Much has changed since Converge 2022, when over 900 Christian school leaders gathered in San Diego for encouragement and refreshment after a trying three years of disruption. Since then, and as we look to Converge 2025 in Orlando, some things have improved: COVID has largely faded into the background, and interest and enrollments in Christian schools are significantly up. At…

What is the relationship between presence and courage? The theme for the upcoming Converge conference recalls something I recently read in Shirley Mullen’s book, Claiming the Courageous Middle. During her tenure as the president of Houghton College, she noted that at times her attempt at courageous leadership was construed as sheer cowardice. She writes: I found it fascinating to receive…

A few years ago, I had a conversation with a student at my university that remains emblematic of one of my worries about Christian education. No doubt aware of my interest in how faith shapes teaching, this student told me about how one of her classes had begun and the impression it made on her. That semester, she explained, one…

When Austin, an energetic 2nd grader, came to the All Belong office for an evaluation last year, his mom had many questions. School was not going well for her son. Austin struggled to read, had formed few friendships with his classmates, and, when frustrated, was quick to lash out. His mother agreed to an evaluation because getting him to school…

It’s an invitation into a bigger story. It’s good to have friends. Converge is an invitation: an invitation to practice being Faithfully Present and Courageously Good with a body of believers on the same mission. It’s an invitation to collectively celebrate the good work God is up to in the lives of those in our school communities. It’s an invitation…