So, what's in a name?

A name is an initial point of contact. A name can provide identity and familiarity. A name can come to be associated with ideas, concepts and specific values.

Lititz Area Mennonite School (LAMS) has changed its name. Henceforth, the faith-based, private school will go by Catalyst Christian School (CCS).

"It was not a decision that was taken lightly," said Ashlee Zimmerman, CCS' marketing director. "(School officials) realized nothing was going to feel right because it's so new. It's going to be hard to pick a name, and it's going to grow on you when you start using it. They eliminated all of the other ones, and this is the one they picked. The name fits the school so well."

In late May, the former LAMS formally changed the name it had been known by for 48 years. An intensive rebranding process produced Catalyst Christian School and the Firehawks as the school's new mascot, replacing the Bolts.

Catalyst Christian School is located at 1050 E. Newport Road, Lititz.

"In scientific terms, a catalyst speeds up the process of change," said Zimmerman. "Faith in Christ is the ultimate in our transformations. The school has energy. The students have energy. We want our students to be launched into the world as catalysts."

CCS' renaming process included a list of hundreds of potential new names presented by a branding company; discussion on both the committee and board levels; and input from families, parents and students. Timing wise, the final decision coincided with recent renovations at the school.

"This is something that had been talked about for 10 years," said Zimmerman. "The (rebranding) committee boiled down the list of names, presented it to the board and they prayed about it and talked about it. LAMS sometimes caused confusion for some people, who thought you had to be Mennonite to attend. We felt we needed something that was a little more inclusive and matched who we are as a school. The Lititz area is geographically small, and when you look at the area where we're drawing our students from, it's bigger."

There are 330 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade enrolled at CCS for the 2025-26 school year, and the school generally draws students from a 15-mile radius, from communities like Akron, Ephrata, Manheim, Newmanstown and Lititz. CCS employs 42 teachers and 30 administrators and support staff members.

"The school realized we weren't reaching the people who we felt like we were called to reach," said Zimmerman. "The school has such a great legacy and such a great foundation. If we are called to be raising up children, we want to make sure the name is not a barrier. We need to help people realize who we are. The question became: 'How do we help people understand and get people to come and check it out?'"

Currently, there are no shortages of educational choices for families in Lancaster County. It's a competitive market that affords parents and students opportunities to explore the best personalized educational options.

"When you look at the area we live in and the choices for education, you need to be able to differentiate yourself from all of those schools," said Zimmerman. "It's very competitive, and yet we all kind of root for each other. It's not like anyone is trying to steal anyone's students. Each school kind of has its own thing. Having a brand that people recognize is necessary."

CCS was established as LAMS in 1978. The school, which added high school curriculum in 2018, began with 67 students and six teachers.

"The school was started (because of) a need for more Christian schools," said Zimmerman. "The schools that were open were at their max, and parents were looking for options. Parents got together and said, 'Let's buy land and start a school.' They saw a need. It was a slow process, it didn't happen overnight, but the school eventually ran out of space. The way it's evolved is because there are needs and we wanted to meet those needs."

For additional information, go to https://catalystchristianschool.org.