Defining Presbyterian

At PS, we join Presbyterians and all Christians throughout the ages in affirming The Apostle’s Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

With these grounding beliefs as guides, the School’s Founders established the following first four Educational Objectives that still inform our goals to this day. 

1. To encourage students to value themselves as children of God—each with unique gifts to cherish, develop, and share.

2. To help children develop an understanding of their Judeo-Christian heritage and the teachings of Jesus Christ as the basis for the development of the Christian faith.

3. To help children develop a positive sense of self-confidence, self-worth, and security so that they will be able to stand up for what they believe and take risks throughout their lives.

4. To encourage students to become responsible human beings in relation to themselves, others, and their environment.

Practically speaking, and as articulated by our Founders, we are challenging our students to be sure enough in who they are and in what they believe that they will take appropriately transformational risks throughout their lives.  We hope we are building servant leaders here, so we want our students to be self-assured and nimble learners whose character is shaped by the Holy Spirit and who follow the bold example of Christ’s life and leadership.

 

The values and traditions of Presbyterianism are imbedded in the School’s identity in three key areas:

Mission: The importance of a covenant relationship is expressed in our Mission: Family, School and Church united in the education and support of each child. These three primary spheres of influence for children each commit to helping nurture caring and compassionate citizens. At PS, we provide families with a Christ-centered learning environment in which the total family can experience support and growth. Our Mission calls us to honor each child and his/her individual strengths and struggles as unique gifts from God. These children and their families are worthy of being known, seen, and loved in a community where they can all come into their full potential. Parents are an essential partner in our Mission, which means that we don’t simply teach children in our classrooms, but we invest in entire families from the moment they join our community. The "Church” in our mission is both the First Presbyterian Church that founded our school in 1989 and today’s people of faith who undertake building a community that supports and educates children with the love of Christ.

Core Values: The centrality of Scripture that testifies to God’s Love is further developed and expressed in the School’s six Core Values of Respect, Perseverance, Courage, Compassion, Integrity, and Gratitude. Each of the Core Values is rooted in Scripture and expresses our faith in Christ.

• Respect: It’s about you and me. (I Peter 2:17)
• Perseverance: It’s about staying in the game. (James 1:3)
• Courage: It’s about daring to try. (Joshua 1:9)
• Compassion: It’s about showing your love. (Ephesians 4:32)
• Integrity: It’s about being the best possible me. (Proverbs 20:11)
• Gratitude: It’s about appreciating today. (Psalm 118:24)

Christ-Centered Environment: PS is committed to daily nurturing a Christ-centered learning environment in which students understand and believe, at the simplest yet deepest level, that God loves them and desires to have a relationship with them. We bring together family, learning, and faith to ignite in our students a resilience they can count on. This resilience comes from knowing they are never truly alone in the world because of an ever-present God. As a community, we look to Christ’s life for our example of how to teach and learn as well as how to live and love. Christ-like love inspires us to pray for each other during times of triumph and times of trial, to encourage each other as children of God when course corrections are needed, and to do all this through a Christ-like lens.

The founding purpose of Presbyterian School was and remains to provide families with a “Christ-centered learning environment in which the total family will experience support and growth.”  In 1986, Dr. John William Lancaster, Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church (FPC), appointed a School Study Committee to explore the feasibility of an Early Childhood and Lower School at the church. Presbyterian School was officially founded in 1988 and opened its doors to offer a distinct educational program for families in the Houston area in the Fall of 1989 on the campus of FPC.

Presbyterian School is an independent 503(c) non-profit institution with its own governing Board of Trustees, and the FPC Senior Pastor serves on the School Board as an ex-officio member.  Two-thirds of the Board are FPC members, and one-third of these members are also Elders from FPC. Additionally, there is a standing committee of the School’s Board committed to Church and School Partnership, whose charge is to connect Presbyterian School and First Presbyterian Church through clear communication as well as shared programs and activities. 

FPC and PS enjoy strong operational and strategic partnerships that intersect and align within multiple areas: 

• Sharing campus space that includes classrooms, meeting areas, dining halls, gyms, playground and fields. 

