Twelve years ago, Kalamazoo Junior Academy was down to just 18 students. Due to low enrollment, the school had to go from kindergarten through 10th-grade to just eighth grade. With support from the church and community, the school was brought back to its former status as a junior academy last year.
Principal Tami Draves, former Kalamazoo pastor Moise Ratsara, current pastor Jermaine Gayle and others in the church and school community were part of that journey.
One challenge affecting enrollment is the Kalamazoo Promise. Students who attend Kalamazoo Public Schools and meet the program’s eligibility requirements can receive significant tuition assistance to attend colleges and universities in Michigan.
Draves said the financial incentive can make it difficult for Adventist education to compete.
“In general, we think ‘why pay for something when we can get something else for free,’” she said.
Draves also believes families sometimes lose sight of what Adventist education uniquely offers.
“What is the main reason we have Adventist education?” she said. “We can get good academics anywhere, but those connections with Jesus just can’t show up in other places like that.”
With the help of the church and school boards, teachers and pastors, the school was able to regain junior academy status. They now enroll 38 students from 13 countries. It took intentional work. To encourage enrollment, school staff interacted with families regularly. They also used social media to keep families up to date with activities and held events that brought people together.
“A lot of it is one-to-one communication, connecting with the parents inside and outside of the building and the kids and making the kids feel like they’re loved so they want to come back,” Draves said.
Gayle also worked to bring the school and church closer together. He said his vision is to create a partnership where students see the church involved in their lives and the church sees the students involved in its life.
The children of Kalamazoo Junior Academy took a large role in an evangelistic series held about a year ago. Gayle wanted them to be involved in more than singing or greeting. He encouraged students to stand up front, recite Scripture and preach short sermons.
Students worked with Gayle and their teachers to prepare their sermons. Gayle taught them sermon preparation while teachers helped students work through illustrations and delivery. He said that teamwork helped strengthen the relationship between the church and the school.
“My philosophy is there’s no difference between the ministry of the school and the ministry of the church,” Gayle said. “The church and the school are one.”
Draves expressed a similar view.
“Your pastor and your teachers have to be willing to work together,” she said. “They have to be willing to put the focus on the kids’ salvation.”
The school has also developed programs to connect students with church members. The Secret Pal program paired students with members who would pray for them and give them small gifts. At the end of the year, the students would meet their Secret Pal.
The program continued for three years before becoming too large to manage in the same way. It was eventually changed to Pray for Us. Students fill out a biography sheet with some of their favorite things, and those are displayed at church so members can learn more about them and pray for them.
At the end of the day, the students want opportunities to be involved.
“They’re eager to be involved. They like to be involved,” Draves said. She pointed to one student preparing to enter eighth grade who joined the church’s AV team after discovering that was an area he enjoyed.
“I believe the sooner we involve them, the more committed they’re going to become because it’s theirs,” Draves said. “It stops being my parents’ religion and it starts being theirs.”
Gayle also believes involvement begins with adults being present in young people’s lives.
“One of the ministries that I find that is the most powerful is the ministry of care,” he said. “And caring means I have to be present. I can’t care and be absent.”
For Gayle, that means spending time with students and showing an interest in their lives. He plays basketball and soccer with them, visits the school and takes time to answer their questions about faith.
“I used to say our kids are our future, but [Principal Draves] reminded me, no, they’re not,” he said. “They are present.”
That belief shapes how Gayle approaches ministry with young people. He said they do not have to wait until adulthood to preach or serve because God can use them now.
Draves, a former KJA student herself, believes that shared commitment to strengthening the Kalamazoo school and church experience makes a difference.
“Having your church and school work together and having your pastor and your staff all on the same page,” she said. “Once you get that, God’s unstoppable.”
Briauna Skinner is a senior at Andrews Academy. She enjoys reading, writing, baking and listening to music. One of her most memorable life moments is the decision to follow her Heavenly Father and having her earthly father baptize her.