Special to the Sun
“These juniors are starting to focus in on college where everything they believe will be challenged and disputed. Many students end up leaving the [Christian] church once they move on to the next phase of their life after high school. My hope is to help build as solid of a foundation of faith for our kids to fall back on,” said Coach Craig Bowman about a big trip he is planning for early March 2019 for the Canton Academy junior class.
Coach Bowman joined the CA faculty in 2015 as football offensive coordinator, junior high basketball coach, and high school math teacher. Now, though, his role has evolved to include head football coach for junior high and varsity, Fellowship of Christian Athletes sponsor, assistant track coach, high school math teacher, and elementary principal. His love for students and desire to see them succeed is evident, so last spring when he started floating the idea of a junior class trip to Mammoth Caves, The Creation Museum, and The Ark Encounter, all in Kentucky, parents, teachers and students quickly got excited.
“I went with my family this past spring break and the entire time we went through these amazing places I kept thinking about the students at Canton Academy and what they could experience. The Creation Museum and The Ark Encounter completely reshaped my thinking and even some of my beliefs about creation, including the Earth’s age, dinosaurs and the effect the flood had, not only on the human race, but also on the physical earth itself,” said Coach Bowman. “Mammoth Caves are the world’s longest known cave system with more than 400 miles explored.”
A select group of adults will travel with the students, and will be available at the end of each day, to dissect what they saw, ask questions and have discussions solidifying the experience in each student’s heart. “I wanted to be pretty strategic with the adults who would come along with these students. Tray Earnhart is our high school principal, history teacher and is also a pastor. Tray brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom when it comes to discussing Genesis and making it relatable to students. Pam Moore is the head of our science department and highly respected by this group of students. Pam is a Star Teacher and brings the science side to the discussion. The Creation Museum and The Ark Encounter present all theories about how the earth was created and does a great job of explaining the truth of creation while discrediting the others. Pam is able to be an authority on all these viewpoints,” said Coach Bowman.
“I am really looking forward to having discussions with the kids about creationism versus evolution and I am excited to have the kids in an environment that leads to a wealth of questions about the caves and the science behind their formation. The entire experience will bring science and history into a real, applied perspective,” said Mrs. Moore.
As school gets started in just a few weeks, junior class president Lane Martin is already planning a few fundraisers for his classmates. Coach Bowman explained, “We will have to have a certain number of students go in order to keep cost down. We have a lot to do as soon as the year begins, but this trip has a lot of potential to be life changing for this group of students. The main thing is that if a student does not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, that they would be transformed on this trip and for those who do have a relationship with Jesus, to strengthen and deepen their faith and knowledge in their Creator God.”
(Photo above) Coach Craig Bowman, his wife Claire and (from left, front) their boys Ben and Sam
Mrs. Pam Moore leads Josh Harris and several other juniors in a cow eye direction lab as part of her human anatomy and physiology class last spring
