United Faith Christian Academy
SCHOOL PROFILE
Grade Levels: TK–12
Enrollment: 288
Year Founded: 1985
Chief Administrator: Joe Siragusa
Contact Name: Darralyn Cummings
Mailing Address: 8617 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277
Phone: 704.541.1742
Fax: 704.540.7926
E-mail: darralyn.cummings@unitedfaith.org
Website: www.ufca.org
PROGRAM OBJECTIVE
to address bullying and build community using 1 Peter 3:8–9
PROGRAM SUMMARY
The idea to be a blessing to others in all you do is based on 1 Peter 3:8–9. The Be the Blessing Program at United Faith Christian Academy has helped change our school culture, has provided a framework for dealing with discipline, and has helped counter bullying. Our headmaster set a goal to teach students to be the blessing even in the face of insults and evil. We made Be the Blessing the theme for our year, our professional development, our chapels, and our upper-school retreat. We matched grade levels—for example, grade 12 with grade 5, and grade 11 with grade 4—in order to give students and staff a place to begin encouraging and being a blessing with their “grade buddies.” In the beginning, we assisted teachers and advisors in thinking of ways they could encourage one another, trying to help them see the vision—building relationships between the grades, bridging the age gap, and creating unity in purpose.
The adventure began with the upper-school students as they encouraged the lower-school students through writing cards of encouragement to them and through cheering them on at a fund-raiser fun run. Students began to pray for one another and planned a “getting to know you” event. At the event, 8th graders guided 1st graders through hands-on learning experiences at the first annual Harvest Market. These math and science experiences took place under the direction of the teachers. As 12th- and 5th-grade students were getting to know one another, they enjoyed pizza. The transitional-kindergarten students got acquainted with their 6th-grade buddies during a fiesta.
Students also have had opportunities to bless others in our community through service learning days as an extension of the Be the Blessing Program. Students in grades 9 through 12 worked in the Samaritan’s Purse warehouse, preparing shoe boxes for overseas. The varsity soccer team gave up a weekend to work on Habitat for Humanity houses. The 6th graders cleaned a church’s playground equipment, and the 11th graders cleaned the school bus and grounds. Being a blessing began with individuals and then spread through our school and community.
We have filtered our discipline of students through 1 Peter as well. If students have been offended or insulted, we have guided them to 1 Peter to seek wisdom on how to react with a blessing. Parents, students, and staff have embraced this program as a guide for behavior. “Be the Blessing” has made its way into the school lexicon.
We have also encouraged students to pray for our 15 international students and to explore ways to be a blessing to them. One way our families blessed the international students was to provide gifts at Christmas for them through the international-student gift tree. Flags with students’ names on them decorated a Christmas tree. Families chose one flag, purchased gifts, and gave the gifts to the international students, most of whom were far away from home over the holidays.
In December, we celebrated Christmas together with an all-school chapel in which older students escorted and sat with their Be the Blessing buddies. Singing Christmas carols and praying together as a whole student body really blessed all in attendance. On the National Day of Prayer, we will celebrate together as we pray corporately and in small groups with our Be the Blessing buddies. Our students and teachers are now looking for opportunities to bless one another; and as they approach events and projects, they are considering how they can work together with their buddies. Being a blessing is becoming part of who our students are as they interact with one another.
This program has given students many opportunities to learn about God’s Word and to put it into action using their creativity and everyday opportunities to be the blessing.
Blessing Program