Spiritual Life
Troy Christian Chapel
Chapel is the core experience to student life at Troy Christian. This time is critical to us growing in our faith as a community as we come together for powerful worship and dynamic preaching. These worship times are student-led and provide the opportunity for us all to learn how to follow Jesus better as we take on topics and issues that we need to see growth in as a community. Students have an opportunity to learn how to lead worship, deliver a sermon, work with incredible production technology, and lead through serving during our chapel times. Chapel is organized by students along with our staff ministry team. Our goal is that students would come to know Christ as their savior and learn to live as he teaches us to live.
Every Friday we have two chapels; 7-12th Grade in the morning and K-6th Grade in the afternoon. These are held in the Arbogast Performing Arts Center on our campus and recorded each week for viewing later on our YouTube Channel.
Enrichment, Service, & Ministry
Every year, Troy Christian Junior High and High School students participate in ESM, a transformative week of enrichment, service, and missions. This week, fondly known as ESM, is truly amazing. It's a testament to God's work as we witness the growth and transformation in our students and staff. ESM plays a vital role in fulfilling TC's mission and vision.
ESM week offers TC students unique opportunities for non-traditional courses and trips, allowing them to explore subjects beyond the regular curriculum. Students are encouraged to choose experiences that match their interests and budget. Many of these courses involve off-campus trips, providing valuable firsthand experiences. These immersive experiences help TCHS students make crucial decisions about their college and career paths.
Troy Christian Schools annually offers a wide range of topics, with course and trip fees ranging from $100 to $2,500 to accommodate everyone. Explore the ESM descriptions below to discover these opportunities and make an informed decision that aligns with your child's interests, family schedule, and finances.
ESM Resources
ESM FAQs
Local ESM Options
Culinary Arts Cares
Cost: $225
This experience is the perfect blend of service and cooking! You’ll learn basic and advanced culinary skills as you create delicious fare. You will choose menus, prepare meals, sample new foods, and serve others through the gift of hospitality. After enjoying that delectable cuisine, you will serve those experiencing food insecurity at various area food pantries.
Defending Biblical Worldview
Cost: $400
Take a tour of a full-scale replica of Noah’s Ark and the Creation Museum, search for fossils at Caesar Creek State Park, and learn how to defend the authority of Scripture. Discover how evidence of a worldwide flood supports the biblical view of the earth's age, and learn how to present this information as you defend your faith against secular worldviews. The week will conclude with students presenting what they have learned to elementary-age children. This trip involves one overnight stay (all other nights will be spent at home).
Faith, Fitness, and Fellowship
Cost: $275
Get ready for a week that moves the body, mind, and heart! Faith, Fitness, and Fellowship is an action-packed week designed for high schoolers who want to push their physical limits, try new activities, and make a real impact in our local community. Throughout the week, our group will dive into dynamic fitness challenges, conquer adventure activities like indoor rock climbing, and step out of our comfort zones by trying new court and target sports. Most importantly, we are putting our energy into action. A highlight of our week will be serving alongside local community partners for a day of nonstop games, connection, and joy. Whether we’re competing in team challenges or serving others, this week is all about using our strength and abilities to honor God and lift up those around us.
Project Dayton
Cost: $150
Calling all students with a servant’s heart! Do you desire an opportunity to minister to the "least of these" right in your own community? This year, we will work with local organizations, such as the Dayton Dream Center and Dear Dinah, to serve in our own backyard. Projects may include minor construction, painting, cleaning, yard work, and packing/sorting supplies. We will conclude the week with a wrap-up worship and bonfire night. Join us for a practical opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus!
Teacher Practicum
Cost: $100
Are you considering a career as an educator or do you enjoy working with children? Sign up to work alongside one of our elementary teachers so you can change your perspective and view school through the eyes of a teacher! You will help tutor students, grade papers, teach a short lesson, and design a bulletin board. When you sign up, please let us know which grade level most interests you so we can do our best to place you in that classroom.
Women’s Ministry Class
Cost: $150
Join us for a fun and meaningful trip exploring ministry in action! On this all-ladies trip, we’ll connect with the women’s ministry leader at Salem Church of God for a behind-the-scenes look at church ministry. Next, we’ll team up with Dayton Women in the Word—a local ministry equipping women to study Scripture and grow in their faith—where you’ll meet leaders, hear their stories, and help facilitate a Bible study at a local homeless shelter. From there, we’ll visit Cedarville University to meet women’s ministry professors and tour the campus. To wrap up the week, we’ll partner with a local nonprofit that serves new mothers in need, sharing God's love with moms and babies in the Dayton area.
