THE SHARPTOP EXPERIENCE
An Upper School student shares how this annual tradition deepens faith and brings the Pisgah community together.
By Chloe Parker, Class of 2028
Here at Mount Pisgah, the annual Upper and Middle School trips to Sharptop Cove aren't just a fun getaway, it's so much more than that. SharpTop helps to foster stronger relationships within our school community and help students to go deeper in faith.
Since SharpTop is at the beginning of the fall semester where everyone is still getting to know each other, it helps students “break the ice” with classmates simply because you are living, eating, and worshiping alongside one another for two days straight.
There are countless fun traditions like the "big cookie," color wars, and senior skits, which also bring an element of friendly competition among grade levels and encourage everyone to work together.
Not only does it bring students closer to their classmates they might not know, it also brings students closer to their teachers. The environment of SharpTop naturally empowers teachers and students to bond, whether at meal times, cabin time or "GO" (free) times. I personally can attest to this, this year's SharpTop week brought me closer with not only my current teachers, but teachers I've also had in the past.
But by far, Chapel is the best part. With the worship, sermons, and small groups students grow stronger in their relationship with Christ. Chapel is not only faith-growing - it's also just really fun, jumping around worshiping with classmates. Advisory small group time is a great chance to share and walk through ideas from the speaker's message. Chapel also gives us a moment to stay grounded and reset from the busy activities and other events at SharpTop.
This year's SharpTop Upper School trip included numerous senior skits, relay races, and neon colors. "GO" time was spent zip lining into the lake, swimming in the pool, refreshing at the snack shop, playing volleyball, pickleball and just hanging out with their friends. With no phones and so much to do it gives our community a great opportunity to take a break from the school and work environment and to join together in fellowship and fun, while out in nature.
Seniors get to spend the whole week up at SharpTop, leading and serving Middle School students after the official Upper School trip has ended. This is a special time for them to mentor and spend time with their younger classmates. This is an awesome opportunity to lead in servanthood, serving as role models for our school community.
Mount Pisgah prioritizes fitting SharpTop into our school year schedules because it brings so much to our spiritual life experience, but also to our sense of community and belonging. It is a tradition that students, faculty, staff, and parent volunteers look forward to each year.