Digging into the Future, Where the Talents Are

Digging into the Future, Where the Talents Are

Maylanne MaybeeIn the traditional interpretation of Matthew’s Parable of the Talents (KJV), we hear of “the good and faithful servant” entrusted with the “talents” of his master.  He invests successfully and receives a ten-fold return and the praise of his master.  But the cautious servant buries his “talents” and there they remain in the ground, safe, but hidden and unused.

The Central Council of CCS faced this kind of question when they met last month.  Is now a time to exercise caution or a time to release some of our resources to invest in the future?  Is it a time to plant or a time to pluck up what is planted? 

Both approaches have been evident in our history as a school.  Both reflect a faithful commitment to caring for the resources that have been entrusted to us.

Central Council discussionThe decision was to dig into the future and to look for the hidden talent that will provide us with the energy and new initiatives to attract and equip the leadership of tomorrow. The retirement of Ted Dodd as an instructor has led to a period of reflection about the future of CCS. We believe that new program staff will be required to meet our vision and goals. But we mean to do more than replace one retiring staff member; we intend to make two new hires.

This will mean using some of our invested principal in order to fund a new staff person. The work of our Finance Committee to research options and assess risk suggests that we can afford to do this safely. Thanks to generous donors, prudent financial management, and a solid investment performance, the Endowment Fund of CCS has grown enough in the last three years to give us wiggle room to expand our program team with confidence while protecting the Fund’s base value.

The Council believes that now is the time to pluck up what was planted and to use our resources to build a new staff team, to orient a new program team to the ethos and methodology of CCS, and to prepare for the transition as current staff members retire.  We are acting in faith that digging into the future in this way will create yields in talented teaching, talented students, and talented leadership for a changing church.

We want you to know about this decision as we make public the posting for the new positions.  In announcing this news, we look for your support and guidance as we move forward. If you have any questions, please call Principal Maylanne Maybee at 204-783-4490, extension 21.  We will keep you posted on our progress on our website and through our newsletter.