The Chapel Team opened this morning’s elementary chapel service with the singing of O Canada and the Land Acknowledgement. Going forward, classes will recite the pledges and The Lord’s Prayer in their classrooms on Fridays, during a teacher designated time, in order to help our chapel services start and end on time.
Our first worship song was “Shine on Me” by Graham Kendrick. This was followed with an introduction on today’s theme – a servant’s heart. The Chapel Team reviewed what leaders with a servant’s heart do, before introducing our Christian Leader Highlight on Mother Teresa. After watching a short video about Mother Teresa’s amazing story of her selflessness and dedication to the poor, sick and orphaned, the students were asked to discuss how they can sacrifice for others in order to show them who Jesus is through their words and actions.
Next, the Chapel Team led the audience in singing “One Way” by Joel Houston and Jonathon Douglass.
Our guest speaker this morning was Pastor Jeremiah from the Olive Branch Community Church. His message focused on Biblical examples of people who demonstrated a servant’s heart. He began his message by reminding students that the greatest leaders are not necessarily the ones that the world tells us about but those found in the Bible. Often, they are not the people that are in charge but the ones that lead through their acts of service. Pastor Jeremiah used three examples. He started with Jesus, the greatest servant of all, citing the story in which Jesus washed the feet of the 12 disciples. Jesus was their teacher and Messiah but He humbled Himself with His actions. Jesus served with true humility. Next, Pastor Jeremiah talked about the story of Joseph. He served with integrity. Even while in prison, Joseph helped others and trusted in God’s plan which eventually allowed him to save his people from famine. Finally, Pastor Jeremiah shared the story of Ruth, whose servant heart was filled with love. Even though she could have stayed in Moab with her own family, she chose to love and follow her mother-in-law back to Israel, where she had to work hard in the fields to gather grain for herself and Naomi. For her service and faithfulness, Ruth was blessed and eventually became part of Jesus’s ancestry. Throughout Pastor Jeremiah’s message and at the end of it, he challenged the students to reflect on who they can serve with humility, integrity and love this week. He reminded them that even a small act of service can make a big difference, and true greatness comes when we serve and act more like Christ.
To end our worship service, the Chapel Team led the recitation of our aspirational passage.
