sacred journey school alexandria mn

Why Sacred Journey

More than a Destination

At Sacred Journey Academy, Christian education is more than a destination, it is a journey .

As parents, the destinations we hope for our children are similar …

… to know God, … to believe Jesus saves, … to have a Biblical worldview, … to be creative and flexible, yet grounded in Jesus, … to see other people as Jesus does, … to reflect our Lord’s heart of compassion and love, … to possess the wisdom of heaven, … to pursue God’s direction, … to capably live independently and interdependently, … to possess the skills for jobs that do not currently exist, with … the fortitude of Christian Character to withstand challenges in all of life.

Whether any of these noble goals actually happen, depends on the journey.

Our children need…

… to experience the Lord daily, … to accept Jesus’s forgiveness on their worst days, … to grapple with Biblical truth for life’s hardest issues, … to be strong and courageous to “Give it a go even if they don’t know.” … authentic relationships and transformational experiences, … ongoing opportunities for service and philanthropy, … impactful encounters with the wisest among us, … time and tools to discover God’s purpose, … projects that develop resiliency and TEAM, … constant training and practice on always-needed skills, such as leadership, … challenge and countless teaching moments, well-used.

Effective Christian education is a journey – a sacred journey.

Students and teachers who understand that success is not just in a desired outcome, but in the beauty of rising and falling as one pursues an outcome. That wisdom and character go hand in hand with learning and living out what you have learned.

It is training oneself both in the physical and the spiritual, to be equipped for all kinds of good works. It is growing and remaining in a posture of humility and deep gratitude for all that we have received because of the sacrifice of Jesus. And finally, it is understanding and celebrating the unique and beautiful parts of each person that makes up the body of Christ as we seek to sharpen, encourage, and love one another well.

On behalf of hundreds and ultimately thousands of young people in Central Minnesota, we invite you to join us in this adventure – this profound journey. A sacred journey.

Get Involved

We are looking for parents, teachers, donors, and volunteers to make Sacred Journey Academy a reality. Fill out this form and we will call you with next steps.

Infinity International Development Limited

Sacred journey academy.

