Spiritual life
A message from the chaplain
The mission of Episcopal High School is to provide a superior college-preparatory education in an environment marked by high expectation, Christian nurture and social diversity. Through a balanced program of academics, arts, and athletics, Episcopal’s faculty seeks to instill in each student intellectual growth, character development, responsible leadership and a commitment to community service.
“The standard is excellence. The perspective is Christian.”
We understand “Christian perspective” to mean all we do here should be begun, continued and ended in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and always to his glory and the welfare of his people. Hence, we believe that our students’ spiritual growth is an integral part of the academic, physical, and emotional growth they experience here. We encourage excellence in all areas of life: spirit, soul and body. Our goal is to train student Christian leaders by mentoring them as they take advantage of opportunities to serve and lead. Students are encouraged to take leadership positions in all facets of campus life. We cannot stress enough the importance of the spiritual nurture provided for our students at home. What students see, learn, and hear there forms the backbone of their spirituality here.
For more on the intent of our founders, see Purpose, Philosophy, Goals, and Faculty. There you will find how we envision our faculty as the key to the Christian environment in which the mission statement is fulfilled.
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 course. With an emphasis on God’s gifts of soul and body to us, 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.
It is our belief and experience 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.
Christian perspective
Faculty members are encouraged to help students connect Christian faith with whatever academic, athletic or art activity they may pursue (See Purpose, Philosophy, Goals, Faculty). For example, we encourage the examination of theories of creation in the sciences, the emphasis of the theological contributions made by scientists and literary figures, the reading of spiritual classics in foreign languages, and the examination of church history as a part of historical studies. We are particularly mindful of the analogies that the Apostle Paul draws between discipleship and athletics. With John of Patmos, we struggle to express, in various media, the wonder, beauty and mystery of God. We have a sacramental worldview, that is, all of creation is an outward and visible sign of God’s graciousness toward us. Jesus Christ is the primal sacramental expression of God’s love for us. We do not see faith, reason, art, and science as being at odds with each other. We understand them as complements.
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. (See Making Sense of Tolerance and Diversity.) 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 Character education.
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, 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 Foerster Building between the headmaster’s office and science classroom F-7, facing the football field, and is labeled on the campus map. 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 at 7:15 a.m. each school day morning and by volunteering for specific intercessory prayer assignments. We pray for our School each day as well as for special needs and concerns. To request an addition to the prayer list, call Ms. Joy Pina on ext. 1412.
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, currently the Very Rev. Edward Harrison, serves as the vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees. The Bishop of Florida, currently the Rt. Rev. Samuel Johnson Howard, 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.
Leadership
Our goal is to train student Christian leaders by providing them with opportunities to serve and lead. Students are encouraged to take leadership positions in chapel, Bible study groups, other facets of campus life and the student vestry, which works with the chaplain to identify and address spiritual issues in campus life.
Father Bob Marsh
Chaplain