Brian Betts ~ October
Do Your Best
Dear Immanuel Families,
One of the messages my parents always said was to do your best. This month, we are
encouraging our students with a simple message: Expect the Best!
Doing your best does not mean being perfect. It means giving your best effort, being willing to
try, and trusting God when things are difficult. We want our students to understand that doing
their best is about more than academics—it is about how they live, learn, and treat others each
day.
Our theme is grounded in two important passages from Joshua.
Joshua 1:9 reminds us: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” God did not promise Joshua that everything would be easy. He promised that He would be with
him. We want our students to have that same courage as they face challenges, try new things, and grow.
We are also reminded in Joshua 4:6–7 to remember what God has done. After God helped the
Israelites cross the Jordan River, Joshua had them set up stones as a reminder of God’s
faithfulness. Those stones would help future generations remember: God was with us, and God
helped us.
As we encourage our students to we are focusing on three simple ways they can put that into
practice:
SHOW JESUS
We show Jesus through our words, actions, attitudes, and the way we treat others. We want our
students to look for opportunities to encourage, serve, forgive, include, and care for others.
BE PRESENT
Being present means more than simply being in the room. It means listening, participating,
paying attention, and being ready to learn. We want our students to make the most of each
moment God gives them.
WORK HARD
Working hard means giving our best effort, even when something is challenging. It means
persevering, asking for help when needed, learning from mistakes, and not giving up.
These three reminders give our students practical ways to Do Your Best every day:
Show Jesus.
Be Present.
Work Hard.
And when we do these things, we can remember the promise God gave Joshua: “The Lord your
God will be with you wherever you go.”
Our goal is not for our students to be perfect. Our goal is to help them grow into young people
who trust Jesus, persevere through challenges, serve others, and recognize God’s faithfulness in
their lives.
As a family, you can reinforce these messages at home by asking:
How did you Show Jesus today?
How were you Present today?
How did you Work Hard today?
Where did you see God helping you today?
Thank you for partnering with us as we encourage our students to Do Your Best, Show Jesus, Be
Present, and Work Hard—knowing that God is with us every step of the way.
Rooted in Christ,
Brian Betts-Principal