I love the process by which we select a theme for the school year. Over my four (recent) years serving at Naples Christian Academy, I've seen God work through these themes to will and to act according to His purposes. As we set the subsequent school year in front of Him, we ask Him to inspire us and to stir our hearts and our affections -- to focus our minds and hearts on Him. NCA is His school; it is His ministry.
I spent time in prayer in April and May of 2025 together with our NCA Leadership Team, considering the theme for Naples Christian Academy for the 2025-2026 school year. This year marks 53 years of ministry for Naples Christian Academy; it's our first year in our new building on Golden Gate Parkway. It's an exciting time to be a part of NCA! As a Christian school, I believe it is our responsibility to offer an excellent academic education and deep discipleship to our families and their children. We have this beautiful campus with room to grow; we have an amazing team of educators dedicated to discipling their students. With the desire to steward these resources well and use everything we've been given to build Christ's Kingdom, this year, I believe God is asking us to go ABOVE & BEYOND for Him and for His glory.
What Is Above & Beyond?
Above & Beyond is a collective responsibility; it's a commitment we're making as a community. As teachers, it involves speaking life and enthusiasm into our students. We desire to inspire our students to go above and beyond for the King -- to demonstrate a counter-cultural way of living to the outside world and to build Christ's Kingdom.
Above & beyond means that we continually encourage students to steward their gifts well and to spend their time in pursuit of excellence. Every spilled water bottle, every friend who needs a hug or someone to sit with at lunch, every excellent idea that goes beyond what was assigned -- in everything, we go above and beyond. When students go above and beyond in their education, we want to celebrate and amplify it!
For our team of outstanding educators, above and beyond means we focus on continuous improvement. It means using our resources and living with open hands. It means that we stay in step with the Spirit and pursue excellence in the day-to-day.
There's so much in Philippians 2 about this. We go above and beyond for others, and we are of one mind. We do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, we count others more significant than ourselves. Why? Because Christ went above and beyond for us -- He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point, even death on a cross! He went above and beyond, gave up heaven, came to earth as a human, all so we could spend eternity with Him.
How could we not go ABOVE & BEYOND for the King?!
Moving from Extrinsic to Intrinsic Motivation
Above and beyond does not mean that we do more, fill our schedules, or live frenetically. Rather, it means that in everything, we ask ourselves how we can please God and do our best with what He's given us.
Our goal is that students move from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation. We want them to push past desiring excellence in order to get good grades or earn rewards. We want to inspire them to go above and beyond out of obedience to King Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:18 encourages us to "look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
An above & beyond mindset challenges our community to seek excellence -- not for praise or accolades -- but out of a love for Jesus and a vision for eternity.
Examples of Above & Beyond Living
I am excited to share stories about the ways our students and our team are going above & beyond this school year on this NCA Perspectives Page. At NCA, we're living in light of eternity and asking our students to learn, serve, and lead with excellence and enthusiasm -- all to magnify King Jesus.
Go Warriors!
-Mrs. Haughey
Students getting involved
