Insider News

INSIDER NEWS

Good morning from our nation’s capital, where 150 Christian high schoolers are ready to wrap up the school year – with 24 Seniors in the second graduating class of Immanuel Christian High School!

Thanks to friends like you, over $11 million has been raised for this remarkable national Christian high school – with only $848,000 still needed to make room for a record enrollment of 200 high school students next fall.  Insider News is a periodic e-update designed to give you a quick glimpse of how your investment is being put to work each day, creating the leaders America needs for the future.

Big News

OVER $1.36 MILLION in COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS

Our 2023 Seniors have achieved 100% college acceptance and an average SAT score of 1238 with one student who achieved National Merit scholar status (to be announced in September.)

They are planning to attend a wide range of colleges like: Wheaton College, University of Virginia, Liberty University, Virginia Tech, Patrick Henry College, James Madison University, George Mason University, Belmont University, Berklee College of Music, University of Southern California, University of Kentucky, Grove City College, Lee University, the Coast Guard Academy and several others.

Pray that God uses them in every place they go to become draw others to lives of godliness, service and purpose.

ICS National Headquarters

MAKING ROOM for 200 STUDENTS

The last floor in the ICHS Headquarter building is now underway!  Though we still need $848,000 by August 1 to finish it in full, we are forging ahead to make room for every rising 9^th grader this fall.

Our contractor has completed demolition of the existing restrooms and ceilings. Installation of ductwork has begun and layout of the walls has been completed. In addition, the walls have been framed for the classrooms, science labs, and student spaces on the fourth floor. Most of the construction will happen over the summer, but it was essential to get started now so we can be at full capacity with nearly 200 students next fall.

Over $11 million has already been raised to help ICHS light the way for tomorrow’s leaders. If you’d like to help close the financial gap, we only lack $848,000 to pay for the fourth floor in full. Click HERE to support this vital project.

TravelTerm Abroad

ISRAEL 2023: Juniors and Seniors

The Bible leapt to life as our Juniors and Seniors made the trip of a lifetime this past January to the Holy Land to study the Foundations of our Faith. Getting to follow the literal footsteps of Jesus was an amazing opportunity and God used it to draw each student closer to Him. Seeing the places where history was made, where grace was poured out and where the physical work of the cross occurred is an experience like none other!

Our Bible teacher, Jake Kounter, unpacked key historical elements in the Bible as they visited Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, the City of David, the Pool of Bethesda, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden Tomb, and countless other biblical sites. He read Isaiah 53 in the Garden of Gethsemane and each student had the opportunity to meditate on all that Jesus did for them here.

“Visiting Nazareth after Christmas is a unique treat, getting to see the spot where Immanuel, ‘God with us,’ was first announced…None of us will receive news or a calling quite like Mary’s; however, as believers, we will receive a calling from the Lord. Like Mary, we might experience fear, apprehension, or confusion. We might have questions for God or feel unworthy. In spite of these fears and confusion, the way we respond will reflect our hearts… Mary was an ordinary girl whose life was turned upside down when she was chosen by God… Are you open to where God is leading you? Are you prepared to wrestle with your fears, your insecurities, and your unanswered questions and answer God, ‘I am your servant; let it be done to me according to your word’? – from our study guide

Students also visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Dead Sea, the Golan Heights, the Wailing Wall and the Western Wall Tunnels, Yad Vashem, and much more! Each student did personal research beforehand which they shared each night over dinner on subjects that ranged from Kosher Dietary Laws and the Six Day War to Sects of Judaism, Flavius Josephus, Passover and more. They got to meet and question leaders ministering to Palestinian believers and their Muslim neighbors, as well as Jewish Rabbis and Messianic Jewish leaders.

The opportunities to learn through travel are endless and one-of-a-kind. It changes students in significant ways and is an indispensable training ground for future leaders. We are grateful for the generous investments of friends who have made this opportunity available to every ICHS student!

