The Signal

We are grateful for the strong response and growing interest from our Lenawee Christian School alumni in receiving The Signal. It has been a joy to see how connected you remain to LCS and how eager you are to stay informed about what God is doing in and through our school community.

From Cougar athletics and championship moments to current campus news, student achievements, and school highlights, your enthusiasm reminds us that being part of LCS doesn’t end at graduation. You are a valued part of our story: past, present, and future.

The Signal is one of the ways we hope to keep that connection strong by sharing updates, celebrating milestones, and highlighting the ways the Lord continues to work in the lives of our students, staff, and families.

Thank you for your continued support, prayers, and interest in Lenawee Christian Schools. We are honored to share these stories with you and look forward to keeping you connected to the Cougar community.

Our LCS alumni hold a truly special place in the heart of our community. The legacy you carry and the stories you share continue to shape who we are today, and we are deeply grateful for the lasting connection you maintain with Lenawee Christian School.

It was such a joy to have many of you back to campus for the recent LCS Alumni Basketball Game. Thank you for returning, reconnecting, and reminding us that once you’re a Cougar, you’re always a Cougar.

I was recently blessed to share lunch with Mr. and Mrs. Palpant, alongside our Executive Director, Dr. Kristy Taylor. Hearing Mr. Palpant reminisce and share stories from his time at LCS was a wonderful reminder of the rich history and faithful leadership that continue to shape our school today.

If you ever feel a nudge to reconnect or plug back into LCS - whether through prayerful support, financial partnership, volunteering, serving as a job shadow or mentor for our high school students, sharing your story, or simply staying connected - please know you are always welcome. I would love to hear from you and explore how we can continue this journey together. Reach out anytime: mblack@lenawee.org or 517-438-8830.

With gratitude,
Mekeisha Black
Director of Advancement & Enrollment

Our alumni continue to do incredible things, and we would love to celebrate those accomplishments in the Spring Edition of The Signal! If you or a fellow alumnus have reached a milestone or achieved something noteworthy, please consider sharing it with us.

Achievements might include college graduations or honors, athletic accomplishments, career milestones or promotions, service projects, mission work, artistic performances, marriage, the birth of a child, publications, awards, or other meaningful personal or professional successes.

Your stories inspire and help strengthen the connection between past, present, and future members of our school community. Submissions are welcome now and will be considered for inclusion in the Spring Edition of The Signal.

It is truly an honor to step into the role of Head of School and Executive Director of Lenawee Christian Ministries, and I am grateful for the trust the Board of Directors and this community have placed in me.

Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Over the past several months, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Lenawee Christian School more deeply through my role as Secondary Principal. In a short time, I have seen firsthand the strong faith, dedication, and care that define this ministry. Lenawee Christian has deep roots, a rich history, and a community committed to Christ-centered education and service—and that legacy is something I hold in high regard.

My background spans more than 25 years in education, including serving as a principal, assistant superintendent, district-level administrator, and leader within a national training organization. I hold a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and an MBA, and throughout my career I have been passionate about building strong teams, supporting students and families, and helping organizations grow with clarity and purpose. What drew me to Lenawee Christian Ministries is the clear calling to put Christ at the center of all we do.

As I step into this role, my early focus is on listening, learning, and strengthening alignment across Lenawee Christian School and The Christian Family Centre. In my first month, this included gathering our leadership team for focused planning, hosting a State of the Ministry time for staff, connecting personally with families at school events, and setting aside regular time to be present and available in the Centre Café. Join me every third Thursday of the month from 8-9a in the Centre Café to share coffee and conversation! Relationships matter deeply to me, and I am thankful for the connections that are newly built and reconnecting with Long time friends at Lenawee Christian. I value opportunities to connect face to face.

To provide continuity for our students and staff, I will continue serving in school leadership while also fulfilling my responsibilities as Executive Director. My heart is to lead with humility, clarity, and faithfulness in this season of transition.

I am excited about what God has ahead for Lenawee Christian Ministries. Together, I believe we can continue building a place where students thrive, families feel supported, and our broader community experiences God’s love in meaningful and lasting ways. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and continued connection, I look forward to all that is ahead, the future is bright.

Dr. Kristy Taylor

LCM Executive Director & Interim Head of School

Our Youth Baseball Clinic on January 10 was a wonderful example of the LCS community coming together across generations. Led by our current LCS Baseball Coaching Staff and supported by several LCS alumni, the clinic welcomed 40 young athletes eager to learn, grow, and enjoy the game.

The day was filled with skill development, encouragement, and plenty of enthusiasm. We’ve received great feedback from both parents and alumni who participated, sharing how meaningful the experience was for everyone involved. Parents appreciated the quality instruction and positive environment, while our alumni enjoyed the opportunity to give back and reconnect with the LCS community.

