{"id":1770,"date":"2022-09-06T15:00:33","date_gmt":"2022-09-06T20:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/?p=1770"},"modified":"2022-08-22T15:59:34","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T20:59:34","slug":"creating-a-school-culture-that-celebrates-our-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2022\/09\/06\/creating-a-school-culture-that-celebrates-our-faith\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating a School Culture That Celebrates Our Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Dr. Susan Decker<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the beginning of another school year, and as the students settle into their new routines, I find myself thinking about how much academic and emotional growth they will experience over the year. But what about their spiritual growth as children of God? A student\u2019s walk of faith is the most important part of life\u2019s journey, yet you won\u2019t find a question about their spiritual growth in between the multiple choice and short-answer questions on an exam.<\/p>\n

How can we foster a love for God\u2019s Word in our school culture? How can we help our students develop an authentic, personal connection with their faith that goes beyond memorization of Bible verses and regurgitating the expected catechism answers?<\/p>\n

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  1. Start and end the day with God\u2019s Word.
    \n<\/em><\/strong>From the minute they leave the building at the end of the day to the next morning\u2019s first bell, students experience a whole second life that we don\u2019t get to see, yet it greatly affects the experience they will have in our classrooms.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Start the day with a prayer, asking for God\u2019s blessing on the day ahead, or a devotion that gives students a precious piece of God\u2019s Word to carry with them. Close the day with a prayer, thanking God for the day now passed and asking for his protection in the evening ahead.<\/p>\n

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    1. Use chapel to touch students\u2019 lives<\/em><\/strong>.
      \nWhile it might be tempting to say we can\u2019t compete with flashy games and social media, we have to remember the power that God\u2019s Word has to reach our students\u2019 hearts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      As any effective teacher knows, however, it\u2019s all about proper scaffolding. If you throw copies of Romeo and Juliet<\/em> into students\u2019 hands, expecting them to be naturally engaged, they will struggle for three solid weeks. However, if you begin your unit with a discussion about teenage romance or the effects of holding grudges, students will be excited to apply the story to themselves. Their frustration over Shakespeare\u2019s complex language will take a backseat to their relatable connections with the characters and their ability to see themselves within the text.<\/p>\n

      The same should be true of our chapel services. The Word of God is indeed \u201calive and active\u201d (Hebrews 4:12), but don\u2019t we want to do all we can to prepare our students\u2019 hearts and minds for its message? Consider how to structure chapel for a teen audience. Why not embed a Q&A session facilitated by the campus pastor, or use an abbreviated Bible study format? It\u2019s one thing for our students to know the Eighth Commandment; it\u2019s another for them to hear from classmates how senseless gossip has affected their lives, and to pray as a group for the strength to resist those temptations.<\/p>\n

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      1. Share our stories of faith in action.
        \n<\/em><\/strong>We know natural Christian integration in our subjects is important, but how often do we share our own stories of faith?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        One of my classes once asked me why I have such a fascination with cornfields (canvas wall art, computer wallpaper, you name it!). I shared with them this story: When I was student teaching in different rural towns, I always drove past at least one cornfield on my commute. It was a daily reminder that regardless of the challenges I was going through, God provides \u201cseed to the sower and bread for food\u201d (Isaiah 55:10). If God can control the unpredictable Minnesota elements to provide food for the farmers, then he certainly can help me reach a struggling student, converse with a disgruntled parent, or address sensitive issues with coworkers.<\/p>\n

        This story was a beautiful moment in my relationship with this particular class. The more open I was about sharing how my faith impacts my everyday life, the more receptive they were to hearing some of the tough truths between the pages of Scripture.<\/p>\n

        How often do we open up and share these moments with our students? There is an understandable fear of forcing religion into the conversation in a way that appears disingenuous, but if we are able to chat freely with our students about our favorite team\u2019s victory or a funny television show, then all the more should we look for and create opportunities to share our faith with them!<\/p>\n

        As we welcome our students to another new year, let\u2019s already have the end of this year in mind. What can we do to set our students up for success as young Christians who are passionate about their faith?<\/p>\n

        Dr. Susan Decker (\u201913) serves at West Lutheran High School-Plymouth MN. <\/em><\/p>\n

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