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CAPE GIRARDEAU – An instructor at Lynwood Christian Academy oversees her students’ school work. The school, a ministry of Lynwood Baptist Church here, has grown from 40 students in 2020 to 200 students now in its preschool and first through eighth grade programs. (Photos courtesy of Lynwood Christian Academy)

Lynwood Academy aims at ‘excellent academics with a biblical worldview’

April 4, 2023 By Vicki Stamps

CAPE GIRARDEAU – Lynwood Christian Academy (LCA) is a growing ministry of Lynwood Baptist Church. LCA is putting Deuteronomy 6 into action by teaching the Lord’s commands so that students in the first through eighth grades can keep them in the future.

Benjamin Rhodes, head of school, identified the mission and the vision of the school. “We are partnering with families to train champions for Christ,” he said. “We have a Christian curriculum and we teach God’s Word with application so that whatever they decide to do in the future: college, construction or military, they will be ready.”

The growth of the school shows the partnership is effective.  The school was originally “meeting across the street from the church, but it was struggling,” Rhodes said. “In 2017, Cape’s Board and parents kept the school going and asked to use Lynwood’s facility.”

“When the school asked to be housed in our building,” Mark Anderson, senior pastor, said, “we needed to take over the leadership if it was to be our ministry. After much prayer by the church, during the summer of 2020, the church took on the school as a ministry.”

Rhodes reported that the first year, with Covid, the school had 40 students. However, for the second year, the enrollment doubled to 80 and this 2022-23 school year, LCA had 95 students.  “We also merged with the preschool program, “Footprints,” which raised our enrollment to 200. We’ve needed to wait-list students to maintain class size.”

To cope with the rapid growth of the school and the church, Lynwood is planning a Capital Building Campaign. “Since we are using the church,” Rhodes continued, “it was not built with a thought for a school.  Since COVID, the church has been growing too. We need more space for LifeGroups, so this new building project will have a dual purpose.  Currently, if the church has a special event during the week and needs the fellowship hall, the school must move out of that area of the building.”

“We are currently in the design stage,” Anderson said. “This new building addition will be used for all ages. It will give us a better, larger space for fellowship, LifeGroups will be added and there will be a better location for senior adults.”

Ashley Conway, church member and parent of a fifth-grade girl and a third-grade boy, enrolled her children at LCA for the second year.

“They told us in the beginning,” she said, “that the school would not raise our children. They explained that the majority of faith background came from the parents.  They explained the partnership, and it is a wonderful bridge for my children.”

Jocey Bennett has five children enrolled at LCA, one in first, third, fourth, seventh and eighth. “It is wonderful to have all my children in the same school,” she said. “When they are in different buildings, we spend so much time in the car, and it is not quality time.  I love the small class size. Having the attention of the teacher is valuable for students.”

Conway also appreciates the small class sizes. “The school really meets the needs of both of my children. When they come in, it has the feel of family. A safe place for them to learn and grow. They don’t experience judgment, and the faculty and staff help them feel good about themselves.  I’m thankful that our community has a school like this.”

Bennett also mentioned the family atmosphere of the school. “It warms my heart,” she said, “to know they can see each other during the day.  All the students are like family. It is like a sweet community of siblings.”

Strong academics are important at LCA, according to Rhodes.  “Our students are testing above average, and we’ve almost completed the accreditation process for the Association for Christian Schools International (ACSI),” he said.  “We add the biblical curriculum so the students will have a foundation of God’s Truth to prepare them for His calling when they leave here, regardless of what field that is.”

“We are not against public schools,” Anderson continued. “We want to offer excellent academics with a biblical worldview. That is the heartbeat of what we are doing. We want them to learn the Word of God and be God honoring.”

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