Learning Compassion Through Journaling

 How do you teach pre-teen boys and girls empathy and compassion for others?  That is the question McKinney Christian Academy fifth grade teachers Karen Krusing, Lana Hamilton and Donna LaVecchia were asking.  Lana Hamilton was inspired with the idea of year-long prayer buddies after seeing it done at a women’s retreat. 

The students were all randomly assigned a student to pray and journal about at the beginning of the school year.  The last week of school each student was given the journal full of daily prayers for them.  Watching the students reading the prayer journals was a very impactful moment.  Fifth grader Matthew McDowell said “I learned you should always put a lot of time and energy into your prayers and I realized after reading the prayers my prayer partner prayed for me how good God is, and how He used the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and direct us, if we take time to listen.”

The fifth grade teachers all agreed this was a very successful project.  One parent commented that she was brought to tears reading the prayers that were lifted up for her child, several meeting very specific needs of the child at the time the prayers were given.  Parents and teachers agreed that intentional prayer journaling will become an annual event.

McKinney Christian Academy is located at 3601 Bois D’Arc Road in McKinney.  To schedule a tour of the campus or to get registration information contact Elaine Mayberry, Admission Director at 214-544-2658 ext. 4325 or Elaine.Mayberry@mckinneychristian.org

McKinney Christian Academy exists to honor Jesus Christ by teaching students to live biblically through education of mind, body and spirit.