Project Overview

MARKETING SUMMARY Target Markets The Company's major target markets are as follows: We seek to serve passionately Christian families within a 60-mile radius of Alexandria, Minnesota. As a discipleship school, we enroll students where at least one parent is actively involved with a local Christian church. The following represents a conservative estimate of our target market, based on just half - a 30-minute drive - of our stated goal of serving a 60-mile radius. Alexandria is largely central in Douglas County, with a 2022 population of 39,668. Anywhere in Douglas County to Alexandria is 30 minutes or less. In addition, the towns of Hoffman (711), Lowry (339), Parkers Prairie (1003), Glenwood (2664), and Sauk Center (4599) are all within a 30-minute drive. Thus, about 48,984 people are within 30 minutes of the school. 2022 US Census numbers put Douglas County's percentage of children ages 6-18 at 15.8%, which we are using for the other towns added above. Pew Foundation Research indicates that 34% of Minnesota families attend church 4+ times per month. Reducing that percentage by half for Catholic, Mormon, Lutheran, etc. who would be less likely to attend SJA brings us to 17%. 48,984 X 15.8% X 17% gives a very conservative estimate of 1,316 students from appropriate denominations whose families attend church weekly. Serving Douglas County and these same cities are one Lutheran school, two Catholic schools, and another Christian community school. With an average enrollment of 150 - 160 students for each of these four schools, that leaves over 700 students from highly active Christian families - 30 minutes or less away - who are currently attending public school or homeschooling. With the robust financial aid we are offering, at least half - 350 - of these students would be appropriate for Sacred Journey Academy. (The assumption above is that these other schools are comprised of families that attend church weekly. That is obviously not the case, so in fact that number is much higher than 700 - easily 900+.) As a point of fact, less than a handful of Sacred Journey's current enrollees are from another Christian or Catholic school. We expect this to be the case indefinitely. Douglas County continues to be in the top 20 fastest growing counties in the state of Minnesota. The estimated number of potential clients within the Company's geographic scope is 700. Pricing Strategy We have decided on the following pricing strategy: SJA is a non-profit Christian ministry. Our focus is on discipling and educating students from the heart of the Father, led by the Spirit, in the grace and mercy that is ours in Christ Jesus. Our goal is to provide a Christian education to qualified families regardless of income. Just as Jesus ministered to the lost sheep of Israel (Mt. 15:24), SJA has a focus as well: Students of families in and around the Alexandria who are actively gathering with believers and seeking after the Lord. But it is clear that Jesus’s ministry target was not related to income or socio-economic standing. Jesus ministered to the richest people in the community, such as Zacchaeus, as well as the poorest, such as destitute lepers. And everyone in-between. To accomplish what Jesus did in Christian school finance, three strategies are required. First, we must charge what it actually costs to educate a child for those who can afford to pay it. Second, we must have a comprehensive, needs-based financial aid program for families who can’t afford this cost. Third, we have ongoing fundraising to raise needs-based scholarship funds. What is not acceptable, although far too common in K-12 Christian education, is asking teachers to survive on a less than fair or even adequate salary. A worker is worthy of his or her hire, as scripture admonishes us (1 Timothy 5:18). While still less than public schools, SJA salary and benefits will be both livable and honorable. Charging less than the full cost to educate a child through unrealistically low tuition or automatic discounts begs the question of who makes up the difference. Far too often, the answer is people who are actually making less income than the families subsidized - poorer people subsidizing the richer. This is contrary to God’s expressed will (Amos 5, I Samuel 8), and risks God blessing and favor, as subsequent events showed. In reality, everyone is sacrificing to be involved at SJA, staff and parents alike. Even if paying the cost to educate a child is a significant sacrifice, we ask families to do so if they can. On the other hand, keep in mind that it is a very Biblical idea to ask for help financially - a theme throughout the Old and New Testament. SJA will be utilizing a third party to analyze financial aid applications to provide an honorable process to the families and stewardship accountability to the donors. Sacred Journey Academy's annual tuition is $8388 per year. We are more than double the other three private schools in our immediate area because we are not supported financially by a church body. This is intentional as we believe the body of Christ consists of believers in many churches and we believe God is calling His people to join in raising our children to know Him and follow Him. We hope to offer up to $150,000 in financial aid annually. The state of Minnesota currently spends $14,000/student in the public-school setting. Promotional Strategy The Company will promote sales using the following methods: (This section is written by SJA hired consultant Dan Krause, President of GraceWorks Ministries. Dan’s bio is here: https://graceworksministries.org/christian-school-consultants/krause-bio/. Much of