Discipleship
At Westlake, our mission is to disciple students. Discipleship is not a department or a compartment or a program, it is the program. It is the DNA of Westlake. Just like DNA is the blueprint of every cell in the body, our intention is that discipleship infuses every aspect of school life: academics, sports, music, relationships, discipline… everything.
Discipleship is a team effort. To be effective, we understand we must enter into some key partnerships:
- We want to partner with parents who have been given by God the responsibility for raising their children in the “training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
- We want to partner with the students themselves. Jesus always invited people to “come.” We hope to demonstrate in an age-appropriate manner that Christ and His Kingdom are the most desirable path and want to continually invite students to go deeper with Him.
- We recognize that the Church was established by God to carry out His mission. Our students participate in dozens of area churches. We want to support and partner with local churches in our common mission.
While discipleship undergirds everything that we do at Westlake, there are several overtly discipleship-oriented aspects of school life:
- Daily Bible Class - Every student in every grade has daily Bible class. These classes are beyond academic. They attempt to integrate Scripture and faith with life as students know it.
- Weekly Chapel - There are weekly chapels for Preschool–2nd Grade, 3rd–6th Grade, and 7th–12th Grade. In chapel, students and staff worship through singing, Scripture memory recital, age-relevant messages, and more. Most often, local pastors, organizational leaders, and other Christians share wisdom and inspiration from God’s Word. Once a year, each grade creates and leads their peers, under the guidance of their teacher or class advisor, in their own chapel.
- Connect Groups - In the secondary school (7th–12th), students are also a part of Connect groups. These small groups provide opportunities for students to discuss how faith shapes their everyday lives.
- Retreats - Secondary students also participate in beginning-of-the-year retreats to set a solid, biblical foundation for the year. A senior mission trip is the culmination—the “final exam”—of years of discipleship learning and experiences.
It is our deep hope and prayer that every student develops as a disciple who honors Jesus Christ in thought, word, and deed.