Author | Savannah Scott |
At the beginning of this year, a new chapel team was established at Scholars Guild Academy. What made this team so special was the fact that SGA students completely run it! The team members are Charis Haynes, Abbie Hammons, Daniel Wright, Zach Hammons, Keliy Haynes, Brianna Fagan, Seth Newman, Izzy Fleetwood, and Avery Yates, Mrs. Bryson and Mr. Chad Hambrick! The team leaders, Charis Haynes and Abbie Hammons, said that this was something that the Lord put on their hearts to do. We appreciate their idea, and it has made a HUGE contribution to our school. I interviewed several SGA students, and they've all said that this new chapel team is amazing.
Shyloh Rice (10th grade) said, "I was nervous about having a chapel team run by students because I thought it might be awkward, but I am pleasantly surprised by how awesome our new Student-Led Chapel team is! I loved Seth's message on prayer!
Speaking of worship, I had the chance to interview several members of the worship and speaking teams. I asked them a few questions, and here are their responses:
1. What inspired you to start the chapel team?
2. What's been your favorite song that you all have played so far? Why?
3. How do you hope to inspire others through chapel?
4. What inspired your message at chapel? (This question was for the speakers' team)
Abbie Hammons, the cello player, and singer gave this thoughtful response
"1. JESUS! That's really all I can say. It's amazing how it came together. Charis and I both felt a calling, and after getting together with Mrs. Bryson, and taking it a step at a time, the Lord brought it together- and He still is! He just kept dropping people in our path and adding to the team. We completely wouldn't have even had the idea if it wasn't for Him! He is in it and all through it!
2. Good question! That's a hard one for sure. "Glorious Day" is probably my favorite we've done so far! I love the message of that song. I ran out of that grave- out of the darkness, into your glorious day!! It's so awesome and so true. We would be NOTHING without Christ, and Him dying for us. How amazing is it that he has called us out of the darkness, and we can live full of abundant joy for Him every day?!
3. When we first started, we wanted to set an example for others. Instead of it being an adult-led thing (which was awesome!), we wanted it to be more student-led. We felt fully unequipped to be put in this position, but the Lord has filled us, and hopefully, is shining through us! This year we've put a focus on embrace. Embracing the Lord, embracing prayer, embracing worship, and others...there's so much that we are called to embrace, and we are embracing His will for chapel! We want it to be exactly what HE desires for our school, and I believe that He is doing just that!"
Keliy Haynes, one of the singers, gave this sweet response,
1. It has been a strong desire and prayer of mine to be a part of a student-led praise team, so when the opportunity came, I knew it was God's timing!
2. My favorite song so far is probably "Lord, I Need You" because lately, that has been a key prayer of mine.
3. I hope to inspire by showing how we can worship God with our lives even as teens without it being weird, and I pray that others see a reflection of Christ through me.
Zach Hammons, the guitarist, gave this flavorful response,
1. "So, I think that the Lord placed it on my heart. Abbie, my sister, approached me about it as well, and after praying about it, God said yes, so I said yes."
2. "Lord, I Need You." That song is a prayer/declaration that you need God, and you want God enough to confess and humbly believe."
3. "I think that we totally reflect God's sovereign will in that he brought us all together in His perfect timing, and that is the example I want to set not for people to see us but them to see God and all He has done."
Daniel Wright, another one of the guitarists, responded with this,
1. "I wanted to join the chapel team because I love to express myself in my worship of God through music, and I feel like the duty of helping to lead others in worship has been placed on me. I also feel like being in the band is the best way (at least for the moment ) for me to be able to serve and contribute to the furthering of God's Kingdom.
2. My personal favorite song that we have done is "Only King Forever" by Elevation Worship. Well...we're actually working on that one for December, so if you want to hear it, make sure to come to Chapel on December 3rd! Of the few that we have already played at chapel, my favorite is probably "Glorious Day" by Passion.
