The Beauty of a Well- Blended Family

My extended family is a divergent group of people. We range from adventurous travelers to nest-egg builders, from visionaries who want to change the world to people who just want to love their kids and their church. We have birders, builders, brokers, bureaucrats, gardeners, caregivers, and social media gurus.

Sustainers

Just like any family with different characters and interests, the HDCH support family has a variety of things that they feel strongly about. Some are passionate about the school’s long-term financial stability and have helped to wipe out the mortgage. Some want to see a school building that is well maintained, cared for and updated. And others care deeply about helping families access the school, by directing their funds towards bursary support. These HDCH family members are our Sustainers.

Innovators

Some HDCH members are Innovators. They are visionaries who see the potential for things to come. They are captivated by the future of education at HDCH, with the well-thought-out needs for Learning Lounges, a Main Foyer Expansion, a Technical Arts Lab Development and more. They know that HDCH students need spaces that we code as campfires, cafes, caves, mountaintops, markets, sanctuaries and workshops – and this is where they want their funds to flow.

That’s the beauty of a well-blended HDCH family, and it is how we are planning to go forward in a two-prong movement. We will continue with our Annual Campaign in years to come, but the focus will be on Sustainability: taking care of tuition bursary support, making sure that the building is well-maintained and stays in good shape and keeping tuition affordable. This will be the same broad-based campaign that we are used to, and that the HDCH family has responded to so generously. Last year, the Annual Campaign raised $490,000!

Innovation Campaign

This year, we are launching a separate ‘Innovation Campaign’ to meet the changing needs of schooling. Lead by the HDCH Development Staff, this Campaign will feature personal visits to individual HDCH family members who identify more strongly with long-term potential than the immediate needs of our facility. When 8% of the funds are in place, we plan to proceed with step-by-step facility changes.

Diverse Interests

I love the variety of interests in my extended family, and I celebrate the diversity of interests in the HDCH support family. Together as Sustainers and Innovators, God uses us all as we cultivate character through learning for a life of service to God.

This article by Harry Meester appeared in the Fall 2014 issue of Connections magazine.