Students in the 8th-12th grades were challenged to rekindle their relationship with God and to pursue new ways to strengthen their spiritual life during a half-day spiritual emphasis retreat called “Re-Ignite” held on April 20.
Re-Ignite was held from 8:45 a.m. to noon in the ACS gym and included time for praise and worship, prayer, testimonies, and inspiring messages from three area pastors — Pastor Joe Stoop of Wellspring Church in Mays Landing, Pastor Mat Mouliert of Crossroads Fellowship in Pleasantville, and Pastor Matthew Maher of Landmark Church in Ocean City.
“The students were engaged and reflective as they listened to the pastors share their hearts and their passion for developing young people who will seek to honor God with their lives,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “Each pastor had a unique message that made an impact and we are so grateful for their participation and for the worship leaders who came to be part of this first-time event.”
Before each pastor spoke, worship teams from each church led the students in a time of singing and praising God. In between sessions, the students had the opportunity to break into prayer groups or pray with a faculty or staff member and many chose to do that. More than half a dozen students also voluntarily stood up to share their personal testimonies of how following God had helped them overcome challenges in their lives.
“We praise God that during this event four students also gave their hearts to the Lord,” Oblen said. “The spirit of God was truly moving throughout the morning and we look forward to holding this kind of event again next year.”
