Linden Christian students impact global community

By Aaron Epp | Manitoba Correspondent

WINNIPEG, MB—The staff at Linden Christian School aren't just interested in making sure students at the school get a high-quality, Christ-centred education. They also want students to make a difference around the world.

"One of our core values is to impact the local community, but also the global community," says Rob Charach, the school's principal. "So, what we have is a number of age-appropriate outreach projects for students in kindergarten to Grade 12."

More than 800 students attend the school that shares property with Grant Memorial Baptist Church.

During the 2008/2009 school year, Grade 3 classes worked with a missionary couple to collect 200 pairs of new shoes and raised over $1,200 to support their ministry. Grade 1 to 4 students raised over $10,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Grade 5 to 12 students raised over $10,000 in support of the World Vision Christmas gift catalogue.

Linden Christian School helped another school in Western Canada build a two-room Christian school in Lesotho, South Africa. They also partnered with Impact Ministries to send a team of 10 students and four staff to Guatemala for a week-and-a-half. There they served in different schools, hospitals and shared Christ through different outreach experiences. Another trip is being planned for February 2011.

On a recent field trip, Grade 7 students gave Winnipeg Harvest 600 pounds of non-perishable food, sorted four tonnes of potatoes and packaged over 700 bags of flour. This past December, the Grade 2 classes were busy collecting mittens for needy children.

"We're trying to teach the children the blessing of giving," Charach says. "Ultimately, we want our students to graduate and be educated with a biblical worldview and then apply the principles that they've learned to whatever area of life they choose for their career."

Linden Christian's commitment to excellence extends beyond its missions projects. In February 2009 the Best Christian Workplaces Institute selected the school as a finalist—a first for a Canadian Christian school. The process involved 11,869 employees in 124 organizations across North America filling out a survey to identify great workplaces with a Christian mission or values. Charach is happy with the designation.

"It affirms the quality of our teachers," he says. "We have a very dedicated staff. We talk about a school based on relationships, and our staff live that out by building good relationships with each other and with the students.