LCS Talks: Recent Episodes
Langley Christian School
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Season 5, Episode 1
This is our first episode of the new season. Berkley and Kevin sit down with LCS Head of School, Adam Woelders, to discuss how our core programs shape the faith and identity of our K-12 students. Families are desiring a reliable Christian education that equips students to thrive with faith and purpose. In this episode, we explore how LCS’ core values – being a Connecting, Thriving, and Equipping Christian learning community – guide everything we do. Tune in to hear Adam share insights from his experiences, LCS’ strategic plan, and the unique impact of our programs on graduates.
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In this episode, David Jackson (Middle School Assistant Principal and Learning Services Teacher) and Susan Priebe (High School Learning Services Teacher) discuss our Learning Support Services efforts. The panel explores belonging in community, the inherent value and image bearing nature of every child, and how we can support the diverse needs of all our learners. As families seek different practices to build supportive environments for their children, this episode offers valuable insights into how learning services teams play an essential role in equipping students to become all God created them to be.
In this episode, Berkley and Kevin discuss how our LCS service learning program is being developed under the direction of Chris Seppelt (Service Learning Coordinator) and Joel Ditson (High School Principal). As part of our efforts to have students more engaged in local to global service, build community partnerships, and develop intercultural understanding, the panel discusses the early stages of our high school service learning program. The discussion is filled with stories of faith and insights into how the program will start to connect into our K-12 Bible curriculum over the next few years. Tune in as Chris and Joel encourage LCS families to engage in service learning as part of their social emotional and faith development.
Berkley and Kevin go deep theologically into Genesis 1 and 2 with Erin Thiessen (Middle School Homeroom Teacher) and Tom Allen (High School Chapel Coordinator and Bible/Humanities Teacher). The discussion explores how we continue to support student social emotional development and faith formation around Biblical perspectives of identity, relationships, gender, and sexuality in our Bible curriculum. Erin and Tom share examples of our approach and how we are facilitating the learning in ways that are consistent with a high degree of clarity, integrity, and care for our learner. The panel also shares relevant texts for further reading and an invitation to continue the partnership we hope to see with families across a range of sensitive but important discussions.
Strategies from our Youth Care Workers for Connection & Belonging
In this episode, Jamie Robertson and Lauren Enns discuss youth care at LCS. The panel explores belonging in community, the inherent value and image bearing nature of every child, and strategies to ensure our learners thrive. As families seek different practices to build supportive environments for their children, this episode offers valuable insights into how to equip students to become all God created them to become.
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Joy and Attachment Are Necessary for our Faith-Formation
Our brains are wired for joy and attachment. What does it look like to support our students’ social emotional development and how does this matter for our faith formation? Join us as Berkley and Kevin chat with School Counsellor, Dave McVety about how our community is working to make sure every child is known, their giftings are nurtured, and that we create opportunities for meaningful connection leading to learning. The episode examines several biblical and practical examples of how to have important restorative conversations with our students.
Launching Season 4 on Faith, Identity, and Social-Emotional Development
LCS Talks is in its 4th Season! Join us as we explore conversations on Faith, Identity, and Social Emotional development. Since launching this podcast in 2021, we have had a lot of positive reception in the British Columbia Christian educational context. And though engaging with our school community remains our primary purpose, we thought we would continue to give voice to another void of silence in Christian education: the role that social-emotional development plays in our identity and faith formation.
Berkley and Kevin frame the season ahead and chat with Joyce Wang, K-12 Director of Learning Support Services. This episode was recorded at the end of the 2022-23 school year. The panel shares about some of the staff professional learning we have engaged with and why it is important that a Christian learning community should care about social-emotional development.
In the final episode of LCS Talks, Season 3 on Faith, Identity, and Christian Formation, Berkley and Kevin reflect on how we have grown as a thriving Christian learning community with guests Anita Wood (Elementary School Assistant Principal), David Jackson (Middle School Assistant Principal), and Patrick Lee (High School Assistant Principal). Tune in to hear about how each of these incredible leaders have been impacted in their faith this year and how God show up in our shared work and learning.
