Matt Patch, a 2001 graduate of Shannon Forest Christian School and Greer native had a successful job as a real estate agent, but in August 2009 he left everything behind. For the next 11 months, Matt helped the poorest of the poor in 11 different countries around the world through a program called The World Race.

Matt returned to the United States in July of 2010, committed to take action to meet the needs he saw in the world, specifically for those in the nation of Kenya. In November, he became part of a team of three men and three women all under the age of 27 who have committed the next two years of their lives toward remedying injustice in Kenya, Africa through a project called the Kenya Initiative.

The Kenya Initiative, which is part of Adventures in Missions (AIM), a Gainesville, Georgia, non-profit mission organization, focuses specifically on the Internally Displaced People (IDP) of Maai Mahiu in Kenya, Africa. These people have been refugees in their own country since the 2007 presidential election, have lost everything they owned in the violence of the elections, and now live in man-made tents, lucky to eat one meal a day. "There is a desperate need there," remarks Matt. "These people live in conditions that are unacceptable for anyone to have to endure day-to-day."

Matt is working with a team of six to develop a strategy to bring self-sustainability by focusing on five main needs: water, land, community center, charcoal project, and business for women. They will implement projects toward rebuilding this community, with the intent of moving to Kenya in the spring and committing to live there for at least a year and a half.

To raise money for this project, Kenya Initiative is hosting an event called 5k for Kenya. The team will travel around the United States and host a 5k race in each of their hometowns.

A 5k race will be hosted at County Square, University Ridge in Greenville, SC on Saturday, April 23. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the race begins at 8:30. The pre-race registration fee is $25, race day fee is $30. Go to kenyainitiative.org and click on the link to register.

(770) 983-1060 ext. 319 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

• 5K For Kenya Flyer (319.01 Kb) 

Congratulations to Class of 2006 alumnus Adam Growblewski who won the recently held Carolina First Reedy River 5K Run with a time of 16:07. Adam graduated from Erskine College in 2010 with a double major BA in History and Spanish. He also spent a semester at the University of Alicante in Spain. Adam currently works as a Processor/Loan Officer for South Carolina Mortgage Associates, a local Mortgage Broker and Lender. "I'm happy to be back in Greenville after college," said Adam. "I've enjoyed meeting up with faculty and classmates from SFCS in the past few months since moving back to Greenville."

Sarah Rowan Dahl is no stranger to travel. Born in New Haven, CT, Sarah had been around the world and back again by age twelve, living in California and Singapore before calling Greenville, SC home. A 1999 graduate of Shannon Forest Christian School (SFCS), she now lives on the beaches of Australia, successfully pursuing her passions as a professional artist and remembering fondly her days at Shannon Forest and the Biblical truths she learned there which are still inspiring her today.

Thinking back on those first days in Greenville, searching for her new school in a brand new city, Sarah was initially drawn to Shannon Forest for its Athletics facilities; "I [chose] Shannon after one look at the basketball court. I had never seen a nice indoor basketball gym in my life and ended up being a starter at SFCS on the Varsity team in 8th grade," she says. Those early displays of ability were nourished while at SFCS where Sarah "lived and breathed sports" and excelled on the Lady Crusaders basketball team. Sarah also began expanding her artistic talents while in high school and eventually earned a full scholarship to Converse College in both athletics and academics.

Sarah delved deeper into her passion for painting during her time at Converse College and went on to graduate with a BFA in Studio Art in 2003. Upon graduation, she began developing her own business and ministry through her painting. "I love the way I can communicate through language, cultural, belief and age barriers with a few simple strokes of a brush," Sarah says of her love for the medium, "I enjoy making others smile, some even cry when God touches people through an image."

In 2004, while attending a Messianic Jewish Fellowship, Sarah met fellow Gentile, Jared Dahl, who shared her passion for God, ministry and adventure. The two were married the following year and set out upon a daring journey, moving across the world to Australia just six weeks after tying the knot. As newly relocated newlyweds, the two attended Hillsong International Leadership College where Sarah earned a diploma in ministry in 2007. "We were drawn to the adventure of travel, and being a part of a church with such a global impact. I wanted to see how people loved, served and viewed God outside of the 'Bible belt'. It's one thing to travel and have tastes of a culture, but living amongst one is completely different," she says.

"We had no clue we were going to be staying in Oz [slang for Australia] beyond Hillsong," says Sarah. Now three years after finishing the program, she is still living in Sydney with Jared and is the proud mother of a beautiful daughter, Selah, born only weeks after her final classes at Hillsong. They are expecting their second baby girl this November.

Sarah's family isn't the only thing growing in the "land down under," her art-based ministry is continuing to flourish in Sydney as well, where she is combining her artistic gifts with her love for others. Her goals as an artistic missionary include raising awareness for Colour Sisterhood, supporting children's education in third world nations; Watoto, a ministry in Uganda placing orphans in supportive villages with food, schooling and medical care; and the A21 Campaign, which fights for improved legislation on human trafficking laws and aids in the rehabilitation of rescued victims of such crimes. [visit www.rowandahl.com for more information]

Sarah attributes her time at Shannon Forest for enabling her to follow God's calling and rely on His strength. It was the school's Biblical motto, Philipians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me," from which she drew great spiritual direction; "After five years of reading Philipians 4:13 as I walked through the [high school] doors," says Sarah, "it's message went from my head to my heart. Shannon created an atmosphere that encouraged and nourished my gifts. Now I'm living my dreams as an artist in Australia. It's been over a decade since graduating and I continue to filter life's challenges and fears through that verse."

For more information on Sarah's artwork and ministry endeavors, visit www.rowandahl.com.

By Susan Bursley
--Article Date:  October 11, 2010

SFCS Alumna Katelyn Bensch’s Charleston Southern Team Wins 2010 Big South Women's Golf Championship!

Shannon Forest Christian School (SFCS) 2009 graduate and former Varsity Golf team member Katelyn Bensch recently enjoyed a victory when her Charleston Southern University Women's Golf team captured the 2010 Big South Women's Golf Championship at The Patriot Club in Ninety-Six, South Carolina. The Buccaneers set a new Championship record with a final score of 881 (+17). A freshman, Bensch continued her strong play with a season-best 6th place tie. Bensch shot 76 (+4) in the final round and ended the event with a three-day score of 227 (+11). With the win, Charleston Southern clinches a birth in the 2010 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship, which begins with Regional play on Thursday, May 6. Bensch also earned first-time, Big South All-Conference honors with her results.

"I could not be prouder of our team and what they have accomplished," Charleston Southern Head Coach Kory Thompson said after the victory. "To play their best round of the tournament with the pressure on and the conditions at their toughest says a lot about the character of this team." "We will definitely take a few days to enjoy this victory," Thompson added. "Then it's time to prepare for NCAA play, which I know our ladies are very excited about."  The 2010 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship bracket will be released on Monday, April 26, at 4:00 p.m. EST.

Bensch signed her letter of intent to play golf at Charleston Southern in 2009. Highlights of her SFCS High School career included a major championship in September 2008, the Taylor-Made Back-to-School Classic, a top-three finish in the Upstate Jr. Classic in August of 2008 and a 4th place finish in the TGTJT Atlantic Coast Jr. Masters in 2007. She was also all-conference player for the SFCS Varsity 2008 Golf team.

--Article Date:  April 19, 2010