Senior Testimonial, Class of 2019
Each year at our Baccalaureate Service we ask a few seniors to share their testimonies about how God has worked in their lives through their experience at Plumstead Christian School. Although Josh joined our school as a senior he left an indelible mark on the school community, and the school community, athletic teams, friendships, faculty, and overall spiritual atmosphere also left a mark on him. Josh will be attending Covenant College in the fall where he plans to cultivate his love for music and his newfound talents as a high jumper and thrower for their Track and Field program.
“When I volunteered to speak tonight I did so with the hope that I could give a perspective that many of the 15 or 14 year Plumstead Christian School (PCS) students don’t necessarily have. As I assume the majority of you know at this point, this has been my first and only year at PCS. Prior to my one year here I was in the Pennsbury School district for 11 years. I was daily immersed in a crowd of people that had no sense of hope. Students who were just “surviving.” The day to day struggle of school work was only in hope that one day they may make it to their dream college, find a high-paying job, and accomplish their life’s goals. After that it would be over and the next generation would restart the cycle. I saw people with no hope and living life driven by material gain. Beyond that, they had nothing.
In choosing to come to Plumstead Christian School, I had the hope in the back of my mind that I would arrive on the PCS campus and all the high school drama, all the stress of school work, and all the daily anxieties would be gone. I am sorry to say that this was not the case. What I did see was a school that didn’t leave students wandering – a school that showed students where to look when faced with life’s valleys. Before classes even began, I started my PCS career with soccer preseason. Everyday I watched as the boys built each other up, had fun with one another, and ended every practice with prayer. The stark difference of the relationships and the community at Plumstead Christian School rather than Pennsbury became instantly apparent to me. I remember one game in particular, following an exhausting tie against Calvary Christian that may have cost us a spot in Districts, where both teams came together on the field and spent time in prayer. It was moving to me to see two schools who had their whole season to lose in this one game put aside the fleeting goal of a potential district title and focus on the one thing that matters in this world.
As the year progressed, with challenging academics, two more athletic seasons of basketball and track, and musical interests of mine, the theme of doing everything for the glory of God remained constant. The music program here uses the phrase “Soli Deo Gloria” which means “glory to God alone,” and I’ve seen that attitude lived out far beyond just the music program here. If I could take just leave with all my fellow classmates, it would be to never take for granted the gift of Christian fellowship we all shared. Hebrews 10:24-25 says “and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
I know that many of us are going on to different schools and have different directions that we will take in life, but I hope that the idea of Christian influence will stick with you all as it has with me following this year at Plumstead Christian School. To be surrounded by others who are willing to call you out when you are wrong, who are willing to encourage you when you are down, and who are willing to point you towards the only thing that can satisfy on this Earth is an immense privilege. I hope that God will bless you all with faithful influences as he has with me this year.”
