YEAR 8 REFLECTION DAY

On Tuesday 17th May our Year 8 students were involved in a fantastic Reflection Day facilitated  by the Youth Ministry Team. They are a group of highly motivated, extremely energetic and creative young people, based in Melbourne who work with school students around Australia. 

The day had four purposes in terms of the Reflection Day Program:

• For students to appreciate the gift of their own uniqueness. 
• For students to be free to be themselves and to avoid changing their attitudes or behaviour purely to gain the acceptance of others. 
• For students to recognise the impact they can have on how others perceive their own value & dignity.
• For students to recognise that they each have a profound dignity & value, based not on exterior things such as their looks, popularity, or what they achieve in life – but on being created in God’s image and being loved by Him unconditionally.

The team -  Anthony, Jess, Shannon, Stef, Joe, Edward and Connor lead our Year 8s through a drama packed, active day that explored the themes of Uniqueness and Individuality, Loving and Accepting others and understanding Jesus as a friend.

YMT pointed out to our students that sometimes when relating with others, we can feel pressured to ‘be’ like everyone else - even if this means going with the flow and hiding our true values and attitudes. Our individuality is a priceless gift. Rather than suppressing our unique qualities, we should appreciate and respect them in ourselves and in others.

In life we wear a variety of masks for different reasons; to protect ourselves from harm and ridicule, to create a good impression or to be liked by others. The drawback with this level of communication is that we can find ourselves hiding behind these masks. The challenge  is to let down our masks and show ourselves for whom we really are and to extend this same acceptance towards others. Each one of us has a dignity and value beyond measure which is reflected in the unconditional love that God has for us. Despite our shortcomings, He loves and accepts us for who we are. While wanting us to know our value in His sight, Jesus doesn’t force Himself into our life but waits patiently for us to open the door. In this way, not only can we know about Him but also we can come to know and experience His love and acceptance personally. 

Our Year 8s engaged in the day with enthusiasm and openness and I am sure that they gained a great deal from this day. Thank you to all the Year 8s who attended and involved themselves and who welcomed the team members with such friendliness.