Middle School
Happenings in the life of 8M!
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
Our topic in Christian Studies this term has been “Heroes of Faith”. We have heard testimonies from people throughout history who have demonstrated acts of faith when faced with challenging circumstances, and the stories of their journey, as a disciple of Jesus. Students have been considering the many examples of heroic faith in the Bible and what it means to trust in the Lord and step out in faith in our own lives.
A recent passage we looked at was Matthew 14:22. The story of when Jesus walked on water and called Peter to come to Him from out of the boat. The story reveals Peter’s faith as he miraculously steps out and walks on the water to Jesus, and describes Jesus’ response when Peter becomes afraid and begins to sink. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31. Our discussion has been around what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, to truly trust in Him, and the courage required when He asks us “to step out of the boat”. God is always with us, in every circumstance, and has given us the Holy Spirit to strengthen and help us when we face a storm. All we need to do is trust Him and He will work all things together for good (Romans 8:28). Jesus is the ultimate SuperHero and wants to work through us, we are his hands and feet on earth, sharing this hope with the world around us. It is encouraging, discovering our place in the Biblical Story, that we too can be a “hero of faith” and God wants to work through us, just like he did through ordinary people in the Bible. The stories in the Bible, testimonies throughout history, and personal stories from students in our class of God at work, have been inspiring and wonderful reminders of God being continually present through the ups and downs, and his wonderful love and power at work in our lives.
In collaboration with this topic and the upcoming Book Week, our Home Group theme this term has been SuperHeroes. The students have had a lot of fun, imagining themselves as a SuperHero for a moment, photoshopping their face onto a SuperHero of their choice. These are displayed in our classroom and we have included a few of photos for your amusement. The students have written some thoughts on how the testimonies of “heroes of faith” have personally encouraged them.
“To me, being a Hero of Faith looks like encouraging and praying for people when they are down, and sharing the wonderful word of God.” - Annabelle
“Heroes of faith has encouraged me because I now understand that others go through things as well and I’m not the only one going through things. I have learned about standing up for what you believe in regardless of what others think of you and doing what is right. Being a hero of faith means obeying God whether it's easy or not.” - Ehinomhen
“God uses ordinary people and works in their lives to accomplish his will. Heroes of the faith are everyday people who say yes to God and open their hearts and lives to God, allowing God to do his work in and through them.” - Nikolas
“I love the topic of the hero of faith. It teaches me how people have put their lives to risk, just so we can hear about Jesus and his teachings. That to me is a hero. And to do that in the Lord's name, is even more important and powerful.” - Stephanie
“You don’t need superpowers to be a hero. You just need to have courage and help others. It means to “step out of the boat” and do what Jesus wants us to do and not think of what others will think when you help someone.” - Caleb
“To be a ‘hero of faith’ is to believe in God and act on it. Some examples are to serve, preach the bible, share the love of the father, Kind gestures, share your personal testimony, your personal faith.” - Mackenzie
“I have learnt about how God works in people’s lives to love and support others.” - Adele
Felicity Moss
Year 8 Pastoral Coordinator
Rough Sleep Out
Our Year 9 Rite Journey students have experienced a deeper understanding of homelessness through participating in the Rough Sleep Out. In partnership with students from King's Baptist Grammar School, our students have raised over $16,000 so far for homeless people through Westcare Baptist.
The event was held on Friday 11 August at King’s Baptist Wynn Vale and supported by Baptist Care SA, in conjunction with Homelessness Week.
Students rose to the challenge and it was a joy to see their openness, willingness to contribute and their display of faith through this challenging experience.