Beyond strengthening baseball fundamentals, the clinic served a deeper purpose - creating connections. It was a joy to welcome alumni back to campus, some of whom had not been closely connected in recent years, and invite them once again into the life of our school.

We are grateful to our coaching staff, alumni volunteers, and the many families who made this event such a success. Opportunities like these remind us that LCS is more than a school: it’s a lasting community, united by shared experiences, faith, and a love for shaping the next generation.

Our Boys Basketball program is celebrating two outstanding record-setting achievements. Jaxon Salenbien has become the program’s all-time leader in Career Points, Career Assists, and Career Free Throws Made, a testament to years of dedication, consistency, and a true team-first mindset. In addition, Daniel Scrupsky set a new single-game program record by knocking down 10 three-pointers, surpassing the previous mark set during the 19-20 season.

We are proud of both athletes and thankful for the gifts, perseverance, and character the Lord has cultivated through their journeys.

When people think of theatre, they often imagine bright lights, big songs, and applause echoing at the end of the night. Those moments are beautiful, but they are only the surface. What draws me to theatre at Lenawee Christian School is quieter and deeper still.

For me, theatre is about discovering God’s truth, not only in explicitly Christian stories, but in all stories. God’s wisdom has a way of slipping into places we don’t always expect, and year after year, I have the privilege of watching it take shape through creativity, storytelling, and community - sometimes without students even realizing they are encountering it.

That discovery rarely begins on opening night. It starts much earlier, in rehearsal rooms and hallways, in awkward auditions and hesitant first steps. It shows up in the slow unfolding of confidence as students step into who God is shaping them to be. In recent years, I’ve watched the theatre program grow in ways that still surprise me. This spring alone, more than 80 students auditioned for our upcoming musical, Newsies. Some walked in confident and ready. Others hesitated at the door, unsure if they belonged. Somewhere between long rehearsals, shared laughter, frustration, and hard-earned breakthroughs, something begins to shift. They find their place.

As that process unfolds, it becomes clear that theatre is a place where a wide range of God-given gifts are welcomed and celebrated. Some students come alive through singing or dancing, others through building, painting, running tech, or quietly leading behind the scenes. This year, we even added tap dancing to our choreography - stretching students in new ways and asking them to trust themselves and one another. As they create side by side, something deeper begins to form. The cast and crew don’t just work together. they learn how to belong to one another.

It’s in that shared work that storytelling begins to reach beyond the stage. This past season, White Christmas reminded me how gently a story can meet someone right where they are. It’s a show many already love, and it offered a joyful beginning to the Christmas season. After one performance, a woman approached me and said, “I have been in a state of mourning for quite some time, and this show brought me so much joy.” I think about that moment often. It’s a quiet reminder that God uses stories to bring comfort - sometimes softly, sometimes unexpectedly, and often exactly when it’s needed most.

That truth carries forward as we look ahead to Newsies. While it tells a very different story, it asks many of the same questions. At its heart, Newsies is about unity; young people discovering their voices and realizing they are stronger together than they are alone. Scripture gives language to that truth: “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Students don’t just perform that idea under the lights; they live it through long rehearsals, problem-solving, and the slow work of learning how to rely on one another.

And it is often in those in between moments - both onstage and behind the scenes - that the most meaningful work happens. One of my favorite moments in any production comes after the final curtain call. The students step forward, not to perform, but to speak. They share the Christian truths they have seen woven into the story and how God’s Word connects to what the audience has just experienced. You can feel the room change. People arrive expecting to be entertained and leave encouraged, reflective, and gently drawn toward the things of God.

That is why theatre matters to me - not simply as a program, but as a place where students are known, challenged, and reminded of who God is and who they are becoming in Him. It is why this work feels larger than any single production, and why the stage continues to matter long after the lights go dark.

If you are an alum, I hope you will come see a show. Sit in the audience. Listen to the music. Watch these students work together, struggle, grow, and shine. I think you may recognize pieces of yourself in them, and perhaps be reminded of the ways God once used this place to shape your own story.

And if you feel led to support the continued growth of the theatre program, donations can be made at www.lenawee.org/give by selecting “Drama Department” from the dropdown menu. Your support helps ensure that students continue to have a place where creativity is valued, faith is spoken openly, and everyone belongs.

I would truly love to welcome you back into the audience. The lights will dim, the curtain will rise - and there will always be a seat waiting for you.

