The bottom of Hicks road houses Venture Christian Academy and Church, where a Christ-centered preschool-to-8th-grade school teaches a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curriculum. As the educational institution began in 1977, they’ll be celebrating their 50th anniversary next year. Venture Christian Academy has a vision for all their students to become innovative leaders who glorify God. Though initially called Los Gatos Christian School, they adopted the moniker “Venture” more recently as part of their rebranding—to align with the church’s name. A recent campaign was announced to build a 22,000-square-foot gymnasium, as well as an athletic field and an outdoor play area.
The curriculum
Before taking a role in Christian education and administration, Chris Rutz, the head of Venture Academy, worked in the public school system for eight years—teaching social studies. This year marks 30 years since Rutz started his career in education. He got his master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Oregon. Shortly after, Rutz met his wife, then moved to Southern California where he got into Christian school leadership. “What I’ve always been drawn to are schools that really have a heart for making a big impact,” Rutz said. “As a Christian, I believe that our job is to share the love of God with the world around us. And that doesn’t mean always trying to preach a religious message to them. It means showing the love of Jesus to the people.” Rutz has been head of school at Venture for 18 months.
This year, Venture Academy enrolled 310 students. Rutz says they believe all learning is connected to how we understand the way that God made the world. “When we look at math, science, literature and history, we believe that God is the author of all things,” said Rutz. “At Christmas time, our students designed Christmas ornaments, and they printed them through 3D-printing. Then they brought them to a local elderly care facility for the residents there.” After completing studies at Venture Academy, the number one high school that students go to is Valley Christian. Others go to Archbishop Mitty and Saint Francis. There are three big events that Venture hosts annually: the fall festival (held over two days in early October), the Winter Wonderland (three days in December) and the Easter event (in early April). These events are open to the public, and have drawn 8,000-10,000 participants in the past.
An additional attraction is the Venture coffee shop that was recently opened, which serves as a community space for locals to come and socialize. “The coffee shop is a place where people can meet; it’s not just for our church attendees,” says Rutz. “We consider it a front door to our church and school. We’re renovating the front for additional seating for people that come in, and also renovating in the back—where we will have an outdoor playground facility. We are currently working on the renovation of our STEM lab this summer, and (that) will be open at the start of the school year.”
A pastor’s perspective
Tim Lundy has been the senior pastor at Venture Church for eight years. He’s been a pastor for a total of 35 years. Growing up in the south, in Memphis, Tenn., Lundy officially settled down with his family in California in 2018. “I felt like God called me to be a pastor,” Lundy said. “I want people to be able to have a relationship with Him. I know how much he loves us, and I believe (He) is the number one change agent in the world.” Lundy says the church encourages a relationship with God above all things. “At the core, God is personal,” he said. “It’s not just believing in a doctrinal system. I believe he came as a person as Jesus Christ, so he could have a relationship with humanity.”
The pastor is the leader in the church who is called to provide shepherding and pastoral care—teaching and providing worship opportunities. “I love Venture,” he said. “I love the Bay Area, because the whole world is here. I think it’s the most strategic spot on the planet.” Lundy refers to the multicultural demographic of the Bay Area. Lundy believes a lot of people don’t see the Bible as relevant to their life. Lundy says many see the Bible as outdated, and he wants to show them that’s not true. “I certainly believe that Christianity stands the test of time,” he said, referencing the crucifixion-of-Jesus story directly. “He did something that no one else did, as he died and rose again. We believe in the literal resurrection.”
Rutz says that—first and foremost—Venture’s business is education. Following that, they’re working to create a spiritual community. “One of neat things about a Christian school environment is the opportunity to create community in a way that’s fundamentally different, by the richness of connection and doing life together,” he said. Though formal plans for the 50th anniversary haven’t been announced yet, he shares with the Los Gatan that there will indeed be a grand celebration.
At the heart of Venture’s approach is the mission to teach the kids to make a difference in the world. For example, this year, they held a meal-packing event to help impoverished children around the world. They prepared 25,000 meals for kids around the globe. Their 4th graders raised $1,000 for the ministry organization called Sleep in Heavenly Peace, which builds beds for kids. The students also raised money for ministries in Ethiopia. Also, they worked with Mercy Ships, a floating hospital that does surgeries and provides other basic medical care for patients. Rutz says that Venture Academy is growing by a double digit percentage each year. Last year, they added 12% to their school body. And they’re on pace to do that again this year.
