Effect of Extra-Curricular Activities on Students\u27 Spiritual Growth

The primary purpose of Christian schooling is to teach Biblical principles to our youth as we prepare them to live and serve in God’s kingdom. Even though over three quarters of our youth in America participate in extra-curricular activities, little to no research has been done on the effect of extra-curricular activities on a child’s spiritual development. Yet, Christian schools continue to put time, money, and energy into extra-curricular programing. To determine whether academic, personal, and athletic extra-curricular activities have kingdom implication, this study collected qualitative data from twelve students, 8th Grade to junior year of high school. Coding the interviews and identifying common themes helped to reveal the alignment between student’s involvement and their spiritual development. Results show that extra-curricular activities promote students to develop the Fruit of the Spirit, Christian values, Christian character, and a deeper level of faith. In conclusion, data shows a positive relationship between students’ participation in extra-curricular activities and their faith development