An Evening Under the Stars

This morning someone gave me the “Preview Catalog” for the silent auction this Friday night to benefit Oak Park Christian Academy. The money raised at this gala event goes to provide tuition scholarships, to buy computers, and for other special educational programs. OPCA opened its doors four years ago with 19 students. The numbers grew the next year to 41, then to 54, and this year to 85 students. Next year we expect enrollment (kindergarten through eighth grade) to top 100. We have students from many communities and representing many different churches. Minority enrollment this year is around 40%.

In the beginning we dreamed of a school that would be Christ-centered, educationally excellent, with a diverse student population, and affordable for most families. That’s not an easy combination to achieve but with the Lord’s help we have made good progress in all those areas.

This Friday night you are invited to join us for “An Evening Under the Stars.” Tickets cost $25 per person and entitle you to bid on a dazzling array of items, including season tickets to the Friday Night Sing next year, a Cubs Bleacher Blast, a three-month free membership in the Oak Park YMCA, complete auto detailing from Loro Auto Works, a signed, pre-release Veggie Tales poster for the upcoming “Larry Boy and the Rumor Weed,” and use of a weekend cabin at Green Lake, Wisconsin. The list goes on and on.

My name pops up twice in the “Rare Opportunities” category. One item reads as follows: “Dinner and Theological Discussion for Two with the Pritchards. Enjoy a meal of home-cooked Southern favorites and ample opportunity to ask Pastor Ray theological questions to your heart’s content.” For the benefit of all involved, Marlene will handle the cooking and I will take care of the questions. The other one is a little more exotic: “A Behind the Scenes Tour of Calvary led by Pastor Ray, followed by Dinner in Calvary’s own Observatory with Pastor Ray and Mrs. Pritchard, hosted by Ted and Lisa King.” I’ll bet most of you didn’t even know we had an observatory. We do, and for the first time in my ten years as pastor, we’ll be having a lovely meal there. The value of both of these items is listed as “Priceless.” I’m sure that is true in more ways than one.

It’s going to be a fun night. You can purchase your tickets this morning in the Resource Center or by calling the school at 708/445-3030. If you can’t attend but would like to make a donation to the school, you can do that instead. I hope you’ll join us this Friday for “an evening under the stars.”