Chapel

All quotations are from associated websites.

How blessed we are each Friday when we worship the Lord together.  Parents are always welcome to join elementary and junior high students at 10:00 a.m. on Fridays for chapel.

February

Pastor Eric Sebastian, Youth Pastor of The Oasis Church - February 5, 2010

Wrestling with the tempter? His strength is no match for ours. The battle can be won, though, because Jesus defeated him. How do we fight? By surrending to Jesus, resisting and standing. The outcome? Victory over temptation. Powerful truths shared in a memorable chapel. Thank you, Pastor Eric.

January

2nd and 3rd Grade Great Performance - January 29, 2010

Scott Rigsby - January 22, 2010

Unthinkable. World record holder, Scott Rigsby, was the first double amputee to ever cross the finish line at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. As he shared his story, students and teachers alike were inspired to let God do the unthinkable through them. 

Scott Rigsby- Do the Unthinkable from Scott Rigsby on Vimeo.

Mrs. Trudy Dobbs - January 15, 2010

Working for the CDC, Mrs. Dobbs has had the opportunity to travel throughout Africa and meet African Christians.  She comes to share her experience of the joy of African Christians in the midst of circumstances that westerners might consider hardships. Mrs. Dobbs is the wife of Junior High history teacher, Dusty Dobbs, and mother of three Heiskell students.

December

A Festival of Lessons and Carols - December 18

Rev. David O'Dell - December 11

Rev. O'Dell, pastor of 1st Baptist Church in Austell and a favorite with our students, spoke on fear, one of the great temptations today.  Rev. O'Dell is the husband of 3rd grade teacher, Heather O'Dell, and father of two preschool students.

Prefirst and First Grade Great Performance - December 4th

November

Wycliff Bible Translators - November 20th

Did you know that there are over 200,000,000 people, speaking over 6,000 languages, who do not have a Bible in their language?  Wycliffe Bible Translators are working throughout the world to translate God's Word.  Alan and Lynee Ward are working to get God's Word to people who use non-Roman scripts. They showed the students Tai Dam Script used in different southeast Asian languages, Ethipian Script and Devanagri Script and compared it to the Roman Script that western languages use.  Pilots, translators, teachers, IT specialists and prayer warriors are all part of the team of people needed over the twenty years it takes to learn, transcribe and translate a new language.

Victor and Delores Lawson

Each year our students collect food for the Lawson family, a family who lives out their faith by ministering to the neediest in our community. Many years ago the Lawsons began adopting special needs children, eventually adding 13 children to their household. Today some of those children are grown, some still under their roof, some with the Lord. Their ministry is not just to those who call them Mom and Dad but also to those who live on Atlanta's streets. One of our sweetest Heiskell traditions is the day when Sgt. Lawson and his wife Delores come to collect the food.

Veteran's Day Chapel - November 6th

Veterans Day is the day that the armistice ending conflict on the western front during World War I was signed, precisely at "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month".  While the great World Wars of the 20th century and the men and women who defended liberty and homelands are often only faint memories, the torch they carried was passed on and carried valiantly by each succeeding generation to serve our country.  November 11th is a day we set aside to honor and thank our veterans.

Our Veterans Day chapel speaker was Ken Henson, a retired Eastern Airlines pilot.

Mr. Henson was a B-24 pilot in World War II with the 14th Air Force (Army Air Corps) in China under the command of General Claire Chennault of Flying Tiger fame.  He flew his plane, named the Shootin' Star,  on 53 combat missions in eastern China and in the South China Sea from 1943 to 1945.

Come join us as Mr. Henson recounts one of his most memorable mission, one in which God spared him and his crew after they were attacked by Japanese fighters and riddled with anti-aircraft bullets over the South China Sea. They lost two engines in the fight and had bullet holes all over the plane, but miraculously no one on the plane was hurt.  He was able to fly his disabled plane to safety to a forward U.S. base in the interior of China by following a powerful homing beacon.  God's hand was evident in their survival and flight back to base, and Ken gives Him all the credit for sparing him and his crew. 

October

Reformation Day Chapel - October 30th

October 31st is Reformation Day, which we will celebrate this year on Friday the 30th. Mr. Dusty Dobbs will lead chapel on this day of celebration both of the lives of the reformers and the gift of God's Word in our native tongue.

Tolesa Gudina - October 23rd

Dr. Gudina is senior pastor of the Evangelical Ethiopian Fellowship in Atlanta.  He is also the Director of Truth in Love Ministries. Dr. Gudina travels throughout the world sharing God's love with the Ethiopian diaspora as well as to Ethiopia where he encourages Chrisitans to be reconciled and to pray fervently for their country.

Julie Crawford - October 16th

While Mr. Leatherman was on a retreat with the Junior High, Mrs. Crawford taught on the fruits of the spirit. Take a peek at the slide show.

Sasan Tavassoli - October 9th

Encouraging all to live graciously and forgive graciously, Dr. Tavassoli once again held the students spellbound and touched our hearts. He also updated us on the status of two Iranian women who have been imprisoned because they will not renounce their faith. The students prayed fervently for them as well as for a recently released pastor.

Dr. Tavassoli travels throughout the world, teaching and encouraging fellow Iranian believers. He has recently returned from a trip to the Middle East where he met with Iranian pastors whose churches are growing and thriving in spite of persecution. Dr. Tavassoli's wife Kenna teaches in our preschool. They have two children, a daughter who graduated from Heiskell and a son who is currently in junior high.

Sword Drill

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Continuing the theme of fear not, Mr. Leatherman led the second Sword Drill of the year for our enthusiastic students. His lesson is relevant for adults and students alike: In times of trouble, do not fear. The Lord is near.

September

During the month of September several of our chapel speakers shared how God is working in different communities in Africa.  Our students had the privilege of praying for each team member and for those to whom they minister.

Grace for All

Reaching out to the children of Addis Abba, Ethiopia to meet their physical and spiritual needs through education, medical treatment and teaching of the Word of God.

Campus Outreach Johannesburg (South Africa)

Three energetic staff members of Campus Outreach Johannesburg challenged our students to live radically for Jesus. After chapel they visited with Junior High students, answering questions which were on their hearts.

"The goal of CO [Campus Outreach] is that we would influence the world for Christ…that we might be part of fulfilling the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20).  CO desires to be a part of the expansive enterprise of the Gospel of the kingdom or the gospel of the Glory of God that is being lived and preached and spread around the world to every people, tribe and tongue (Mt 24, Mk 13, Rev 5).  More specifically, we desire that trained graduates would provide leadership for the kingdom of God in every sphere of influence imaginable on every continent around the world."

The Gideons

The Gideons presented pocket size New Testaments to fifth through eighth graders.

Sword Drill

Mr. Leatherman, the school's chaplain, chose the theme fear not for the first Sword Drill of the year.