At Summit Christian Academy, discipleship has always been central to who we are. Our mission is not simply to prepare students academically, but to partner with families to empower students to impact the world for Jesus Christ. This year, we have taken an exciting step forward in how we intentionally cultivate that spiritual growth among our high school students through Legacy Guilds.
Legacy Guilds is Summit’s newly revised high school discipleship program, bringing students from all four grade levels together into eight distinct guilds. Each guild is named for a significant biblical mountain and centered around two virtues drawn from the biblical story connected to its name.
But these are more than just groups. They are designed to become communities students belong to throughout their high school years.
Rather than choosing their own guild, every student is intentionally placed into one. Over the summer, our discipleship team spent significant time in prayer, asking God for wisdom and direction as they considered each student and the guild He was calling them to represent.
That intentionality is at the heart of Legacy Guilds.
Students will walk alongside the same community of classmates and mentors throughout their time at Summit. Each week, guilds gather for Bible study, fellowship, spiritual growth, and opportunities to serve together both on and off campus.
One of the most exciting pieces of the program has been the response from our students—particularly our seniors. Senior Guild Leaders are stepping into meaningful roles as they help lead and facilitate their groups, shepherding younger students and setting the tone for the culture their guild will carry forward. At the same time, teacher mentors are intentionally investing in those senior leaders, creating a model of discipleship that flows from one generation of Eagles to the next.
It is leadership with a purpose: students being discipled while learning how to disciple others.
The eight Legacy Guilds and their defining virtues are:
Zion — Hope & Faith
Tabor — Truth & Honor
Sinai — Wisdom & Justice
Horeb — Humility & Service
Moriah — Valor & Compassion
Ararat — Courage & Stewardship
Eden — Grace & Integrity
Olivet — Resolve & Mercy
These virtues give students a shared vocabulary for spiritual and character growth while allowing each guild to develop an identity rooted in Scripture.
That identity will continue taking shape throughout this semester. By the end of the semester, each guild will choose its own symbol or logo and a key Scripture verse that represents who they are and what they want their guild to stand for. These traditions, commitments, and shared experiences will then be carried forward and built upon by the students who follow them.
The name Legacy Guilds is intentional.
Each year, seniors will graduate, freshmen will enter, and new leaders will step forward—but the guild remains. Its traditions grow. Its stories accumulate. Younger students become upperclassmen, and those who were once being led eventually become the ones doing the leading.
Instead of beginning again every school year, we are building something designed to deepen over time.
Our prayer is that students experience genuine belonging, grow in their knowledge of God and His Word, learn to serve and lead others, and ultimately leave Summit understanding that their faith is not something they simply possess—it is something they are called to live out and pass on.
That calling connects directly to our theme for the 2026–2027 school year:
“Knowing God. Standing Firm. Taking Action.”
“The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.” — Daniel 11:32b
We are already encouraged by the enthusiasm and ownership our students have shown toward Legacy Guilds, and we are expectant for what God will do through these communities in the years ahead. Our hope is that the relationships being formed today will become part of a much greater story—a legacy of students who know God deeply, stand firmly in their faith, and are prepared to impact the world for Jesus Christ.