Ministry

Something that often inspires us, is being in the presence of someone who is at the pinnacle of their chosen field – whether in sport or music, in art or science, in whatever it happens to be, we are often inspired by the opportunity to meet someone we view as ‘special.’

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of having (admittedly short) conversations with cricketers Matthew Hayden and Brian Lara, and also with Grammy Award winners For King and Country.

What was most surprising to me (at the time) but made sense later is that these people at the top of their fields weren’t just great at sport or music, but were genuinely great people to be around – specifically, extremely humble, kind, patient, and genuinely focused on others.

It has caused me to continually keep in mind a phrase I shamelessly borrowed from a friend: 

We want to be good at what we do, but great at who we are.

As we are Pursuing Excellence with God this year, I see now how these people remind me of Jesus. Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus do amazing things – turn water into wine, feed the 5,000, heal the sick and raise the dead. 

We also see Jesus do incredibly humble things, things people who are high and mighty would not do – associate with the sinners of the day, cross cultural barriers to demonstrate love, wash his disciples feet, and die on the cross.

Jesus is the greatest human who ever lived. 

I believe he is also the Son of God, the Messiah.

As we pursue excellence with God, he both gives us a model to follow, and genuine help along the way. He encourages us to be as good as we can be with our skills, while also helping us with our heart and our character. He helps us be both good at what we do, and great at who we are.

We pray that all our students and staff continually get better – that they grow in and maximise their skills. But we also pray for who they are on the inside – that all of us, students and staff, would be the kind of people who, no matter how ‘successful’ we become, that we always have a heart to love, to serve, and to bless others.

In this way we, as a Christian school, can demonstrate the love of Jesus to the world.

God bless you today.

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

(Matthew 7:28-29)

Chris Mann

College Pastor