How long is a piece of string?
Making a difference *
The acronym MAD is for Making a Difference and that particular program is designed to increase students' awareness of and involvement in global justice issues. But I want to say most emphatically that every SU chaplain is MAD! Each one is making a difference - a very significant difference - to the life of their school community. What was it that Jesus said about salt and light? That's what a school chaplain is! 'Your Kingdom come...on earth...' is what we often pray. School chaplaincy is about Kingdom business - God's kingdom of justice, mercy, peace and unconditional love.
Greg Foot is often asked to describe the job of a school chaplain.
I'm often asked 'What does a school chaplain actually do?', and there are times when I'm tempted to reply facetiously, 'How long is a piece of string?', because there's more than a grain of truth in that response!
One of the best parts of my job is that each week I'm privileged to read reports of the work that SU's 21 school chaplains are doing across the state, and every time I do this I'm blown away by the breadth and the depth of the chaplain's role in the school community, and the impact that each chaplain has in their own unique way on their school's community.
Here's just a few things taken randomly from these reports:
- being alongside a year 12 student anxious about his future after moving out of a painful home situation
- going with students on a rigorous outdoor education adventure camp to Maria Island
- running CHIC course for at-risk girls (Choices, Hope, Identity, Connections)
- being a presence in a school community after the death of a teacher
- being there for a parent struggling to cope with her child's behaviour due to mental illness
- being invited by the principal to sit in as a third party in meetings with students exhibiting challenging behaviours
- encouraging Christian students and teachers on the school campus in their faith journey
- running a MAD day/project at school
- planning to set up a school radio station!
- coaching a sports team
- participating in cooking and art classes
- just 'hanging' in places where students congregate.
We live in exciting times
2007 has seen ten new chaplains appointed. The quality of commitment, experience, appropriate gifts and qualifications that each one brings to their role should give us cause for celebration and thanksgiving.
They are listed here so you can pray for each, and encourage them in any way you can - chaplains thrive on encouragement! And if you want to encourage a chaplain but don't know where to contact them, please ask SU.
Please pray for
Grant Medwin - Cosgrove HS
Kerry Lamb - Newstead College
Debora Bryan - Geilston Bay HS
Kris Adams - Deloraine HS
Naomi McGlone - Sorell School
Duncan Lawes - Cressy DHS
Ian Sheppard - New Norfolk HS/Glenora DHS
Natalie Lucas - Don College
Joseph Robertson - Ulverstone HS
Annie Cain - Tasman DHS
31 schools who applied through SU in the first round of federal government funding for school chaplaincy, have received grants for three years to employ new chaplains, or extend the hours of their existing chaplains.
This will mean that there will be 15-20 new chaplaincies around the state in the very near future - great news!
Please pray that more quality people will be called by God to this vital ministry in our schools and that SU will be able to adequately resource the increase!
Greg Foot is Scripture Union Chaplaincy Worker