“The vision of The Rock School is to make disciples…”
“A long obedience in the same direction.”
Becoming a Christian is not only a moment of conversion but a lifetime of formation. As such, we understand that we are engaging students in what Eugene Peterson called “a long obedience in the same direction”.
Discipleship is a comprehensive effort in which we approach a student’s faith formation holistically by providing opportunities for:
Learning | Wisdom
Engaging the Head
Longing | Wonder
Engaging the Heart
Loving | Works
Engaging the Hands
Discipleship Class
Students in grades K-12 complete a Discipleship class each year in addition to their other academic courses. We call it Discipleship (instead of the more common “Bible Class”) because we have a broader vision for this course that extends beyond traditional Bible literacy. To that end, discipleship-making inspires a commitment to these spiritual disciplines:
An Awareness of God
Students have opportunities through prayer, worship, and contemplation to learn to sense God’s presence and to become more aware of Him at work in their lives and in those around them.
The Study of Christian Theology
Students engage in a serious study of the Christian faith by learning about church history, creeds, scriptural contexts, apologetics, cultural engagement, and sound theological doctrines. Students are invited to wrestle with the challenging questions of faith and culture in this present age.
Reflection on Scripture
Students have regular and frequent times to read passages within our sacred text and the opportunity to reflect on these readings both individually and in small group settings. Reflection on scripture is intended to be different from times of study and instead utilize practices such as lectio divina to allow the Word of God to speak directly to the reader.
Application in Daily Living
Students consider how God may be using their awareness of His presence, their study of theology, and their reading of scripture to lead them to action in some way. Students have opportunities to journal about how the Lord may be directing them in their personal transformation or to act in a broader context to “cooperate with God in the work of redeeming the world.”
K-12 Chapel
Each Monday morning, our entire K-12 staff and student body come together for All-School Chapel. We honor God in this way by giving Him our “first and our best” – the first hour of our school week. Each Chapel service consists of singing, creedal confession, Scripture reading, and a short sermon.
The emphasis of chapel is on faith formation – helping students to strengthen their resolve and commitment to the Christian faith and how to live it deeply and actively.
We follow the Christian Calendar in our Chapel preaching in order to allow students to live the story of the Bible over the course of each school year:
01
Advent – Anticipation
02
Christmastide – Incarnation
03
Epiphany – Revelation
04
Lent – Crucifixion
05
Eastertide – Resurrection
06
Pentecost – Inspiration
07
Ordinary Times – Participation
We root each sermon in a Scripture passage, not in a topic or story. We use the New Living Translation (NLT) in Chapel and Discipleship classes.
There are many different churches and denominations represented within our school family, so our chapel services focus on the things that we all have in common as Bible-believing Christians. The theological differences that divide the body into various denominations and faith groups are left to the home and church to teach.
Each year, students have the opportunity to put their faith into practice through various service projects. Additionally, we plan an annual international missions trip for high school students to work with one of our partner organizations (usually in Central America).
Learn more about our faith practices.
Join us for our next Open House to learn more about our discipleship efforts and how we integrate faith and learning to provide a distinctively Christian education.