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Kristen Montgomery, Director of Spiritual Development, is a tremendous asset to our mission of equipping students with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Read an update from her on how students have grown this last school year!
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 How often do you meet with each student? Every 1-2 weeks, I checked in with each student to see how they thought they were doing in school, asked if anything stuck out to them in our devotions, and asked what was going on in their personal lives. As they talked about what was going on with them, I tried to offer a Biblical worldview to their situations. Often my conversations with students about school were spent reminding them that discipline is a Biblical value and is good for us even though it is tough to endure in the moment.
Why do you believe your position is vital to the mission of DSA? Our whole staff works to provide the “Christ-centered, disciplined education” that we have at DSA. My unique position as the Director of Spiritual Development allowed me to meet with the guys in small groups or one-on-one to offer counsel and a Biblical worldview for what they would share with me. Every time I met with them, I asked how I could pray for them, and I prayed with them before we ended each meeting. I had the opportunity to organize the morning devotion time where we studied Colossians and the Gospel of Luke. This position also allowed me to plan and write the individual quiet devotions for students during 4th period. This position is vital to the mission of DSA because it gives the students individualized spiritual counsel and supports our mission to do everything with a Biblical worldview.
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How do you encourage your students to pursue Jesus? I tried to give a Biblical perspective to whatever they shared with me. I encouraged them to see things from God's perspective, whether it was issues with their schoolwork, family troubles, or girlfriend problems. For some students, I encouraged them to read specific passages of Scripture that pertained to whatever they had going on and then I would talk with them about what they read the following week.
Describe a few examples of how you've seen students grow over the  school year. At the beginning of the school year, it was hard to get anyone to open up much, so my conversations with students were mainly about schoolwork and how I could pray for them. Over time, many of the students opened up more and more. It was always encouraging to me when they shared that they were wrestling with something they heard in the morning devotions or 4th period quiet devotions. A couple of topics that I was able to talk through with some of the guys were things like salvation and baptism, and if we are truly saved then why do we still want to do sinful things. I was able to talk to them about putting their faith in Jesus and trusting him to save completely, and that as they go on following Him, God will change their desires to things that please God.
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The spiritual development of our students here at DSA should be the number one priority. But being transparent, it often can be second or third on my mind when it comes to day-to-day activities. Being an accredited school, each student must receive so many credits before he can graduate, and most are not directly tied into their spiritual development. One benefit our teachers have is the ability to intertwine the academic part of the subject with the spiritual part. So when a teacher is discussing WWII in 10th grade history, we are looking at it from a Biblical perspective.
Athletics is another component that can often be in the front of my mind before spiritual development. When done correctly, athletics can be one of the best places to develop a young man spiritually. It can be hard and time consuming for coaches to have those conversations while also trying to squeeze in the extra wind sprints or running the play another three or four times. The worldly part of us comes out and the extra reps might take precedent over the conversation because of time limitations. So we always have to be aware and assess where we are spending our time in athletics.
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Discipline is the last area that if done correctly, can be pivotal in shaping a young man spiritually. The challenge we face day-to-day is finding the time to have that conversation when it is easier to just give the consequence. In the end, the goal isn't just better behavior, it is the hope that each student has a personal relationship with Christ and the knowledge that His discipline is for our good. And while He disciplines us, He loves us and forgives us. And that mercy and grace over time with the leading of the Holy Spirit, will change the hearts, of not only our students, but our staff as well!
If you have made it this far in the Impact Report, I ask that you pray for our staff as we try to live out the mission of DSA. And that we do not get so caught up in the worldly part of the process that we miss the spiritual part. Because in the end, our souls (students and staff alike) will be the only thing that lasts for eternity!
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DSA is now set up to receive donations through stock transfer!
Please email gblocker@deltastreetsacademy.org with any questions about transferring stock.
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2012 Society
Join the 2012 Society, one of our most popular ways of giving, by donating $20 or more automatically each month from your bank account or credit card. To sign up, visit:
www.deltastreetsacademy.org/give
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