Courage to Stand!

This year in lower school chapel, our youngest students are learning what it means to have the “courage to stand” as they grow in their faith and deepen their understanding of God’s Word. Each week, the lower school Bible team will highlight real-life examples of biblical and historical heroes of the faith whose courage and conviction continue to inspire Christians today, showing students what it looks like to boldly live out and defend what they believe.

For each student at SBS, chapel serves as a meaningful pause in their week as they spend time in community with their fellow students worshiping, praying and learning about God’s Word. While our lower school students also have regular Bible lessons in the classroom, chapel really brings the lessons to life in a tangible way.

“Chapel is important for many reasons. It is a special time of worship where we come together as a community to sing, pray and spend time with God. We also learn so much in chapel, new things about God and about ourselves,” said the lower school Bible teachers, Ashley Corbin, Dianna Bolling and Alison Tidmore.

Following this year’s “courage to stand” theme, students are learning that they are never too young to defend their faith both confidently and courageously. The SBS Bible team reflected, “Our students may face times where their faith is tested, so we want them to be strong and courageous to stand up for their faith, share the gospel and love others.”

In every chapel lesson, the joy of the lower school Bible team shines through as they share the truth of God’s Word in engaging and meaningful ways. These lessons include captivating visuals, interactive student participation and even fun dances to get students smiling and worshiping God!

Their infectious enthusiasm and joy is also coupled with a deep respect and reverence for God’s Word, as they seek for their students to see the Bible as “a book students both understand and enjoy reading,” said Ashley Corbin.

The truths learned from these chapel lessons are also supplemented and continued in the classroom. Dianna Bolling reflected, “I love when my students feel free to ask difficult questions about God and our lesson. I also enjoy our deep discussions about applying God’s Word to real life situations.”

Alison Tidmore reflected a similar sentiment, stating, “I love to see my students get excited about God’s Word. Many will tell me they went home to read more of the passage we are studying, and that brings me such joy. I hope they always find God’s Word exciting.”

For these teachers, chapel is more than a lesson. It is helping every student love God’s Word, treasure it in their hearts and have a lifelong longing to learn more about God.