The school ministry at Sunshine Community Christian Reformed Church offers more than education—it’s also outreach to the El Paso, Texas, community.
Grade 3 students of Sunshine Christian School.
The school ministry, started 18 years ago with just two classes, has expanded to classes for age 3 through the third grade and is now adding 4th grade.
Jean Dykema, principal of Sunshine Christian School, said that the expansion is in response to requests from the parent community.
Kathy Ochoa, mother of a third grader, said, “Now that we have the 4th grade, we need to work on getting a 5th grade.”
Students of Sunshine, representing 10 different ethnicities, also receive extracurricular instruction including Hebrew, dance, and Spanish.
Dykema said that the parent community includes government border officials, nurses, and public education teachers. The school has 286 students and over 40 staff members.
“Children come and learn the Scriptures, to pray and live them,” Dykema said. “Our ministry to the staff is as important to the children as to the children. They do life together.”
About the Author
Shashi DeHaan is the Banner's regional news correspondent for classes Arizona and Red Mesa.