praise band
The Praise Band is an organization of students selected for their spiritual leadership and gifts in the area of music. The Praise Band serves the purpose of leading worship and praise during chapel. The group may also have opportunities to serve outside the school setting, and offers a place of service that requires high commitment and spiritual maturity.
The Praise Band will consist of at least four members but could include up to ten members. Members may rotate weeks of service in the group. Officers for the Praise Band will be selected from the representatives from the Junior and Senior classes to provide internal peer-leadership for the Team.
retreat & mission program
The CTCS Retreat Program has been in development for a number of years becoming a unique distinctive at Central Texas Christian School.
The program plays an integral part in fulfilling our mission statement to educate students with the transforming truth of Christ, building Godly character and integrity in life pursuits.
The purpose of the CTCS Retreat Program is to augment the academic curriculum in the overall education process of students and create an opportunity for the students and faculty to interact in unique, meaningful, and purposeful ways outside the classroom.
In the fall of 2007, Sarah and Stephen Sewell began to develop what would become the very first CTCS Sixth Grade Mission Retreat at Camp Tejas. As a volunteer Sarah continued to coordinate the emerging CTCS Retreat Program, expanding to a second retreat at Camp Tejas for the Sophomores in 2010, transitioning to an August Senior Retreat in Colorado in 2011, and adding an Eighth Grade Wilderness Retreat in 2012. From 2007 to 2020, CTCS has had over sixty retreats, training over three hundred high school students as counselors to lead 6th and 8th graders.
TESTIMONIALS FROM STUDENT PARTICIPATES“I experienced God in a great way and felt unified with my class.”
“We bonded and learned to work together.”
“God moved and spoke to me through His Word and the speakers.”
“I realized that God can dig you out of any pit or hole you find yourself in.”
“I enjoyed getting away from life and all its distractions.”
“It really brought the class together, closer – we became unified in purpose.”
LEARN MORE ABOUT MISSION & FOCUS
Mission and Focus
Class Unity
• Working alongside classmates
• Teamwork is emphasized
• Team building games/activities
• Barriers come down when experiencing challenges and trials
• Shared fun experiences
Spiritual Growth Opportunities
• Group Worship
• Individual Quiet times
• Group discussion of devotions
• Biblical based messages
• Journaling encouraged
Discipleship
• Staff and counselors serve as role models
• Opportunity for mentoring
• Exposure/modeling of Christian worldview
Leadership Development
• Leadership skills incorporated
• High school counselors extensive training
• Opportunity to lead small groups
Exposure to Missions & Servanthood
• Work projects incorporated
• Serving/ministering others emphasized and practiced
Each retreat and activity has a designed purpose including work projects, team building games and activities in addition to the messages, worship and devotions. Although each retreat targets specifics related to the age of the student, the retreats’ general purpose is the same.
Retreats are a time for the students to “retreat” from their usual environment and circumstances, removing distractions and allowing students to focus and depend on God; for this reason parents may not attend retreats.
OVERVIEW BY GRADE6th Grade
This retreat is held every May for 5 days at Camp Tejas in Giddings, Texas.
Students experience a deep sense of worship in new and meaningful ways as they serve in work projects, participate in recreation, live in cabins together, hear about Gods truth and are challenged to return home and to CTCS with a new resolve to live out God’s plan for their life.
High School students are chosen as counselors through a rigorous selection process and trained for 6 months.
Cost: included in tuition
7th Grade Mission Trip
This mission trip is held every March for 4 nights in various locations in Texas.Students experience a deep sense of worship and Bible study in a meaningful way as they serve in work projects. As they hear about God’s Word and serve others, we pray they return home and to CTCS with not only a knowledge of God’s Word, but also a heart to serve and a sense of their God given gift and purpose.
High School students are chosen as counselors through a rigorous selection process and trained for 6 months.
Cost: included in tuition
8th Grade Retreat
As students continue to mature, they are ready for a wilderness challenge experience that will be a unique blend of opportunity, environment, challenge and guidance. Students will learn that life has challenges, but when we are prepared and with God’s help, we can successfully meet these challenges.
This is a 4 day retreat at Enchanted Rock State Park and Guadalupe State Park.
Cost: included in tuition
10th Grade Retreat
The focus is on “real” Christianity and spiritual maturity, as well as worship and “real” applications of truly living the Christian life.
Students return to Camp Tejas in Giddings, Texas for a 3 day retreat in September.
Cost: included in tuition
12th Grade Retreat
This 5 day retreat prepares students for their final year of high school and beyond, continuing the traditions set forth in the previous retreats as well as focusing on the unity of believers, responsibility and importance of role models. The students decide on the legacy that their class, in unity, will impart and leave
with CTCS and its students.
Students travel to Colorado Springs, Colorado at the end of August of their Senior Year.
Cost: $900
Fundraising is completed during the Junior Year. Retreat cost will be billed to student FACTS account August of their Junior year. This allows parents to make payments towards the retreat at their convenience. Payments toward the retreat may be made in any amount at any time on or before due dates.
Student Leadership University (SLU)
Student Leadership University (SLU) is a faith-based, experiential leadership-training program that empowers, enables and equips middle and high school students to rise to the call of leadership and awaken their potential.
LEARN MOREA student leadership journey like none other, SLU offers unforgettable experiences that equip students to change the way they think, dream and lead, both today and for the rest of their lives.
Students participating experience classrooms around the U.S. and world, where we offer four progressive, cumulative experiences designed to grow students’ faith, teach them to lead and gain a vision for the future through a Christian worldview. Whether they go behind-the-scenes at Sea World, explore our Nation’s Capital, immerse themselves in history in Europe or walk where Jesus walked in Israel, at SLU, young people learn to think bigger, ignite their calling, impact their world and lead like Jesus.
SLU provides students many unique opportunities, including walking the beaches of Normandy, touring the war memorials in Washington, D.C., and listening to speakers as diverse as English royalty, professional athletes, politicians, self-made millionaires, and others who have been used in extraordinary ways to make an eternal difference. SLU students will have the chance to learn leadership principles from some of the most respected leaders in the Christian community. Students who participate in Lion Leadership Academy and SLU will gain excellent leadership training and experience life-changing events. These programs are a key component in the continuing pursuit of Central Texas Christian School to develop and graduate authentic Christian leaders.
The Lift Tour
The Lift Tour is a Leadership Conference in Plano, Texas for all 8th – 12th grade students.
SLU 101
Students travel to San Antonio for a Leadership Conference and enjoy a day at Fiesta Texas and Sea World.
SLU 102
Students travel to Washington, D.C. for a Leadership Conference as well as sight seeing opportunities.
SLU 103
Students travel to London, Paris, Normandy, Oxford for a Leadership Conference as well as sight seeing opportunities.
SLU 104
Students travel to Israel and Jordan for a Leadership Conference and sight seeing opportunities.
REQUIRED FORMS
Please Print, Sign and Return the Following Forms
SLU Liability Form 2020
CENTRAL TEXAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL Emergency Medical Release Form
Event Specific Registration Forms
student council (stuco)
Student Council (StuCo) is a representative structure for students only, through which they can become involved in the affairs of the school, working in partnership with school management, staff and parents for the benefit of the school and its students.
Student Council is offered at CTCS starting in the 6th grade and is a great way for students to have a voice on the decisions that affect them everyday. StuCo is a great way to instill leadership in your student while also teaching them government processes in politics.
Please consider how you can invest your time and resources to support our students and the vision of CTCS
