Every year, at the end of the year, the senior class of Judah Christian School hosts a chapel during which all seniors come together to lead worship, tell exciting tales of their times at Judah, and pass the torch on to the next senior class.
In 2024, however, the senior chapel went far beyond telling funny stories and sharing memorable moments. Some students shared personal stories of faith. Others told of how they saw Jesus at work in the lives of their peers. It was different, it was bold, but most importantly, it was a reflection of the one-of-a-kind year that the Judah community had experienced.
The seniors spoke about their favorite memories and shared stories of their time at Judah. But, in keeping with the recent trend of student speakers, four students in particular went into greater detail about their experiences at Judah and shared specifically about their faith in God. Grant Ipsen spoke on how he learned to let go and let God work in him. Grace Maxwell talked about seeing God in the little things and praising Him for them. Elise Coulter explained how she learned to rely on and trust in God’s plan when she wanted to do things her own way. All spoke forthrightly, but Caleb McCullough’s message on worship music and his insight into the year resonated the most.
Caleb said:
“We have seen God work in amazing ways this year. Many have come to faith, and the entire school just seems to be a more vibrant and friendly community. No one had a perfect year. We all had struggles. But we have seen the redeeming grace of our great Lord and Savior. God has brought many students at Judah to a dramatic turn. When they thought they would never find Jesus, He revealed Himself and changed their lives.”
What Caleb McCullough said perfectly encapsulated the captivating year that Judah had in 2023 and 2024. For the first time in years, Judah felt energized with true purpose. Rather than just the noisy atmosphere created by students rushing to classes, the halls felt alive. Rather than everyone dividing into their own friend groups, cliques broke down and the whole school felt like one big friend group. Rather than students pursuing their own goals, people sought after Jesus.
The trend of students speaking at chapel not only continued but also accelerated, as even more courageous students publicly shared stories of their faith. Many of these story-sharing chapels ran over their scheduled time, as students, inspired by the testimonies of their classmates, clustered together and came to faith in droves. Judah seemed like a more tight-knit community than ever before.
You could feel it.
But it didn’t start out like this. The big change came during Christmas break, when one of Judah’s most beloved teachers and mentors passed away. Mr. Miller’s death devastated the school. When classes started back up after Christmas break, everyone knew that school would be different. It was.
After Mr. Miller’s passing, the student body became more unified and the atmosphere in and around Judah changed. Many students came to faith in Jesus. Many came to faith right at Mr. Miller’s memorial chapel at school, and one student in particular, Braydon Mora, felt called to share his testimony just a couple of weeks later, bringing even more people to faith.
These events created a chain reaction throughout the school. Students who came to faith inspired other students to come to faith. Braydon’s speech resonated well with the student body and encouraged them to be vulnerable with each other. He normalized regular student speakers and paved the way for more and more student sharing. Caleb McCullough, when speaking at senior chapel, summarized it all like this: “Reflect and recall what the Lord has done at our school. We got a chance to see more than 15 students come to faith in Jesus in one year.”
Spearheading this revival was none other than the senior class. It was this group that actively pushed for unity and fellowship more assertively than anyone else. They were the ones encouraging students the most, engaging in fellowship with the whole Judah community, and living their faith louder and bolder than the rest of the student body. They set the example of being together in Jesus for the rest of the school to follow. Despite the temptation to have a chapel about themselves, they kept their eyes on Jesus, focusing on His work throughout the school.
Indeed, the senior chapel was a reflection of the school year. In one amazing year, people came to faith, or increased their faith, and then shared their joy with others and gave thanks to God. Then more people came to faith, or increased the faith that they had, and wanted to share their newfound joy. So as the senior trip returned to Puerto Rico and the school culture returned to its roots, the seniors expressed their joy and gave thanks to God for just how far they — and Judah Christian School — have come.
—Zach Schaefer, class of ’25
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