Spring Term Blog

Day One

by Hayley Arthur, Upper School Teacher 

Before focusing specifically on Acworth Elementary School, our local missions group spent time at the Acworth Community Center serving kids from all over the community at a day sports camp! Whether they were leading a game station or guiding a group of campers, our Upper School students served with grace, love, and plenty of fun. Many of them shared how meaningful it was to connect with the kids. “I really liked just being able to bond with kids in our local community, especially those that go to your school,” said Reagen Work.

Along with tug-of-war and volleyball, NCCS students had the chance to share the gospel with the campers. For some, it was an opportunity to engage the kids in meaningful, Christ-centered conversations. “They were really enthusiastic to respond,” mentioned Quinn Downs. Others found the experience opened their eyes to the value of being “like these children” (Mark 10:13) in their own faith. “One of my favorite parts was when we got to tell the kids about the gospel,” said Althea Towlder. “They all prayed, and it was very cute and innocent.”

Overall, our students went above and beyond to create a fun, loving, and Christ-centered experience for these local kiddos!

 

---

Day Two 

On day two of local missions, our students poured their time and care into Acworth Elementary students and teachers. Some focused on the kids—Tyson and Jason led soccer drills during P.E., and you should have seen the kids’ eyes light up as they got to hang out with older students!

Others helped make the teachers’ days a little easier. Thomas and Van were lifesavers for the art substitute, delivering projects all across the school, while Josh and Ike made and delivered copies for their classroom. It was such a joy to be a blessing to Acworth Elementary!

---

Day Three

After breakfast and a devotional by Coach G., our Acworth Education team walked across campus to visit Mrs. Truesdale and Mrs. Holbrook’s kindergarten classrooms. Our high school students explained to the little ones that a mission trip is “going somewhere to help people,” and shared how they’ve been busy serving other students across Acworth.

Each high schooler was paired with a kindergartener—some of whom they had met earlier in the year when the little ones performed the Wall of Jericho story—and helped them read a small book. Some of the kids were shy at first, but within minutes, every kindergartener was giggling and chatting about what they’ve been learning or what they got for Christmas! It was such a blessing to see our students connecting with and encouraging the little ones—we clearly made their day.

Afterward, we loaded up and headed to Andretti for some fun! The staff spoiled our students with delicious burgers and brownies while we bowled. On the go-kart track, Van set the record for Ms. Arthur’s group with a lap of 43 seconds, with Beckett close behind. The laser tag arena was filled with screams and squeals! All in all, the students were thrilled to enjoy a little fun before finishing the week serving at Acworth Elementary.

---

Day Four

Our day started with an extremely compelling devotional from Coach Armani about sanctification. The students were captivated by his genuine love for God and eagerness to grow in faith. He shared a message that really resonated with the average private Christian school student, focusing on the two types of sanctification: instant and ongoing. Coach Armani explained that, just like in marriage, we not only say, “I do,” to the Lord by believing He died and rose for our sins, but we also live out our faith daily by obeying and respecting Him through the Holy Spirit. He encouraged each student to dive into the Word independently, saying, “Read about God’s holiness, and this whole idea of sanctification is a walk in the park.”

From there, our team headed back to Acworth Elementary! Many students already had relationships with teachers and elementary students from Tuesday, so they jumped right in. Tasks were assigned by the teachers, so some students continued with filing and errands, while others spent the day bonding with students in specials like art and music. Reagan Work and Kenady Braun collaborated on a beautiful classroom poster, and many of the boys, like Grant Robich, enjoyed playing football during recess with the younger students.

It was rewarding to help in the classroom, but even more special to build relationships with the students during their free time. Teachers expressed their gratitude, some even thanking us in advance for the coffee we’ll deliver tomorrow, and they brought Krispy Kreme donuts as a sweet way to say thank you!

---

Day Five

It’s our last day of Spring Term! Our students were greeted with Art’s Bagels and a very compelling devotion presented by an NCCS favorite, Mr. Fraser. Mr. Fraser strongly reminded our high schoolers about the power of restoration. “Take heart,” he said, “Pain has an expiration date.” He encouraged us by reminding us that, in each moment, we are as close to God as we want to be.

With that, we loaded up and headed back to Acworth Elementary for our last day of service at the school. This time, however, instead of heading straight to the classrooms, our students worked alongside Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee to deliver beverages to the school staff. Our new friend, Jaylon, did an excellent job making the beverages in record time, while our students personally delivered each drink. Trindon and Jojo were our star delivery guys!

After each teacher, cafeteria staff member, administrator, and janitor received their drink, our students headed back to their original classrooms to finish out the day of service. Some of the students graded work and organized books, while others, like Tyson, used their height advantage to help hang posters around the school!

The students had some really precious takeaways from the week. Tanzi mentioned that it was really insightful to see school from a teacher’s point of view; since she has been considering teaching herself, she really appreciated the opportunity to grade papers, organize files, etc. Likewise, C.J. mentioned that he had a wonderful experience with his class. “Ms. Shirley is kind (and) amazing,” he said, “and I love her students and know all their names.” (He wasn’t joking—he really did know each student’s name and listed them out to us!)

Tyson and Jason were class celebrities among the fourth graders. “We walk in in the morning and they all, like, shout out our names,” he said. There was a particular day when the art substitute teacher asked Tyson and Jason to sharpen pencils for her class, but “then she couldn’t get started because every kid suddenly wanted us to sharpen their pencils,” said Tyson. Additionally, he mentioned that he worked closely with a little boy named Duaner, who was fluent in Spanish and sometimes struggled to complete work in class. Tyson really appreciated his time with Duaner and mentioned that it was fun to brush up on his Spanish skills.

Some of our high school girls were particularly loved by the teachers they assisted, such as Raegan and Quinn, who worked with Ms. Smith. “I love these girls!” exclaimed Ms. Smith. “They can come back anytime.”