SJA’s website was also written by Dan.) Sacred Journey Academy is using the enrollment marketing and admissions systems developed by GraceWorks Ministries, a Christian non-profit ministry that has been serving K-12 Christian schools exclusively since 2006. About 80% of the schools GraceWorks served in long-term relationships grew in enrollment, over 200+ schools. SJA has used GraceWorks thinking and systems, including its Enrollment Pro Dashboard tool, to attract families representing about 200 students, of which about 50 have enrolled so far. GraceWorks Christian school marketing system is centered around six areas. These are in the short-term retaining more students, closing more leads, and generating more leads - in that order. The three longer-term issues are tuition and financial aid concerns, branding, and program quality. A typical problem for local marketing companies who help Christian schools is providing assistance only in one or two of the six areas, and worse, not thinking through the relationship of lead generating activities as it relates to the enrollment closing process. To start, developing a unique program (and brand) was crucial. Angie, Eric and Char personally attended the annual seminar of the Comenius School for Creative Leadership in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Much of the spiritual and faith dimensions of SJA are patterned after Comenius, along with some of the program aspects. Their book: Kingdom Education: the Comenius School for Creative Leadership Approach, was very helpful, particularly for web copy. A uniquely important break with the Comenius School’s program is a different curriculum. Through one of many divinely orchestrated partnerships, SJA is using the home-school based curriculum vetted, adapted, and field-tested for in school use by Portals Academy, also in Alexandria. You can read the particulars of this on the SJA website at www.sacredjourneyacademy.org. In broad stokes, this approach is reading intensive, emphasizing project-based learning, with curricula from publishers such as Sonlight, Apologia, and Math U See. Homework is minimal, to preserve family time. SJA offers a 4+1 school week format where students focus on academics four days and get out into the community every week for transformational experiences on the fifth day. This component allows students to see how their learning impacts the world around them, engages them in conversation with various business and non-profits at work (both Christian and non) and provides opportunities for a mission mindset with safe adults to lead and teach them. From a marketing point of view, the SJA program does need to be significantly different than other Christian schools in the area, including three parochial schools: one non-denominational, one Lutheran, and one Catholic. They are largely evangelistic in nature while SJA will focus on ROOTS – the key to true discipleship as students come to know and become like Jesus. SJA credits all authority of the school to YAHWEH – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. SJA is different, very different. Yet it must be clearly understood that the uniqueness of SJA is not some secular branding decision, but rather the result of Angie Heidelberger faithfully listening to, and implementing, God’s vision for SJA. It is a direct result of Angie’s being strong and courageous and doing the work with divine appointments and partnerships birthed in the throne room of God. In the face of many seeming insurmountable, show-stopping obstacles, Angie kept going where many less faith-filled would have quit long ago in what has been an extraordinarily difficult and arduous journey. As the most thoroughly Christian Protestant (and Spirit-filled) school in town, using an adapted home-school curriculum, two key target audiences are clear: (1) The faithful core at area churches, and (2) Christian families currently home-schooling. Both of these networks have been worked extensively and leads representing about 200 students have been generated so far, with about 50 enrollments. It takes a special kind of parent to sign up for a school that doesn’t exist. To date, Angie has personally met with over 100 parents. In addition, 10 community presentation nights have been held, 2 open house events, with one more scheduled prior to school starting September 5th. To generate these leads, the usual approaches of community press & social media have been going on for months and will continue. We focus on targeted and consistent messages on our Facebook page. SJA purchased a full-page ad in the local newspaper. Television interviews, radio ads, and other newspaper promotions have all been utilized to highlight specific events where the return on investment is easier to measure. SJA is a member of the local Chamber of Commerce and hosted a business networking event in July with 75-100 people in attendance. Fundamentally we recognize that the best families will come from the enthusiastic referral of other families. We make a special point of making sure everyone is aware of all marketing events through a weekly text message blast. In addition, Portals Academy leadership has been very generous and helpful with their time and area networks in helping SJA recruit and enroll new families. Because Sacred Journey Academy is targeting sincere, even charismatic, Christians in Douglas County, MN, church-based marketing approaches are essential, but not as easy as they may seem. (“If we help you, we have to help the others, too.”) With churches, we focus on relationship-based strategies within churches to promote SJA in any ways they allow, including