When I meet with new parents and their children I often talk about the importance of relationships in the life of a Christian school community. Positive student peer relationships. Respectful and warm relationships between teachers and their students. Meaningful connections between parents and teachers. These relationships are important to help school to feel like family. This sense of belonging helps students to feel emotionally safe, focus on their studies and achieve academically.
While this is all true, in a Christian school it is inadequate. God calls us to be in relationship with Him by confessing Jesus as Lord and Saviour. He has expressed His kindness to us in Jesus. God is also kind to us by delighting in our prayers. Therefore, our Christian school community should pray.
We pray prayers of praise, such as thanking God that our school receives government money and can employ Christian teachers, teach the Bible and explain a Christian perspective on a range of areas of learning.
We pray for others. These prayers can be for those who have substantial burdens to carry. We pray that others will grow to be more like Christ. We pray that children will have meaningful relationships at school. We pray that they will learn and achieve.
We pray prayers of repentance when we grieve God and others by our words, thoughts and actions.
What a blessing that God hears our prayers and delights to give good things to his children (Matthew 7: 9-11). Our prayers don’t need to be sophisticated, follow a particular formula or be seen as a task. When I am confused, stressed or sad my prayers are usually far from eloquent. They can be repetitive, somewhat confused and childlike.
In his book Enjoying God, Tim Chester said:
Childlike requests are advanced spirituality. Placing a child among his disciples, Jesus said, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:4). There is nothing greater than coming as a child before God the Father (p72).
Therefore, if you struggle to know how to pray for our school, our students, our staff and our parents, remember that God delights in the prayers that you pray.
The latter half of Term 2 has much to pray for. Exams and assessment tasks can be stressful for children, particularly if they do not receive the results they were hoping for. Term 2 is also busy with excursions and our fabulous musical. Please pray for Mrs Kath Breen, staff and parents who are helping her and of course the cast of children who are enthusiastically rehearsing for the production.
As we focus on Christian education and pastoral care as our key theme this year, please remember the importance and power of prayer. Prayer is fundamental to a Christian education and necessary to care for children pastorally.
Mr Brett Hartley
Principal
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