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Chapel: A key defining aspect of life at an Episcopal School is the expression of the life of faith through worship. Episcopal faith finds unity not in a core dogma or set of confessional statements but through the life of prayer. The liturgy or structure of worship is a central focus of faith. Chapel, therefore, is supremely important to Episcopal identity at St. Richard's School. Early Childhood classes do not attend formal chapel services in Trinity Church; rather they hold more informal services in their own classrooms and in the children's chapel, often facilitated by the School's chaplain. Lower School students attend daily chapel on Tuesdays through Thursdays. Middle School students attend Thursday chapel. Attendance at chapel is required, but a student's level of participation is a matter of individual faith and religious preference. Students are often asked to participate in various aspects of chapel planning and liturgy.
Divinity: In addition to attending chapel and community meeting, Middle School students (Grades 5 through 8) attend one Divinity class each week. These classes, taught by the School Chaplain and sometimes by the staff of the School or Trinity Church cover topics related to Hebrew and Christian scripture, church history, world religions, and religious ethics.
Eucharist: About five times each year, during Thursday Chapel, we celebrate Eucharist, or Holy Communion. The Episcopal Church welcomes all Christians to partake of the elements of bread and wine in Holy Communion service. Again, the level of participation by individual students may vary according to their own faith traditions and family preferences. Students may receive one or both communion elements (bread and wine). If they do not wish to receive communion, they may come forward and receive a prayer of blessing from the clergy. They may also choose to remain seated in the pew during this part of service. The family's preferences for the child's participation in communion should be discussed in advance by each family, thereby letting children know what their level of participation should be according to family preferences.
 Community Service
Community service is a way of life for St. Richard’s students and faculty members. Students learn the importance of giving their time, efforts, and gifts to others at an early age and continue to practice these lessons throughout their time at SRS.
Learning to Give
St. Richard’s School was the pilot Indiana school for the Center on Philanthropy’s Learning to Give program for community service initiatives. Learning to Give is an innovative educational initiative seeking to maintain and enhance a civil society through inclusion of activities and lessons in regular curricular offerings in the classroom. Currently St. Richard’s School is the only school in Indiana in which every grade level participates in a Learning to Give project or lesson plan. See below or learningtogive.org for more about the program.
Learning to Give Mission Statement::
*EDUCATES youth about philanthropy, the nonprofit and volunteer sector, and the importance of giving their time, talent and treasure for the common good (knowledge),
*DEVELOPS philanthropic behavior and experience (skills), and,
*EMPOWERS youth to take voluntary citizen action for the common good in their classrooms, their lives and their communities (behavior)
Aside from Learning to Give, the school and church work as a community to embrace several school-wide service projects. Each year students participate in several food-drives for local pantries and organizations, and they also have a collaborative effort in providing Christmas presents to needy families. Several classrooms visit local community centers and develop relationships with the children they sponsor during the holidays.
St. Richard's School also responds in timely ways to needs in the community and nation-wide. It is common for students to focus on other children in need by collecting school supplies or books for them. Student Council members often brainstorm and respond to local and nation-wide disasters and take ownership in putting their efforts to work. In addition, individual classrooms often choose to focus their efforts based on student interest and curricular connections. New this year, St. Richard’s School will be scheduling various “Good Sam” projects for parents and their children to participate in together as a community.
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