Clarksville, TN – The leaders of Clarksville Christian School (CCS) tend to be humble in their success. Did you know the CCS girl’s basketball team has won four consecutive TSIAA State Championships and four consecutive NACA Division III National Championships as of the 2024-25 season?
Successful people and organizations focus on things like discipline, resilience, and work ethic. They are driven by qualities such as passion and goal-setting and recognize the importance of continuous learning.
Dr. Brad Moser is CCS’s President and Chief Academic Officer. He recently talked about CCS’s past, present, and future.
“Our official opening was fall of 2007,” Moser said. “For our first three years, we were in the Sunday School wing at the Hilldale Church of Christ. When growth forced us to move out, the church was kind enough to donate some land, on which we built a phase. That was in 2010, predominantly in classrooms and offices. In 2014, we built phase 2, our upper school. That included classrooms, a cafeteria, and a gymnasium. We have plans for phases 3 and 4.”
A few years ago, due to growth, CCS had to move part of its operation back into the church. Moser said that once again, church leaders were more than gracious. CCS uses the classroom space at the church every day.
“Our tagline is Excellence in Education – Foundations in Faith,” Moser said. “We offer Pre-K – 12 and now have over 600 students. We’ve seen steady growth for all these years. I think two things drive our growth: we are a faith-based school. Our mission is constantly aligned with God’s vision and plans for our school. Seeking that wisdom first is the most important component. From there, the x-factor is quite simply, the people. People who genuinely embrace our mission; faculty members and staff members who carry that mission out every single day, in our classrooms, on the basketball court, on the soccer and baseball fields.”
“Our jobs are really easy, because we have the absolute best and most supportive families, parents, grandparents, and some of the best kids around. They laugh when it’s time, but they show up with phenomenal character when the situation calls for it.”
Moser is in his 8th year with CCS. He started in 2018-19. “I was Head of School at Mount Dora Christian Academy, just northwest of Orlando, FL. I was at a private school meeting in Texas in 2017 when Chris Travis reached out to me. He said, ‘You don’t know me I’m on the CCS Board. We are conducting a President search and would like to speak with you. For 10 months, I explained that I was happy in Florida and not interested in coming to Tennessee.
“One day he said, ‘We know you’re happy there, but would you do me a favor. Just come visit with us. If it’s not the right fit, okay, but you just may see something special.’
“When I got here and saw the school, this Board, these people, and the wonderful Clarksville-Montgomery County community, I was immediately captivated by what a special place this is.”
Moser says that he is always content, but never satisfied. “In some ways we’re ahead of where we thought we would be, in others, we’ve been slowed a bit, but in the overall scheme of things we are exactly where we need to be.”
He shared his thoughts on the school’s responsibility in developing young adults. “We believe that every child here is fearfully and wonderfully made, with a unique set of talents and skills, abilities that they have been created for. Our intent is 2-fold; help them connect with God and develop that relationship, and live their utmost purpose and highest calling.
“God has purposed each of them to do something special while they are here on this planet, however short or long. Our mission is to bring out and cultivate that list of gifts that God has given to them. We are stewards.”
When asked about the feedback he and his team get from the community, Moser eagerly shared a few stories. “I stopped by Lasater’s Coffee & Tea, someone saw the CCS logo on my shirt,” Moser said. “He said, ‘Let me tell you, I was at APSU last week. I noticed a young man who carried himself differently. He was engaged, interactive with his peers, and he wasn’t lost in his phone. He was helping his friends when it was time to clear the table. I walked over and found out he was a CCS Graduate. I want to let you know that the young man stood out as a difference-maker. He had a way about him.'”
“Two weeks ago, one of our teams got a note from a restaurant manager where our team had stopped in. This manager thought so highly of our kids that she contacted us. They said, ‘From the moment they walked in, they were orderly. They were respectful. They said please and thank you. They didn’t leave a mess. They left our restaurant better than how they found it.’
“That summarizes our approach. We want to leave this world better than we found it. We want to be better citizens. The manager at Publix told one of our principals, ‘I wish I had a whole crew of CCS kids. They are always on time, they show up, they are respectful, reliable, and courteous. They do their jobs. I don’t know what you guys are doing, but please keep sending me more of these kids.”
Moser says that how CCS students carry themselves in public comes from what and how they are taught about personal responsibility.
“At some point, it’s not about your mom and dad, or your teachers,” Moser said. “At some point in time, you have to engage. It’s about personal responsibility. You have to connect with God, find out why you are here, realize what you need to do, then do it with all your might.
“We want to continue to invest and reinvest in Clarksville-Montgomery County. This is our home. But, central to our mission is to take Clarksville to the world, and bring the world to Clarksville. We feel like we can have an expanded reach, outside our city and county. We’re looking regionally, nationally, and internationally.
“We want to reach out and share the best of this community locally, regionally and beyond. We want those who are supposed to be here to have the opportunity to come here and experience this for themselves.”
CCS has been developing international partnerships over the last three years, in Greece, Ethiopia, and, earlier this year, two partnerships in China. “We have joint academic work going on in all those places,” Moser said. “Last year, we sent about 20 kids to the school we work with in Greece. This past summer, they sent 20+ kids to spend a couple of weeks with us here in Clarksville. We are looking to recruit additional international students who can stay, live, and work with us.”
CCS is also in the full throes of planning and designing a second Clarksville campus. “It will be part of the Marcelina Community near exit 8. “We’ll start there with early learning and our upper school. We are envisioning our existing campus becoming an elementary and early learning-focused site.”
Planning for the new campus is ongoing, and the timeline is still being set.
“We want to thank our community for being so good to us, for loving and supporting us, and we want the community to know we love them right back,” Moser said. “We want to be contributors, not takers in this community.
“We acknowledge that there are some absolutely excellent schools in Clarksville-Montgomery County. We have phenomenal public school leaders, administrators, teachers, and staff, and some great school choices. We also have some excellent private school partners and affiliates, and we are so grateful for them all.
“I would want parents to know that it’s no longer a matter of this school is better than that school. It’s rather which school is going to be the best fit for my child and my family, at this time.
“If they’re looking for something other than who we are and what we can provide, we’ll do all we can to help them make a connection somewhere that will be a good fit. Likewise, we are thrilled, excited and happy to welcome and serve those who want what we offer, for their kids, and for their families.”
P.S. Congratulations to Coach Trenton Hassell, 2025 NCSA National Coach of the Year.
