Theology & Discipleship

Spiritual Life

Spiritual Life at CPA is central to all curricula, programming, administration, student, and family life of the school. From a pedagogical standpoint, discovery in the English classroom, the soccer field, the chemistry lab, the stage, the gym, is all reflective of Christ.

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”

Abraham Kuyper, 1837-1920

All Truth is God's Truth

Spiritual Life at CPA is central to all curricula, programming, administration, student, and family life of the school. The Academy believes that all of life and learning is ultimately spiritual and there exists no bifurcation between the sacred and the secular. At CPA, the study and celebration of all disciplines is through the knowledge of the triune God, acknowledging the doctrine of the trinity and realizing that we live a trinitarian life. The Bible of the triune God is the epistemological and interpretive lens through which we teach, learn, and evaluate in all aspects of life at CPA. It is through this lens that students come to know God.

Sola Scriptura

The only way that CPA can uphold the Alma Mater, Soli Deo Gloria, to God alone be the glory, is because of a commitment first to Sola Scriptura, Scripture alone. As a ministry of Christ Presbyterian Church, the Academy's theology is drawn from the Westminster Confession of Faith, its larger and shorter catechisms, which is by no means an equal authority of Scripture but is a clear setting forth of what Scripture teaches in summary fashion. The Academy also holds to the universal creeds of the Christian church: Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, and the Chalcedonian Creed.

Transformation through Education

From a pedagogical standpoint, discovery in the English classroom, the soccer field, the Chemistry lab, the stage, the gym, is all reflective of Christ. The message of Christ (the Gospel) is delivered in the method of Christ (the pedagogy) through the manner of Christ (compassion, kindness, and humility).

The Message of Christ

The Method of Christ

The Manner of Christ

How the Truth is Taught to Students
Relationship and Mentorship, compassion, kindness, humility: Colossians 3:12-17

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

3 John 1:4

Bible Curriculum PS-12

The Bible curricula at CPA includes a multi-tiered approach of classroom engagement, leadership opportunities, and biblical concepts reinforced through inter-disciplinary projects. The Bible classroom is a place for the reverent study of God's word and also a place for open and honest dialogue on the complex matters of life and culture as they relate to children, adolescents, and young adults. The Bible faculty encourages students in their walks of faith, serving as mentors fostering critical thinking skills as students discover who God has called them to be.

Bible in the Preschool

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” -Matthew 19:14

At the youngest age, preschool students begin to learn the message of the Gospel. Students engage in daily Bible lessons, getting to know the depth of God's love for His people, the fall of man, His ten commandments, His promise to Abraham, and Jesus's birth, life, death, and resurrection.

Preschool instructors believe in the great capacity for young minds to process complex ideas, an often underestimated notion in today's culture. Through the stories of the Bible, seeds of God's love are planted in these young hearts. Sensory experiences with praise and worship, singing, dancing, arts and crafts, and group learning reinforce Bible lessons in an engaging and exciting way.

Annual programs at Christmas and the end of the year give parents the opportunity to experience the joy of the Lord through the eyes of their children.

Chapel Program

Chapel at CPA exists to invite students, parents, faculty, and staff into the presence of God, to hear afresh the provision of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to worship God through singing, praying, fellowship, and the teaching of the Word. Chapel is not a town hall or assembly for announcements, but a weekly time of reverence (Hebrews 12:28-29), rejoicing (Philippians 4:4), respite (Matthew 11:28-30), repentance (Romans 2:4), and restoration (Psalm 23:3). All Chapels emphasize the preciousness and the priority of the Bible.

Chapel curriculum is tailored to students PS-12, giving students developmentally appropriate teaching of core themes and key passages of Scripture.

The Need for Chapel

Chapel for Reverence

Chapel for Rejoicing

Chapel for Respite

Chapel for Repentance

Chapel for Restoration

Bible in the Lower School

Lower school Bible classes range in nature and application from kindergarten to fifth grade. All students attend Chapel once a week, participating in corporate Bible teaching and worship.

Students in this school are learning to love the Bible and recognize their unique and wonderful individual makeup. Bible time in the classroom involves reading the Scriptures, learning the ministry of prayer, and unpacking the story of salvation using creative illustrations and applications.

Teachers emphasize our need for a Savior, helping students to experience God's grace on a personal level. Students are also encouraged to love their neighbors as they find truth and meaning for their everyday lives in the Bible.

Bible in the Middle School

The primary emphasis in middle school is to help develop and cultivate a personal relationship with God. In sixth grade, students study the fundamental components of Scripture, taking a brief survey of each book in the Bible. Great emphasis is placed on Christian worldview, service, and the New City Catechism. Seventh grade Bible is an in-depth look at Genesis through Malachi. Key concepts include, redemptive history, the depravity of man, and the love of the Godhead.

The following year, students spend the first semester exploring the life of Christ and celebrating the coming of the promised Messiah. Second semester of eighth grade year is spent studying the theological implications of the Epistles and the culmination of the Holy Scriptures with Revelations, which reiterates the truths of both testaments.

Bible in the Upper School

The Bible faculty guides both a student's Scriptural foundation of faith and a student's relationship to God. Each course focuses on pursuing Biblical truths, applying Biblical worldview in everyday life, and understanding the Christian faith as an outward expression of God's grace, love, and righteousness to all humanity.

Vertically aligned, the curriculum is designed to engage the whole person, the mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional implications of God's word.

From grade 9 to grade 12, students are provided opportunities for growth in their own walks of faith via discipleship training, service learning, and critical engagement with faculty.

Spiritual Life