History and Overview of the Work of Lakeland
Christian School and Christian Outreach, Inc.

     In December of 1993, the Lord provided a vision for a Christian community center and corporation--wholly independent of any church denomination. This original vision included a K-12 Christian school, a Christian day-care center, auditorium/conference center, chapel, athletic fields, and health club--all under the corporate name, "Christian Outreach, Inc." Specifically envisioned for the school was an affordable, strictly interdenominational school with gymnasium, science lab, music room, library and media center. Scholarship funds would be available for both Christian school tuition and music lessons.

     In February and March of 1994, two of the original incorporators and financial backers secured the services of a Christian attorney and certified public accountant. Both professionals agreed to work for free in helping to get the project "off the ground."

     At about this time a large, conveniently located building site within the city limits of Battle Lake, MN became available for purchase. The realtor handling the property sale agreed to waive his fee for this real estate transaction. However, following a series of meetings with the Battle Lake City Planning Committee, the City Council, et al, in May of 1994, and further leadings from the Lord, the individuals involved elected to move the project from Battle Lake to the Henning area.

     With the change in location, the major focus of the proposed corporation became the establishment of a Christian School, and the individual who would become the third incorporator offered to donate a large tract of land on which to build.

     Articles of Incorporation for Christian Outreach, Inc., were signed June 15, 1994, and filed with the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office on July 13, 1994. Article II of the Articles of Incorporation includes the following language:

     "The purpose of this corporation shall be to advance, promote, and enhance Christian living through educational, charitable, and recreational programs."

     The original incorporators then asked the Lord to direct the selection of individuals to fill remaining positions on the interdenominational corporate Board of Directors. The Lord did provide the names of persons to fill the Board; and, as He would have it, no two Board nominees were affiliated with the same church. An organizational meeting was held on July 21, 1994, for the purpose of formally electing the full Board of Directors for the corporation and for finalizing the corporation's Statement of Faith, etc. A 7-member, self-perpetuating Board was elected on that date. The corporate board would also serve as a school board for the Christian school.

     Private prayers were offered for a name for the Christian school -- one that would be more inclusive than simply naming the school after the town in which it was located. Again, the Lord answered. The name provided was "Lakeland" Christian School -- most appropriate inasmuch as Otter Tail County claims approximately 1,040 of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes. The name was immediately accepted by unanimous vote of the Board of Directors.

     In order to simplify things legally at the time, the Board of Directors voted to change the corporation's name from Christian Outreach, Inc., to Lakeland Christian School, Inc. However, the corporation remained multi-purpose. In June of 2001, the original name of the school's parent corporation was reinstated. The school continues to operate as Lakeland Christian School -- a ministry of Christian Outreach, Incorporated.

     The By-Laws and guidelines for Corporate Board membership and organization were patterned after those of Heritage Foundation, which governs a successful Christian School in Karlstad, Minnesota.

     The Association of Christian Schools International has outlined three basic organizational patterns for Christian schools. These are (1) parent-controlled schools, (2) church-sponsored schools, and (3) schools operated by a self-perpetuating Board. There are, as ACSI has pointed out, strengths and weaknesses associated with each pattern. The Board of Directors of Christian Outreach and LCS is an interdenominational corporate board organized to govern a multi-purpose, non-sectarian, non-profit corporation, subject to Minnesota State laws and regulations for such corporations. Christian Outreach, Inc., By-Laws, establishing a 7-member, self-perpetuating Board of Directors, were adopted by the Board at a meeting of the Directors on September 12, 1994. These By-Laws include the corporation's Statement of Faith (See LCS Parent/Student Handbook), which all Board members must read, accept in its entirety, and sign. Each school board member also reads and agrees to abide by "Christian Ethics for the Christian School Board Member" and has all of his/her own school-age children enrolled in Lakeland Christian School. As much as possible, attempts are made to keep the Board of Directors interdenominational. This, not only to ensure better Board representation of the current LCS student body but to encourage greater future community involvement in all of the work of the corporation. As is the case in the interdenominational Christian classroom, Board-room discussions of divisive doctrinal issues and criticisms of particular church denominations are forbidden.

     Having earlier determined it to be financially unfeasible to commence building construction on the land offered by one of the original incorporators, board members checked out possible existing facilities for use by the school during the 1994-95 school year.

     Approximately three weeks before school was to begin in September, Lakeland had not even a temporary facility in which to house the school, no promise of satisfactory enrollment (two families were signed up), and no time for extensive advertising in the event a building were made available. Clearly, it was humanly impossible to provide for a fully functioning school by September 6. Though the outlook appeared bleak, the organizers clung steadfastly to the promises in God's Holy Word (Mark 10:27; Matt. 21:22) and determined with prayer and fasting to wait upon the Lord. Ever present in our minds were Jesus' words, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me..." (Matt. 19:14)

     The Lord heard the many petitions and proceeded to work miracle after miracle. Two weeks before the scheduled start of school, the First Baptist Church of Henning kindly granted Lakeland temporary use of the church facility. A few days following one newspaper ad (all there was time for), 15 students from Wadena, Henning, Clitherall, Deer Creek, Parkers Prairie and Ottertail were enrolled in the school. All necessary personnel were enlisted to ensure a smooth beginning, and throughout the school year, Lakeland was blessed with the prayerful and financial support of numerous friends of Christian education.

