UPDATE: The Building the Way Campaign has reached and surpassed its goal! Praise the Lord! Our long-term debt has now been fully paid off, and work at both campuses is almost complete. We look forward to celebrating God's faithfulness with official opening events at each campus.
What exciting times we are in for Christian education! God is filling and over-filling our schools with children eager to learn – eager to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Not only at Cairn Christian School are we experiencing growth, but we hear of other Christian schools throughout the province experiencing a similar surge in enrolment. God is moving!
For that reason, I am so excited and honored to be leading the Building the Way Campaign. Our goal is to raise $3.2 million in support of eliminating our debt, improvements to the Stoney Creek campus and an addition and renovation at the Smithville campus. 
The overarching reason to do all this is to provide necessary space for the many young hearts and minds coming through Cairn’s doors and to build a solid financial foundation. It is our privilege and duty as parents, grandparents and the greater Church family to proclaim the mighty acts and power of God to the next generation.
Personally, I am thankful that my grandson, Elijah, is one of the many children that have started at Cairn Christian School this year and will hear of His mighty acts and power. I am sure you have your own stories of how God has been faithful from generation to generation. I ask that you reflect on God’s mighty acts and power in your life and then prayerfully consider your support for this exciting movement. Through God’s blessing, we are Building the Way.
Wayne Schilstra
Chair, Building the Way Campaign
Our Smithville campus has experienced sustained increased enrolment since 2012, which has led to challenges for our building. The school was built to accommodate a single Kindergarten class and today, our program has grown to include a Junior and Senior Kindergarten, with both meeting five days a week.This campaign will allow us to:
Add four more classrooms:
Two dedicated Kindergarten classrooms with separate entrances and washroom facilities, two primary classrooms, renovations to our entryway, student services, and much-needed administrative spaces will welcome our visitors and provide enhanced security and accessibility to our diverse community of learning. VIEW PLAN
Our school is a very busy place due to increasing
enrolment and community use of our facilities. Parts of our building are aging and need some care beyond the limits of our yearly operational budget.
This campaign will provide:
Outdoor Education Space, allowing us to celebrate God’s gift of creation in a meaningful and hands-on manner. It will replace our aging play structures and enhance active learning.
An enhanced rear entryway will provide full accessibility and will create a more open and welcoming experience for visitors, students, and staff. Roof Replacement on an older part of the building will prevent any further water damage and will provide long-term sustainability.
Debt incurred from amalgamations, past renovations
and three consecutive years of deficit budgets many years ago, has given way to a strong financial picture today after a decade of balanced budgets.
Increased enrolment, responsible budgeting and diligent, sustained payments have significantly reduced the debt to its current level.
Fully eliminating the debt now will provide financial stability and ensure tuition fees will be directed entirely to operations. More importantly, it will allow our schools to invest further into our students and their learning.
Newsletters
Introductory Newsletter - November 2019
December Newsletter - Outdoor Learning
January Newsletter - Smithville projects
February Newsletter - Stoney Creek projects
March/April Newsletter - 40% reached, pause for now
November 2020 - Restart Edition
December 2020 - Christmas Greetings
January 2021 - Campaiging during COVID, Smithville Projects
February 2021 - Encouraging Outdoors
March 2021 - Our Schools and Debt
April 2021 - A Beautiful Jumble
May 2021 - Student Advisor Edition
June 2021 - Proclaim and Participate
Summer 2021 - Vision Unfolding Before our Eyes
September 2021 - Back to Class
October 2021 - We are at 80%, Let's make it happen!
November 2021 - We are almost there!
December 2021 - Christmas Greetings
January/February 2022 - It's Going to Happen!
March/April 2022 - Smithville Projects
May 2022 - No More Mortgage!
Summer 2022 - Building has begun!
In the Media / Press
Launch Press Release
Expansion coming - Grimsby Lincoln News - Nov 20, 2019
Building The Way
A campaign of $3.2M is an ambitious task. Its success depends on our faith in God and His guidance to help each one of us find a way to make a sacrificial gift to the campaign. Every contribution to the campaign is an important one and together, every gift will ensure our campaign is a success so the next generations of Cairn Christian School students will continue to thrive.
Thank you for prayerfully considering how you too can be part of the future of Cairn Christian School and the Building the Way Campaign. The campaign will bring many other positive outcomes for our school. It will help us build new relationships, strengthen existing ones and reconnect with the past. All this will be possible by placing our faith and trust in God who has provided us with so many resources to share generously with hearts of thanksgiving.
Canada Revenue Agency provides tax credits for donations to charitable organizations. In the majority of cases, the donation tax credit is approximately 40% of the total donation, resulting in an actual cost of 60% of the donated amount. There are other giving vehicles available such as gifts of stocks or securities that can provide increased tax benefits.
Ways of Giving
There are multiple ways of giving and supporting this campaign. For more information about available options, consult our guide.
Ways of Giving document
Frequently Asked Questions about the projects and Campaign
Do you have more questions? We've had many questions ourselves along the way. Consult our FAQ document to have a more detailed look at common items people just like you are wondering about.
FAQ document (October 30/2019)
Become a Prayer Partner – help us ensure the campaign is bathed in prayer
Prayer Commitment Card
Plan to Make a Gift
Contact a Campaign Volunteer to schedule a visit to make a gift
Gifts of Securities Outline
Let us know if you have indicated Cairn/NACE in your will so that we can thank you now
Volunteer
There are many ways that you can make a difference in this campaign
View the possibilities in our volunteering document
Alumni – let us know if you are a graduate of Wellandport, John Knox, Covenant, or Cairn Christian School!
bit.ly/CairnAlumni (find some interesting photos and timelines here)
Help us find ‘lost’ Alumni
Cabinet members present our first public face of the campaign at the annual Fun Fest.
Building the Way Campaign Office
6470 Niagara Regional Rd 14
Smithville, ON
L0R 2A0
905-957-7796
campaign@cairnchristianschool.ca
Jacqueline Jones
Tracey Blodgett
Cabinet Members
Wayne Schilstra
Kevin Huinink
Joyce Koorneef
Bonnie Desjardins
Duane VanGeest
Wendy Colyn
Cheryl Janssen
Danielle Vandenberg
Jessica Dreyer
Richard Hoiting
Rob VanWely
Canvassers
Nathan Anjema
Henry DeKlerk
Leah Haanstra
Steve Haanstra
Rob Heersink
Joe Zantingh
George Thies
Dan VanGeest
Steve VanLochem
Justine Wierenga