In this episode, Berkley and Kevin chat with Tim Van Hemert, Elisha Neufeld, and Briel Walters on how each of the campuses are planning for Christian faith-informed learning in different subject disciplines. Tune in to get to know more of our incredible staff members and hear about how they articulate our vision for community learning, and how to think about how faith informs the arts, sciences, and STEM programming. The panel explores how being made in the image of God and creating points to who we are as a community of learners.
In this episode, Berkley, Brenda, and Kevin chat about Christian teaching practice with Dr. David Smith, Director of the Kuyers Institute at Calvin University and author of several influential Christian educational books including “On Christian Teaching: Practicing Faith.” In this conversation, the team discussed the role of the Bible in Christian education and how to help teachers live out their faith in their practice. Join us as we explore what it means to lead our students, notice their God given gifting, and help them to live purposefully in the world.
In this episode, Berkley and Kevin talk with our Grade 11/12 Bible teachers, Bruce Wergeland, Josh Withrow, and Tom Allen. The conversation explores how these teachers are implementing our new Bible curriculum, approaching how they teach students how to read the Bible, and engaging in conversations about faith-formation. Tune in to get to know these incredible educators and how they are working towards the faith-formation of high school students.
In this episode, Berkley and Kevin chat with Harmony Wilson (LCS ECE Manager) and Rachel Cram (Founding Director of Wind and Tide Preschools) about the developmental needs and faith formation of early learners. The discussion is filled with stories about children and practical insights for how to have spiritual conversations, engage in play, build attachment, and communicate well with our children. Explore how we lead children to be grounded in Biblical teachings while also helping them to live a life of wonder and curiosity. Tune into the conversation as these two incredible women share about their insights for supporting our children in their faith formation.
In this episode, Berkley, Kevin, and Lori chat with Dr. Lynn Swaner, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at the Association of Christian Schools International. Dr. Swaner is familiar with the BC Christian educational context, having spoken at the Christian Schools Conference this past year. She has also worked with our LCS leadership team at one of our morning sessions and helped facilitate leadership learning around creating a flourishing Christian educational community. Tune in as we explore insights concerning faith formation, flourishing Christian learning communities, and practices that encourage our school community to help students thrive.
In this episode, Berkley and Kevin chat about our efforts towards discipleship and faith formation in the middle and high school. You won’t want to miss some of the important insights shared as we get to know Brenda Wind (Middle School Assistant Principal) and our lightning life House Directors (Kara Davis, Brodan Thiel, and Cody Friesen). The conversation is filled with some key considerations about how a community of faith, teaching, and learning engages in practices to encourage spiritual conversation. Mr. Thiel that our scars help students believe that our vulnerabilities point to the need for a saviour at the same time. Ms. Wind characterizes when we lead with vulnerability, we create a safe place where kids can be vulnerable. Join in the conversation if you want to hear about our learning or if your school community is exploring different approaches to community and faith formation.
LifeLong Faith - A conversation with author, teacher, researcher, and ecumenical thinker, John Roberto
In this episode, Berkley and Kevin chat with author, teacher, researcher, and ecumenical thinker, John Roberto. John is the author of a recent (2022) book, “LifeLong Faith: Formation for All Ages and Generations” and several other books on Christian formation. John has also founded several ministries and led projects on Faith Formation including the Center for Ministry Development in 1978 and LifeLong Faith Associates in 2006.
His graduate work was in the areas of religious education and sociology and brings that lens into his work. John offers a view of ecumenical collaboration between different Christian denominations in learning communities. His work has inspired the focus for our podcast season on Faith, Identity, and Christian Formation.
This conversation is filled with insights and practices for educational communities, families, leaders of faith formation in K-12 Christian education, and educational staff.
Check out John Roberto’s website for free resources and ideas for how to encourage faith-formation in your families, churches, and teams: https://www.lifelongfaith.com/.
Welcome back to LCS Talks season 3, episode 3 where we are discussing how our community might think about the relationship between Faith, Identity, and Christian Formation.
