Spiritual Formation News
May 2023
This month, the central theme in Middle and High school chapels centers around the hope of Christ amid challenging situations. Students will hear conversations about suicide and the power of real hope and be challenged in media literacy and discernment. In addition, the Middle and High school HUDDLE times will be expanded at the end of the semester to allow leaders to engage maturely around these challenging topics with the guidance of Scripture.
Past Newsletters
JANUARY 2023
The plans for the Church Partnership Breakfast on March 10, 2023 are underway. We are excited to connect with our church partners on this day to deepen our relationships with them as they partner with us to develop students to become strong Christian leaders.
NOVEMBER 2022
Spiritual Emphasis Week: Middle School and High School students attended a series of combined chapels October 24th-28th for our first-ever Spiritual Emphasis Week. Speakers included Dr. Houston, Mrs. Miller, Mr. Harris, Mr. Walker, and Keith McCurdy. Students were confronted with three questions from the Scripture: Do you know Him? (salvation) Do you love Him? (surrender) Do you follow Him? (submission / discipleship)
Thanksgiving Chapel: The Thanksgiving chapel is planned for November 22, 2022, in the MCC Worship Center at 1:30 p.m. The all-school service is a scheduled time of worship and thankfulness. Pastor Paul Barnes will be speaking to the students.
November Chapel Themes:
Primary Chapel (Grades K – 2) and Elementary Chapel (Grades 3 – 5) will begin a four-week sermon series called "Stand". The BIG idea for the month is "Don’t Face Your Fears Alone". God may ask us to take a risk or do something we might not feel prepared to do. But God will also give us the courage we need to face that challenge. Jesus faced the biggest challenge of all: death on the cross. He chose to be dauntless and follow God’s plan. Joshua 1:9 (ESV) is the key verse for the month, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
In the first week of November, both middle and high school students will hear a sermon about "imagio Dei", being created in the image of God. The primary focus of the sermon is a conversation about bullying and being made in the image of God. The central Scripture utilized is Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” Principal Kim Miller will deliver this topic.
Middle School Chapel (Grades 6 – 8) will experience a four-week sermon series titled "First Place". Students will be challenged to look closely at how Jesus can use one thing to change everything. The BIG idea is that "God’s Word is What Matters Most". The key verse for the sermon series is Matthew 22:37-38, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”
High School Chapel (Grades 9 – 12) will experience a four-week sermon series titled "Simplify". We’ll be exploring what Jesus said matters most regarding our faith. By the end of these four weeks, we’ll all be able to breathe a little easier, knowing that Jesus came not to complicate but to simplify what it means to have faith in God. The key verse for the sermon series is Matthew 22:37-38, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”
The Parent Cue app allows parents to follow along with what students are learning in chapel and provides age-specific, faith-based content families can use together.
HUDDLES are the chapel small group ministry of chapel services in middle and high schools. Each weekly sermon transitions to a small group time that MCS internally calls HUDDLES. HUDDLES allow students to interact with their group leaders and the sermon topic in a safe setting. This approach bolsters unity and maturity in the community as students learn to engage the Scriptures meaningfully.