Three years ago, North Star Christian school, located in Hermon, Maine, was at a low point. Enrollment was down to six students, and they were facing the distinct possibility that they’d start with only five the following year. But God had other plans.
Three years later, the school has 21 students, a waiting list, and two teachers, with the prospects of seeing a spike in enrollment again next year.
Through a combination of prayer, effective advertising via social media, a very strong presence in the wider community, and an uncompromising commitment to academic excellence, the word has gotten out in the greater Bangor area that North Star Christian school is the place to be.
Such a turnaround has been one part of an intentional strategy of the Bangor church, which runs the school, to serve and connect with the broader community. As a result, over half of the student body comes from backgrounds outside of Adventism, though this has not led to a diminishing of the school’s Adventist identity.
Instead, both the school and the church have been able to work together to promote a Jesus-centered approach to Adventist discipleship and missional engagement. The students, and their families, have had increased opportunities to encounter a distinctly-Adventist approach to faith and life.
Such growth has not come without its challenges, especially as the school has grown and needed to hire additional teaching personnel during a time in which teachers are in short supply and high demand. But God has continued to provide every step of the way.
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—Shawn Brace, pastor, Bangor church