     In May of 1995, corporate representatives signed an agreement to purchase the permanent structure in which the school is now housed and which is situated on nearly 12 acres of land within the Henning City limits. Room for building expansion and, ultimately, for a park and athletic fields! The miraculous manner in which the property became available, the low purchase price, the terms of the contract, and the timing of so many events since the original vision, are testimonies that the Lord's hand has been in this work.

     Enrollment for Lakeland's second year more than doubled. The school had its first basketball team, and the 1995-96 school year closed with Lakeland's first kindergarten and high school graduations. To God be the glory!

     In an effort to ensure school parents a strong voice in the education of their children and Board responsiveness to parental concerns and suggestions, the corporate board at its annual meeting on July 29, 1996, made provision for the school's Parent/Teacher Fellowship to elect from its members a Fellowship president to act as liaison between the school parents and the Board of Directors. The PTF is also to elect a vice-president to sub when necessary for the president and a secretary to record the Minutes of each PTF meeting. The position of PTF president is a critical one, and much prayer and consideration of the nominee's special gifts and experience in this area should go into the selection of a president. (See Guidelines for the LCS Parent/Teacher Fellowship.) The procedures for bringing parental concerns before the Board ensure that such matters will be handled by both the Fellowship and the Board in the manner prescribed in I Corinthians 14:40 (KJV): "Let all things be done decently and in order."

     In order to avoid the appearance of the corporation's favoring one church denomination over another, active pastors are not asked to serve on the corporate board nor in school administration. However, Lakeland's Monday morning Chapel services are conducted by rotating area pastors and other Christian leaders -- a practice which has proved an enormous blessing to the school and to all attending these services.

     All LCS committees are corporate committees, and at the present time include the Public Relations/Fund-Raising Committee, the Building Committee, and the Hostess Committee. Committee chairs are appointed by the full Christian Outreach, Inc., Board of Directors, and these committee chairs are expected to follow the committee job descriptions provided by the Board. Committee chairs may nominate fellow committee members whom they feel will serve well in such capacity and with whom they feel they can work efficiently. Final approval of these nominees must be given by the full Board. The Public Relations/Fund-Raising and Hostess Committees, along with the School Administrator in most cases, are in charge of fund-raising, advertising and other public relations work, and the planning of informational programs/dinners, etc. All public relations work and fund-raising activities, including the selection of guest speakers, must be approved by the corporate board prior to making arrangements for same. Committee chairs are responsible for recruiting additional volunteer help (primarily from school families) to carry out the Board-approved plans.

     The stipulations contained in the current Lakeland Christian School Parent/Student Handbook were taken primarily from non-copyrighted Handbooks used successfully for many years by three other Minnesota Christian schools. Provisions were made for the unique ministries of Lakeland and Christian Outreach, Inc. The original LCS Handbook was finalized and adopted by unanimous vote of the first Board of Directors on August 15, 1994. It was revised September, 1996; revisions approved by the Board on September 24, 1996.

     Massive amounts of research, typing, editing and Board appraisals went into the development of job descriptions, Board and Administrative policies and procedures, Handbooks for the various support programs, as well as a detailed Handbook for the day-to-day secretarial and administrative paper work. Always, the Lord granted the necessary strength for the task. In addition to the use of policy manuals created by legal and legislative experts with the Association of Christian Schools International, research contacts included other Minnesota Christian schools, the Minnesota Department of Education, and local Christian attorneys. Lakeland Christian School staff contracts closely follow the sample contracts drawn up by the ACSI legislative issues director, working with attorneys specializing in Christian education issues. ACSI personnel packets, which are revised as new issues arise, have been prepared on the basis of research results from studies involving over 100 established U.S. Christian schools. The Christian Outreach, Inc., Board of Directors Policy Manual includes large amounts of text from the Business, Non-Profit & Cooperatives Corporation Act (extracted from current Minnesota Statutes), as well as the 21st Century Robert's Rules of Order (published by Dell Publishing, New York, NY).

     On the horizon... The original vision for the corporation included the establishment of a Community Advisory Board -- to be made up of as many area pastors and priests as are willing to serve, as well as business leaders, and leaders in the fields of law enforcement and education. Perhaps, pre-school and latchkey programs will soon be possible, as well as boys' and girls' finishing schools, adult community education, and a family films theater.

     In the interest of maintaining high academic standards and because of the many other benefits afforded by school accreditation, the Board of Directors plans to pursue the accreditation of Lakeland Christian School by the Association of Christian Schools International -- a Minnesota state and nationally recognized accrediting agency.

     Formal support programs for corporate and school endeavors include the Support Partner Fellowship, established to help meet monthly operating expenses; the LCS Memorial Scholarship Fund, which allows individuals to honor the memory of loved ones who have gone before while, at the same time, making it possible for needy children to attend Lakeland tuition-free or at a reduced cost; a Building Fund to cover building repair and construction costs, and the Frank and Nora Steuart Music Scholarship Fund. Donations to these support programs are tax-deductible and are very much appreciated.