Carlisle Christian Academy
SCHOOL PROFILE
Grade Levels: K–12
Enrollment: 150
Year Founded: 1981
Chief Administrator: Matt Tuckey
Contact Name: Maggie Lattin
Mailing Address: 1412 Holly Pike, Carlisle, PA 17015
Phone: 717.249.3692
Fax: 717.240.0644
E-mail: info@carlislechristian.org
Website: www.carlislechristian.org
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
- to get the students and staff thinking about what Christ has done in them and for them and what they can share with others,
- to use students’ experiences and testimonies to make an impact on other students, and
- to be a testimony in our community while showing what our school and students are about
PROGRAM SUMMARY
The Devotional Books program begins during the second quarter at Carlisle Christian Academy. The secondary students (grades 6–12) each write a devotional for Bible class. In class the students and their teacher discuss what a devotional is and that every student who has given his or her life to Christ has something to share. We challenge the students to think about something that God has shown them or done in them that they can share with someone else. We strongly encourage them to pray about what God would like them to share before they begin to do anything else. We require all our secondary students to write a devotional because we have found that when students have the choice they will often choose to stay in their comfort zone and not venture out of it. However, when they do not have the choice and they receive the encouragement that they can do it, many times they are amazed themselves at looking back and seeing what God has done through them.
The secondary students each receive the following criteria for their devotional:
- It needs to be 300–400 words.
- It must include a Scripture.
- It must have a title.
- The students must submit it as a hard copy and e-mail it to their teacher.
On the elementary level (K–grade 5), the teachers encourage their students to share their thoughts about God or a favorite Scripture or to answer a question or finish a statement that the teacher gives. Some classes have answered the question, Who is God? and some have finished the sentence, “God is …” There are endless possibilities.
Teachers also have an opportunity to submit a devotional for the book. It is a great opportunity for the teachers to share what God is showing them and doing in them. The opportunity also allows the parents to connect spiritually with their children’s teachers.
Once the students and the teachers have submitted all the devotionals, the Bible teachers read the submissions and choose which ones to include. The Bible teachers choose the devotions that follow the directions and that present a clear message. The Eglish teachers then proofread the devotionals for grammatical mistakes, not content. After that process, all the devotions are put together on one file and are sent to the printing company to be made into a book.
The secondary students use these books during our spiritual emphasis week for their devotional times. The students are sometimes more willing to hear something from a peer than from an adult. We distribute the books to local churches to give them a tangible example of what our school and students are about. We also give the books to donors who have supported our school through the annual fund.
In response to the books, what we have heard from teachers, students, parents, and people in the community has been amazing. Parents and teachers are amazed at not only what God is doing in the students at our school but also that the students are willing to share those things with everyone. Students are excited to see their own devotionals in a book and to have the opportunity to read and grow from what their classmates share. People in the community have been excited to hear what God is doing in our students and school and are honored to receive a copy for themselves. Among the things we do for our school and local community, this devotional book stands out as making a tremendous impact.
Devotional Books