This week, elementary students have been focusing on the story of Peter, “Becoming a Fisher of Men”, during the annual Spiritual Emphasis Week at SCCS.
“Our elementary students got to hear the story of Peter at their age level while hearing that Peter was an imperfect man, called by Jesus, who obeyed Him and was used by God,” shared Wiley Kennedy, Campus Pastor. “We hope they understand and enjoyed the story, and through it love God and want to obey Him.”
Ken Kistler, Children’s Pastor at Crossroads Community Church, brought passages from the gospels to life as he spoke on Peter’s Big Challenge, Big Surprise, Big Step, Big Failure, and Jesus’ Big Forgiveness. Each day, he took an experience from Peter’s life and helped students apply it to their own.
“Ken has a unique ability to capture the students’ attention and keep them engaged for the whole message,” shared Alisha Preheim, Dean of Elementary. “He is able to bring humor in the lessons while holding scripture to the level it should be. He knows his audience and how to help them apply God’s Word. Students and teachers alike are excited when he comes to speak.”
Spiritual Emphasis Week is an opportunity for elementary students to focus more time on the truths of scripture and how those truths can be applied to their own lives.
“Our students are taught the Bible throughout each day and are in chapel once a week through the year, but we love taking a week to focus on the significance of the Lord and scripture,” continued Mr. Kennedy. “It is the most important thing we teach at SCCS. Making it special for one week is important.”
Another special element of this week is the buddy system. Older elementary students are paired with younger elementary students for the week.
“The buddies sit together in chapels and then at the end of each session, they spend a few minutes answering questions together about the message they just heard,” shared Mr. Kennedy. “I love how the elementary teachers work together to pair students for this purpose. What a joy to see children grow together as they learn more about the Lord! Special thanks to Ken Kistler and his partnership with SCCS. We can’t wait to see the long-lasting impact of this week.”
