Spiritual Formation
At Clapham, we aim to cultivate our students' spiritual maturity.
Rooted and grounded in the historic Christian faith, Clapham prioritizes spiritual development as highly as academic excellence. We encourage students to grow their faith through weekly chapel services, Bible reading, discipleship, and more.
Chapel
Our weekly chapel ministry is an extension of the parental duty to train up our children in the paideia and instruction of the Lord (see Eph 6:4). Rather than focusing on doctrinal distinctives or abstract terminology, each week focuses on a text of scripture tracing a theme through the story-arc of the Bible. The short message helps students apply it to their lives, alongside a time for prayer and singing a hymn.
Bible
At Clapham School, students start out their day in scripture, studying the whole Bible by 8th grade. Our Bible curriculum aims to make our students “acquainted with the sacred writings” just like Timothy was taught scripture by his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois (2 Tim 1:5 ESV). Paul tells us that “from childhood [Timothy was] acquainted with the sacred writings” (2 Tim 3:15a ESV).
In our age of biblical illiteracy we can’t underrate the importance of reading and understanding the Bible in all its beauty and complexity. In fact, Paul goes on to remind Timothy that these same sacred writings “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15b ESV). While we don’t have control over that inner work in our students, focusing on reading the Bible is perhaps the most important thing we can do toward that end.
Faculty
We believe that true education, as implied by the Greek term paideia, involves inculturation. It’s caught just as much as it’s taught. And so, all our teachers are confessing and mature Christians who aim to disciple their students into a Christian way of life through all their studies. Discipleship includes devoted mentoring time and all the informal support our teachers provide every day.
Hymn Sequence
Every year students learn around 12 of the best loved hymns ever written, ranging from “Amazing Grace” and “This Is My Father’s World” to ancient songs like “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” and “All Creatures of Our God and King,” to modern classics like “In Christ Alone.” Our daily singing of these hymns at assembly along with a prayer for the start of the day help form our devotion and love for the Lord as a community.