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PATRIOT LIFE

CHAPEL

JOIN US for CHAPEL WEDNESDAYS AT 10:50AM

Spring 2026 Chapels will take place in the Event Center

VIEW CHAPEL ARCHIVE

SPring CHAPEL SCHEDULE 2026

Christian Unified chapels are unique. We begin each session with worship, but this is not church. We fill each session with information, but our goal is not so much education as it is motivation. Many of our students and their families are facing incredible challenges in their lives, and we want to send a strong message about the power of Jesus Christ to invade any environment and to change any circumstance.

Each semester we hear from a number of inspiring speakers. Chapel guests have included a finalist on ABC’s The Voice, the first blind active duty officer in military history, a world famous magician, and an emergency-room doctor who finds time to feed people in Syria.

Our chapel guests all have this in common: they have worked very hard to get where they are, and they have determined to live for Jesus Christ no matter what it takes. For our students, chapel is an incredible opportunity to be motivated, inspired, and changed.


JANUARY 7
SUPERINTENDENT BOB RUHLMAN

Superintendent of Schools Bob Ruhlman will offer an encouraging message for the new year. Chapel will be followed by a BBQ lunch on Main Street.


JANUARY 14
TODD DURKIN

Master motivator, coach, author, keynote speaker, podcast host, husband, father, and IMPACT Maker
Todd Durkin, MA, is an internationally recognized strength and conditioning coach, sought-after keynote motivational speaker, and best-selling author who motivates, educates, and inspires people worldwide. He is the mindset coach and trainer behind some of the world’s best athletes, including NFL MVPs, Super Bowl Champions, Heisman Trophy Winners, Olympic and X-Game Gold Medalists, and many other champion athletes, leaders, and entrepreneurs.


JANUARY 21
JOSH WEIDMANN

Pastor, Author, Speaker
Josh has pastored for 17+ years and has served as Senior Pastor of Grace Chapel in Englewood, CO, since 2015. A certified biblical counselor, he is the author of six books and the host of the daily radio program Gospel Daily. Above all, Josh considers his greatest ministry his family—his wife Molly and their six children in Denver.⁠


JANUARY 28
KEN COLEMAN

Ramsey Personality, 3-time Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Host of The Ken Coleman Show
Ken Coleman is a nationally syndicated radio host, three-time bestselling author, and co-host of The Ramsey Show, the second-largest syndicated talk radio show in America. Through his work at Ramsey Solutions and beyond, he has interviewed presidents, heads of state, and some of the most influential leaders in sports, entertainment, and business. After coaching more than 10,000 people, Ken brings a unique perspective on how to grow, lead well, and move your career forward while using his platform to help others become who they were created to be.⁠


FEBRUARY 4
RUSlAN KD

Rapper, Creative Entrepreneur, YouTuber, Refugee Born in Baku
Ruslan KD, a Christian YouTuber of Armenian descent, started his YouTube channel in the mid-2010s, which has grown into a popular platform for discussions on faith, lifestyle, and music. Known for his insightful commentary on Christian living, culture, and personal development, Ruslan is also a speaker, author, and advocate for godly ambition. His mission is to encourage, empower, and inspire people to live a life that blesses God.


FEBRUARY 11
CAL BAPTIST UNIVERSITY CHOIR

California Baptist University Choir has a rich history of excellence and is nationally recognized for its vibrant, energetic, and enthusiastic interpretation of a wide variety of musical styles and genres in our concerts that draw audiences of all ages into the very presence of God. These singers have infinite excitement and soul-stirring passion for performance, for engagement with every audience, for expressing undeniable charisma, and most importantly, for using their musical gifts to worship and lead others in worship.⁠


FEBRUARY 17-20 — SPIRITUAL EMPHASIS WEEK
ALGERNON TENNYSON

Speaker, Founder and President of Awaken International Ministries
Algernon Tennyson is the founder and president of Awaken International Ministries. He is a dynamic and passionate evangelist with a heart for today's young people.


