Wise words with...

Trusting God 

‘Show me your ways, Lord

Teach me your paths.

Guide me in your truth and teach me,’ Psalm 25: 4-5(a) (NIV)

Life at Nowra Christian School has certainly been very busy of late with so many exciting activities taking place across all year levels. Although I was recently absent at a Christian Schools Australia (CSA) School Leaders Conference, I know that one very special event that occurred during this past month was the Book Week Parade and Book Fair. 

Apparently the majority of staff and primary students came to school dressed in an amazing array of outfits, representing famous story book characters. I have been reliably informed that so many of our parents and carers turned up to witness these events that it was almost impossible to find enough carpark spaces! 

I have always enjoyed participating in Book Week and I was delighted when Mrs Bignell, our Teacher Librarian, informed me that I hadn’t missed my opportunity and that I would be able to read a book of my choice to two different year levels. The book that I chose was Stellarphant and I had the pleasure of reading it to enthusiastic students from Grades 2 and 3.

Recently, our HSC students completed their Trial Examinations and they will now begin final preparations for the External HSC Examinations that commence on 12 October.  (Please remember to uphold all of our HSC students in your prayers throughout the coming weeks as they study and prepare for their upcoming examinations.) 

This last week has been a very important one for our Year 12 students as it has seen them concluding their formal educational journeys at Nowra Christian School. (Although we trust that they will continue their association with our school as NCS alumni members.) For a number of them, this will mark the end of a 13 year journey at our school since commencing as Kindergarten students back in 2010. During this final week of Term 3, our Year 12 students have participated in a number of very significant events, including their Graduation Assembly and Graduation Dinner. View the image gallery of the Graduation Dinner here.

I mentioned earlier in this article that I was privileged to attend the CSA Leadership Conference that was recently held. This event brought together school leaders from most of our 146 CSA schools that are located in every Australian state and territory. I always find these gatherings to be incredibly encouraging. In many ways it feels like a family reunion as we share familiar stories of staff and students engaging in the exciting journey of Christian education.

Each day of the conference began with a praise and worship session and it was a delight to be led by talented students from the local Freshwater Christian College located in Cairns. Seeing these young students enthusiastically singing praises to the God that all of our schools serve was one of my conference highlights. It reminded me of the many times at Nowra Christian School where our Praise and Worship Student Band have performed at school assemblies and other special events. 

As mentioned by Mr Asher in the last edition of the Bytes, another event that has caught the attention of the whole world has been the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. You may well have noticed that the flags at the front of our school, like those throughout our entire nation, have recently been flying at half-mast as a mark of respect for the life of this long-reigning monarch. You may also have noticed during the funeral service, held last Monday, that the strong Christian faith and convictions of Queen Elizabeth were highlighted on numerous occasions. It was clear that this faith in Jesus was the foundation on which Queen Elizabeth II had based her long and successful reign.

I often mention what a privilege it is to work in a school setting where every day for both our staff and students begins with a devotional time and, as you are aware, our whole-school devotional theme for this year is ‘Our Great God’. This theme has seen all students and staff embarking on a journey through the Psalms. My focus verses for this article have been taken from Psalm 25 which we recently explored and I would encourage you to read this psalm in full. These particular verses clearly remind us that our God is faithful and reliable. He can be trusted to guide our paths and to teach us how best to live our lives. In a world where there often appears to be uncertainty, anxiety and confusion this does, indeed, represent ‘good news’ for every one of us!

Finally, on behalf of the NCS Board and staff, I trust that our students will have the opportunity to spend an enjoyable time with family and friends during the coming term holidays. Thank you to all of our parents and carers for your continued support and partnership throughout this past term. We will look forward to coming back together again on Monday 10 October.