Christian Life

St. David’s is a Christian, non-covenantal school, that is formed and fueled by the gospel of Jesus Christ, grounded in and guided by the truth of Scripture, and committed to and immersed in the great tradition of the Church (evangelical, orthodox, and ecumenical).

In my three short years at St. David's, I was given countless opportunities to lead in significant ways at the school. My time as spiritual life prefect taught me invaluable ministry skills so that I could let the Lord work through me while also helping me grow in my faith.
Jack Tanner '17

Our Commitment to the Christian Faith

St. David’s is led by a Christian faculty and staff who are guided by a Biblical vision of personhood, and who teach, coach, and mentor from a thoroughly Christian framework that plumbs the depths of wisdom, history, culture and the wonders of the physical world to challenge, inspire, delight, and develop students in heart, soul, mind, and strength. Though not a church, we are a worshipping community in thought, word and deed, doing our imperfect best to follow the Way of Christ in hospitality and humility as we seek to be a blessing to our neighbors in the city of Raleigh and beyond.
Our liturgy (forms of worship) and theological guidelines are shaped and informed by the Anglican tradition, but our faculty and staff represent the rich variety of traditions within the Christian faith (including but not limited to Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal), creating a beautifully diverse, ecumenical environment that focuses on and unites over the gospel of Jesus Christ.
At the same time, although we have a committed Christian faculty and staff, we are non-covenantal school, which means that regardless of religious or non-religious background, all are welcomed as a meaningful part of our community to contribute significantly to our mission. We recognize that every student is at a different part of the journey of faith, whether as a doubter, seeker, or follower of Christ. Therefore, while we invite everyone to consider the abundant life that is found in Christ Jesus, we constantly seek to cultivate a hospitable place for everyone to flourish in his or her time at St. David’s.
Our strategy for cultivating the Christian Life among our students at St. David’s is twofold: Discipleship and Campus Ministry. Discipleship refers to the ongoing work of establishing and cultivating meaningful relationships that engage the heart and point students to Jesus in everyday life. Much of this intentional work occurs informally throughout the normal rhythms of the school year but is always guided by our vocation to bear faithful witness to Christ and inspire others to do the same. Campus Ministry refers to the programs, curricula, and ministry opportunities for students to engage the Lord, to explore what it means to live a virtuous life, and to serve our community and the city.

Chapel and Worship

Every week each division attends a chapel service that provides the time and space to engage the Lord in prayer and scripture. Chapel is an essential component of the program for every St. David’s student and is approached with reverence and respect. The aim of chapel is that the Lord would be glorified, the gospel would be proclaimed faithfully, and all would be encouraged and challenged to walk in light of God’s glory and grace. We urge all students who are practicing Christians to give full expression to their faith and joy through wholehearted participation in prayer and worship. Students from other traditions and/or those for whom full participation in the elements of prayer and worship would be inauthentic, are invited to engage in these practices only to the degree they feel comfortable doing so with integrity.
In addition to weekly chapels for each division, there are also opportunities for community praise events throughout the year. The Fine Arts department offers opportunities for the community to come together and praise the Lord in song, including the more traditional Anglican service of Evensong and a more contemporary style of worship during the Advent and Easter seasons. The Lower School and Middle School weekly assemblies enjoy a time of praise music and a bible devotion, while the bi-weekly Upper School midday-prayer allows students to lead in praise music and offer messages of encouragement from Scripture.

Curriculum and Bible Studies

The curriculum from pre-k through 12^th grade provides age-appropriate means of growing in the faith. The Lower School follows a year-long curriculum of reading through the Big Story of the Bible in daily devotionals with the teachers, reciting the Lord’s Prayer, and memorizing Scripture. The Middle School spends intentional time in advisory to discuss the message and scripture shared in chapel (“chapel chats”) and requires a course dedicated to the Bible in 7^th grade. The Upper School offers an engaging Humanities Program that explores the essential questions of what it means to be human in conversation with Scripture, Augustine, Dante, C.S. Lewis, T.S. Eliot, Flannery O’Conner, and Frederick Douglas to name just a few.
In addition to reading through Big Story of the Bible throughout the year, each grade level of the Lower School explores different miracles and parables of Jesus’ ministry. The Middle School offers Bible Studies for girls and boys for each grade led by a faculty member. The Upper School offers discipleship groups and book studies that explore the Christian faith that are available for all to participate. We also partner with FOCUS and Young Life ministries who offer additional Bible studies, discipleship opportunities, and camps throughout the summer.

Service Opportunities

In our commitment to be a blessing to our local city and the world, we provide opportunities for the students to serve in a variety of ways. Throughout the school year, students partner with various local non-profit organizations to grow in their understanding of community service while also practicing service by helping these organizations in their ministries. In addition to these service opportunities throughout the year, a group of students travel to Guatemala every year to serve the community of Santa Apolonia in an ongoing relationship with the local church in the area and partnership with Compassion International.
See our Service Page for more information!

For more information regarding Christian Life at St. David’s please read our fuller statement of faith: “In Him All Things Hold Together,” from the Winter 2023 issue of St. David's Magazine.

In This Section

Christian Life

Our Commitment to the Christian Faith

Chapel and Worship

Curriculum and Bible Studies

Service Opportunities

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