Fifth Grade Class Teaches Worship in Chapel
Worship shapes young hearts, guiding them to see God’s presence and power in all things and helping form a foundation that will inspire their faith for years to come. Hillcrest's fifth-grade class recently led a lower school chapel service, sharing what they’re learning about worship and demonstrating how they engage in worship as an essential part of their faith journey.
With guidance from their teacher, Joanna Diniz, the fifth graders used Dr. Kathy Koch’s concept of the “8 Smarts” to creatively express worship in ways that reach all learners. Mrs. Diniz explains, "Worship is more than singing songs. It’s using our voices, our minds, and our hearts to connect with God, to honor Him, and to invite others to see Him at work in our lives.” This belief in an all-encompassing approach to worship is the foundation of Hillcrest’s classical model, where learning and worship are woven together to deepen students' understanding and love for God.
Hillcrest's classical Christian model emphasizes the “grammar” stage and introduces older students to the “logic” stage of development in learning. They see that through these two essential phases of learning, they’re acquiring foundational knowledge and begin to analyze and understand the world. In the grammar stage, young students learn the building blocks of faith, memorize Scripture, understand Biblical truth, and begin to explore who God is. This stage creates a strong base for lifelong worship, explored more deeply in the logic stage, where students connect those foundational truths with real-life applications. Together, these stages help students know God and desire to know Him more intimately.
Worship in these stages is participatory, meaningful, and vibrant. The fifth-grade students illustrated this by leading the chapel with Psalm 46:1-3 as their call to worship, reminding everyone of God’s unwavering strength and presence. The class shared their memory work and class songs, combining their voices in a powerful expression of faith. They even displayed paintings and Scripture as a visual call to worship, encouraging all in attendance to reflect on God’s presence and handiwork.
The class built their chapel off a teaching given earlier this year by Dr. Kathy Koch. Dr. Kathy Koch’s “8 Smarts” made an impression on the class because it offers a unique way to see learning. The class applied these lessons to worship, highlighting how it is accessible and personal for each student. The fifth graders embodied this by using their "smarts"—like word-smart through their spoken prayers, body-smart through dance and movement, and picture-smart through their art display. As Ms. Diniz noted, “It was a joy to see the students use their smarts to fully worship Jesus and engage others in this as well. Worship is such a personal connection to Jesus, and watching them share that was inspiring.”
The class even organized a skit set to the tune of “Good Day,” demonstrating how kindness, a virtue they’ve been learning about, can be an everyday form of worship. The fifth-grade class taught the lower school the freedom to engage with God in ways that feel natural to them. They hoped to empower the lower school to see worship as something they could actively participate in beyond singing songs in a church setting.
Hillcrest aims to do more than impart academic knowledge. By nurturing worship within the curriculum, students are encouraged to see God as their “vision, wisdom, source of strength, and joy each day,” as the fifth graders shared in their closing. This sense of purpose is cultivated intentionally, fostering a resilient, lifelong faith in students.
As students learn more about the richness of God’s world and see His hand in their studies, they’re inspired to not only worship but also to become worshippers in all they do—whether it’s reciting Scripture, painting, or simply living kindly among their classmates. The journey of worship at Hillcrest extends beyond individual expression; it’s a community of students, each inspired to celebrate how God works in their lives and the world around them.