Faith-Focused Summer Activities to Inspire Spiritual Growth

Summer break is a special time for families to rest, recharge, and grow in faith together.
With the busy school year behind us, summer offers a wonderful opportunity to help children stay connected to their faith through prayer, service, and creative activities. Explore ways your family can support faith development in children throughout the summer.

Create a Summer Prayer Journal

During the school year, it’s easy to get caught up in busy mornings, leaving little to no time for prayer. This summer, consider starting a prayer journal. You can fill it in every time you pray in the morning. Not only will this help you and your child stay on track, but it will also make sure you don’t skip a prayer. A prayer journal creates a simple daily routine that helps keep your family spiritually grounded during the summer break. It’s a great way to stay organized while also strengthening your faith.

Host a Craft Contest With Friends

Gathering with friends is a fun way to bring creativity and faith together. Have children draw or craft scenes from the Bible, whether it’s a favorite story or a meaningful verse. There are no winners or losers, but friendly competition is always fun. Each child can receive a prize for their effort and creativity, celebrating their unique interpretation of the stories and their connection to faith. This activity encourages creativity and allows children to learn more about the Bible in a hands-on, engaging way.

Create a Bible-Themed Play or Theater Production

Organize a Bible-themed play right at home! Create a shadow play using a flashlight and cut-out figures, or have children act out scenes in a live performance. Encourage kids to use their imagination by pretending to be actors, helping with the set design, or creating costumes. This allows children to learn the Bible in a creative and interactive way, all while having fun and learning about play and theater.

Listen to Faith-Based Podcasts and Audiobooks

Faith-based podcasts are a fantastic way to support your child’s spiritual development while keeping things fun and relaxed. With a wide range of podcasts suitable for different age groups, you can easily find ones that align with your family’s interests. For younger children, faith-focused audiobooks and stories can be especially engaging. Podcasts and audiobooks provide an easy way to weave faith into daily routines while offering topics for meaningful conversations for the whole family. 

Foster Gratitude Through Small Acts of Kindness

One meaningful way to help your child grow in faith is by practicing random acts of kindness. Encourage your child to share their kindness in meaningful ways, like donating toys or delivering homemade treats to people who need them. At home, practice gratitude through small gestures, like writing kind notes or assisting with chores. If you find an opportunity, encourage your child to volunteer at your church to foster a spirit of giving. These thoughtful actions positively impact others while also teaching your child the power of generosity and compassion.

Cook Biblical Meals Together

Cooking together can be a fun family activity that deepens your child’s understanding of the Bible. Take advantage of the summer break by preparing foods that connect to Bible stories and the history of faith. While cooking, discuss the roles these foods played back in time and how families and communities shared them. It’s a hands-on way to bring biblical stories to life and make faith-based lessons tangible for children of all ages.

When school is out, students are ready to enjoy the joys of summer. Summer is also a great time to reflect on activities that nurture faith. At North Tampa Christian Academy, we’re proud to serve families seeking a Wesley Chapel Christian school where faith and education go hand in hand. Contact us today to learn more about how we support students in their spiritual and academic journeys.

Understanding the Power of Prayer in Christian Schools

Christian schools create an environment where students can always focus on their faith. There are many benefits to Christian education, but one of the most powerful is the unifying force of prayer. The school community often comes together for worship and prayer, and students are encouraged to pray when they’re struggling to navigate their lives. Read on to learn more about the power of prayer in Christian schools. 

The Role of Prayer in Christian Education

Prayer is as essential to Christian education as classroom lessons. Students at Christian schools have plenty of opportunities to take time, reflect, and talk to God. This is part of an all-around focus on faith development. Whether participating in daily activities or schoolwide events, these students know that they can always take a moment to pray. 

How Prayer Benefits Students

Praying together at school allows students to connect with each other on a deeper level. They also build stronger relationships with teachers and faith leaders due to their shared faith. Students learn to grow within their faith, whereas other schools may encourage keeping faith and education separate. This promotes spiritual growth by incorporating it into the educational experience. Students who can take time to pray at school also build resilience, as they gain strength through God during the school day. 

Fostering a School Community

Students aren’t the only ones who benefit from prayer at schools. Faith leaders at Christian schools have a unique ability to help children develop and learn about faith. They can train the next generation of faith leaders and provide individualized attention to those who struggle. Christian school teachers and faculty have the opportunity to live their faith out loud in the classroom. This provides an outlet for helping students in a way they may not be able to in a public school setting. Working at a Christian school can help people grow in their faith while helping children develop theirs. 

Prayer in Action at NTCA

North Tampa Christian Academy promotes prayer by focusing on faith development. Students, teachers and faculty have a designated area on campus where they can focus on prayer. They are also encouraged to pray and worship during speaker events on campus. If students wish to become faith leaders, they can join the Campus Ministries Team, where they’re taught leadership skills and become actively involved in creating faith-based programs for other students. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, prayer is a priority. Students at our Tampa Christian school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a collaborative learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

How Christian Education Instills a Sense of Community

Students spend most of their time at school, so how they feel at school impacts their overall wellbeing. Christian schools specifically focus on creating environments where students feel loved and accepted. Every Christian school is a community based on faith. Read on to learn about how this sense of community comes into play in students’ lives. 

