Pray. Pray. Pray. That’s the central theme for Loganville Christian Academy’s 2025–26 Upper School Chapel series: “Teach Us to Pray.” Serving as the launchpad for this year long spiritual focus was Alpha Camp, held August 23–26. This year’s theme is rooted in the Lord’s Prayer, found in Luke 11 and Matthew 6.
While Alpha Camp offers many layers of experience, everything centers around the chapel sessions. These sessions featured a variety of speakers delivering messages aligned with the overarching theme of prayer.
Speakers included: LCA senior Andrew Bridges, LCA Director of Discipleship Maranda Joynes, LCA alumnus David Graham, LCA Bible teacher EJ Alexander, and Tom Tanner, pastor at RiverStone Church in Kennesaw.
Andrew spoke during the senior-only portion of Alpha Camp, posing the question: “How can you sit in the love of God the Father?” His message focused on cultivating a life of radical prayer, understanding God as our Perfect Father, and knowing the character of God — not just knowing about Him.
During David’s session, he quoted Martin Luther: “To be a Christian without prayer is to be alive without breathing.” His talk, titled “One Thing,” emphasized four key points: (1) Get obsessed with sitting at the feet of Jesus; (2) Choose what is necessary; (3) Prayer is the only way — if you’re too busy to pray, you’re too busy; and (4) Prayer is your portion.
EJ guided students through the Lord’s Prayer, highlighting four essential steps: (1) Praise first; (2) Align with God’s will; (3) Depend on God daily; and (4) Forgiveness is freedom. To deepen the impact of the message, he referenced Psalm 139:4, reminding students that God knows our hearts and words before we even speak them.
Tom spoke about how the Bible is our greatest resource and prayer is our greatest access. He encouraged students to follow a model of Desire – Discipline – Delight – Discovery in developing their prayer life. Drawing from personal stories, he shared how prayer saved his son’s life and transformed an atheist college student into a long-term missionary in India.
Wrapping up the chapel sessions was Maranda, who anchored her message on the idea that “who we are praying to influences how we pray.” She reminded students of God’s attributes and emphasized that when His characteristics feel hard to grasp, Jesus is always the answer. Drawing from Mark 10:46–52, she shared a personal story about praying for a rainbow — a prayer that was answered in an unexpected but perfectly timed way.
For junior Rowan Corrente, one experience stood out above the rest.
“One of my favorite memories was the optional worship time,” said Rowan. “It felt like we weren’t separate and in our own friend groups like we would be regularly. It felt like we were all the same, worshipping the same God.”
Held at Woodlands Camp in Cleveland, Georgia, Alpha Camp also included plenty of fun and fellowship. Students participated in a variety of activities, especially on the lake — including the Blob, kayaks, water tricycles, paddleboards, a diving board, and water basketball.
Inside the gymnasium, students played basketball and pickleball, and enjoyed a game room featuring ping pong, air hockey, and foosball. Outdoors, they took advantage of the zipline, giant swing, sand volleyball, 9-square, and soccer fields.
On the first day, seniors were given exclusive access to new additions at the campground, which included upgraded spaces designed to enhance their experience.
Senior TJ Lockett’s biggest takeaway was the chance to bond with classmates in a low-pressure, meaningful environment.
“The Alpha Camp experience for me was being able to connect with my friends outside of school in an environment where there was no stress,” TJ said. “It felt like I got a chance to really figure out what my friends thought and believed in.”
Alpha Camp is more than just a few days away from campus. It provides a spiritual spark to begin the school year. This year’s outcome of intentional prayer, powerful messages, and building community inspired students to deepen their prayer life and draw closer to God.