Daily Chapel
Chapel services are held from 8:15-8:35 a.m., Monday through Thursday. All students attend daily Chapel with the exception of ECU, our thirty pre-Kindergarten and kindergarten students, who come to Thursday Songfest only. On Fridays, students in grades one through five either bag beans for outreach or have Chapel-by-Class led by the homeroom teacher, which includes moral dilemmas or classroom problems. Middle school students either bag beans or use the time for small group advisory sessions.
Chapel at All Saints' is more than a religious service, it is the gathering of the community to share singing, prayers of concern for the community, announcements, and a talk or presentation that may or may not be of a religious nature. The Chaplain is very aware of the presence of non-Christian students, faculty, staff, and parents and tries to walk the narrow line between being inclusive, with special talks celebrating other religions and cultures, and presenting stories, liturgy, symbols, traditions, and celebrations of the Christian Church.
Many view the Monday through Thursday morning Chapels as the
heart of the school. Chapel is intended to:
- Enhance our appreciation of God's love and care.
- Deepen our sense of our rich Judeo-Christian heritage and the Episcopal worship tradition
- Bind us more closely in common concern for one other as a school family
- Help us personally to meet the challenges of daily life and find inner joy and peace.
At Chapel time the School community comes together to share its joys and successes and, occasionally, its failures and frustrations. Parents often join us as we gather to sing, pray, and hear what is happening in our school community. Our order of service is an opening prayer, a song, birthday blessings, intercessory prayers, and announcements. Wednesdays are Patriotic Days and we add the Pledge of Allegiance and a patriotic song. The second half of Chapel is a talk or presentation, usually interactive rather than just talking, in that the presenter invites student participation by posing questions or open-ended conversation.
Sometimes the presentation is a homily by the school Chaplain, with a time for students to reflect upon a Scripture Lesson or special topic; other times it is led by students, faculty members, or outside speakers. Topics include Church holidays, Holy days, and Saints' days; major celebrations in other religions; talks and skits about ASDS Outreach projects; special topics such as poetry and music; and international week. We share monthly Holy Communion and Morning Prayer. Thursdays at All Saints' are a school-wide Songfest using the ASDS Songbook.