FEBRUARY 25
WILL CHUNG

Pastor, Speaker, Church Planter
Will Chung is a church planter, pastor, and ministry leader serving as the founder of Beloved Church and The Meeting Place. A graduate of Talbot School of Theology with a Master of Divinity in Evangelism and Discipleship, he has served as a youth and college pastor for more than eight years and spent a decade in volunteer leadership with 4 Christ Mission. He also contributes nationally as an associate of Leadership Network and Exponential, a core team member of Initiative Network, and an advisory board member for The Arrow Movement and the U.S. National Prayer Council.


MARCH 4
GRANT TODD

Pastor, Husband, Speaker
Grant Todd serves as the high school pastor at Shadow Mountain Community Church. He is passionate about building up disciples through the local church and preaching biblical truth at high schools and universities across the country.⁠


MARCH 11
BRANT HANSEN

Radio Host, Podcaster, Speaker, Author
Brant Hansen is a nationally syndicated radio host, bestselling author, and podcast creator known for blending humor with thoughtful insight. His radio show reaches more than 2 million listeners, and The Brant and Sherri Oddcast has surpassed 15 million downloads. He is the author of Unoffendable, which has sold over 200,000 copies, and he has been featured on Good Morning America and in major outlets including CNN, The Washington Post, and U.S. News & World Report.⁠


MARCH 18
MASEY MCLAIN

Actress, Screenwriter, Producer
Masey McLain is an actress, screenwriter, and producer known for her roles as Rachel Joy Scott in I’m Not Ashamed and Ashley Baxter in The Baxters on Amazon Prime. She collaborates with Taylor Kalupa to create purpose-driven films and series, including A Christmas Less Traveled, Blue Ridge, and upcoming projects with Jon Erwin’s The Wonder Project and Roma Downey. Passionate about faith and redemption, Masey uses her work on screen and behind the scenes to inspire others to live boldly and embrace God’s transformative power in their own stories.


MARCH 25
SENIOR CHAPEL

A special time of reflection and inspiration from CHS class of 2026!


APRIL 8
BRIDGETTE CAMERON RIDENOUR

Author, Speaker, Sister to Candace Cameron Bure and Kirk Cameron
Bridgette Cameron Ridenour, sister of Kirk Cameron and Candace Cameron Bure, has grown up in Hollywood and is now forging her own path as a speaker and author. A life-changing family experience brought her closer to God and her purpose, inspiring her bestselling book Overlooked. She speaks at women’s events across the U.S., sharing a message of hope, fulfillment, and the promise that God’s plans are greater than our own.⁠


APRIL 15
GAVIN SHEETS

San Diego Padre
Gavin is a Christian, stating that Jesus Christ is his Savior, Friend, and Father. His faith grounds him through the ups and downs of baseball, with his talent and career path being a gift from God, whom he credits for guiding him to Wake Forest and his current opportunities. He actively shares his faith, emphasizing that spreading the gospel is more important than baseball and that his relationship with God provides him with strength and purpose, even when facing career uncertainties.⁠


APRIL 22
BROOKS BUSER

Missionary, President of Radius International
Brooks Buser is president of Radius International. He and his wife previously served among the Yembiyembi people of Papua New Guinea for thirteen years. He is a graduate of San Diego Christian College, where he was awarded an honorary PhD for his work in Bible translation.⁠

RECENT CHAPELS:

Spiritual Emphasis Week with Algernon Tennyson

March 19, 2024

This February, Christian High had its first Spiritual Emphasis week since the Covid pandemic. Algernon Tennyson (nicknamed “Big Al”), founder and president of Awaken International Ministries, spoke throughout the week at each chapel. The overarching theme of his chapel messages was taking the next steps in one’s walk with God.

Read More »

LIPSYNC 2025

Lipsync will be streamed on the evening of Friday, September 26.
Start time is based on a variety of factors.

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY MINIMUMS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

GradeTOEFL JrTOEFLiTEPDuolingo
6700NA3NA
7750NA3NA
8800503.380-85
985050-603.385-90
10NA60-703.590-95
11NA70+3.895+

research links & INformation

Web Research Links:

Grolier Online (includes Encyclopedia Americana)
User ID: christianhs
Password: patriot

EBSCO Host Research Databases – Full-text Periodical and Reference Articles Online
User ID: christianhs
Password: patriot2019!