3. I believe that the ultimate goal of the EMBRACE Chapel Team is to encourage others to embrace God and every aspect of Him, to encourage others to embrace what God sets before them, and to encourage others to embrace their peers with God's love. On a personal level, I hope to inspire the student body to be bold in their faith and not to shy away from what they believe. I, personally, am trying to do this not only at school and at Church, but in the world as well. If a stranger asks me "Are you a Christian?", I don't want to be scared of them being angry with me, influencing me to say no, I want to be confident and proud of what I believe, answering "Yes!" to that question in every circumstance. I want my fellow students to have this attitude as well, and I hope to have a hand in influencing them to be like that.
Isabella Fleetwood, one of the speakers, gave this insightful response,
"1. Charis Haynes, a senior at SGA, direct messaged me on Instagram and asked me about my interest in starting a chapel team. And I thought it would be a great idea to start something, that only God can push forward. Charis had a vision, and I wanted to be a part of it!! A revival in our school was about to start! Students leading other students is an inspiration in itself, one that not only encourages but enables others through the Holy Spirit.
3. I hope to inspire others through chapel only by what the Holy Spirit has to say through me. I never want it to be my words that come out of my mouth, but his words!! I hope that the students can encourage students to step up and lead and not let age get in the way of what God can do through us.
4. The message I shared at chapel was prayed over time and time again. I knew that what needed to be said had to be centered on embrace, but I thought to myself embracing what? So I prayed and asked God to reveal to me what exactly it is that we need to embrace. He revealed to me that it needed to be centered on the sacrificial side of embrace, the side of embrace that is not talked about as much. The timing was perfect. Senior year is a time that I want to embrace. I want to embrace every moment. Every opportunity. Every passion. Every encounter. I was going through a time where this message rang true in all areas of my life, and the timing could not have been more perfect!!
Charis Haynes, the co-leader and founder of the EMBRACE chapel team, responded with this
1. Over the past calendar year, I've had a growing desire to begin a student-led group that focused on and supported students in growing deeper in their relationships with the Lord. I believe that the Lord placed the specific idea on my heart to start a student-led chapel team at SGA over the summer, and my goal in initiating and forming such a club was to create another outlet for student participation and involvement at SGA that specifically focused on faith and how to grow deeper in our (the SGA body) relationships with the Lord.
2. My favorite song that has been played at chapel was "Lord, I Need You." Because my sister Keliy is in the band, I was able to hear the video of the worship team practicing this song a few days before chapel, and it blessed my heart so deeply. I loved this song particularly because it does not focus on me and the things I need or how much God loves me, but this song seems to be very humble and deliberate in stating the fact that I need God more than anything, I need Him "every hour", and He is my only defense and my only source of true righteousness. In my eyes, this song is a great way to take the focus off of myself and to point to God and His strength. It is a way to acknowledge that I am not enough in my own strength and that I cannot do a single thing without Him, which is an easy truth to forget in the midst of all of my daily tasks.
3. My greatest goal in creating this chapel team was to create a stronger bond between SGA students, staff, and families by providing a means for us to grow in our faith and daily walk with Jesus corporately. My hope is that by participating in these chapel sessions, students and staff will be encouraged to include what they're learning in their faith walks in their conversations at SGA and that these truths will overflow and influence everyone to take up the challenge to grow closer to the Lord and to look to please Him every day. My prayer is that the truths imparted at chapel and the time spent in the holy presence of the Lord will truly encourage all who attend and participate to answer the call that the Lord has given to each and every individual to walk closer to Him and to be a light for Him and His kingdom in our world.
Brianna Fagan, another one of the singers, gave this response,
1. "My inspiration for chapel came from my love for worshipping the Lord and just being able to me through what I sing.
4. I hope that students will be inspired to worship the Lord where ever they are. I desire to be a role model to all students. I hope that the Lord will be able to use me to inspire them to be themselves and not be afraid to embrace who they are through God."
From the outstanding worship to the blessed messages, this chapel team is a great example of God working through people for their good and His glory, and the fact that they are all students is simply inspiring. They are an extremely anointed group of students, and you all are greatly appreciated. You will never truly know what a contribution you have made at SGA. I wish you all the best, continue letting God work through you. Make sure all you guys come to the Student-Led Chapel, on the first Tuesday of every month at 8:00 A.M.! 1 Timothy 4:12 "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity."
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