Strong Christian schools don’t simply happen. They are built through faithful leadership, thoughtful planning, and wise counsel. Through CSI’s consultative services, made possible in part through the generosity of donors, experienced leaders come alongside schools as they navigate both opportunities and challenges.

Led by seasoned school leader Terry Kok, CSI’s consultative services provide practical guidance for school leaders and boards facing important decisions. Whether helping schools develop strategic plans, conduct leadership searches, strengthen governance, or navigate seasons of transition, the CSI team draws on decades of Christian education experience to help schools move forward with confidence.

During the past year alone, Terry spoke directly with more than forty schools, providing hands-on consultation to approximately half of them. This personalized support has been especially valuable for new school leaders, first-time board members, and schools navigating times of significant change.

One recent example is CSI-accredited member Legacy Christian School in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

As Legacy’s board began discussing the future of the school, leaders recognized they needed more than a planning session. They needed a process that would bring together the voices of their entire community while remaining firmly grounded in Christian education. Rather than relying solely on internal expertise, they invited CSI to guide them through strategic planning. Terry and Tim Visser, another seasoned school leader, facilitated.

CSI’s strategic planning process is intentionally collaborative. Consultants spend several days meeting with students, parents, teachers, staff, board members, donors, and administrators, listening for common themes, celebrating strengths, and identifying opportunities for growth. The goal isn’t to hand schools a ready-made solution, but to help each school discover its own path forward while remaining faithful to its mission.

“The board’s responsibility is to dream about what the school of the future should look like. The only way you’re going to do that is to hear from all your people about what they think needs to be looked at,” Terry explained.

Listening to every voice became one of the most meaningful parts of Legacy Christian School’s experience.

“It was really nice to be able to talk to people that aren’t from here, so you can kind of tell them things that maybe would be harder for someone that is from here to understand,” Hudson Powell, an eighth-grade student, shared on participating in strategic planning.

Parents appreciated having an opportunity to help shape the school’s future as well.

“My kids are going to be here for fifteen or sixteen years,” Kelly Luyk said, a Legacy Christian School parent. “I’ll be a part of this community, so obviously I wanted to be part of what my kids are going to and being involved in every day.”

For Head of School Curt DeYoung, bringing in experienced Christian school leaders from outside the community created an environment where people could speak honestly while benefiting from decades of expertise.

“We wanted to get feedback from our stakeholders,” Curt said. “Having Terry and Tim come through CSI gave people an openness to be very honest. Their experience helped us identify both the strengths we want to build on and the areas where we can continue to grow.”

The work continues long after the final interviews conclude. CSI consultants help schools prioritize next steps, organize implementation, and often return to provide additional coaching, governance training, and strategic guidance as schools put their plans into action.

Every school’s journey is different, but the goal remains the same: strengthening Christian schools and equipping educators so they can faithfully form students for generations to come. Through the generosity of faithful supporters, CSI is able to provide trusted guidance when schools need it most by empowering leaders, encouraging communities, and helping Christian education continue thriving for years to come.