Spiritual Emphasis Week
Spiritual Emphasis Week is an annual tradition at HCA that is a highlight for our students. Every year, Matt Huffman of Purposeful Connections (formerly Coastlands Consultants) comes to HCA to minister to and mentor our students. Mr. Huffman is a missionary to New England who seeks to help students live out their Christian faith authentically. He provides thought-provoking object lessons for the whole school, and deep, challenging biblical lessons for the middle school students. Matt and his team spend time with our students throughout the week engaging in conversation and building relationships. Matt’s teaching is biblically sound and applicable for today’s students. While Mr. Huffman is teaching the middle school, an elementary team shares God’s Word in a way that is engaging and age-appropriate for our younger students.
Matt and the Spiritual Emphasis Week team works tirelessly to see our youth know more about the Lord, to strengthen brothers and sisters in the faith, and to pour into individuals in the Christian school context. Matt invests in relationships with our students well past their time at HCA, even visiting some in high school, college, and beyond. Matt’s team is also supported by a group of committed, local volunteers who are familiar to many of our students as well.
A Guide To Spiritual Emphasis Week
Spiritual Emphasis Week: What is it?
During spiritual emphasis week, Purposeful Connections (PC) unites with your school family to corporately seek the Lord. PC has partnered with Christian schools for 35 years and will provide a team of people who will function as full-time missionaries to your school for the week. We desire
to help your students grow in their passion for God and walk closer with Him.
What does a typical day look like?
A typical day has three major components: chapel, journaling, and interactions.
• Chapel: Each morning our team will present an age-appropriate chapel focused on the week’s theme.
• Journaling: Each day after chapel, one or more grades will spend approximately 20 minutes journaling to our team members, and we will write back to them each afternoon/evening.
The personal connection through journaling has been key in many students’ lives over the years.
• Interactions: Team members will spend the rest of the day building relationships with students by doing Q&A sessions with each class, eating lunch with them, playing at recess and in gym, etc.
Why is it a whole week?
Spiritual emphasis week has a cumulative effect. Over the week, strongholds of resistance become weaker, and what students could have ignored if they only heard it once cannot be ignored by the end of the week. The on-site, all-day-every-day availability of committed Christians whose sole purpose is to minister to your school family also has a cumulative effect as trust builds over time.
What can I do?
Pray! Pray for the hearts and minds of students, the unity of the school community, and the
ministry of our team.
Ask! Ask your student questions like these: “What stood out to you most in chapel today and why?”
“When your class did Q&A, which question most interested you and how did the team answer it?
Did any of the questions or answers surprise you?”
Encourage! Encourage your student to get the most out of the week by listening well, asking good questions, and engaging the team members.
[email protected] • (603) 321-8903 • www.purposefulconnections.org
