In a recent post from EAB—a research and higher education consulting group—data shows that students are eager for in-person community. This is no surprise to Christians. We know we were made for community from the beginning! In Genesis 2, the first time we hear God say something is not good is when He sees Adam is alone! Humans are created to be relational beings.
At LuHi, one of our core values is providing students with a highly relational environment. So, we pride ourselves on doing community well. In this post, we’ll look at three elements that make a community great. We can learn about each element in the Book of Acts, an account of the early church.
Unity
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common." (Acts 2:42-44)
Did you catch the thread woven throughout these verses? Unity. LuHi has had a singular focus for seventy years that has bound us together, and that’s Jesus. Everything we do, teach, sing, play, learn, and grow is about and through Him, just like the early church. Even though we are a diverse school of talents, ethnicities, personalities, and backgrounds, we are one body in Christ. Being unified in Him also unifies us in our desire for excellence since everything we do is for God’s glory.
Did you notice that the early church devoted themselves not only to Christian teaching but also to time together? At LuHi we purposefully create opportunities to be together outside of classes, too. Whether it’s cheering on our athletic teams, gathering for Advent by Candlelight, going on freshman and senior retreats, or serving our city, we love to have fun together, too.
Generosity
"They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts…” (Acts 2:45-46)
Did you know that the giant California Sequoia trees have roots that go down only five or six feet? What they lack in depth they make up in width because they are intertwined with the roots of the trees around them up to 100 feet from their trunks. The forest remains strong only as long as the trees depend on and nourish each other.
At LuHi, we strive to be like a Sequoia forest—sharing our roots and nourishment. We are only as strong as our neighbor, so we follow God’s commands to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Sometimes, we don’t feel like sharing possessions, time, or forgiveness, but God loved each of us when we were still sinners. We are generous because He was first generous with us.
Service and Missions have been an intentional area of growth for us in the past couple of years. In 2022, we sent out one mission team. In 2023, we sent out seven! The program’s goal is to continue to expand the program until every LuHi student who wants to attend a mission trip has the opportunity. Our Service Program operates with similar goals.
Every LuHi student is required to have 20 hours of service per year. Our aim is to connect students with enough service opportunities to help them meet their requirements. But more than that, our hope is that students discover what it means to be Jesus's hands and feet and have a lifelong passion to serve others in their community.
Growth
“And the Lord added daily to their number those who were being saved.”
(Acts 2:47)
That brings us to the last element of a great community: growth. When God brings together a people that is unified in Him and lives in generosity and love, the result is multiplication. LuHi has seen thousands of high schoolers graduate from our family with growth in knowledge, character, experience, and faith. And now those graduates are out in the world, influencing their communities for Christ. We have an intricate root system that connects us first and foremost to Jesus and then to each other, and that gives us the strength to be better together and make an impact for the Kingdom of God that will outlast our earthly lives.
Community is a place to be seen, heard, and known, and that’s what connection at LuHi and connection to God’s people gives us. Just like God Himself lives in community as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, His perfect design is for us to live together, working together for the good of those who love Him.