SIRS Knowledge Source – Periodical articles online
User ID: CA3906
Password: PATRIOT

San Diego County Library Website
Enter library card number; enter last four digits or phone number for PIN or, for newer users, make your own PIN.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

SCHOOL-WIDE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

We expect our students to be:

Influential Christians who:

  • Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior.
  • Apply Biblical principles as the foundation for moral and spiritual living.
  • Develop and maintain an informed Biblical worldview that shapes their lifestyle choices.
  • Demonstrate God’s love through acts of service and sharing the gospel.

Investigative Learners who:

  • Master a body of knowledge, vocabulary, and skills.
  • Understand, analyze, and order relationships among facts.
  • Assess their needs and apply appropriate strategies to learn concepts and skills.
  • Actively use the tools of learning throughout their lifetime.

Perceptive Thinkers who:

  • Identify, analyze, discriminate, prioritize, and apply information.
  • Have the ability to solve problems by thinking independently and logically.
  • Make responsible and well-reasoned decisions.
  • Actively seek and apply absolute truths.

Effective Communicators who:

  • Demonstrate the ability to accurately understand, interpret, and exchange information.
  • Communicate with eloquence, creativity, and persuasion in writing and in speech.
  • Develop and utilize artistic expression.
  • Proclaim and defend the gospel with wisdom, wit, and respect.

Quality Producers who:

  • Demonstrate a growing knowledge of curriculum.
  • Develop their God-given talents and abilities.
  • Display standards of excellence in all pursuits.
  • Work well with others toward a common goal.

Responsible Citizens who:

  • Respect and submit to authority.
  • Actively protect and promote freedom and democracy.
  • Enjoy God’s creation and live as good stewards within it.
  • Recognize and contribute to meeting the needs of others.    

School Governance

Christian Unified Schools of San Diego (CUSSD) is an outreach of and sponsored by Shadow Mountain Community Church (SMCC). The thirteen-member governing board of directors is composed of SMCC members who have been elected by its membership at the annual meeting. The school is a separate 501(c) 3 organization, which is supported and protected by the overarching policies of SMCC.

CORE VALUES

TEACHING STUDENTS TO ATTAIN THEIR FULL POTENTIAL IN GOD

Christian Education from the Word of God, subject to God’s sovereign and providential purpose, brings students to their full stature in Christ. Genesis 1:1, 26-28; Isaiah 54:13-17; Revelation 4:11

TEACHING STUDENTS SELF-GOVERNMENT UNDER GOD

Christian Education internalizes and applies Biblical principles for the government of home, school, and nation thereby framing the proper response of students to God. Romans 3:23; John 3:16; John 16:13 

TEACHING STUDENTS TO COMMIT THEMSELVES FULLY TO GOD

Christian Education challenges students spiritually, morally, socially, physically, and academically to consider how they govern themselves, their habits of work and scholarship, their insight and knowledge of God’s providence, and their character development in light of each student’s commitment of faith in Christ. Mark 12:30, 33 

TEACHING STUDENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS, FACULTY, AND THE LOCAL CHURCH

Christian Education is a cooperative effort between parents, faculty, and the local church to develop the spiritual, environmental, and intellectual culture necessary for sound learning. Parents authorize both school and church to inspire, cultivate, consecrate, and instruct their children. By necessity, every teacher who teaches from a Biblical philosophy of schooling must exemplify the excellent teaching gifts and qualities of character and scholarship worthy of a wholehearted commitment to Christ. All teachers must represent the spirit and discipline of their calling and embody the very goals they teach their students. Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Galatians 6:6; James 3:1. 

TEACHING STUDENTS TO THINK, LEARN, AND LIVE AS EFFECTIVE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE

Christian Education enlightens the understanding, corrects the temperament, forms the habits and manners, and prepares students for useful service. From a Christian worldview of presuppositions consistent with absolute Biblical truth, students learn to discern right action and thinking from which they then exercise a proper role in their families, the Body of Christ, and as citizens of the United States of America. Romans 12:1-2; I Timothy 4:15.

STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

GENERAL PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

Because we believe God’s Word is the primary source of truth and meaning, Christian Unified Schools of San Diego (CUSSD) seeks to operate based on Biblical principles. From God’s Word, perspective from the past, context for the present, and direction for the future is established.

Christian Unified Schools of San Diego believes that Jesus Christ is the Truth (John 14:6) and in Him as revealed in God’s Word, lives can be sanctified (John 17:17) and set apart to glorify God (I Corinthians 6:20). In accordance with the Articles of Faith and Practice, CUSSD seeks to integrate faith with life and learning from a Biblical point of view by providing a coherent academic foundation within a consistent method of thinking, which includes the concepts that all people are:

  • Made in the image of God – physical and spiritual beings: creative, independent, thinking, and capable of having a relationship with God and others
  • Fallen and sinful
  • Redeemable – saved by Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection 
  • Valuable – unique, having purpose and free will, able to pursue interests and love
  • Flesh and blood – who possess physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social strengths and weaknesses

Our goal is to train students in the arts and sciences and to nurture them in the faith of Christ so that they are challenged to think well and live well and do both for the glory of God and in service to others. The Mission, Vision, Core Values, and Expected School-wide Learning Objectives reflect this philosophy.

ADMINISTRATION PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

The administration is responsible for upholding the philosophy and foundational statements, provide a carefully developed curriculum, professionally support and serve the teachers, and work to ensure a God-honoring school where like-minded parents can expect their student to receive a quality Christian college preparatory, liberal arts education.

TEACHER PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

The teachers are instruments of God in the redeeming and shaping process. As detailed in the Staff Code of Ethics, they model Christian behavior and strive to instill knowledge and the tools of learning in the student. The teachers are vital to the establishment of the spiritual and professional quality of the school. They are to be called by God to teach, train, discipline, and serve. They are to have a clear Christian testimony, be growing in their Christian faith, and be life-long learners. They are to model, integrate, and include a Biblical worldview and Great Commission perspective in lessons, activities, and assessments. They are to be professionally prepared and appropriately qualified.

They are charged to:

  • Support the school’s philosophy, foundational statements, and school-wide policies
  • Maintain professional conduct
  • Possess and utilize effective classroom management skills
  • Use developmentally appropriate, sufficiently challenging instructional strategies
  • Be well-prepared for class
  • Communicate clearly and effectively
  • Assess learning accurately
  • Reflect and improve continually
  • Demonstrate God’s character instructionally and relationally

CURRICULUM PHILOSOPHY STATEMENTS

General Curricular Statement:

The curriculum is designed to produce rational, reasoning, and responsible Christian citizens with a Biblical worldview as the foundations for thinking, doing, and being. With knowledge that God is the Giver of all Wisdom, Christian Unified Schools of San Diego seeks to:

  • Incorporate a Biblical worldview into each unit, grade, class, and program in a purposeful, intentional, and pro-active manner
  • Instill the Tools of Learning incrementally by building on concepts one step at a time in ascending order
  • Articulate, integrate, and align the content into the various disciplines and within each level
  • Provide a balance of quality academic, arts, athletic, leadership, and service opportunities
  • Meet educational needs so that the students will:
    • Have firm convictions based on a foundation of Biblical truth, sound thinking, and practical purpose
    • Be prepared to further their education
    • Become skilled, life-long, self-directed learners who have a body of knowledge and skills
    • Be able to develop facts into logical arguments to solve problems
    • Be able to convey their critical thinking ability clearly, eloquently, and persuasively
    • Live well in two kingdoms simultaneously
    • Contribute to and influence the culture in which they live as salt and light
    • Lead with integrity
    • Serve with love

The Curriculum is rigorously developed, thoroughly documented, well-executed, and Biblically integrated. It is structured to provide interrelated disciplines. It incorporates the general philosophy, school-wide learning results, measurable objectives, instructional strategies, adequate resources, and appropriate assessments throughout. It is driven by policies and procedures. It includes a Biblical worldview and a Great Commission perspective.

