spiritual Life Dr. Bill MacPhee and Head of School Tom Konjoyan.
It was a dramatic undertaking and a drastic change.
During that first year, VCS student Chloe Carter-Hernandez (Class of 2011) wrote the following yearbook article:
On February 9, Village students spent the day serving the community. In years past, spiritual emphasis week consisted of having chapel every day. This year, the new administration decided to do things differently and have the student body take “field trips” to serve the community. The one-day event was called “VCServes” and began with inspirational sermons about prejudices. Students then broke up into groups for some bonding activities, then loaded buses to head out to serve at missions, baseball fields, police stations, side streets, kitchens, and other locations. VCServes was unique to a school and captured the attention of news stations like KCAL 9. Students were proud to have been part of a day that brought hope to those in need in the surrounding community.
Students have visited organizations of all sizes from the Dream Center to the Ronald McDonald House to Tierra del Sol here in our own backyard, while younger Elementary students on campus packed hygiene kits and made blankets and cards.
It is truly a school-wide endeavor.
“Whether that first year or this year, it is always a blessing to see our community embrace VCServes,” said Head of School Tom Konjoyan. “The impact is profound, and whether we were asking students to ‘open their eyes, hands, and hearts’ or ‘be the hands and feet of Jesus,’ our desire is always to spark a desire within our students to go out and make a difference.”
In 2020, VCS served at 22 total locations over the three-day event. Our hard-working Transportation Department coordinated more than 1,000 miles worth of trips, as 29 parent volunteers teamed with our faculty and staff to make the outreach possible.
Now, our Spiritual Life Department wants to take VCServes to a new level.
Moving forward, and with the upcoming implementation of new Legacy Campaign initiatives, including The Experience and Expanded Biblical Curriculum, VCServes is expected to become more than an isolated event, and instead, be incorporated year-long into the VCS culture, classroom, and vision.
“The best short-term missions are when they are connected to long-term relationships,” said Spiritual Life Director George Ratchford, who has carried the VCServes mantle since taking over for Dr. MacPhee. “That has been evident through all the research and the experiences of churches across the board. We are looking to move in that direction.”
It’s an exciting time for re-visioning this important event, which has become woven into the fabric of the school. And we can’t wait to see what the next 10 years have in store.
ELEMENTARY LIBRARY READY FOR SUMMER RELOCATION
We are thrilled to announce that the new Elementary Library has been funded and has officially green-lit for completion this summer.
The funding goal for the new library, which will accommodate full classes and feature flexible seating, media centers, and an expanded selection of books, was reached thanks to a generous donation from the La Pietra-Bastidas family, who is new to Village, and monies raised from Race for Education.
We are so blessed by the passionate support for this initiative, including everyone who donated to Race for Education in recent years, as well as Elementary PTF for organizing the fantastic annual fundraising event.
Make sure to click the graphic below to check out initial renderings for this critical new learning environment.
NEW ENDOWMENT GOALS ON TRACK
The goal for the endowment within the Legacy Campaign is $300,000. A portion of the income then generated by the endowment will be used to fund Village Christian scholarships for deserving students in need — now and for decades to come.
Back in November 2019, we were honored to have VCS founder Rev. Phil Gibson’s daughter, Susan Jacob, and son-in-law, Joe Phelps, on hand to announce the establishment of the Gibson Family Endowment/Scholarship during our 70th Anniversary Celebration.
With Jacob’s and Phelps’ generous donations and contributions that have been received in the following months, we have now raised $225,000 toward the endowment goal.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this important initiative.
COMING SOON IN THE LEGACY NEWSLETTER
Make sure to check out future Legacy Newsletters for articles on the following topics:
- 2020 State of the School
- The Experience
- New Baseball Field Renovation Update
We continue to march toward our Legacy Campaign goal, and to date have received $952,377.97 in pledges and/or received funds.
Please consider partnering with us! There’s still time to be recognized for your donation and be included in upcoming donor recognition brick and Name-A-Seat installs.
Simply click here to get started.
There are some great events on the horizon at VCS! Make sure to mark your calendar with the following key dates:
- Ignite – March 5
- Elementary Musical | Frozen Jr. – February 28-March 1 and March 6-8
- Middle School Crusader Games – March 27
- High School Musical | Something Rotten – March 27-29
- Easter Break – April 10-17
- Roaring Twenties at The Crusader Club | VCS Gala – Saturday, May 2
Village Christian has launched a three-year campaign with the goal of raising $3.3 million to advance – and elevate – our campus and programs. Click here to learn more about the important initiatives and improvements funded by the Legacy Campaign. Partner with us today, and together, we will help VCS students thrive.
PHOTOS: VCServes 2020 by Harry Tom; Yearbook photos by Amy Adamson and Jessie (Coblentz) Doyle