he Adventist Christian School in Augusta, Georgia ended the 2014-2015 school year $40,000 in debt. “Our school board and all the staff came together, and by the grace of God, we got out of debt,” reported principal Fabiola Harper.

Unfortunately, the following school year, 2015-1016, they were in debt again. This time the amount was $13,000. Harper, feeling very concerned about the situation, talked with her father-in-law, Nildo Harper, a strong supporter of Adventist Education as well as a teacher who has been part of many school board meetings. As she shared her frustrations with him, he looked at Harper and said, “Your problem is not a financial problem. Your problem is a spiritual problem.” He suggested to her to tithe all the school’s fundraisers and see how God would bless the school.

Harper presented the idea to the school board. Some board members said, “We can’t do it! We need money! Not give money away!”

Harper found that discouraging, but she continued praying and bringing it to the board. Finally, in the school year of 2016-2017, after several tries, the board unanimously agreed to move forward on giving tithes on all the school’s fundraisers.

The school finished the year with $68,000 in the bank.

“That was so amazing!” says Harper. “As a board, we were praising God for all his abundant provisions. What peace! Our school board united spiritually with one purpose in mind: To honor God with all we have, because it is not our school it is God’s school, and to humbly serve Him in the education ministry.”

Expansion

The board wanted to expand the school program by adding a PreK-Kindergarten teacher. As they researched how much money it would cost to pay for a full-time teacher, they realized God had already provided the money. They prayed and stepped out in faith to hire a teacher. Harper heard a lot of comments that they would not be able to maintain their teacher for more than a year due to the amount of money it would cost.

The school board thought they would be using about $28,000 that year to cover the PreK-Kindergarten teacher’s salary, but to their surprise, they did not touch a penny from the reserves. Rather, the reserves gained about $16,000.

Three years have passed since Adventist Christian School started giving tithe. “It has been an amazing experience,” said Harper. “We continue in the black and maintain our reserves as we look forward to God’s blessings. Their school has seen and experienced the abundant blessings of God.”

Harper added, “He takes care of our needs so we as teachers, staff, and school board do what we are called to do: To bring children to His feet through Adventist Christian Education.”

Reported by Adventist Christian School, located in Augusta, Georgia

Fabiola Harper,  Adventist Christian School principal

Photo by Arthur Harper

Students engage in a classroom assignment at the Adventist Christian School in Augusta, Georgia

Photo provided by Tammy Watson, Adventist Christian School

Kate Wolfer

Editorial Assistant,  Stewardship Ministries, North American Division