Enrichment ESM Options
Washington, D.C. Trip
Cost: $1,800
Faith, history, and education come together in Washington, D.C.! Our nation’s capital will inspire you, Arlington National Cemetery will move you, and you will contemplate God’s hand in America’s history. On this unique trip, you will see the White House, the Washington Monument, the National Archives, the National Zoo, and Capitol Hill. We will also explore the Smithsonian Museums, the Holocaust Museum, and the Museum of the Bible. Join us as we visit thought-provoking memorials, learn from past sacrifices, and consider the role you will play in God’s plan for our nation’s future.
Wilderness Retreat
Cost: $1,500
Do you need a break from the daily pressures of life to hear from God? He says, “Come away with me, and I will give you rest” (Mark 6:31). Retreat allows us to use the gifts of time, quiet, and fellowship to know God more intimately so we can serve Him more joyfully. If Jesus went into the wilderness often to find rest and hear His Father’s voice, how much more do we need to seek quiet places in nature? The Wilderness Retreat in Zion National Park offers the tranquility of placid lakes and mountaintop experiences alongside the adventure of wild rivers and narrow canyons—all of which God will use to rejuvenate your spirit. Plan on a physical and spiritual adventure! (Note: Some personal hiking and camping equipment will need to be purchased for this trip.)
Domestic ESM Options
Junior High Camp Experience
Cost: $275
(billed in 5 monthly installments of $55 from November through March)
From Monday through Thursday of ESM week, our junior high students will travel to a Christian camp in Ohio for an unforgettable experience filled with worship, fellowship, outdoor activities, and hands-on service projects.
Note: There is no school for junior high students on Friday of ESM week. Detailed schedules and packing lists will be sent out closer to the event.
Florida
Cost: $1,500
Join us on a mission trip to Orlando, Florida, where over 74 million people visit each year, but only 24% of the local population identifies as Evangelical Christians. This trip gives students a chance to discover their God-given gifts while sharing Christ's love with both residents and travelers. Potential projects include helping church planters with mini-VBS programs, block parties, and prayer walks, assisting with light construction and creative arts. We may also serve with community groups like Second Harvest Food Bank, Unto, or Wash Ministry, partner with Daystar to minister to kids with special needs or share the Gospel through local sports clinics and music.
Nashville
Cost: $800
Students will travel to Nashville for a five-night stay, working alongside Fire & Fragrance ministry to serve the local community. Students will participate in weekly worship gatherings designed to help youth and young adults encounter Jesus. Fire & Fragrance is passionate about equipping and sending out the next generation of missionaries, and their staff will select service projects tailored to our group’s strengths. This trip focuses on deepening your relationship with God, empowering you to share the Gospel, and providing opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
International ESM Options
Bahamas
Cost: $2,000
For many years, Troy Christian has had the privilege of partnering with Chapel on the Hill in Nassau, and this trip offers a special opportunity to deepen that longstanding relationship. High school students will serve on a beautiful 11-acre campus that includes a Christian school, retreat center, and church. Throughout the week, students will work with local children, assist with campus improvement projects, experience Bahamian culture, and serve alongside our ministry partners. Please prayerfully consider this unique opportunity to grow spiritually, serve others, and develop as a leader.
Dominican Republic
Cost: $2,500
Students will travel to the Dominican Republic to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ with our host ministry, SCORE International. While in the Dominican Republic, we will focus our evangelism work on several projects, partnering with Emanuel House to support local students and their families. We will share the Gospel, support a medical team, and assist with building projects.
Honduras
Cost: $2,500
Students will travel to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to partner with Dream On: Global in their conviction that "The church will dream again!" From pizza parties in the slums to a crusade where thousands gather to experience the life-changing presence of Jesus, the team will be on a relentless mission to see eyes opened, hope restored, and purpose revived. When the team is not ministering at a church or serving in the community, there will be space for each person to dream with God about their future and calling. As the team explores Honduras's wild and unforgettable beauty, God will awaken hearts and draw each one into their destiny. We will do this alongside Pastor Wilmer Godoy, who has faithfully served his nation and 23 campuses for over 20 years. We hope you will join us!
Jamaica
Cost: $2,500
Students will travel to St. Mary, Jamaica, to partner with ACE (American Caribbean Experience)—a Christ-based outreach ministry dedicated to community transformation through strategic education, enterprise, healthcare, and discipleship initiatives. ACE has been ministering on the island for over 20 years and welcomes you to join them in being the hands and feet of Christ to the people of Jamaica! The trip includes a building project, serving at a local school, and caring for patients at a local infirmary. While in Jamaica, you will also learn about the local culture and meet entrepreneurs who have launched businesses with ACE's support. Visit acexperience.org for more information.