In this episode, we pick up on our discussions about Christian Formation with Dave McVety, Middle/High School Counselor and explore a vision of shepherding, soul-care, and faith-formation for this year. Join us as we hear about Dave’s God story, how we order our lives in such a way that we can be formed more like Christ, and listen deeply to God in our educational efforts.
In this episode, Kevin and the LCS Principals reflect on some of the highlights this school year on each of the campuses and in our educational programming. Lori Carpenter (Elementary School Principal), Berkley Glazer (Middle School Principal), and Joel Ditson (High School Principal) discuss how LCS has become a more resilient community. They explore how this has been a formative year for themselves and the community in faith and in our efforts to grow as learners. Tune in as LCS Talks explores how the conversations and learning have impacted our school leaders, what this means for our families, and the exciting work that we have ahead next school year as it pertains to Faith, Identity, and Christian Formation.
We are excited to announce the launch of LCS Talks Season 3 on Faith, Identity, and Christian formation. This next season, we not only explore our teachers’ journeys implementing our re-envisioned K-12 Biblical Studies curriculum, but report back on some of our staff professional learning with our formational Christian teaching practices, discuss the importance of faith-formational efforts in our teaching and learning, and what it looks like to encourage more lifelong learning views of education. We will be joined by Christian education experts from all over the world and our own teaching staff as we engage in discussions about Christian faith-formation. As we engage with local thinkers, Christian school leaders, our K-12 staff members, and students, we seek to tell the stories that are shaping this community of faith and learning.
In episode one, some key voices from the K-12 Bible team, Karen Brouwer Vlieg (Grade 3 Teacher), Regan Davis (Grade 8 Teacher), Josh Withrow (High School Bible/Humanities Teacher), and Amy Stromgren (Grade 6 Teacher and Indigenous Learning Coordinator) share the stories that have shaped the re-envisioned Biblical Studies curriculum, what they have learned throughout the process, and what they are excited about in terms of the direction and work ahead with our phased implementation plan.
You can subscribe to the podcast so you can stay up to date with our releases into the fall this next school year.
In the final episode of Season 2 on Faith, Identity, and Technology, Berkley Glazer, Eric Bylenga, and Kevin Mirchandani talk with Jon Kuehl (Grade 8 Homeroom Teacher) and John Van Weelden (High School Teacher) about our Drones and Aviation Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies (ADST) courses and programming. The discussion is filled with examples of how our teachers are encouraging learning that invites students to reflect on Biblical principles for innovative technology use. Mr. Kuehl and Mr. Van Weelden help us think Biblically, theologically, and practically in terms of what it looks like for a Christian learning community to build programs that help students develop technological citizenship with a future-oriented vision of Christian education.
In this episode, Berkley Glazer, Kevin Mirchandani, and Adam Woelders chat with Jonny Zuidhof former LCS Middle School teacher and current teacher at Heritage Christian Online School about online learning, comparing online / remote learning to brick and mortar schools, and the formation of students in technology-rich environments. The panel explores the possibilities of offering online education in a community like LCS. Be sure to check out this conversation for insights into future-focused Christian education.
In this episode, Berkley and Kevin talk tech tips, internet safety, creating healthy tech environments, and digital citizenship with Eric Bylenga (IT Manager) and Joel Ditson (High School Principal). The panel explores questions of how our vision of tech usage as a Christian learning community goes much further than simply what is intended in the BC education plan. We explore how to imagine our LCS technology guiding principles as parameters that lead us to move from fear to hope and that our students will have courageous families that encourage them to reflect on their decision-making as it pertains to technology usage.
In this episode, Berkley, Dave, and Kevin chat about two key areas of silence in our spiritual formation in Christian communities: the role that the cell phone plays and the implications of pornography. These are challenging topics, so we invited Dr. Robbie Rhea, Associate Vice President of Student Life from Trinity Western University to talk with us. Rob completed his doctorate in spiritual formation from Biola University, researching issues pertaining to pornography in our spiritual formation. Join us as we unpack how to have conversations with elementary, middle, secondary-aged students, and adults about cell phone usage and catch a vision for wisdom in our tech usage.
