Spiritual Life

Chapel

Our original and present Trustees envision "weekly Chapel as the centerpiece of Episcopal's Christian commitment and School life. The mission of the School flows from corporate worship" (Strategic Plan, 2007). The purpose of chapel is to worship God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Chapel occurs most Wednesday mornings during consecutive periods for the Middle School, followed by the Upper School. We invite all students to participate as fully as they are comfortable as leaders and as participants. At the same time, we encourage parents, faculty and students not to consider chapel attendance as a substitute for active participation in a local Church on Sunday morning.

Theology Curriculum

In order to graduate, students must complete Theology 1 and 2 during grades 10, 11 or 12. These courses help students develop a solid grounding in the Bible and Christian theology in order that they may continue developing a Christian perspective on culture, history, ethics and other religions.

Three courses help pave the way for Upper School Theology 1 and 2. Seventh-grade students take the one-quarter course Introduction to Theology and the Old Testament. Eighth-grade students take the one-quarter course Introduction to Theology and the New Testament. Both of these courses are designed to teach rudimentary Christian theology as well as the stories of the Old and New Testaments. Each course includes a module on Christian ethics. Ninth graders take the one-semester Life Management. With an emphasis on God's gifts to us of soul and body, this class is taught from the Christian perspective of stewardship. As Christians we are charged with the responsibility to be good stewards of all that God has given us including the intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual and sexual parts of our lives.

Our belief and experience is that as non-Christian students encounter Christian theology, the net effect is that they become more conversant with their own tradition. We have made a conscious choice not to take the comparative-religions approach on the basis that we are a Christian school; we do encourage all students, regardless of Faith, to be active, observant participants in their respective religious traditions.

Character Development

Because of our sacramental worldview, we understand character education and development to be a sacred, not secular, enterprise. We endeavor to use the best of non-religious character education materials while relating it to the intention of God's love for us. Students and faculty alike are in agreement on the Golden Rule as a primary ethical standard for our life together regardless of religious orientation. We Christians understand the Golden Rule within the context of Jesus' command to "love (agape) one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34). We continuously seek more effective means to empower student leadership in living up to the Honor Code, and in taking responsibility for our ethical life together through informal influence as well as the formal instruments of the Honor Council and Discipline Council. For more, see the Character Education section of the website.

Pastoral Care

Our goal is to build partnership among school, home and church. We believe that because discipleship is a process best accomplished within the fellowship of a local church, that pastoral care is best received through the local church. At the same time, the chaplain is available to students and their families for prayer, guidance and conversation. We work closely with the school counselors to ensure that appropriate counseling resources are available. The Chaplain's office is located in the Chaplains' House on St. Elmo Drive. Visitors are welcome any time.

Prayer

The bedrock upon which the chaplaincy is built is intercessory prayer. Parents, students and faculty are invited to join in this ministry by participating in Holy Eucharist each school day, and by volunteering for specific intercessory prayer assignments. We pray for our school each day as well as for special needs and concerns. To add a person to the prayer list, call Ms. Julia Daze.

Clubs and Groups

A number of groups meet regularly to encourage students in their faith, including weekly Bible studies during lunch periods in various locations on campus. K-Life, Young Life, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes groups also meet. Church youth group leaders are encouraged to have lunch with their group members regularly. Students are able to participate in some kind of spiritual growth group virtually every school day.

Our Founders

Our school began as a vision of Mr. Lucius Buck, the Very Rev. Robert Parks, Dean, and the Vestry and other members of St. John's Cathedral. It became a reality in 1966. The Dean of St. John's Cathedral serves as the vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees. The Bishop of Florida and the Board of Regents of the Diocese of Florida also provide oversight.

Demographics

Students at Episcopal High School self-report that they are about 50% liturgical church members (this includes Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox), about 40% non-liturgical church members (this includes Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, non-denominational) and 10% other (this includes Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and no religious affiliation). They range from extremely active to inactive, liberal to conservative.

Purpose & Philosophy

Purpose

The purpose should be to provide a quality college-preparatory education in a Christian context and environment. This can be achieved only in a school atmosphere where there is complete dedication to this goal. The architecture, the landscaping, and all physical appointments are of importance. The teaching staff should consist of cultured men and women who are committed churchmen and churchwomen, with marked leadership qualifications. This School should seek to educate, and, in accomplishing this, very heavy stress should be on content. This should not be a so-called 'progressive' school. It should not be an 'environmental-adjustment' school as such, because the emphasis here should be on leadership. Physical, mental, moral and spiritual health should be stressed, and moral, ethical and spiritual values should be emphasized. Manners should be taught, and should be required in all phases of school life. The appreciation of beauty, honor, and a decent respect for the opinions of others should be stressed. The school should seek by positive programs to inculcate a love of country, pride in region and state, and respect for the rule of law. Our high goal should be the development of Christian leadership. And by 'leadership,' we do not mean the all-too-familiar method of leading by promising all men the things they want. On the contrary, we mean a leadership which seeks to find what is really best for man, and then seeks to lead him through the rational processes of persuasion. Masses do not lead, they follow. Trained and dedicated leadership by Christian men and women is the terrible and impelling need of mankind today. Man must once again be made relevant to his high destiny, and this can be done only by those with keen and discerning minds who have been especially schooled for the task.

Philosophy

The philosophical presupposition will be that the educational process is complete only in a Christian context and environment where religious and secular knowledge are synthesized. The existence of the Holy Trinity and the historic facts of the Virgin Birth, of the Crucifixion, and of the Resurrection & Ascension will be postulated. Christianity will be offered as the way of life. The centrality and supremacy of God will be the point of departure in all teaching. All knowledge will be accepted as flowing from God. The summary of the Faith in the Nicene Creed to which we subscribe permits nothing less.

The Goal of Education for Christian Leadership

The Episcopal Church has a long and honorable commitment to our Lord's admonition to go, teach. This commitment is becoming greater with each passing year. In this Diocese we are involved in education for Christian leadership. This is not a narrow, or a puritanical, or a merely pious interest. These schools are for the broad, learned and difficult life of leadership. In establishing the Episcopal High School of Jacksonville, the goal will not be to develop the "do-gooder" but, rather, to develop doers of good and leaders of men in the challenging world of Christian men and women. The course of least resistance will be eschewed. The heady and frequently harsh road of Christian leadership will be chosen. Intellectually superior, physically competent, morally secure, and spiritually oriented young men and women will be the goal. They will receive the best of the cultures produced by men; but in addition they will have knowledge of who they are, why they are in this transient world, and whither they are going. They will understand worldly facts but they will know that a greater world lies ahead. If we really accept and believe the faith which we profess, we will accept the challenge to prepare our children for the Via Dolorosa over which, inevitably, each must travel, and we will seek to develop Christian leaders to succeed us. And the instrument in this place can be the Episcopal High School of Jacksonville. Whether the Church should be in the business depends entirely upon the depth of the faith of the people of the Greater Jacksonville Area. We believe there are sufficient professing Christians with a sufficient depth of faith to insure the success of this community undertaking. If we fail we can say with Cassius, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves".

The above excerpts were taken from Report of the Episcopal High School of Jacksonville Planning Group.