Service & Leadership

What does it mean for our St. Paul graduates to serve with a passion for Christ?  What attributes of character will they possess?  What strengths will they need to uniquely shape the world in which they live?

The answers to these vital questions, we believe, are ultimately found in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  It is by knowing him and walking in step with his character that our students will truly thrive as Christian leaders whose words and actions make a profound impact on the world around them. In pursuit of this goal, we have identified seven ideals to help guide our service and leadership curriculum: Humility, Wisdom, Mercy, Justice, Integrity, Hope and Courage.  Drawn from passages in the New Testament, these ideals provide a Biblical model of what we hope a passion for Christ will look like in the lives of our sixth-grade graduates.

As followers of Christ, the type of leadership we seek to develop takes on the nature of servant and might often lead us into some uncomfortable places.  We are called to use our power, resources, and gifts, not to protect ourselves from the suffering of the world, but to bring redemption, hope, and love into a suffering world.  Since the ideals mentioned above are best learned and practiced through real-life experiences, we have designed eight developmentally-appropriate service projects for our students in grades JK–6. 

Below are a few examples of the projects that our students and teachers have designed and carried out in recent years as well as some information about how our students are practicing leadership on and off campus.

 "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it; the world, and all who live in it."  Psalms 24:1

Every Spring, the Junior Kindergarten classes puts into practice the lessons they have been learning about taking care of God's creation.   After collecting donations of pet food and other miscellaneous pet supplies, the students and teachers take a field trip to the Nashville Humane Shelter where they spend time meeting the cuddly residents of the shelter, sharing their collected goods and learning about how the shelter's operations.

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."  Hebrews 13:16

In previous years, our kindergarten students have worked with local aid organizations to provide for the needs of families who lack basic hygiene supplies and students who lack school supplies.  Students collected items from their homes and gathered them together at school where they created care packages.  It is truly a joy to see these little ones learning empathy and practicing compassion for those who need their help and care.

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."  Philippians 2:4

Our first grade students have continued to look for ways to serve others in the Nashville area, especially by providing food for those who are experiencing hunger or recent loss.  Students held a food drive in the spring and collected several bins of dry and canned goods which they were able to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank.  Thank you, First Grade, for your selflessness and commitment to serving others!

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart ."   Isaiah 40:11

For the past several years, our second grade students have partnered with the Ronald McDonald House to provide care and encouragement to families who are experiencing illnesses.  A representative from RMDH comes to campus each fall to teach our second-grade students about the work that is being accomplished at the hospital and to offer our students guidance on how they can be encouragers when they visit with patients. 

In the spring, students and faculty from second grade take a field trip to the Ronald McDonald House where they get an opportunity to meet families and patients, offer encouragement and support, and develop a heart for helping others in need.

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ ."   Galatians 6:2

Our third grade has been involved in several projects in recent years, many of which have involved serving the elderly in our community.  Students have organized and attended a bingo social at the St. Paul Senior Living Center on our campus, as well as spending time interviewing grandparents and grandfriends about their experiences when they were chidlren.  Third graders also did a fantastic job collecting and donating shoes for children in Haiti after last year's earthquake.  60 students collected nearly 200 pairs of shoes and filled each one with hand-written notes and encouraging passages from Scripture.  The shoes were given to Soles4Souls who then transported them to Haiti along with other shoe donations from around Nashville.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."  John 15:12

In recent years, our fourth grade students have worked with disabled children from Gower Elementary school in West Nashville.  St. Paul students planned a program with games, a craft, lunch and a photo opportunity... all of which were designed to encourage the students from Gower and to provide a springboard for building relationships.

Most recently, the fourth grade put together several kits of medical supplies and had them shipped to Haiti along with encouraging notes and passages of Scripture.  Part of that project involved a time of discussion and prayer for the victim's of the natural disaster in Haiti.

"Freely your have received, freely give." Matthew 10:8

Our fifth graders have chosen over the last several years to carry out their service project during the Christmas season, and to that end, have partnered with More Than A Toy and World Relief Nashville to provide for others in need.  This past Christmas, students decorated shoe boxes and tupperware bins with messages of the Christmas story and filled them with hygiene supplies and notes telling them of the love of Jesus.  Well done, fifth grade!

"Share with God's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality." Romans 12:13

Sixth graders at St. Paul are serving in a number of ways both on and off campus!  From setting up chairs for Wednesday chapels to collecting all the recycling around campus, from their kickoff summer service project to their monthly involvement with Preston-Taylor Ministries, our sixth-grade boys and girls are truly learning that it is better to give than to receive.

During their monthly visits to PTM, sixth-graders develop a relationship with a younger student from North Nashville with whom they play, share a snack, pray and read.  Helping our PTM buddies develop a love for reading is one of the main goals of this partnership, as we believe it is through reading and learning that these younger ones will be better suited to discover their God-given talents and abilities. 

In nearly every room of our campus, you will find a blue recycling bin which our students and faculty use to recycle paper and recyclable plastics.  Students do a great job holding one another accountable to using the recycling bins and view this as a important way that they can be responsible in their day-to-day activities at school.  Our 6th grade leaders charged the student body during their leadership chapel to use the recycling bins and collect more paper and plastic products than ever before.  Small groups of 6th graders collect recycling from the classrooms and workspaces every afternoon from 2:10-2:50 during their leadership class with Mrs. Herring.
Adopt-A-Spot is our campus cleanup program in which every grade level "adopts" a "spot" around campus and is responsible for keeping it clean and tidy.  Classes of students often volunteer to work on their adopt-a-spots during their recess time or during other bits of free time they may find throughout the day.  Every Monday morning a few 6th grade leaders announce over the intercom system the cleanest adopt-a-spot for the previous week.  At the end of the school year, the grade that has has the cleanest adopt-a-spot all year receives a popsicle party on the front hill with the 6th graders.  Congratulations to this year's second grade students for keeping the cleanest adopt-a-spot last year as first graders!

One of the leadership initiatives that we are most proud of here at St. Paul is our buddies program.  Students from third grade are partnered with students from JK, students from fourth grade are partnered with students from Kindergarten, and so on.  It is one of dearest times on our campus to see fourth-grade boys and girls sitting around a table with their Kindergarten little buddies helping them complete a drawing or read a short book.  During buddies time, younger students get a chance to simply spend time with the older students and soak in all the excitement of what life will be like in four years!  At the same time, the older students are learning to lead, to listen, to share their gifts and talents and to practice patience.  One of the neatest results of this buddy time is seeing our little ones growing more confident as they encounter older students around campus and seeing our older students take the time to give hugs and high-fives to the little ones.

At the end of their fifth grade year, students at St. Paul begin a year-long challenge of leading and serving our community in a myriad of ways.  The summer before their sixth-grade year, students work as a class to complete a service project through Preston Taylor ministries.  Shortly after the summer, they board the bus for a three-day leadership retreat to Mentone, Alabama, where they will be challenged physically and spiritually and receive training for the new responsibilities they will take in the months ahead.  Sixth graders are in charge of the following initiatives: recycling, Adopt-A-Spot, JK-walkers, chapel chairs, the campus bookstore, leading morning devotions, raising and lowering the flag, helping reshelve library books, updating the birthday board and delivering homework assignments for absent students.  In addition to these routine duties, our senior class serves at a number of special events such as Veterans' Day and Admissions Open Houses.