The Providence Lamp-Post, Jan. 16


Recommitment Process Begins This Week

This week, we will be distributing registration commitment forms to each family at Providence (unless you only have a 12th grader). This form includes information about the steps to register for the 2017-18 school year, including the tuition schedule.   
On occasion, certain grades at Providence have filled up quickly. Priority is given to current Providence students. The re-commitment period extends through Friday, Feb. 3, which means that we will not begin to accept new students to the school until after Feb. 3.
Second priority is given to siblings of currently enrolled students. Applications submitted for siblings submitted before Feb. 3 will be given priority placement before new family applications. After February 3rd, the school will begin to process and register new families.
If you have any questions about recommitment, please don’t hesitate to contact us (  

Early Modern Lego Contest and Fun Lunch January 19th    Please bring Lego creations to the large worship center foyer.                     

     Lunch: Hamburgers, Chips, Fruit

     Dress: Jeans and Providence

                 T-shirt or Hoodie

We are in need of 2 or 3 more volunteers upstairs from 11:15-12:00.

Fun Lunch Upstairs Volunteers

Fun Lunch Downstairs Volunteers

School and Group Pics Next Week

In the Fall, due to time constraints, we only only took individual student portraits. Tim and Cherie Flanagan of Solas Gallery will be back on Thursday, Jan. 26 for class group pictures, as well as the school-wide picture, which we will take in the Sanctuary during morning chapel. They’ll provide info about order options in a few weeks.

Town Hall Meeting: Jan. 26 (7 p.m.) and Feb. 2 (8:45 a.m.)

These are our two options for the annual Town Hall meeting, which will both be in the Small Sanctuary (chapel) of the church. We’ll discuss the past, present, and future of Providence.

Rock Ceremony — 4th and 8th Grade Families

I’m a big fan of public encouragement. Growing up, public/brief words of encouragement made a significant impact on my life. A respected uncle once said at Christmas that he thought I would do something significant. An older kid in our youth group made a quick public comment on a time where he had seen kindness in me. My parents were certainly the most significant people in my young life, but they didn’t really have an opportunity for public encouragement. That’s behind the rock ceremony, a low-key yet powerful concept used by a number of other schools, churches, and extended families. If you’re a 4th OR 8th grade dad, we really hope you’ll be part of this activity, which will take place during Donuts with Dads, Thursday, Feb. 2, following morning chapel. You can read more specifics here (info from the Jan. 2 Lamp-Post.)


“Is Genesis History?”

This looks like a good option for family night:  View the trailer for this documentary which will be showing Feb. 23 only – it looks like Cinemark in Temple will be showing it.

Speech Meet: Finalizing Selections

If you get stuck in the process of helping your child select an appropriate piece for the Speech Meet, maybe less is more. Try this:  have him narrow down the categories (prose, scripture, poetry, or historical) to only two. Then, find three options that you like for each of those categories and have him pick from those.  Selections should be made and approved by teachers this week.

Storytime with Case Hodge

Providence First Grader, Case Hodge, will be at Harker Heights Barnes and Nobles on Saturday, Jan. 28th at 2 p.m. reading his newly published book. You are invited to join Case for cookies and storytime. Congratulations on your new book, Case!



SING: Hymn of the week: What Wondrous Love Is This



Focus Country of the Week: Chile

Challenges for prayer: According to Operation World, Ethnic minorities, both indigenous and immigrant, find life in Chile to be difficult and are often faced with prejudice. These groups include the Mapuche (the largest indigenous group), the Rapa Nui (originally from Easter Island), other Latin Americans (immigrants from places like Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia), Jews, Romani (gypsies) and over 70,000 Christian Palestinians.


Scripture Memory: 1 Cor. 13: (1) If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. (2) If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. (3) If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (4) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (5) It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (6) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (8a) Love never fails.



Tuesday, Jan. 17 Reading in morning chapel: Jesus Changes Water into Wine, John 2:1-11

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why did Mary ask Jesus for help?
  2. What did Jesus mean when he said, “My hour has not yet come?”
  3. How can we follow the example of Mary, who came to Jesus with her problem?
  4. How did Jesus turn the water into wine?
Wednesday, Jan. 18 Reading at home: Jesus Clears the Temple, John 2:13-22

Discussion Questions:

  1. Whose house did Jesus say the temple was? (The temple was his Father’s house.”
  2. What was wrong with what was going on in the Temple? (There were those who were selling animals and cheating the people.)
  3. Jesus chased the animal sellers and the money-changers out of the temple, but who didn’t Jesus chase out of the temple? (Jesus did not chase out those who came to worship. God does not cast out those who come to worship!)
  4. What did the Jews demand that Jesus give them? (The Jews demanded that Jesus give them a sign to show he was allowed to chase out the money-changers.)
  5. How was Jesus himself God’s temple? (God’s temple is the place where his presence lives among the people. Wherever he went God was among the people because Jesus was God. In heaven there won’t be a Temple building. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple — see Revelation 21:22.)

The Big Picture Bible (K/1st): “Jesus Reveals God’s Kingdom”


Thursday, Jan. 19 Reading in morning chapel:  Jesus Teaches Nicodemus, John 3:1-16

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why did Jesus come to Jesus at night?
  2. Jesus told Nicodemus that something had to happen before he could get into the kingdom of God. What was it that had to happen?
  3. Is being born again something we can do for ourselves, or does God need to do it for us?
  4. What does God change about a person when he makes him born again?
  5. Jesus said that the Son of Man was going to be lifted up like the bronze snake was lifted up. Who is the Son of Man?
  6. How are we healed by looking to Jesus lifted up on the cross?
Friday, Jan. 20 Reading at home: Ephesians 2

Discussion Questions:  Review discussion questions from yesterday’s chapel.

Monday, Jan. 23 Reading at home: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, John 4:1-44

Discussion Questions:

  1. What did Jesus ask the Samaritan woman to give him, and what did Jesus offer to give her?
  2. Why did the Samaritan woman need the “living water”?

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