In this episode, Berkley Glazer and Kevin Mirchandani talk with Matt Grose (Grade 6 Homeroom Teacher) and John Van Weelden (High School Teacher) about our Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies (ADST) courses and programming. The discussion is filled with examples of how our teachers are encouraging learning that invites students to reflect on Biblical principles for innovative technology use. Mr. Grose and Mr. Van Weelden help us think Biblically, theologically, and practically in terms of what it looks like for a Christian learning community to build programs that help students develop technological citizenship with a future-oriented vision of Christian education.
In this fourth episode, Berkley Glazer (Middle School Principal), Dave McVety (High School Counsellor), Lauren Enns (Youth Care Worker), and Kevin Mirchandani (K-12 Director) dialogue about some of our
LCS Talks is a Podcast designed to report to our LCS families on our staff professional learning.
We are tackling the void of being silent on key issues in K-12 School Education from a christian faith based foundation.
Please tune in and have a listen you can subscribe for the nominal fee and that gets you all our season podcasts.
In this episode, the LCS Talks team connects with MIT PhD candidate, Jessica Van Brummelen. Jessica shares about her research work on Artificial Intelligence, engaging girls in STEM education, and the relationship between science and Christianity in terms of answering big questions about our existence.
In this episode, the LCS Talks team connects with Pastor Matthew Price from North Langley Community Church. Pastor Matthew recently led his church through a series called “Digitology” that explored the concept of discipleship and apprenticeship in the digital age. They
In this second episode on Faith, Technology, and Identity, Berkley Glazer (Middle School Principal), Dave McVety (High School Counsellor), and Kevin Mirchandani (K-12 Director of Instruction and Christian Foundations) dialogue with one another about key scripture passages, share about their own experiences with technology, discuss the season ahead, and explore some emerging guiding principles for Christian learning communities engaging with technology.
In this first episode, Berkley Glazer (Middle School Principal), Eric Bylenga (IT Manager), Dave McVety (High School Counsellor), and Kevin Mirchandani (K-12 Director of Instruction and Christian Foundations) dialogue with one another about key scripture passages, share about their own experiences with technology, discuss the season ahead, and explore some emerging guiding principles for Christian learning communities engaging with technology.
We hope you were able to tune into season 1 of our podcast where we explored topics of faith, identity, and sexuality. The podcast was originally designed to report to our school community on some of our staff professional learning. Since we released the podcast, we have had a lot of positive reception. So we thought, why not continue to share our learning.
This next season explores the topic of faith, technology, and identity. We discuss important questions about the future concerning spirituality, science, the way we organize and present ourselves online, human flourishing, wisdom, and what it means to be a Christian learning community.
As we think to the role that technology is playing in our identity formation, we hope you will join us as we look at scripture, dialogue with some great thinkers, and support all our learners for how to steward these important tools that we have been gifted.
Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/langleychristianschool/subscribe to access all the locked content! We are talking about current topics that we are teaching to our students at our school. Please visit www.langleychristian.com to know who we are.
Here is a zoom link to our Middle/Secondary professional learning conversation with Dr. Mark Yarhouse.
In this final episode of the LCS Talks Season 1 podcast on Faith, Identity, and Sexuality. The team reflects on some of their learning from their Friday, February 28 PLC session with Dr. Mark Yarhouse.
Berkley Glazer, Joel Ditson,Dave McVety, and Kevin Mirchandani also share some of their reflections and key learning from the season including some lingering questions and encouragement to families. They also share an exciting announcement, so be sure to check out this episode.
In Episode 5 of LCS Talks on Faith, Sexuality, and Education, Berkley Glazer (Middle School Principal), Joel Ditson (High School Principal), and Kevin Mirchandani (K-12 Director of Instruction and Christian Foundations) explore some of the Society of Christian Schools in British Columbia (SCSBC) SOGI guidelines for “shalom Christian communities” in conversation with Darren Spyksma, SCSBC Director of Learning.
