Revolution of Grace is an integrated character development program designed to enhance the mission of our school in partnering with parents to develop character witnesses for Christ. Grace Prep desires to help families address the challenge of spiritually mentoring our GPA students so that they are equipped in the following ways:
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to love God because He first loved us,
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to be rightly related to Jesus by accepting His redemptive work on the cross,
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to obediently listen to and follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit for direction each day, and
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to share the healing grace of Christ with a lost and broken world.
Our hope and prayer is to partner with the Holy Spirit in producing character witnesses who actively engage a lost world, through service and conversation, with the love of God. If we are to "live like Christ," our approach to a lost and broken world should be born of the same humility and compassion with which He lived, died and rose again. We can aggressively oppose the false ideologies and philosophies of our current culture without rejecting those whom God loves. We need marriage relationships, parent/offspring relationships, co-worker relationships, and friendships to be invaded by a revolution of His grace. Our students need to see that every classroom, every internship, every summer job, and every social networking website is a "mission field": a frontline vantage point from which we can communicate His great love and mercy. And because such a mission is most assuredly fraught with difficulty, it is also one of sacrifice. Truly, it is "a call to give it all."
"A Call To Give It All"
Matthew 16:24-25 is our subsequent call to action for the 2010-11 school year:
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whosoever loses his life for me will find it.
These verses communicate what a life surrendered to the purposes of God really looks like. When we continue in our own path, determined to make life work according to our plan, we are in a losing battle that goes from bad to worse because our solutions will always be imperfect and temporary. If, however, we choose to "take up our cross," submitting to Christ's authority and allowing His redemptive work to take root, we find that in loosening our tight grip on life, He is faithful to heal us, replacing our sin nature with the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5). We "find life" in abiding in Him, and the overflow of that new life allows us to pour into the lives of one another. It is these "one anothers" that we will choose to focus on in the 2010-11 school year through the following venues:
Monthly Worship
Revolution, a worship time for secondary and elementary students, will take place once a month. At the secondary level, this will involve student-led worship, student-led prayer and scripture reading, dramas, student testimonies, and guest speakers who will focus on our monthly "...one anothers." For elementary students, Revolution will follow the lunch period as a condensed time of praise and worship, prayer, and testimony. Please pray specifically that God will move in the hearts of our children during these special times throughout the year.
Character Development in the Classroom
Our faculty and staff will teach and care for our students with an eye toward incorporating the meaning and practice of each month's "...one another." These character traits will be posted on large signs/banners in highly visible areas throughout the school. In the classroom, teachers will engage the students in Scripture memory, hymns and songs, prayer, and/or service opportunities to help them make the head-to-heart connection for each trait. They will also continue to take advantage of "teachable moments" within their respective curricula, integrating the character traits into their lesson plans.
Character Witness Discussion Guides
It is our hope and prayer that parents will choose to expand on the importance of these character traits, engaging their family in more in-depth discussions/devotions suited for the ages and stages of their children. These guides will be sent home via email as well as on this page. Please prayerfully consider how you might use these guides as a "jumping off" point in your teaching/coaching/leading. One very easy way to emphasize character traits is to always watch for the modeling of the trait and tell your child you noticed. A little encouragement goes a long way!
Family Workshops
Two family workshops will be held this year to call attention to key issues affecting our families today as they relate to the educational environment. The workshops will also offer helpful home strategies to reinforce a biblical response to the topics addressed. Possible topics to address this year might include:
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Time Management in the Christian Home
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Teaching Daughters: Biblical Beauty
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Teaching Sons: Biblical Manhood
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Dealing with Substance Abuse and Peer Pressure
Facebook
All students will be asked to "friend" GPA’s Facebook page in order to receive regular updates on upcoming events, programs, and service opportunities, as well as to be encouraged by dynamic content (i.e. videos, music, etc.) that promotes the mission of R.O.G. As soon as the GPA Facebook page is available, we will be sending a notice to faculty, staff, and GPA families.
Prayer Ministry
The activity of R.O.G. will only be busywork unless the Spirit of God envelopes all facets of the program. We hope to expand the prayer ministry of GPA so that the requests and praises of GPA faculty, staff, parents, and students are communicated effectively. The Bible clearly teaches that we often miss out on God’s power and grace because we do not earnestly seek Him. As always, the goal of the prayer ministry of GPA will be to fervently seek our Heavenly Father in prayer for his provision and guidance.