October Chapel Recap
HIGH SCHOOL CHAPEL
We have had another good month of chapel at Hillcrest!
We have established a general pattern in our high school chapel this year:
Mondays are typically set aside for spiritual practices, such as prayer, Bible study, contemplation, spiritual fellowship, and testimony.
Tuesdays we meet in our small groups for fellowship, spiritual reflection, and food.
Wednesdays and Thursdays are opportunities for speakers and other faith informative input, such as interviews, reflections, and activities.
On Fridays, we bring the whole school together (including sixth grade) for worship, often led by our praise band or hymn leaders from our area churches.
In October, we had Sierra Cheney and Bryan Neuschwander lead spiritual practices on prayer and Bible study respectively. We continued the Hillcrest tradition of writing affirmation notes for each other in chapel. This is a favorite of the students and a powerful way in which we speak into each other’s lives with encouragement and affirmation.
October 18 was our Pastor Appreciation Day. Twenty area pastors came to Hillcrest for a time of fellowship, interaction with students, and a chapel dedicated to appreciating their ministry. Not only are we grateful for everything our pastors do, we were so blessed to have them join us for the morning. Hillcrest is a ministry of the area churches and it’s especially meaningful when we are able to put faces to the local churches that support us.
We are also in the midst of Red Ribbon Week. Each year, the Hillcrest PTO organizes chapels focused on issues of spirituality and substance abuse. This year, we are hearing from Terry Brands, Chance Miller, Maya Kehr Yoder, and Sam Reighgard. A big thanks to these speakers and the PTO for blessing us with their wisdom and insight!
SIXTH GRADE CHAPEL
On Mondays and Wednesdays, we have chapel for sixth grade in the Bible classroom. It has been a joy to introduce this first class of sixth graders to our chapel routine.
Sixth grade chapel has included Bible stories, prayer, faith formation activities, and guest speakers from the community. The students bring a delightful energy to chapel. They are quick to ask and respond to questions, sincere in their desire to learn about God, and many of them won’t hesitate to ask you to stay for lunch!