Spiritual Development - Arborbrook Christian Academy
Source: http://arborbrook.org/mission/spiritual-development
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:20
Spiritual Development - Arborbrook Christian Academy
Spiritual Development
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
-Luke 10:27
As a Christian school, Arborbrook considers the spiritual development of our students to be a high priority. All that we do is geared toward encouraging students to grow in Jesus’ command in Luke 10:27.
Philosophy
Our educational philosophy informs how we approach spiritual development. Because we believe the Charlotte Mason principle to “respect the child as a person,” we believe each child is made in the image of God and trust that the Holy Spirit will be involved in each child’s life to help open his or her eyes to the Truth of scripture and the person of Jesus Christ. And, because we believe the Charlotte Mason principle that “education is a science of relations,” we know that the relationship between student and teacher, student and student, and student and the larger community is an important aspect of the child’s spiritual growth as well.
Approach
We educate the “whole child” in our approach to spiritual development, hoping to reach mind, heart and body. Students not only read the Bible in class, but teachers integrate a biblical perspective in every subject. They also lead the students in prayer and sharing. Students experience the joy of worship in Assembly, learn to spend time and appreciate God’s creation through nature and develop relationships through community, fun and laughter. Physical health is also encouraged as part of our spiritual worship.
Theme
Our priority in Bible class is to maximize and encourage time spent reading and understanding the Word of God. Our Bible curriculum is designed to answer three main questions: Who is God/Jesus? Who am I? and Who is my Neighbor? Using a variety of resources, these themes are cycled through in Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8, and again in Grades 9-12. The idea is to build a foundation of faith and the knowledge of God, then to nurture individual growth in obedience, spiritual disciplines and identity, then to bear fruit in service, mentoring and evangelism.
Lower School
We start each day and end each day with Jesus, as He is our Alpha and Omega. Assembly or Classroom devotions are our Alpha time. Tuesday mornings, grades K-6 gather at Assembly to commit the day to our Lord, worship, and learn more of His goodness and grace. Each week a different class plans, prepares and leads an Assembly where our teachers present a topic from our annual theme. Students may lead and participate in worship, skits that emphasize the character trait or point of meditation for the week, prayer, Scripture reading, guest speaker, etc. Assembly on Thursday will be led by the Head of School, Dr. Zawacki. We also use this time to give announcements and offer special recognition to students who are celebrating birthdays. On Mondays and Wednesdays, our students will have classroom devotions where Scripture will be discussed, and prayer will take place. This is our Alpha Time.
Our students belong to families who are growing in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. As such, they participate in worship and Bible training at home and at church. We provide a context in which students may delve deeper into the foundations of their faith. We do so through study of the Scriptures themselves, Bible stories in grades K-3 and curricula in grades 4 and up that help students strengthen their faith, with an emphasis on inductive study. In Grades 4 - 6 students study Genesis (Who is God?), the Gospel of John (Who is Jesus?), several New Testament epistles, prayer, inductive Bible study skills, and a peacemaker study (Who am I? Who is my Neighbor?). We do not take doctrinal stances on the minor teachings of Scripture. Bible reading, narration and journaling are scheduled at the end of each regular school day in grades K-6. This is our Omega time.
Upper School
In the Upper School, 7th Grade students learn the big story of scripture by doing a survey of Genesis – Revelation (Who is God/Jesus?). They also study the power of the tongue and Christian character (Who am I? Who is my Neighbor?) In 8th grade, they learn the foundations of the faith and church by studying the book of Acts (Who is God/Jesus?) then finish the year grounding this knowledge in a bible study skills curriculum that teaches them how to read and study the Word for themselves (Who am I?). These study skills are applied to books of the New Testament (Who is my Neighbor?).
At Arborbrook High School, students dig deep into God’s Word, using the Bible as their primary—and often only—textbook. Ninth graders begin with foundational books like
Genesis
and
Matthew
, as well as more challenging texts such as
Ecclesiastes
,
Hosea
, and
1 John
, exploring the question:
Who is God?
In 10th grade, students take an in-depth Bible Study Skills course and apply these tools to study select New Testament epistles, wrestling with the question:
What is Scripture?
By 11th grade, the focus shifts to wisdom and spiritual disciplines through
Psalms
and
Proverbs
, helping students apply Scripture to questions of personal identity:
Who am I?
The curriculum culminates in 12th grade, when seniors study evangelism and discernment, asking:
What should I do?
Seniors are encouraged to invest in the broader Arborbrook community and the world around them by leading Community Groups, speaking at Lower School assemblies, guiding kindergarten buddies, and taking active roles in mission trips and outreach events. Throughout high school, students are challenged to grow outwardly as well, with 10th and 12th graders completing a
Worldview and Apologetics
course in addition to their Bible studies, equipping them to think critically, lead faithfully, and engage the world with a Christ-centered perspective.
Prayer and reliance up the Holy Spirit undergirds all we do. While not perfect, the community of Arborbrook is a place of sweet fellowship in the Lord.
