SPIRITUAL LIFE
FORMING FAITHFUL DISCIPLES OF JESUS
WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL LIFE
Equipping students to choose a whole-person, habit-fueled, everyday relationship with Jesus for life.
This vision statement of the Spiritual Life Office (SLO) emphasizes that our primary work with students from K–12 at Grace International School is about invitation—relating Jesus’ open call into a fully surrendered life with Him every day. For students who have not yet chosen to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we hope that through our regular, daily proclamation of the Christian faith in word and deed, these students will observe and choose to follow Jesus for themselves.
Whole-person. Full life in Jesus includes the whole student: Head (intellect, the story of God as told in the Bible), Heart (experiential knowledge, awareness of Jesus’s voice and guidance) and Hands (behaviors that tell the story of Jesus through our actions—our speech and living example). Staff and teachers at GIS consider the spiritual development of our students just as important as their academic or physical development and encourage students to ask them questions about God and life.
Habit-fueled. Jesus concludes His unparalleled vision for life in His Kingdom through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) with this impactful declaration: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” We in the SLO believe one of our most important responsibilities is to model and teach students to experience and practice the skills for growing a lifelong relationship with Jesus—through Scripture and prayer, and solitude and Sabbath, among others.
Everyday. We long for all students at GIS to grow familiar with experiencing Jesus in the ordinary aspects of their lives as students—from the classroom, to SLO gatherings, to the athletic field. GIS also encourages a rich partnership between parents, teachers, and the local church to equip our students toward a life of following Jesus
The SLO has coordinated a set of programs and events that invite GIS students to strengthen their faith and belief in God. These include:
- Weekly high school (student-led) and elementary chapels
- Student Leadership Development
- Annual Advent Podcast & Lent experiences
- Chapel Service Teams (Bands, Prayer, Media, Fun, Tech)
- Regular Worship Nights (high school students)
- High School Elevation Week
- Elementary LIFT Week
STUDENT TOOLS
We want to equip you with tools to help you grow as a follower of Jesus. You can find tools on guided reflections, prayer, sharing the Gospel, and more on our SLO website. We’re all on a journey and we hope these resources encourage you!
PARENT RESOURCES
Our desire is to come alongside and help fuel discipleship that is happening at home. We want to provide access to resources that can help you confidently walk with your student through these formative years. Visit our SLO website for resources from websites we are partnering with and book recommendations.
PODCAST
We have a podcast called ‘Getting There with Jack and Madde’!
As two people in their mid-20s, Jack and Madde want to share about their experience following Jesus up to this point. They don’t have all the answers and they’re still figuring things out.
OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES
The Blessing Directive
Through The Blessing Directive (TBD) students of Grace International School are given the platform to minister into the lives of the children residing at Hope House Children’s Home. As a result of The Blessing Directive, these children who have known a life of loss can now experience the love of Christ through the presence and consistency of our student leaders. During our visits to Hope House, the children participate in singing, English instruction, sports, and crafts. This is a wonderful opportunity to pour out a heart of service into the lives of those in need.
Night Bazaar Evangelism
In response to the work that Christ has done in our own lives, we want to invite others into knowing Jesus as their personal Savior. Although sharing the Gospel with others may feel a bit scary to some, we do not have to go about it alone! Night Bazaar Evangelism prepares students with the training and tools needed to begin having faith related conversations with those whom we meet during our visits to Night Bazaar.
Students will travel in groups and under adult supervision as they converse with tourists in order to practice their abilities of listening, posing thought-provoking questions, and sharing Biblical truth with those whom they come into contact with. Night Bazaar Evangelism is a perfect ministry for students who desire to learn how to share their faith with others and wish to become more comfortable with the process of doing so.
