The Miracle of Valley Christian Academy

On Saturday, May 10th, 2003 at two o'clock in the afternoon, nineteen parents, grandparents, and pastors from ten different churches met at The Kraft Law Firm to discuss the possibility of creating a community interdenominational Christian School in the Pecos Valley area. In the next four hours, after much prayer and discussion, it was decided unanimously to create a school to be open by the fall of 2003 offering excellence in Christian education for grades one through twelve. The school would be governed by a board of nine members and would be named Valley Christian Academy. Twelve committees were put into place immediately with chairs and committee members and within days each committee was meeting and off to the races with much work to be done.

What happened next is nothing short of a miracle. Public meetings were set for Thursday, May 15th and Sunday, May 18th at First Church of the Nazarene to share the vision and to determine if the community felt the need existed for an interdenominational school. The sanctuary was packed on Thursday evening with over four hundred attending and over two hundred and fifty more came to the Sunday afternoon meeting. Although only eight days old, parents and grandparents from over 130 families had signed up over 200 students to attend VCA. This number would grow in the weeks ahead.

At the same time parents were taking a leap of faith, churches and community members were stepping up with donations and contributions investing over $70,000 into the startup school in just its first four weeks and pledging tens of thousands more to be contributed in the summer ahead. Five churches stepped up with $10,000 contributions, and anonymous donors committed funds in VCA's first week to allow VCA to have a football program and cheerleading team ready for the fall semester.

The school's leadership was called "The Commission," and it grew to 26 members from eleven churches. From the beginning, the Commission decided to not limit God and what He may have planned for VCA. Meeting at least once a week for the fourteen weeks through summer, the Commission, with God's help, assembled the school from scratch. Teachers, administrators, and faculty were hired one at a time by the five member executive committee.

Community members began meeting the school's needs by donating everything from desks to copy machines, from computers to cash donations. Because of the substantial growth in the school's early weeks, the school quickly outgrew its facility. The Commission ordered four modular units containing eight classrooms to supplement its first home at First Church of the Nazarene's Family Life Center. A fifth modular unit housing administrative offices completed the campus.

Built upon a volunteer foundation, passionate parents worked hard over the summer months along with administrative staff developing a top notch curriculum so that Valley Christian would be able to offer excellence in Christian education. A parents' meeting was held on June 19th and a family picnic on July 19th. At both gatherings over four hundred attended. On July 17th, Gregg Ammons of Kansas was hired to fill the Superintendent position. With a Master's degree in education, Superintendent Ammons stepped up to the challenge, excited about pursuing VCA excellence. As the fall semester began with 230 students, amazingly enough, VCA was ranked number three in the country in six man football.

With its focus on God first, academics second, and extracurricular activities third, classes began as planned on Thursday, August 14th. On Friday evening, August 15th, parents, grandparents, pastors, faculty, and staff gave the Commission a standing ovation for their efforts. After the academy's first school board was sworn in, the opening celebration concluded with fireworks celebrating God's miracle.

Christian school accrediting agencies across the country have never heard of any Christian school starting its first year with over 200 students offering twelve grades. What has happened with VCA is a tribute to God and to the faith of the people of the Pecos Valley Community. It is likely the first time it has ever happened anywhere in the world.

With 96 days from inception to opening its doors for its first classes, God, through obedient leadership and passionate parents, grandparents, and pastors created a school where there once was none. Valley Christian Academy continues to be richly blessed. God has created a school that will honor and glorify Him through excellence in Christ centered education for generations to come.

Catch the vision of Valley Christian Academy!

Members of the Commission were: Rick Kraft - President, Troy Smothermon - Vice President, David Stevens - Vice President, Rick Stephens - Treasurer, Stephanie Visser - Secretary, Lee and Karla Adams, Don and Terry Bullock, Jim and Ellen Castle, Curtis Harding, Jim Hudson, Tanya Kraft, Leslie Ormand, Jamie and Lori Pack, Kurt and Sandy Richardson, Melvin Rigsby, Vonna Stevens, Randy and Denise Vander Meulen, Gary and Gert Verhoeven, and Mike Visser.