ASHTABULA — Fresh paint and bright decorations matched the bright smiles of the 13 students enrolled at Christian Faith Academy for their first day of school Wednesday.

This is the first day not only for the students, but also for the newly formed academy, located at 4322 Park Ave., in the former First Congregational Church’s education center.

“A little hectic being a new school in a new year, but it is all coming together for us,” said Jeff Dreger, administrator and schoolteacher.

Christian Faith Academy is a kindergarten through sixth-grade Christian day school with a traditional classroom setting. It is open to families of all denominations.

“Our mission is to serve as an extension of the Christian home and local church,” Dreger said.

Nine-year-old Lydia Johns, of Dorset, was very excited for school to begin.

“It’s really good here, and we had doughnuts to celebrate,” she said.

The idea for a new Christian school came this spring after the announcement of the closing of Bethel Christian School in Jefferson. A core group of about six families began to work together toward a common goal: the first day of school in their own building. Initially, the Lincoln School building located in Ashtabula Township seemed ideal, and plans were made to begin Christian Faith Academy at that location. Although the group still would like to purchase the building possibly one day, the lease terms fell through, and the group was left at the beginning of August with no building, according to Joe Cole, and his wife Deana, of Pierpont Township, who are two of the parent leaders involved in forming the school.

“The Lord showed us Habakkuk 1:5 so many times, ‘Look at the nations and watch, and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if I told you,’” Deana Cole said.

Joe Cole had heard of the First Congregational Church on Park Avenue and knew the property, which includes an education center, had been given to Fellowship Bible Church of Ashtabula.

“I spoke to John Paul, an elder at Fellowship Bible Church, and he said, ‘We would love to have you here.’ So we have the building rent-free; we just have to pay the utilities,” Joe Cole said. “This is a God thing. We praise him for the opportunity to have this wonderful building. Now, we just need more kids.”