Partnering with Parents in Teaching Resilience

In a recent address to Grace School parents, head of school, Matt Cooper, discussed the theme of the 26/27 school year. 

"Our theme for this year is RESILIENT, and our theme verse is from James 1:12:

'Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.'

Every generation tends to look at the next and worry they lack grit or resiliency, whether it was our parents talking about walking to school uphill in the snow or today’s jokes about Millennials and Gen Z. But the truth is that every generation must intentionally be taught resilience, hard work, and perseverance. Given today’s cultural influences, social media, and AI, our students need families, churches, and schools to guide them in this now more than ever.

Doing hard things doesn't come naturally to us. The world tells us that difficulty means something is wrong, but Scripture reminds us that the narrow way leading to life is hard while the broad path leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13–14). As parents, our instinct is to rescue our children. While we protect them, we must also recognize that struggle is often necessary. Hard is not inherently bad, and failure can be a powerful teacher.

Like praying for patience, praying for resilience means that the Lord may actually teach us resilience, and that could mean going through tough times. But we cling to the promise of Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Please partner with us in prayer and encouragement as we teach the theme of RESILIENT to our students this upcoming school year."