More Than a New School Year

Story by Kiona Costello

Blue Mountain Academy (BMA) hallways that sat quiet throughout the summer are now filled with conversations. Residence halls have welcomed students from across the country and around the world. Another school year has officially started, but at BMA, something is happening that is much bigger than just another year of classes.

Here, education has never been simply about earning good grades or preparing students for a career. Those goals certainly matter, but Seventh-day Adventist education centers like BMA offer something far greater—preparing young people for a life of purpose—and ultimately, for eternity.

BMA leaders realize that today’s students are growing up in a world unlike any previous generation. Information is unlimited. Technology connects us instantly while often leaving us feeling more disconnected than ever. Our young people are learning how to navigate a world that constantly asks them who they are and what they believe.

That is why BMA strives to prepare students by increasing the awareness of common youth mental health issues. The school is being intentional about incorporating information and faith-focused resources into the day so students can learn and practice wholistic mental health behaviors with a spiritual focus. BMA also offers a packed schedule of classes, extracurriculars and spiritual mentoring, without the distraction of unlimited devices.

As a result, most BMA students respond with decisions for baptism, service at a summer camp or in a literature evangelism ministry, and/or mentoring fellow students. While the world continues to change, BMA’s mission remains the same: to educate, mentor and prepare young people to serve both God and others.

That mission belongs to more than just faculty and staff. It belongs to church leaders who pray faithfully for the students; to parents who help BMA in a myriad of ways; to alumni who continue to support the place that helped shape their own lives; to every church member who believes investing in young people is one of the greatest investments one can make for God’s kingdom.

This school year, BMA invites you to join in praying for the students, teachers, staff and families. Pray that the classrooms will be places where knowledge and faith grow together and that every student who steps onto the campus will encounter the love of Christ in meaningful ways.

Staff look forward to what God has planned for BMA this year—not only in the lessons the students will learn, but in the lives He will transform. To join BMA and/or learn more, call 484-662-7004 or email info@bma.us.