opportunities to speak, meals, and joint service projects. So far, we have been able to make significant marketing inroads with 8 churches which offer 11 weekly services collectively. In-reach with the Douglas County home schooling community has been strong because of Portals (above) as well as the fact that some of the leaders with SJA pursued homeschooling during the 2022-2023 school year (including one beautiful Christian family of ten -10- children!) As a brand-new school, we are casting a wider net as well. Reaching families in large numbers means thinking creatively about time and cost. The summer of 2023 our focus is on community parades and our county fair - which recorded an estimated attendance of 50,400 people last year. We are using a strong call to action with a special full-scholarship open house (must be present to win), offering two half-year scholarships. It is important to note that very few of SJA’s enrolled students actually come from another private Christian school in town: 7 of 50 to date. As is true of Christian school websites around the country, SJA’s website does help attract the kinds of families SJA seeks. While all six marketing areas will be formalized over the course of the next year, using GraceWorks well established protocols and practices, after significant development of SJA’s program, brand, lead-generation efforts, and closing procedures, tuition and financial aid have been a significant area of focus. Using a biblical philosophy of tuition and financial aid (see https://sacredjourneyacademy.org/financial/) SJA is the first private Christian school in town to adopt a full cost/needs-based approach to tuition and financial aid. We strongly believe that our workers are worthy of their hire AND those parents who can pay the full cost to educate their child, should do so. Likewise, we strongly believe that those parents who cannot pay the full cost should ask for, and receive the help they need, and is Biblical. The later part of this, asking for help, is difficult for your average highly independent parent who needs it, is a cultural problem. That is why we encourage this through a written Biblical philosophy for the school. It is also why we have adopted a highly personalized approach to awarding financial aid. When Jesus walked amongst us, He ministered to rich and poor, and everyone in-between. While He clearly had a marketing target (lost sheep who recognized their need for a savior) his target had nothing to do with income. Likewise, SJA is resolutely determined to represent ALL Christian families in Douglas County and the surrounding areas who seek a transformational Christian school of excellence. Red and yellow, black and white, rich or poor they are ALL precious in His sight. SJA will NOT be a school just for privileged white kids. We will serve the ENTIRE Christian community. Period. Full stop. Competition The competition in the industry would be considered moderately competitive. The primary competitors for the business are the following: Zion Lutheran School - a well-established distinctly Lutheran school, serving grades K-8, which has been growing after the Covid years, with about 160 students. St. Mary's Catholic School - enrollment priority is given to Catholic families and post-Covid has led to a waiting list for those not Catholic. It serves grades K-6. Alexandria Community Christian School - formally NTCS, this school has undergone a significant rebranding over the last year, including a new name. From being a largely evangelistic school, admitting both Christian and non-Christian families, they have struggled with enrollment over the years. They consistently serve between 50-75 students enrolled for grades K-12. St. Agnes Catholic School – operates K-6 in Osakis and serves 40-50 children. These families were notified this month by the Bishop that they will be closing the school effective this school year. The need for more education options grows…. We believe that the Company has the following competitive advantages: We have very limited options for private education in the area K-12, which SJA seeks to rectify. We are not tied to one specific denomination or church body. The three competing schools in operation offer an educational experience that reflects the traditional school model. Sacred Journey seeks to offer a new experience that is based on project evaluations (not testing) and real-world experiences offered weekly. We focus on daily worship and discipleship – cultivating a heart posture from which we live and serve and not a task list to be completed. Students no longer take on the faith of their parents – their walk becomes their own as they grow in understanding the Word of God and being led by the Spirit of God. Engaging in our community not only provides understanding of how God uses the body very uniquely according to the gifts and passions He has put into each of us, but it allows students opportunities to be challenged in their faith in various settings under the shepherding of adults that can model the heart of Jesus and speak into hard situations. The heart of the SJA team is also reaching the nations. They want students to understand God’s heart for people everywhere and that we each play a part in a much bigger story. SJA has partnered with a school in Gambia Africa where Tom and Char Slack personally made connections this past year. Every student enrolled at SJA will support one student attending in Gambia and they will connect as pen-pals. Truly, the Lord has called us to spread the Gospel and answer his call to “the ends of the earth” and this school seeks to not only teach this but live it.