Community and Belonging Through Shared Faith 

Students from all walks of life come together at Christian schools. However, many of them share similar beliefs and values. Teachers at these schools ensure that students feel loved, accepted and comfortable sharing their faith with others. Through Christian education, students receive emotional and spiritual support alongside their classroom lessons. 

Experiencing Faith with Other Students

By attending Christian school, students become more immersed in their faith. Regular worship services and group prayer on campus bring faith to the center of their lives. Academic lessons are taught through a faith-based lens, allowing students to relate to the material in a different way than their peers. This experience of faith is unique to faith-based schools.

A Culture of Coming Together to Serve Others

One pillar of Christian education that cannot be overstated is the commitment to serving others. This often expands from local community service projects to mission trips around the world. Through Christian education, students have the chance to interact with people facing real-world issues, which causes them to develop an understanding and passion for charitable causes. 

Benefits for Students in the School Community

Students at Christian schools find themselves surrounded by staff, faculty and fellow students who have at least one thing in common with them—their faith. This leads to a sense of belonging from the first day they walk through the school’s hallways. This makes it easier to connect with other students and build meaningful relationships on campus. Along with the sense of community among peers, students receive support from school faith leaders. If they ever feel spiritually lost or have questions about their faith, they can seek guidance from a trusted adult at school. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we encourage students to live in their faith through faith development programs and a Christian school community. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

How Your Child Can Become a Faith Leader

When your child says they want to become a faith leader, you may be surprised. Faith leadership feels like something that’s usually reserved for studious adults who have been called to serve. However, there is a place for children to lead others in faith. Young faith leaders can make a difference in their communities by appealing to their peers. Here are some ways you can help your child become a faith leader: 

Recognizing a Child's Interest in Faith Leadership

Some children have a natural inclination toward leadership. They’re always the life of the party or the ones coming up with ideas for the next big adventure. If your child shows leadership potential and has a strong interest in faith, they may be interested in becoming a leader in their faith community. Do they ask a lot of questions to better understand religious texts? Are they always telling you their favorite Bible stories? These are signs that your child may want to be a faith leader. 

Steps to Help Your Child Become a Faith Leader

You can foster your child’s interest in faith leadership in many ways. Here are a few steps you can take to help your child decide if this is the path for them and start their leadership journey: 

• Encourage your child to get involved in church activities and programs. 

• Support your child in developing their own personal relationship with their faith.

• Help your child seek out mentorship and guidance from experienced faith leaders.

When you take these steps, they’ll have a clear idea of what they’re going into and if it’s what they want to do. 

Benefits of Being a Young Faith Leader

Leadership opportunities help children discover themselves and learn about their innate power. Faith leadership has even more benefits, like allowing children to grow in their own faith and empowering others to live fully in theirs. Being a faith leader early in life helps children understand their faith from multiple perspectives. One of the best ways to fully learn concepts is by teaching them to others. 

How NTCA’s Campus Ministries Program Can Help

At North Tampa Christian Academy, students can gain real life experience as faith leaders through the Campus Ministries Team. Led by Pr. David Craig, this team allows students to participate in activities like leading praise teams, organizing events and planning outreach programs. They collaborate with a small group of students with similar interests to enhance the spiritual offerings on campus. 

Faith leadership is something people are called to do, and it’s no different for children. At our school, we aim to foster faith leadership in any student who shows an interest. Students at our Tampa Christian school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

NTCA’s Faith Development Program Provides UNCOMMON Opportunities

At NTCA, our goal is to foster leadership through Christian innovation. With faith being integral to our core values, we recently saw a need for students to have more opportunities to explore their faith. Like every other aspect of our project-based school, it needed to be innovative. When building our faith development program, we brought together the core elements of living in a more intentional, spiritual way: celebration, discipleship, service and leadership. Each of those elements has its own way of bringing students closer to God and His uncommon love for us. 

Celebration

Students gather every week to explore their faith through group celebrations. They sing, they pray and they learn all about the values of their Christian education. UNCOMMON hosts a full Week of Spiritual Emphasis twice a year that allows students to dive even deeper into their faith, starting the new semester off with an affirmation of their beliefs.  

Discipleship

At the Campus Ministries Lounge, students have the chance to speak to ministry leaders on campus about their unique faith journeys. They can also work with trained peer Bible counselors, who provide Bible studies and counseling to their fellow students. This area is dedicated to helping students form their faith on a more personal level. 

Service

Service is part of the curriculum at NTCA. From serving food at local food banks to partnering with World Vision to help provide shelter and education to children around the world, students have the opportunity to serve those who are near and far away. Many of the service opportunities tie in with their project-based classroom lessons, allowing students to learn while doing hands-on work with real-world impact. 

Leadership

Students interested in shaping the spiritual atmosphere on campus can join the Campus Ministries Team, led by Pr. David Craig. Campus Ministries Team members plan outreach programs, organize events and lead praise teams on campus. Through this program, students learn leadership skills that can be applied to the real world, whether or not they decide to pursue spiritual leadership in the future. 

Students at our Tampa Christian school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.