At the Spiritual Emphasis Retreat on September 22 and 23, ACS Middle School and High School students were challenged to surrender their lives to God so that He can use them to be culture-changers and history-makers. That was the message from retreat speaker Jay Trainor of Infuzion Ministries. He used the Bible story of Jonah to illustrate that when a person decides to obey and follow God he or she can be a destiny-changer, just like Jonah who helped save the city of Ninevah from destruction. The two-day retreat held on the ACS campus and Sleepy Hollow Family Campground also included a variety of fun, team-building activities and time for singing and worship, led by Dawson Coyle, a 17-year-old rising Christian artist from Vineland.
In an Amazing Race contest on September 22, students and their teachers competed by class to complete a variety of tasks in the fastest time, such as using straws to sip a large bowl of root beer, throwing tortillas to land in a target zone, and using chop sticks to pass live earthworms to each other and into a bucket. Another class competition involved building a large boat out of cardboard and duct tape and then rowing the boat across a small lake. The 6th grade team even built their oars out of cardboard. The 12th grade class came in first with the fastest time of 49 seconds in their impressive cardboard canoe.
On September 23, students competed in a musical lip sync contest, created paintings on canvas, and participated in various athletic activities including ping-pong and volleyball. At the closing assembly, the 8th grade was recognized for placing first among the Middle School classes with the most points earned in the team competitions, and the 11th grade took first place among the High School classes. Both classes will be treated to a complimentary breakfast brunch. The 12th grade class received a special recognition as the class demonstrating the most school spirit during the retreat.
Click here to view the Spiritual Emphasis Retreat Facebook album.