Executive Summary

Sacred Journey Academy (referred to from hereon in as the "Company") was established as a Non-profit Corporation at 4133 Iowa St, Alexandria, Minnesota 56308 with the expectation of rapid expansion in the private Christian education industry. Business Description The Company was formed on 03/09/2022 as a Non-profit Corporation under Minnesota state laws and headed by Angie Heidelberger. The original founders included Tom Slack, Amber Bugher, Char Slack, Eric Ristvedt, and Angie Heidelberger. All come from business ownership backgrounds representing the medical (Vance Thompson Vision), trades (Slack Painting and Winsupply of Alexandria), and consumer industries (Apol’s Harley Davidson). Everyone brought strong leadership, as well as financial and team building skills, to the Sacred Journey family. From different churches and social circles, the Lord united and equipped this unique group because of their passion to say “yes” to Jesus no matter the call or the cost. As a school start-up, to date SJA has raised over $555,000 dollars and enrolled 50+ students. In addition, a group of supporting investors in the Alexandria area purchased a $3.37 million dollar building on their behalf, which will arguably become the nicest Christian school facility in the immediate area. The Company currently employs six full-time employees and four part-time employees. Management Team President - Angie Heidelberger Angie attended Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Broad Field Social Studies and a minor in Religious Studies. She then worked in the mortgage industry for 12 years, growing in knowledge and connections. During that time, she also grew in her compassion for clients and affiliate partners and witnessed the Lord at work throughout her career. Angie and her husband experienced tremendous loss in 2010 when their infant daughter, Hazel, died from a heart defect. Following this life-altering event, Angie helped start a nonprofit called Lasting Imprint where she served as Executive Director. Ten years later, the Lord called her to completely step away from her professional career as Vice President of Mortgage Lending. When she asked him what he wanted her to do, he said, “Rest in my love” and “Equip my children.” She initially assumed God was referencing her three children remaining at home, but in May 2021 she had a vivid dream of a school and felt strongly that the Lord was leading her to equip generations of HIS children. That led to an intense season of seeking his plan and trying to understand what her role might be in that mission. In September 2021, God impressed the name Sacred Journey on Angie’s heart and mind. In February 2022, Angie said YES to the call of leading a school effort. Angie’s passion is one-to-one connection with people, including small groups, where people can be authentic and encourage one another in their faith journeys. The Lord has given her a heart for people to know and see how real God is and how Jesus changes everything, giving us a life of peace, joy, hope, and true freedom in Him. Angie has served in many capacities in the community including Habitat for Humanity, Bio Girls Mentoring (1-5th graders), FAN Coaching (9th graders), and she currently serves on the board of the Unity Foundation, an organization that seeks to facilitate and encourage unity in Christ through workforce ministry. Angie loves reading, bonfires, paddle boarding, and exercising. She and her husband, Ryan, have been married 15 years and are owners of Winsupply of Alexandria. As a family, their favorite place to be is wherever they are together. Time with their three kids is greatly cherished, whether they are biking, traveling, enjoying a movie night, or playing games. The Heidelbergers seek to live out Deuteronomy 11:19-20, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Director of Project Development - Ginger Bailey Ginger graduated in May 2023 with an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Communication Art & Design. Over the course of her life thus far, she has been a professional, saleswoman, homeschool mom, daycare provider, youth leader, coffee shop manager, ministry warehouse manager, administrator, business owner, house flipper, school board member, writer, and public relations director. She also has experience in project management, systems management, book launches, writing, team management, scheduling, client/public relations, and more. When asked why she chose to become Director of Project Management at Sacred Journey Academy, Ginger replied, “I believe we are in a pivotal time in history when we must be about the business of the Father. I see Sacred Journey as a school that will equip the next generation. (A place) where our kids will become rooted in a secure identity so they can lead from that place.” Ginger takes joy in building, establishing, and launching people, programs, and ideas, especially in Kingdom-building. Her guiding principle for life and work comes from Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.” Ginger has been married to her high school sweetheart, Loren, for nearly 30 years now. They have three kids, one married daughter and two teenagers. As a family, they enjoy games, glamping, swimming, boating, traveling, and waterparks. They also enjoy spending time with Piper, their Zuchon fur baby. As an individual, Ginger has many additional hobbies, including journaling, reading, learning new skills, combing the beach for treasures, and singing loud for all to hear. Curriculum Partner (Portals Academy) – Seann Dikkers Rev. Dr. Seann Dikkers is an author, education researcher, design consultant, speaker, and VP of Development for Portals Academy. He now serves as the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel White Bear. Previously, Seann taught middle school social studies, worked as a high school principal for fourteen years. For the previous ten years he has been a researcher and professor of education and executive director of MACHE, the Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators. As a researcher he studies the use of digital media for learning and advocates for parent involvement in teaching and learning. His books TeacherCraft, Mobile Media Learning I & II, Real-Time Research, and other publications explore amplified learning and quest-based pedagogy. Seann is a husband and father of two homeschooled adults. Business Mission Sacred Journey Academy offers a unique education experience based on truth and creativity; a culture that operates in freedom and joy; identity transformation in and through Jesus Christ. Our vision is to raise up kids with purpose, godly wisdom, and spiritual discernment. New Service The Company is prepared to introduce the following service to the market: Transformational Christian Education. Sacred Journey Academy will open fall 2023 as a Kindergarten through 8th grade Christian school that offers a transformational education experience centered on Jesus. We will add a minimum of one grade per year to become a full K-12 academy.

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