High School Worldview Days

Our spiritual life events are always moments of movement in the personal and spiritual lives of our students. During Worldview Days in February high school students took a look at culturally popular topics through a Biblical lens to reveal the truths God has in his Scripture about the big issues  of today. The two-day event incorporated advisories, breakout sessions, worship, and a keynote speaker.

The praise band from Northwestern College in Orange City traveled to DMC to lead worship throughout the day. Students joined the "worship zone" at the front of the stage and had a worship party: jumping, dancing, and singing to Jesus! An encore request was even chanted by the students to which the worship team gladly obliged. A crowd favorite was “Praise” by Elevation Worship. 

Deacon Menninga (‘26) said, “It’s important to have worship included with Worldview Days because there are many different forms of worship, and the one that a lot of people connect with the most is through music. Bringing in a worship band is a great idea to keep people engaged, because they have resources/instruments that our DMCS band doesn’t have. The NWC Band was incredibly talented and kept everybody engaged throughout the worship time both through their choice of songs and some call and response tactics.”

Breakout sessions and advisories brought students into smaller groups to discuss specific items of interest. DMC teachers, staff and coaches, as well as Reverend Kristin Brouwer of Northwestern College presented. Sessions ranged from women's and men's panels, to Sports in School, Living out Your Faith, Stress and Anxiety, Finding Contentment in a Comparison World, and more. 

Taylor Niemann ('24) went to DMC Assistant Principal Mrs. Steele's breakout on how to be a Proverbs 31 woman. She said, "I really enjoyed how Mrs. Steele shared stories about how God worked in her life and connected them to the verses in Proverbs 31. She talked about how God's plan is always best for you, even if it doesn't align with what you had in mind for your life."

Emma Osthus ('24) attended a breakout about how to transition out of the private school “bubble” when going to college, lead by high school teachers Mrs. Noonan and Mrs. Appleton. She said, "They each shared some insights they have accumulated over the years they were in college. Specifically, they talked about finding the right college, good Christian friends, and a church fit for you. At the end, they encouraged us to always pray about any uncertainties we may be facing with making our college decisions."

Our keynote Speaker Brandon McNace is a worldwide evangelist and founder of Exodus 5:1, an organization that focuses on freeing enslaved people in Asia and helping them create and sustain a life of freedom.  His first message focused on the person of Jesus. The idea is that God chooses to use the broken and unqualified to take part in His story if we are willing to follow Him. He equipped students to know that the gospel is not some dead story. If we truly call Him LORD, what would our life look like? What could we accomplish? I’m praying that what they see is that when we say YES, our lives, our communities, our homes, and our churches should look more like the book of Acts. No matter what we are going through, we are always one miracle, one moment away from everything changing.

Reagan Boley (‘26) said, “I think that Brandon McNae was an amazing speaker and he connected with the students in a way that not many other speakers can. It was a great and inspiring message about the transformation that Jesus can have on your life. I take away from his message that no matter how far away from God you think you are, you can always be found and redeemed.”

In his second session, Brandon focused on God's power and purpose for us. All too often, regardless of a person's age, the thing He hears is, "I wish I knew what I was supposed to do. What is God’s will for my life?" Brandon worked to show the students the only thing we have to be focused on is our proximity to the Creator. It’s in HIM that everything that we want is found. You won't find it in the world; you'll find it in the Creator of the world.

Amelia Fjellman (‘26) said, “Brandon McNace was very engaging and easy to pay attention to! He connected to the students through his testimony and was relatable. The way he encouraged people to take the next step with their faith was very helpful and he gave specific steps to take to grow in our faith.” 

Students also put the DMC mission into action and impacted the world for Christ through service projects throughout the metro. From setting up for Night to Shine at Valley Church, to organizing donations at Many Hands for Haiti, to organizing and pricing windows at Habitat ReStore, students volunteered in seventeen different locations. 

“Serving different organizations around the Des Moines metro is important so we can live out our mission statement and show Christ’s love to those around us,” Gianna Bennett (‘24) said. “We are able to take what we learn in the classroom and apply it to the world around us. I went to Single Parent Provision with my advisory and we helped them organize their storage places. It was really cool to see how it impacted them and how we are helping people we may never meet. It was awesome to see the impact that a short amount of time can have on so many lives. We were able to build relationships with the people that work there but also with the people we were serving with. Overall, it was a great experience that helped us to use the things that Des Moines Christian teaches us for the furthering of His kingdom.”

Jenna Roberts (‘24) also served at Single Parent Provision. She said, “This is an organization where they seek to help single parents with resources including childcare and events during the holidays. While we were there, we helped organize two storage rooms filled with gifts and other games for certain events. It is important to volunteer with our advisory because it builds relationships and a community with those whom you may not have a class with. It is a great opportunity to get to know new people while serving the community. Volunteering is a big part of DMC’s mission because we want to impact the world for Christ. Not all of the locations are Christian oriented but through our school, we can be a light for Jesus.”