Keystone Program: Chapel & Connect

Chapel Video
Through the Keystone program, the school offers two programs for students, Chapel and Connect. Students in 1st-12th regularly attend chapel services in the Founders Chapel, focusing on developing positive character traits with a faith-based perspective. Qualities such as gratitude, integrity, kindness, love, perseverance, bravery, and humility are explored.  For Chapel the school often welcomes guest speakers such as published authors, local youth ministers, and veterans.

Middle and high school alternate weeks in Chapel. On weeks that one set of students is not in Chapel, that group engages in Connect, which is small group programming. Led by faculty members in homerooms, Connect is tailored to each grade level, serving as an extension to the Chapel program.  

For more information, please contact Lee Gandy, Chapel Program Director.

Connect: Growing Together Through Teamwork

Stepping outside for cooperative games, middle school students strengthened communication skills and teamwork during Middle School Connect. The outdoor activities provided a welcome opportunity to move, collaborate, and grow together. Connect offers small-group advisory sessions that foster character development through learning, movement, and service while building meaningful relationships and preparing students for real-world challenges.
 

Faith, Courage, and Joy in Middle School Chapel

Grounding students in faith and perspective, Middle School Chapel welcomed Lt. Col. Aaron Meadows, Chaplain & Dir. of Religious Studies at The Citadel, as guest speaker. Drawing from his experiences serving in conflict zones, he encouraged students to keep their faith in difficult or frightening moments, reminding them of Ephesians 6:10 and the call to put on the full armor of God. He challenged students to choose joy during challenging times, focus on positive experiences, and approach life with a spirit of adventure.
 

Chapel: Living for What Lasts

Challenging students to think beyond the moment during Chapel, Mr. Asa Dinkins of First Baptist Sumter shared an inspirational message rooted in James 4:14, reminding them that “you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” With that powerful image in mind, he encouraged students not to waste their four years of high school but to reflect on how they wish to be remembered. Emphasizing that today’s choices carry eternal significance, he urged students to choose Jesus and trust Him to guide their lives with purpose and direction.
 

Called to Serve with Character

Challenging students and faculty to live out their faith, Mrs. Lori Brown, history and theater teacher, served as the Chapel guest speaker, sharing a message grounded in scripture from Micah 6:8, calling all to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. She reminded the school community that we are all Barons who serve and represent our King, using the word BARON to highlight five biblical principles: Bold and brave, Acts justly, Reflects the King, Others before self, and Noble in character. The Chapel concluded with students and faculty joining together in prayer.
 

Connecting Through Collaboration

Building relationships and strengthening community, high school students took part in a Connect activity that encouraged teamwork, creativity, and communication. During Wilson Hall’s small group advisory program, students participated in a Group Drawing Relay, where each person added to a shared artwork, and the Human Knot challenge, working together to untangle themselves into a circle, reinforcing the value of cooperation and shared problem solving.
 

Chapel: Press the Gas in Faith

Students gathered for Chapel as Mr. Howie Owens, a Wilson Hall parent, Assistant City Manager for Administration for the City of Sumter, and a member of Bethesda Church of God, shared a message centered on James 2:17: “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” He encouraged students not to remain spiritually still, but to trust how God created them, rely on Jesus for strength, and move forward with purpose, pressing the gas in faith rather than standing still. Mr. Lee Gandy is the coordinator of the Chapel program. 
 

Lower School Chapel: Celebrating the Heart of Christmas

Lower School students gathered for a sweet and memorable Chapel service that celebrated the true meaning of Christmas. Mrs. Jan Kaneft, a WH grandparent and parent of alumni, shared the story of Jesus’ birth and brought it to life by inviting students to help illustrate the scene with simple props. From the manger in Bethlehem to the shepherds hearing the angels’ message to the wise men arriving with gifts, students helped tell the story in a way everyone could picture and remember. The service concluded with a special moment as the students sang “Happy Birthday” to Jesus while Mrs. Kaneft gently laid the baby in the manger, a beautiful reminder that Christmas is, at its heart, a celebration of Christ’s humble coming to earth.
 

Quiet Acts of Kindness Through Connect

Students packed gift bags for the homeless and tucked uplifting cards and notes into classmates’ lockers and faculty mailboxes, spreading quiet encouragement across campus for a recent Connect activity. Connect, Wilson Hall’s small-group advisory program that alternates with Chapel, gives students time to build character, strengthen relationships, and serve others through meaningful activities.
 

Faith Through the Fire

Mrs. Liza Lowder Meyers ’18, an English teacher, led Chapel with a heartfelt message titled “But Even If.” Sharing her family’s experience of losing their home in a 2019 house fire, she connected the story to Daniel 3 and the example of Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego, who chose to trust God even when He might not deliver them from the furnace. Her message encouraged students to develop “even-if” faith, trusting in God’s goodness not only when He answers prayers as hoped but even when He doesn’t.
 

Leadership Lessons in Chapel

Opening with prayer set a reverent tone for Chapel as Col. Tom Gordon, USMC (Ret.), Commandant of Cadets at The Citadel, shared three core leadership skills with our students. Drawing from his book Marine Maxims, he emphasized turning principles into practice through knowing yourself, remembering that leadership is not about you, and understanding that people don’t care how much you know but will remember how much you care. The powerful message connected faith, character, and purpose. 

Rooted in Faith and Humility

Focusing hearts on the power of God’s enduring love, Rev. Phillip Beacham of Orchard Community Church delivered a moving message during Chapel. Drawing from Acts 10–12, he emphasized the importance of humility and reminded students that, as Romans 8:38 assures, nothing can separate us from the love of the Lord. The WH community remains continually thankful for the Founders Chapel and the opportunity it provides to gather together in worship and fellowship in a reverent and beautiful space.

Chapel Service Focuses on Humility

For Chapel, Kevin Blalock, Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church Sumter, spoke on the importance of humility in Christian life. Drawing from Mark 10:43–45, he reminded students that true greatness comes not from status or power but from serving others, and that to be a faithful servant, one must first be humble.

Chapel Program Opens Year with Emphasis on Faith & Reflection

Grounded in Scripture and shaped by moments of quiet reflection, the first Chapel of the school year invited high school students to focus their hearts on the words of Philippians 4:8, which encourages us to meditate on what is true and good. Mr. Lee Gandy, Chapel Program Director, set a thoughtful tone for the year as he introduced Chapel, urging students to develop an appreciation for stillness and quiet in a world often filled with noise. The message was deepened by the words of Jesus, inscribed on the wall of Founders Chapel: “Come away by yourselves to a quiet place and rest for awhile” (Mark 6:31). With gratitude for the beauty and sacredness of this chapel, the service closed in prayer, reminding all present of the importance of beginning the year grounded in faith and reflection.