“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1 NIV).

Romans 12 is the chapter of focus for Renew, a six-week challenge in which more than eighty girls at Collegedale Academy are participating.

Renew challenges the girls to spend daily time with God and adopt a healthier lifestyle, with several more specific challenges such as outreach, fasting, prayer, and memorization.

“What we’re hoping to accomplish is to increase our daily connection with God, and to do it through a variety of avenues,” says Mrs. Andersen, one of the co-creators of Renew.

The program was written by Ms. Macias with the help of Mrs. Scribner and Mrs. Andersen after Mr. Graves gave a powerful chapel talk on December 5.

After Graves challenged the men of CA to participate in SOULCON, many girls left the auditorium with the same thoughts as senior Julia Kim: “When I heard of SOULCON, I wanted something like that for the girls,” Kim says.

Mr. Graves shared with Ms. Macias the girls’ desire for a similar challenge, and she began formulating a plan.

As she was praying for help with the program, Mrs. Scribner called her with the idea of creating a challenge for the girls and immediately became involved. Mrs. Andersen joined the creation process after a staff meeting and gave her own chapel talk on January 5 to announce Renew.

The program, which began on Sunday, January 15, has been well received by the girls of CA. Freshman Diana Tanksley and Junior Elizabeth Hawthorne are among the many girls excited for the start of Renew.

“I think it’s cool they’re doing something for the girls,” Tanksley says.

“This is a great chance for girls to grow closer to God,” Hawthorne says.

Ms. Macias has spent a lot of time carefully writing the curriculum for Renew.

“One of the biggest things that I’m really excited about is that everybody will have an accountability partner,” she says. “There will be someone to encourage you along your way, someone to talk to, someone to be accountable to . . . I hope that some of these will be lifelong relationships that are being developed.”

“We all need a renewal of our minds, of our faith, of our focus, of our beliefs,” says Mrs. Scribner. “This is not just a program; this is going to propel us to renew our minds with Christ every single moment of every single day.”

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Godʼs will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2 NIV).