Tuesday Night Lights? – July 28, 2015
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! – Psalm 150:6
Out of all the days of the week, it is Tuesday that receives the least respect and attention. I remember an old pizza commercial asking for a “Hoo-Hah!” trying to drum up some excitement for their “Two-fer Tuesday” deal. Most area restaurants advertise “Kids’ Night” or special promotions on Tuesday evenings because business tends to be slow that night of the week. Can you imagine going out on a romantic Tuesday night date with your spouse? How about watching Tuesday Night Football between the Saints and the Cowboys? It just doesn’t make sense.
Tuesdays may not garner much respect in the real world, but Tuesday will be the most important day of the week in the High School this year. We have designated a special schedule every Tuesday this year in order to enhance the spiritual and social development of our students.
Every Tuesday morning at 10:00 am, our student body will gather in the Sanctuary for a time of praise and worship. We invite you to come. We will begin each chapel service with a worship session of contemporary praise songs led by Middle School Bible teacher Jonathan White and our PBS Praise Team. This is a time for our students to set aside the agenda of activities for the day and draw near to the throne of God. We invite our students to worship in any way they are comfortable; but most importantly, we encourage them for a few moments to set their eyes on Jesus. John 4:23 says, the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. The students will then be challenged by a teacher or local pastor with truth from God’s Word. This is a great opportunity for our students to be challenged to grow more intimate in their relationship with Christ. We pray that the seeds planted during these services will go on to produce much spiritual fruit in the lives of our students.
After lunch on Tuesdays, we have set aside a 20-minute period each week for one of three activities: Legacy Groups, Clubs, and Principal’s Assembly. The purpose of Legacy Groups is for our students to develop more personal relationships with a smaller group of fellow students from each grade and to be mentored by a teacher. Each student will be assigned to a Legacy Group and will remain with that group throughout high school. It is my hope that the students in each group become brothers and sisters to one another. I envision our Seniors and Juniors mentoring our underclassmen, leaving a legacy behind for the younger students to emulate. Legacy Groups will meet at least once a month for accountability, discipleship, and fellowship.
One of the best ways for our students to become involved and meet other students is to join a club. We offer a wide variety of clubs and activities for our students to participate in, ranging from Quiz Bowl to Bulah Bots to the Swing Dance Club. There is something for everyone. We highly encourage our students to join as many clubs as they can. Clubs and activities are often where some of the most memorable moments in high school are made.
The Tuesday that I am looking most forward to each month is Principal’s Assembly. With the rush of the daily schedule, we often do not set aside time to recognize our students who have accomplished much or performed admirably in some area. The purpose of Principal’s Assembly is to take time out of our busy day to recognize such students. From academic achievements to athletic accomplishments to social promotions, we want to give our students the honor and recognition they deserve. One of my college professors encouraged us to “catch the students doing something good” and praise them for it. I intend on doing just that. If you hear of a student doing something worthy of praise, make sure I know about it.
I hope you will say a special prayer for our students each Tuesday. It is a very special day of the week. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Can I get a Hoo-Hah?
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today.” – Hebrews 3:13
For His Glory,
Ben D. Haindel
High School Division Head