Senior Leadership
I am inspired by the faith, courage, and reverence for God by Christian educators around the world! It reminds me of the story recounted in I Samuel 17 about David defeating Goliath. In verse 29, David’s response to the inaction of his
elder brothers and the Israelites especially encourages me. He boldly and nobly answers the call to action by asking, "Is there not a cause?”
I can think of no greater cause than to partner with you as you advance Kingdom education. We fully believe that authentic devotion to the Christian faith and academic excellence are mutually reinforcing. There are not two or three forms of excellence, but rather an ethos that is cultivated throughout every facet of our schools. Faith is not separated from learning but rather integrated intentionally, resulting in a distinctive Christian worldview.
Scholarship and learning become an integral component to the maturation process known as discipleship. Thus, becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ, the ultimate objective of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20), is the prize for which we strive; it is the highest form of excellence! It is certainly conceivable that we could produce students with the spiritual depth needed to enter our pluralistic society and not fall prey to empty philosophies. Rather, they would be equipped to saturate the marketplace to which God has called them with confidence, purpose, and an eternal perspective.
ACSI’s ongoing mission is to strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators worldwide as they prepare students academically and inspire them to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ. We want to serve you as you continue to cultivate and sustain a flourishing school. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you—thank you for your obedience to God’s call on your life—you are indeed making a difference.
Dr. Larry Taylor, President & CEO, ACSI
larry_taylor@acsi.org
719-867-0200
ACSI Senior Leadership
Dr. David Balik
Vice President of USA
Dr. Gavin Brettenny
Chief Strategy Officer
Kevin Buelke
Chief Finance Officer
Cindy Dodds
Chief of Flourishing Initiatives
Michael Epp
Senior Vice President of Global
Brett Henry, J.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Sevenstar
Vice President, Educational Resources
John Klingstedt
Chief Operating Officer
Christi Lynn
Vice President, Communications & Engagement
Chris Loncar
Vice President, Human Resources
Jerry Nelson
Chief Ministry Officer
Philip Scott, J.D.
Vice President for Legal Affairs
P. George Tryfiates
Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs
Susan Verheul
Vice President, Executive Initiatives
Dr. Cecil Swetland
Vice President for Development
News and Press Releases
ACSI Receives Generous Grant that will Transform Digital Professional Development Course Offerings for Thousands of Christian Educators
Colorado Springs, Colo. – The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is glad to embark on an innovative multi-year digital resource project that will completely transform professional development offerings for educators.
This initiative—made possible by a generous grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, a private, non-profit foundation based in Washington state—allows association experts to convene, curate and create new courses on an ACSI Learning Management System. New courses will employ best practices in adult learning while maintaining a solid biblical worldview perspective.
ACSI President & CEO Dr. Larry Taylor believes this investment will provide thousands of educators globally with flexible, 24/7 access to hundreds of courses ranging from biblical worldview development to subject-specific strategies.
“The professional development initiative is aligned with our mission as an organization … to strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators,” Taylor shared. “We have been prayerful about the direction of our professional development offerings for years now and are so grateful for Murdock Charitable Trust in helping us to provide thousands of educators with the quality resources they need to flourish.”
The association also plans to develop more “PD by Design” course packages—one-day professional development opportunities designed to be facilitated by a school leader with their faculty. This site-based, digitally delivered professional development encourages collaboration amongst colleagues, laying a foundation for continuous professional growth. Each course will include expert presentations, learning activities and discussion topics for optimal engagement.
ACSI Director of Digital Initiatives Sarah Loncar looks forward to the development of additional ACSI educator courses.
“ACSI has a rich history of faculty professional development,” she said. “We have pivoted delivery methods over the years in response to expressed needs. Through this initiative, we are committed to curating valuable course opportunities for educators— Opportunities which inspire and equip them in their areas of influence.”
This effort has been driven by several key data sources. In 2019, ACSI completed extensive research to define the components of truly flourishing schools. These indicators provided the foundation for this initiative, as well as a guide for measuring current resources and developing new ones.
In 2021, ACSI leadership made a strategic decision to provide significant upgrades to its online professional development resource library, ConNexus Premium. After a thorough, comprehensive analysis of differing learning management systems, ACSI entered a formal partnership with the ed tech firm, Campus, to launch ACSI’s new platform for a streamlined library of content taught from a biblical worldview.
Dana Miller, Senior Program Director for Grants at Murdock Trust, looks forward to seeing the great strides this initiative will make in the digital professional development arena.
“ACSI is undertaking an important project that will truly impact Christian education,” Miller said. “By investing in this project, ACSI is investing in teachers, and ultimately in the students who fill our schools. The Murdock Trust is honored to partner with them in making their resources more accessible and effective to the educators on the front lines of our communities.”
About ACSI:
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, ACSI exists to strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators worldwide as they prepare students academically and inspire them to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ. ACSI advances excellence in Christian schools by enhancing the professional and personal development of Christian educators and providing vital support functions for Christian schools through multiple services including teacher and administrator certification, school accreditation, legal/legislative assistance, and curriculum publishing. Serving more than 25,000 schools in 108 countries, ACSI helps more than 5.5 million students worldwide connect to Christian education.
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About ACSI PD powered by Campus:
ACSI Professional Development powered by Campus brings on-demand learning to users. Annual subscriptions grant users 500 hours of best practices, inspiration, and experience with dynamic tracking of earned Continuing Education Units (CEUs) through a Virtual Professional Portfolio (VPP). Learn more about ACSI PD powered by Campus by visiting the website at https://www.acsi.org/digital.
About the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust:
The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust has been supporting the growth of Pacific Northwest nonprofits since 1975. The trust’s mission is to serve individuals, families and communities across the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, through grantmaking, enrichment programs and convenings that strengthen the region’s educational, social, spiritual, and cultural base in ways that are innovative and sustainable. Investing in transformational ideas, the trust is drawn to pursuits that rebuild and renew, innovate and transform, and strengthen and inspire in service of families and individuals. Learn more about the trust on the website: https://murdocktrust.org/.