The Heart of DCC

When I started teaching at DCC, I had brown hair, was 22 and looked 15. It was my first time inside a Christian school and in that first year, I wore a tie to look older, over-prepared every lesson and had recurring nightmares about how students would just run away mid class.

My first class of Year 12s are now in their early 50s (which just hurts to say!) So I have had a chance to observe DCC over a decent chunk of its 50 years. When I asked the current captains to recount a story that captured the core of our culture.

• Isaac spoke of this authentic no frills real Christianity - that when he arrived in Year 7, he encountered a whole bunch of teenage Christians and wondered where they had been. 
• Zara spoke of the joy of Year 9 Service Experience and working together trying to copy Jesus
• Taki spoke about swimming sports and the community rallying around a younger swimmer, swimming in a race above their age

• Amy spoke about the community created in Creative Arts Week—how students supported and encouraged one another, and what that meant.

   

At the end of their final assembly one of our Year 12s - Arthur - requested the microphone to say a prayer. Now if you don’t know Arthur – well – when I asked him if I could talk about this his Teams message response was “yeah – go crazy man”. Which kind of gives you a sense.

At times particularly when he was younger, Arthur found school challenging. And, to be frank, at times, school found Arthur challenging and there were moments where we were wondering if this was the right place, whether he would be able to make it.

But everyone, staff, students, parents and especially Arthur, persevered. And he finished Y12, and he said his prayer.

And it was an incredible prayer. And he was thankful, and he spoke with passion - that he and his peers would continue to be there for one another and go on with Jesus. 

Now I am not saying that getting the students to the point of saying a prayer like Arthur is the goal of what we are trying to do – everyone is at different places and maybe you’re still asking questions. And even for Arthur saying a prayer at the end of Y12 is not the end of his story. It’s closer to the beginning - he, like me, will have highs and lows. 

But think about this – Arthur as an 18 year old wanted to express his allegiance to Jesus and his hope for his peers in front of his whole school. And he felt safe enough to do so. And not only was the idea welcomed by all of you, he was encouraged. This doesn’t happen in many places.

And when you think of it, Arthur experienced all the things the College Captains spoke of. Like Isaac, he was encouraged by this authentic normal faith of many around him. He was the beneficiary of a community trying to copy Jesus and, as Amy and Taki described, his desire to pray  was met with encouragement and support.

Arthur is not done yet, like all of us he is a work in progress. But it is my hope that any student who learns in this community will have encounters with the unconditional love of God embodied in the staff, students, and parents around them and be sustained and encouraged in their journey. 

It’s my prayer that if any of you visit when DCC celebrates 100 years, that despite all the change, you recognise God’s mission in all that is being done. 

Have a joy-filled and God-blessed Christmas and New Year!

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