They unpack some of the guidelines for Christian schools to create spaces of belonging, encourage unity over uniformity of beliefs, not let tough conversations lead to divisiveness, and maintain a high duty of care for all students including students wrestling through questions of identity and sexuality.
Darren shares examples and stories from his work across Christian schools in BC that are thinking about creating spaces for dialogue and learning with their school communities. The conversation frames what it looks like for LCS to be a place of Christ’s love, hospitality, and how key scripture passages give us insight into our posture as a learning community.
In session four, Berkley Glazer (Middle School Principal), Dave McVety (Middle/High Counselor), Lauren Ens (Middle/High Youth Care Worker), and Kevin Mirchandani (K-12 Director of Instruction and Christian Foundations) explore some of their recent learning from their Friday, Dec. 10 PLC zoom session with Preston Sprinkle. They unpack what it means as a Christian school to approach this conversation from an educational perspective that first seeks to humbly listen, learn, and understand, and from one that establishes a high duty of care for all students.
Berkley and Kevin ask questions about how to help students navigate questions of identity, safety, resilience, how to have integrity to the Biblical text when engaging with students’ questions, and show care for all students.
Dave McVety and Lauren Ens walk through their reflections from our time with Preston Sprinkle.
Feel free to check out a recording of our staff professional learning time with Preston Sprinkle by subscribing to our podcast.
Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/langleychristianschool/subscribe to access all the locked content! We are talking about current topics that we are teaching to our students at our school. Please visit www.langleychristian.com to know who we are.
Here is a zoom link to our Middle/Secondary professional learning conversation with Preston Sprinkle from Dec. 10, 2021.
Check out episode four where Berkley Glazer (Middle School Principal), Dave McVety (Middle/High Counselor), Lauren Ens (Middle/High Youth Care Worker), and Kevin Mirchandani (K-12 Director of Instruction and Christian Foundations) explore some of their recent learning with Preston Sprinkle. They unpack what it means as a Christian school to approach this conversation from an educational perspective that first seeks to humbly listen, learn, and understand, and from one that establishes a high duty of care for all students.
Berkley and Kevin ask questions about how to help students navigate questions of identity, safety, resilience, how to have integrity to the Biblical text when engaging with students’ questions, and show care for all students.
Dave McVety and Lauren Ens walk through their reflections from our time with Preston Sprinkle.
In this latest instalment, Berkley Glazer (Middle School Principal), Dave McVety (Middle/High Counsellor), Lauren Ens (Middle/High Youth Care Worker), and Kevin Mirchandani (K-12 Director of Instruction and Christian Foundations) explore some of their recent learning from their Friday, Nov. 5 PLC session. They unpack what it means as a Christian school to approach this conversation from an educational perspective that first seeks to humbly listen, learn, and understand, and from one that establishes a high duty of care for all students.
Dave McVety and Lauren Ens walk through an example of how the emotion coaching model can be used to help guide teachers to grow in their empathy and understanding.
With consideration to how the emotion coaching model might be applied for whole group instruction, they bring forward how we might correct students and provide guidance in how we maintain our integrity to personal beliefs, while also having a high view of truth, love, and grace.
In this latest instalment, Berkley Glazer (Middle School Principal), Dave McVety (Middle/High Counsellor), and Kevin Mirchandani (K-12 Director of Instruction and Christian Foundations) explore some of their recent learning from their Friday PLC coaching session about what it means as a Christian school to approach this conversation from an educational perspective that first seeks to humbly listen, learn, and understand, and from one that establishes a high duty of care for all students.
Dave McVety walks through an emotion coaching model to help guide teachers to grow in their empathy and understanding
Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/langleychristianschool/subscribe to access all the locked content! We are talking about current topics that we are teaching to our students at our school. Please visit www.langleychristian.com to know who we are.
6“With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7Will the Lord be pleased with[a] thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,[b]
and to walk humbly with your God?