Jessica (Pennington) Easter

Class of 2000

Theatre Director

This January, our secondary students stepped into a different rhythm of learning called J-Term, a two-week program held between the first and second semester. Designed to enrich and extend our core curriculum, J-Term gives students the opportunity to explore new interests, develop practical skills, and engage in experiences that bring learning to life.

This year’s J-Term was full of energy and opportunity:

• 29 unique courses were offered, giving students a wide range of choices

• 10 students participated in work-based learning, completing 15 different experiences to explore careers outside of high school.

• 3 middle school field trips took place, including visits to Imagination Station, the Henry Ford Museum, and the Zekelman Holocaust Center.

• 8th and 10th grade students had the opportunity to participate in Willing to Wait - a biblical perspective on marriage and relationships.

• 10 students participated in a cross-cultural World War 2 Tour through Europe

Courses spanned creative, academic, and practical disciplines. From Audio Production, where students wrote songs and created podcasts, to Set Design for the upcoming theater production - learning was both engaging and purposeful. One of the most popular offerings, Bro-ology, invited students to explore a biblical perspective on manhood, leadership, sportsmanship, and essential life skills.

Students shared meaningful reflections on their experiences:

Ninth grader Ava Abalos participated in Art of the Spanish-Speaking World and Stitch and Style, where she learned how to crochet. “I look forward to being able to use these skills to knit hats or blankets for donations,” Ava shared. “Now I can knit things for grandkids when I am a grandma.” She also appreciated the chance to connect with classmates from other grade levels.

Eighth grader Trenton Chadek highlighted the exciting nature of Space Race as his favorite part of J-Term. “We got to launch rockets,” he said. “I got to be more involved with learning because it was hands-on.” The class also explored current topics like the International Space Station, Mars exploration, and how satellites support everyday technologies such as GPS and television.

Sixth grader Jeremiah Shotsky took Fundamentals of Flight, History’s Mysteries, and Crack the Code. One standout moment for him was experimenting with flight. “I love making paper airplanes on the first day. We went to the gym to see how high we could get a wooden airplane to fly,” he said. Jeremiah added that the problem solving skills he gained will be useful in the future, and that the classes were “a lot of fun.”

J-Term continues to be a meaningful part of our academic year, encouraging curiosity, creativity, and community while helping students discover new passions and God-given talents.

Anne McEldowney

Director of Curriculum & Instruction, PreK-12

There is a process known as formation, in which change happens at the very core of who we are. It is a gradual shaping of our desires, perspectives, and character. Formation is subtle, It doesn’t announce itself with fanfare or flashiness, instead, it works quietly, under the surface, shaping how we view the world, how we respond to challenges, and even how we define success and happiness. No matter who you are, you are being formed by something. The question then is not, am I being formed, but what am I being formed by?

Romans 12:2 reads, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Right now, in this very moment and every moment after you are being either conformed to this world or transformed to be more like Jesus. If you could zoom out and see the big picture of your life and the person you are currently, where does the trajectory lead? The tension for all of us lies in the fact that much of our formation is happening unintentionally. Pastor and Author John Mark Comer writes about six ways formation unintentionally happens in every person. He writes, “We are formed primarily by our habits, our relationships, the stories we believe, our environment, time, and experience”.

This understanding leads us to ask an important question: if we are being formed all the time, should we not pay close attention to what is forming us? Since out time is a gift and our attention is limited, shouldn’t we steward both things well by giving out time and attention to the most important things? This could look like cultivating life-giving habits, choosing relationships that point us toward Christ, embracing stories rooted in the truth of God, and placing ourselves in environments that help us grow. Another way to say this would be to echo the words of Jesus written in John 15:4, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” To remain or abide in Christ is not done passively but rather an intentional way of life. It is a daily choice to stay connected to the true and only source of life, allowing His presence to mold our entire being. When we abide in him, formation happens from the inside out, not through striving or self-effort, but through relationship. Over time, as we give our attention to Jesus and order our lives around him, Spiritual fruit naturally begins to grow. Not because we have worked harder, but because we have stayed close to the One who gives life.

At LCS, the vision is to see students grow closer to Jesus Christ, strive toward their full potential, and live a life of influence. This vision recognizes that “who” students are becoming matters just as much as what they are achieving if not more. We are finding new ways to intentionally shape the rhythms, relationships, and atmosphere of our school so students can not just learn information about Jesus but are completely transformed by Him. Whether it be in the classroom, during Chapel, a special event, through a coach, teacher, or administrator, the goal is the same. We pray students leave LCS not only well educated, but deeply rooted in Christ, formed by his love and equipped to live lives that bear much spiritual fruit because of the deep work of God in their lives.

Matthew Reinhart

Secondary Bible & Spiritual Formation Leader