Read the daily journal for TravelTerm 2023 HERE: (Israel starts on page 16)

TravelTerm Abroad

ENGLAND/SCOTLAND 2023: Freshmen and Sophomores

From Runnymede – where the course of government for Western civilization was changed in 1215 with the Magna Carta – to Westminster Abbey where the great Christian abolitionist William Wilberforce is buried, the ICHS freshmen and sophomores enjoyed an incredible trip to the United Kingdom this past January.

After intensive coursework studying the history, geography, and culture, the lessons flew out of the classroom into real life as students spent 10 days expanding their biblical, literary, and historical perspectives. They visited Oxford and Magdalen College where C.S. Lewis taught and got his inspiration for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. They visited Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, Glastonbury, and Bath (Jane Austen). Another memorable stop was a visit to Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon where William Shakespeare was born and married Anne Hathaway.  Trinity Church has a first-edition copy of the King James Bible (1611) which the students were able to see.

We noted the correlations between 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 and Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare and how each expound on the gift of love. Shakespeare writes, “Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, / But bears it out even to the edge of doom,” while Paul writes under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” What an amazing gift God’s love is for us!

They went on to Scotland to visit Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles Cathedral where Scottish reformer John Knox was the first Protestant minister and the home of Eric Liddell, the “Flying Scotsman” and Olympic gold medalist in 1924.  Before the return flight home, students were back in London with a visit to the Churchill War Rooms. They were challenged there to stand with courage on their convictions and keep persevering against all odds. As they saw on this trip, the history of the world has been shaped by those who “never give in!”

Read the daily journal for TravelTerm 2023 HERE

Fine Arts Module

STUDENTS PRESENT FINE ARTS SHOWCASE

From art shows to vocal recitals to an incredibly fun performance of Shakespeare’s comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, our ICHS students showcased what they learned from a year-long module studying the fine arts.

This module began last September and helps students learn about, participate in, create, and showcase the excellence of the masters in each of the six fine arts: painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theater, and dance. Even those who never thought they would enjoy a particular fine art get to experience what it’s like to learn dance or create a painting or act in a theater production. During the last six weeks, each student chooses a particular fine art to either present or perform.  Seniors Kylen Williams and Lydia Sutton gave their Vocal Music Senior Recital last week with performances from the 1800s to Disney classics, as well as selections from the acclaimed Broadway musicals Wicked, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.

Serving Others

ICHS “DAY OF SERVICE”

Since one of our core values is SERVICE TO GOD AND OTHERS, the entire high school spent the Friday before Easter break serving others at locations across Northern Virginia and D.C. Students visited with senior citizens at Aarondale Retirement Center and Leewood Healthcare Center, sorted clothes at Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center, cleaned up at Lake Accotink and Parklawn parks, talked with 4th grade students at Lynbrook Elementary School about going to college, and served in many other ways. Community service is a graduation requirement for ICHS, and a part of our K-12 curriculum as we partner together in learning, godliness, and service.

Future Careers

CAREER DAY AT ICHS

A wide range of professionals spent an afternoon with our high school students, sharing their career experiences and answering questions about their professions. Students had the opportunity to talk with a pharmacist, a pilot, a judge, a journalist, an author, a nurse, and other professionals as they discern God’s calling for their lives.

Our physics students also had an opportunity to meet Dr. Jennifer Taylor, a physicist who supports the Oceanographer of the Navy. Dr. Taylor’s field of work in atomic clocks demonstrated to the students that physics is a discipline that supports other fields of science, math, and even politics

IN OTHER NEWS

FOOTBALL TEAM FINISHES UNDEFEATED SEASON! 

The varsity boys flag football team finished their second season with an undefeated 12-0 record that concluded with a 35-18 conference championship victory over Fairfax Christian School. The game featured a long opening play touchdown score by Luke Burnside, interceptions by Caleb Mornan and CJ Welburn, and multiple touchdown passes by senior DC Torres.  Way to go, Warriors!

HANDS-ON HS LIFE SCIENCES AT THE CADAVER LAB

The high school Anatomy and Physiology class had an opportunity to visit the cadaver lab at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences at Bethesda, Maryland. Students were given a tour of the campus and lab and had some amazing hands-on experiences!