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
rooted
and
built up
in him,
strengthened in the faith
as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness… the gospel is
bearing fruit
and growing throughout the whole world.” ~ Colossians 2:6-7 and 3:6
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Spiritual Development
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
-Luke 10:27
As a Christian school, Arborbrook considers the spiritual development of our students to be a high priority. All that we do is geared toward encouraging students to grow in Jesus’ command in Luke 10:27.
Philosophy
Our educational philosophy informs how we approach spiritual development. Because we believe the Charlotte Mason principle to “respect the child as a person,” we believe each child is made in the image of God and trust that the Holy Spirit will be involved in each child’s life to help open his or her eyes to the Truth of scripture and the person of Jesus Christ. And, because we believe the Charlotte Mason principle that “education is a science of relations,” we know that the relationship between student and teacher, student and student, and student and the larger community is an important aspect of the child’s spiritual growth as well.
Approach
We educate the “whole child” in our approach to spiritual development, hoping to reach mind, heart and body. Students not only read the Bible in class, but teachers integrate a biblical perspective in every subject. They also lead the students in prayer and sharing. Students experience the joy of worship in Assembly, learn to spend time and appreciate God’s creation through nature and develop relationships through community, fun and laughter. Physical health is also encouraged as part of our spiritual worship.
Theme
Our priority in Bible class is to maximize and encourage time spent reading and understanding the Word of God. Our Bible curriculum is designed to answer three main questions: Who is God/Jesus? Who am I? and Who is my Neighbor? Using a variety of resources, these themes are cycled through in Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8, and again in Grades 9-12. The idea is to build a foundation of faith and the knowledge of God, then to nurture individual growth in obedience, spiritual disciplines and identity, then to bear fruit in service, mentoring and evangelism.
Lower School
We start each day and end each day with Jesus, as He is our Alpha and Omega. Assembly or Classroom devotions are our Alpha time. Tuesday mornings, grades K-6 gather at Assembly to commit the day to our Lord, worship, and learn more of His goodness and grace. Each week a different class plans, prepares and leads an Assembly where our teachers present a topic from our annual theme. Students may lead and participate in worship, skits that emphasize the character trait or point of meditation for the week, prayer, Scripture reading, guest speaker, etc. Assembly on Thursday will be led by the Head of School, Dr. Zawacki. We also use this time to give announcements and offer special recognition to students who are celebrating birthdays. On Mondays and Wednesdays, our students will have classroom devotions where Scripture will be discussed, and prayer will take place. This is our Alpha Time.
Our students belong to families who are growing in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. As such, they participate in worship and Bible training at home and at church. We provide a context in which students may delve deeper into the foundations of their faith. We do so through study of the Scriptures themselves, Bible stories in grades K-3 and curricula in grades 4 and up that help students strengthen their faith, with an emphasis on inductive study. In Grades 4 - 6 students study Genesis (Who is God?), the Gospel of John (Who is Jesus?), several New Testament epistles, prayer, inductive Bible study skills, and a peacemaker study (Who am I? Who is my Neighbor?). We do not take doctrinal stances on the minor teachings of Scripture. Bible reading, narration and journaling are scheduled at the end of each regular school day in grades K-6. This is our Omega time.
Upper School
In the Upper School, 7th Grade students learn the big story of scripture by doing a survey of Genesis – Revelation (Who is God/Jesus?). They also study the power of the tongue and Christian character (Who am I? Who is my Neighbor?) In 8th grade, they learn the foundations of the faith and church by studying the book of Acts (Who is God/Jesus?) then finish the year grounding this knowledge in a bible study skills curriculum that teaches them how to read and study the Word for themselves (Who am I?). These study skills are applied to books of the New Testament (Who is my Neighbor?).
At Arborbrook High School, students dig deep into God’s Word, using the Bible as their primary—and often only—textbook. Ninth graders begin with foundational books like
Genesis
and
Matthew
, as well as more challenging texts such as
Ecclesiastes
,
Hosea
, and
1 John
, exploring the question:
Who is God?
In 10th grade, students take an in-depth Bible Study Skills course and apply these tools to study select New Testament epistles, wrestling with the question:
What is Scripture?
By 11th grade, the focus shifts to wisdom and spiritual disciplines through
Psalms
and
Proverbs
, helping students apply Scripture to questions of personal identity:
Who am I?
The curriculum culminates in 12th grade, when seniors study evangelism and discernment, asking:
What should I do?
Seniors are encouraged to invest in the broader Arborbrook community and the world around them by leading Community Groups, speaking at Lower School assemblies, guiding kindergarten buddies, and taking active roles in mission trips and outreach events. Throughout high school, students are challenged to grow outwardly as well, with 10th and 12th graders completing a
Worldview and Apologetics
course in addition to their Bible studies, equipping them to think critically, lead faithfully, and engage the world with a Christ-centered perspective.
Prayer and reliance up the Holy Spirit undergirds all we do. While not perfect, the community of Arborbrook is a place of sweet fellowship in the Lord.
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
rooted
and
built up
in him,
strengthened in the faith
as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness… the gospel is
bearing fruit
and growing throughout the whole world.” ~ Colossians 2:6-7 and 3:6
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