• Sharing the value and practice of equipping people with a "livable theology.” The School Chapel and Bible curriculum mirror the FPC children and youth ministries in using the same Bible translation in addition to the ThinkOrange, Sparkhouse, and Alpha for Youth curriculums. The 7th grade Bible and Faith curriculum is also utilized as the Confirmation curriculum at FPC.

• Supporting the same community outreach partners in the Museum District including Nehemiah Center, Emergency Aid Coalition, Main Street Ministries, Main Street Gardens and The Summer Institute.

• Sharing parent education events, community building events, and the resources that accompany each special event. Each year, FPC provides Bibles for every PK3 and 1st grade student.

• FPC staff work with PS students and serve as special chapel speakers, coaches, class trip chaperones, bible study leaders and more.

• Staff for the School and FPC work closely in areas of communications, media, operations, events and parent ed. 

• FPC outreach to School families includes an annual Presbyterian School Sunday, invitations to participate in children, youth and adult ministries events, trips, bible studies and small groups. FPC children's ministries has designated parents who are both FPC members and PS parents to serve as Class Ambassadors on behalf of the Church. These ambassadors help to communicate and share opportunities for PS families to get involved with the Church.

Learn More About First Presbyterian Church

Students from PK3 – Grade 8 participate in weekly grade-level, division, or all-school chapel service in order to grow in understanding of the triune God and to know God through the proclamation of the Word. Within each chapel, there is time to talk to God through prayer, express our gratitude to Christ through song and worship, and be introduced to practical application of how we can live our life guided by the Holy Spirit. In Middle School, students are introduced to a more liturgical form of worship which includes Passing the Peace, singing the Doxology, and saying the Lord’s Prayer. Middle School students also have the opportunity to participate in Holy Communion at chapel throughout the school year. Click here more information on our chapel services.

Students across divisions learn and regularly pray the School Prayer:

Father God,
fill our hearts with
love, joy, and gratitude
so that we can do
great things in Your name.
Amen. 

Students also have the opportunity to pray in chapel and Bible classes. The Middle School division opens the day in prayer prior to the start of class.

Students in Grades 5 – 8 spend time in weekly Bible class where they encounter the story of an unchanging God and begin to understand God’s story as their own story. Fifth graders are given a personal journaling Bible to begin their own personal journey of gathering tools to embark on the lifelong gift of reading God’s Word. In Middle School, students continue their deep study of Scripture studying: Jesus’ life and teachings, exploring major questions in faith, and how to live faith in our everyday lives. Middle School utilizes Orange XP3 and Alpha Youth as the basis for our curriculum.  Click here more information on our bible classes.

Students in Grades 5 – 8 are offered the opportunity to participate in weekly lunchtime Bible Study Devotional Groups. These optional groups meet once a week at lunch and are facilitated by Presbyterian School faculty or First Presbyterian Church children and youth ministry staff.

Students have the opportunity to live out Jesus’ Greatest Commandment: to love God with our whole heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:38-39). Each grade-level has an opportunity to live out their faith by playing an active role in caring for our broader Houston community through serving with one of our service partners. Throughout the year, the School also hosts several schoolwide service drives to benefit non-profit partners of the School. Click here for more information on each grade service learning opportunity.

Throughout the school year, we set aside time as a community to grow in our faith practices around special services to honor holidays including Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, Christmas and Easter. We celebrate annual events such as Presbyterian School Sunday, where we join with First Presbyterian Church in worshiping God, National See You At The Pole Day, where we gather before school to pray with parents and students, and Wellness Week where we dig deeper into our spiritual wellness during the Spring.

The Servant Hearts Guild provides support and encouragement to Presbyterian School families in times of need. The Servant Hearts Guild is made of parent volunteers and there is a a Servant Hearts Guild advocate for each grade level. Families may request assistance through their homeroom teacher/advisor or the Servant Hearts Guild grade level advocate. The privacy and desires of each family and their circumstances are always maintained. The Servant Hearts Guild advocates help to arrange prayers, meals, carpool, child care, or other timely encouragement during a family's time of need. 

