Missions and Service

SouthLake Christian has a strategic approach to Grade Level Outreach. As a demonstration of the love of God for all people, the students and faculty of SouthLake Christian seek to reach out into our community in word and deed through local partnerships.

We seek to engage and challenge our community to become active global citizens. We provide international and cross-cultural opportunities and experiences for students, beginning in the earliest grades, to develop their cultural competency and to help them effectively address the challenges of the future.

Academic Mission Trips

Part of our Missions & Service at SouthLake Christian, is to provide our students with an education that is well-rounded and includes opportunities for learning. Students can experience diverse cultures and learn directly from local residents about customs, beliefs, history, art, politics, social issues, and daily life. We offer various mission trip opportunities throughout the year for our upper school students.

All trips are intentionally designed with an educational lens in mind. Examples include Costa Rica/Panama, which focuses on learning the target language (Spanish) and interact with the locals; Scotland/Ireland, which focused on exploring the lands that were once home to ancient Celtic and Gaelic tribes. They will step into the Middle Ages on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and under the towering spire of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin.

Though the roster of trips changes each year, the program has included trips to Europe's Mediterranean Coast, Italy, Iceland, Israel, Puerto Rico, and Peru.

Spiritual Retreats

Retreats and special spiritual emphasis days are planned each year for lower, middle, and upper school students as a time for spiritual renewal and relationship building.

Lower school students in grades JK-6 embark on a number of day trips from the Billy Graham Library to the Duke Energy Exploratorium to the Annual Rural Hill Amazing ‘Maize' Maze.

Middle and upper school students attend Windy Gap each fall, a Young Life-owned retreat center in the North Carolina mountains, where they spend two days and nights bonding with their classmates and growing in their relationships with Christ. Time at Windy Gap consists of chapel in the morning and evening, friendly class competitions, and free time in the afternoon. This annual event is a much-anticipated highlight of every school year.

Jr. High Windy Gap

Upper School Windy Gap

Learn and Serve Week

At SouthLake Christian, our mission is to offer a well-rounded education that not only imparts academic knowledge but also fosters personal growth and community engagement. We believe that education should encompass more than just classroom learning; it should prepare students to be responsible and compassionate members of society.

A cornerstone of our educational philosophy is the highly anticipated Learn and Serve Week, a unique initiative that epitomizes our commitment to hands-on learning and community involvement. During this week, students step out of the conventional classroom setting to engage directly with community projects. These projects are carefully selected to address real-world issues and provide meaningful contributions to local organizations and communities. This immersive experience not only enriches students' understanding of societal needs but also instills a strong sense of civic duty and empathy.

Ninth-grade students will participate in a day dedicated to campus-wide service activities, followed by three days of specialized learning sessions, and will also go on one educational field trip.

Eleventh-grade students take turns traveling to Washington, D.C., and Boston, Massachusetts, to delve into the rich history of our nation.

SouthLake Christian collaborates with the Appalachia Service Project to assist families facing hardships. Tenth-grade students will have the chance to acquire new practical skills..

Seniors from SouthLake Christian collaborate with Experience Mission at the Family Church in Rincon. These students have the opportunity to engage in an outreach ministry program and learn the culture.

Student Mission Fellowship (SMF)

SouthLake Christians' Student Mission Fellowship teaches students the joy of selflessly serving others in the name of Jesus Christ. Community service projects are available each year in partnership with local organizations and has recently supported Samaritan's Purse with Operation Christmas Child, Caterpillar Ministries providing academic enrichment and faith development to children, Hoops for Hope to support Access 2 Success (A2S) programs in Nigeria to provide sustainable resources for Nigerian Children and their families, and coordinates Happy Birthday Jesus Gift Bags, Giving Tree Fundraisers, and food drives.

In the past SMF have raised awareness and support for both local and international missions including, persecuted Christians in Northern Iraq, and Haitian families needing relief from the earthquake. Lower School students participate in The Parade of Nations.

Missions Week

Mission Week stands out as a significant event at SouthLake Christian Academy. Each spring, the school unites for chapel services dedicated to a mission-related topic. The key aim is to enlighten our students about mission work worldwide and subsequently secure their involvement and support.

The 2022 Mission Week will celebrate two decades of mission endeavors. Students will be educated on the remarkable service projects undertaken by their predecessors and will hear firsthand accounts from those who participated in each mission trip.

The senior class partakes in a missions trip before their commencement. Before the Covid pandemic, students would visit Peru in South America every spring. During these trips, they immersed themselves in the rich Peruvian culture while collaborating with Scripture Union ministries to construct homes and schools for orphans. Initiated in 2005, this annual journey has been eagerly anticipated by seniors who look forward to continuing the efforts started by previous classes. SouthLake’s collaboration with Scripture Union has positively impacted countless graduates, fostering significant growth in their compassion for orphans in Peru and their dedication to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Since the spring of 2020, pandemic restrictions have prevented seniors from traveling to Peru. Consequently, students have formed a partnership with a domestic organization called Border Perspective as well as a local church ministry in Texas. SouthLake seniors now assist the local immigrant community in McAllen, TX, through various service activities.

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