“…true mission work must place the best interests of the least powerful person right at the core of its outcomes”
Sue Strahan
As I sat and listened to the message at church on the weekend on Christian mission work, I found it refreshing to be reminded that God’s redemptive plan is not just for individuals, but for entire communities. Sue challenged the congregation to consider that true mission work must place the best interests of the least powerful person right at the core of its outcomes.
Something very powerful that Jesus achieved when he walked the planet with us was to personally reconnect us with God and give us the ability to help ourselves and others actively participate in His redemptive story in a way that brings powerful renewal and flourishing for all of us.
So, how does this grand idea connect to our school? Christian Education is not ‘mission work’ per se, but at its heart it does seek to create a community that values each and every individual for who God has made them to be. It seeks to place the best interests of all students at the core of its outcomes, thereby enabling the flourishing of each person and their community.
Whilst this may appear a grand and unrealistic notion., it is our mission no less. As a staff it is a privilege to continue to seek to ensure that each student’s development is our core focus. We eagerly seek to create that delicate balance where a challenge is just hard enough to stretch a student and spark growth, but no so overwhelming that it causes burnout, nor so easy that it leads to boredom.
It is what Vygotsky refers to as the Zone of Proximal Development, and as a school we seek to maximise the potential of this learning zone for each student. We are intentionally stretching our students, and their learning community, into their God given potential.
It’s not different to what the Apostle Paul encourages us to do in our spiritual walk; to “work out our salvation” (Phil 2:12). He encourages us to lean into the ongoing, stretching process of growing into all that God has prepared for us.
Of course, it is delightfully easy to philosophize and talk about these grand ideas from a desk. It is an entirely different, much messier, and a vastly more courageous endeavour to actually step into the classroom, the home, or the playground and model that same idea of growth and renewal every single day. Yet, that is exactly the work we are called to.
As we tackle the challenges and triumphs of the weeks ahead, let us remember that we are a community guided by this purpose for our students.
May God bless your families with grace and resilience as we continue to stretch, learn, and lift one another up on this magnificent journey.
Good Tidings,
Jonno