Every Thursday morning, the PS Parents Prayer Group meets to pray over our PS students, families, teachers, and administrators. All parents are welcome to join on Thursdays from 8:15 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. The meetings are held outside of LC181 in First Presbyterian Church. The first meeting will be on Tuesday, September 1. Parents are welcome to join as their schedule permits; if you have questions or would like to express interest, please contact our Director of Annual Fund and Volunteers, Mimi Traylor.

We believe in the power of partnering with families in supporting the faith development of each child and believe this is a central piece of our PS mission. To live into that goal, Chaplains email parents monthly resources to encourage continuing the conversation from chapel and Bible class at home. Within these resources, Chaplains share an anchor scripture, an overview of chapel topics, activities to do at home, conversations to have on the go, and a prayer to pray with your child.
 

Frolic First Bible (Infant/Toddler) (Sparkhouse Publishing)

Sally Lloyd-Jones, The Jesus Story Book Bible (Ages 4-8) (ZonderKidz Publishing)

NT Wright, God’s Big Picture Bible Storybook (Ages 6-10) (Tommy Nelson)

Kevin DeYoung, The Biggest Story Bible (Ages 7-12) (Crossway) 

Picture Books
Alison Mitchell, The Christmas Promise (Ages 3-7) (Good Book Company)
Amy Gannett, Does God Go on Vacation? (A book about God’s presence) (Ages 1-5) (B&H Kids)
Danielle Hitchen, Holy Week: an Emotions Primer (Ages 1-5) (Children’s Press)
Carl Laferton, The Garden, The Curtain, and the Cross (Ages 5-8) (Good Book Company)
Carl Laferton, The God Contest (Ages 5-8) (Good Book Company)
Ellie Holcombe, Sounding Joy (Ages 3-7) (B&H Kids)
Ellie Holcombe, Don’t Forget to Remember (Ages 1 - 5) (Random House Inc)
Eric Schrotenboer and Meredith Schrotenboer, Hear O Little One: In the Morning and in the Evening (Ages Infant- 4) (Harvest House)
Hunter Beless, Read it, See it, Say it, Sing it: Knowing and loving the Bible (Ages 3-7) (B&H Kids)
Marie-Helene Delval, Images of God for Young Children (Eerdman’s Books for Young Children) 
Marie-Helene Delval, Psalms for Young Children (Eerdman’s Books for Young Children)
Steph Williams, The Easter Fix (Ages 3-7) (the Good Book Company)
Sally Lloyd-Jones, Found (Psalm 23) (Ages 4-8) (ZonderKidz Publishing)
Sally Lloyd-Jones, Near (Psalm 139) (Ages 4-8) (ZonderKidz Publishing)

[Picture Books About Baptism]
Walter Wangerin, Jr., Water, Come Down: The Day You Were Baptized (Sparkhouse Family)
Taylor Young, On the Day You Were Baptized (Beaming Books)

Chapter Books
C.S Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew (Ages 9-12), (Harper Collins)
C.S Lewis, The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe (Ages 9-12), (Harper Collins)

Presbyterian School has a Spotify chapel list available to our community that shares the song used in worship during Chapel.  Click here to listen to our playlist at home!

About 10% of current school families are also members of First Presbyterian Church.

Families are not required to be Presbyterian or Christian to attend the School. Presbyterian School believes in the strength of a diverse community and welcomes families from all faith backgrounds.

Participation in Chapels, Bible classes, service learning projects and special events during school hours are all required for all students.  Lunchtime Bible studies and special events outside of school hours are optional for students to attend.

Yes! In n Early Childhood and Lower School there are monthly “Family Chapel” services in which family members are encouraged to attend, and students’ birthdays are celebrated.  Any member of the PS or FPC communities are welcome to attend any weekly MS Chapel service.  School-wide Chapel services are also open to any and all members of the community who would like to attend.  Finally, monthly resources are available via email and our website for parents to continue the conversations about Christian faith formation at home.