Ovilla Christian Chats

It's admission season and applications are rolling in for next year! We are joined by Mallory Teck, OCS Admissions Director, to get some direct answers to the questions of what we're looking for in families who apply to be a part of Ovilla Christian. Our church (ORBC) and school (OCS) are growing at the same time, and we are intentional about maintaining the core mission as a discipleship school—n...

Whether you're tackling questions of politics, identity, or hot topics in culture, ORBC Family Discipleship Pastor Joe Zinkgraf outlines a helpful framework for Christian parents to approach these conversations with your kids. 1. What's your goal as a parent? Step back and let that shape how you have conversations with your kids. 2. Is your end goal to raise someone who looks like you or someone w...

Erich, Julianne, and Pastor Matt hop into this delightful conversation with Jenni Osgood, LPC-A, about the connection that kids desire with their families. Jenni Osgood is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate who provides individual and family counseling for OCS families. She is also the Guidance Counselor for high school students as they consider careers. "Do you think that you spend too m...

Welcome, Coach and Bible Teacher Ian White! Ian and Erich accompanied the high school students to the Biblical Worldview Conference in September, and for the first time, we also sent the 8th graders. We chat about what stood out at this conference, including: Melissa Dougherty and her talk on "New Thought" (Melissa and Alisa Childers discuss this topic  here ); this is something that is a part of...

We want our students to grow both academically and physically—after all, we are embodied people! Perseverance and teamwork can be cultivated in the classroom, but they're certainly developed on the field and on the court. Julianne and Pastor Matt discuss sports with Jonathan Rogers, OCS Athletic Director. What does athletics have to do with a Christian worldview? Should Christians approach athleti...

It's a full house today! Erich and Matt welcome two alumni who are now teaching at OCS and have their children enrolled here. Caleb Rudolph and JoAnna Rozier, both graduates of the class of 2010, not only met and married OCS classmates, but they were in each others' weddings. Now, Caleb teaches high school English and is an adjunct DBU professor for dual-credit psychology at OCS. JoAnna is enterin...

Pastor Matt, Erich, and Julianne are joined by Ms. Shannon Williams, our new Elementary Bible teacher. We talk about how this will function in the classroom and what our students will be learning to prepare them for middle and high school Bible classes. Shannon spent the summer working on the scope and sequence of the Elementary Bible curriculum she is creating and implementing this year. She appr...

Christians should be people of the Word—that is, the Scriptures. This is God's chosen way to reveal himself and his plan of redemption. But should the Bible be the only book that Christians read? How do you choose good books: ones that stretch your imagination, solidify your faith, and stand the test of time? Join Julianne, Erich, and Pastor Matt from OCS and ORBC in this discussion about books, i...

Do you know what day in January is considered National Quitting Day for New Year's Resolution? Find out if you've made it past National Quitting Day in this conversation with Pastor Matt, Erich, and Julianne. Whether you've started a new Bible reading plan or want to improve your health, we all know the best way to keep your resolutions is to have accountability. How does the local church fit in w...

In a 2023 study by the American Psychological Association, 89% of responders said the holidays stress them out. ( Source ) Julianne and Pastor Matt guess the top 10 reasons for increased stress as cited in the survey—see if you can get #1 before Erich reveals it. How can Christians re-orient their hearts and minds around this hectic time to participate in the anticipation of the return of Christ?...

Travis Seekins, Associate VP for Strategic Partnerships at Hardin-Simmons University, joins us for a fascinating conversation about technology, anxiety, and our personal identities.  Highlights: Technology is neither good nor evil, but it is not neutral. It is not just there. It's working on you purposefully. When we give it our attention, it shapes our worldview. On average, a person checks their...

This year, our entire Upper School attended the Biblical Worldview Conference, hosted by Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. Students and faculty in grades 9-12 spent two days in worship, break-out sessions, and main lectures. Why did we send so many students this year? Head of School Bob Yttredahl is back on the podcast to recap his experience at the conference and why it is so important for our...

We're joined by Joseph Arze, Worship Minister at ORBC, for a conversation about how music shapes our worldview. Highlights: • If you want something to be solidified in your mind, sing it. • Music is like swift waters; it carves out channels in your brain to shape your thinking in a certain way. • We often turn to music to confirm our feelings. • One of the biggest obstacles to the gospel in our li...

Erich, Julianne, and Pastor Matt are back! In today's episode, they discuss how our worldview affects our view of salvation and the gospel.  Our performance is used as a metric in many areas of life (social media, parenting, work, school). Are we letting this performance-driven view shape how we understand the doctrine of salvation? Resources Mentioned • The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt •...

We're back for another conversation about worldview and this time the topic of truth is on the table. How we can know that truth exists? How does our source of truth impact how we live as Christians? In this episode, Erich and Pastor Matt are joined by Julianne Fowler, Director of Marketing and Communication at OCS. 

Welcome to our first episode! Join Erich Lehmann (OCS Director of Spiritual Life), Pastor Matt Bowles (Ovilla Road Baptist Church), and Bob Yttredahl (OCS Head of School) in a conversation about worldview: what does this word mean and why is it important? What are the proper roles of the church and a Christian school in the life of a Christ-follower? ALSO! Learn to pronounce "Yttredahl" correctly...