Family Groups at GCA

Family Groups is a class at GCA that is composed of ten to fourteen high school students who elect to participate as in-class instructors, mentors, and teachers for kindergarten through fifth grade students. We meet Tuesday through Friday as a class to prepare a lesson plan and template which they will teach in class among elementary students on the following Monday.

One of the primary roles that family group high school students play is as a mentor. They get to know the elementary students quite well and on a first name basis. Spending weekly time in their classroom, they challenge the elementary students with a Biblical message, a weekly memory verse, and with a weekly application of how God’s Word can impact their lives every day. Seeing these HS students execute and teach their weekly lesson has to be my favorite experience! Sharing prayer, reviewing lessons from previous weeks, hearing testimonies of students that have sought to apply God’s Word, and seeing the enlightenment in their engagement is a true joy.

We select Scriptures that parallel our weekly Chapel messages. These compliment our weekly Chapel messages with small group discussion and ultimate application. GCA has some of the best students in the world, and it’s an honor to walk alongside our high school students in family groups who feel called to lead their younger peers on the greatest journey of life–knowing Jesus personally!! — Pastor Gary Kirkpatrick