The Methodology uses researched, best practices to incorporate knowledge with application through differentiated instruction aligned to cognitive development. It provides a dynamic, rich, creative learning environment. It incorporates high-yield instructional strategies, technology, and activities to promote wisdom and understanding, essential skills and content knowledge, and critical and higher level thinking ability.

The Goal is to provide for the educational needs of individual students while motivating them to attain to the best of their God-given ability within the framework of character development. We seek to prepare students to live life from a Biblical worldview with strong moral and spiritual values. We hope to see students who continue learning, leading, and serving with integrity and purpose. We desire that students glorify God by loving God and others with their whole hearts, minds, and souls.

PARENTAL PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

The parents and the church are the institutions charged with the education of children. Therefore, the parents are ultimately responsible for the physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, and social development of their child. The parents, by entrusting their students to the school, understand and support the philosophy, foundational statements, and school-wide policies. They strive to reinforce the school’s values as ascribed in the Parental Agreement. They participate in activities, and they provide for the success of their student.

STUDENT PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

The students are uniquely created in the image of God and in need of discipleship to use their talents to full potential as they grow in grace, knowledge, and wisdom of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18). Students are to be prepared, principled, and creative life-long learners and well-educated, purposeful, Godly leaders and servants. They are to submit to the authority structure set in place by God not only while students but also as adults. They are to abide by the school-wide standards as outlined in the Student Agreement and handbook and strive to attain the Expected School-Wide Learning Results by becoming:

Influential Christians who:

  • Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior.
  • Apply Biblical principles as the foundation for moral and spiritual living.
  • Develop and maintain an informed Biblical worldview that shapes their lifestyle choices.
  • Demonstrate God’s love through acts of service and sharing the gospel.

Investigative Learners who:

  • Master a body of knowledge, vocabulary, and skills.
  • Understand, analyze, and order relationships among facts.
  • Assess their needs and apply appropriate strategies to learn concepts and skills.
  • Actively use the tools of learning throughout their lifetime.

Perceptive Thinkers who:

  • Identify, analyze, discriminate, prioritize, and apply information.
  • Have the ability to solve problems by thinking independently and logically.
  • Make responsible and well-reasoned decisions.
  • Actively seek and apply absolute truths.

Effective Communicators who:

  • Demonstrate the ability to accurately understand, interpret, and exchange information.
  • Communicate with eloquence, creativity, and persuasion in writing and in speech.
  • Develop and utilize artistic expression.
  • Proclaim and defend the gospel with wisdom, wit, and respect.

Quality Producers who:

  • Demonstrate a growing knowledge of curriculum.
  • Develop their God-given talents and abilities.
  • Display standards of excellence in all pursuits.
  • Work well with others toward a common goal.

Responsible Citizens who:

  • Respect and submit to authority.
  • Actively protect and promote freedom and democracy.
  • Enjoy God’s creation and live as good stewards within it.
  • Recognize and contribute to meeting the needs of others.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

  • The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired, inerrant, plenary, and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe.  For purposes of CUSSD’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, Shadow Mountain Community Church is CUSSD’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
  • We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
  • We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death through the shedding of His blood, His bodily resurrection on the third day, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, His personal, pre-millennial return to rapture His Church before the Tribulation, and His glorious appearing to set up His Millennial Kingdom.   
  • We believe that salvation is by grace alone through faith, apart from works, by the merit of the shed blood of Christ, and that the born-again believer is eternally secure in Christ.
  • We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
  • We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
  • We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • We believe in the individual priesthood of the believer.
  • We believe life begins at conception.
  • We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning— the uniting of one biological man and one biological woman in a single, exclusive union as delineated in Scripture (Gen. 2:18-25.) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a biological man and a biological woman who are married to each other (1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4.) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
  • We believe that the Scripture dictates standards of sexual behavior. The unique roles of the male and female are clearly defined in Scripture. Any promiscuity, homosexuality, gender identity issues, or other deviations from Biblical principles is a sin that is offensive to God (Matt. 5:18-19; I Cor. 6: 9-10, 19-20; Eph. 5:3-5; 1 Thess. 4:3-8).