College Chaplain

Growth through Connection

Article by Reverend Peter Landry, College Chaplain

At Overnewton, we want Chapel to be a place where students can explore some of life’s big questions in ways that are meaningful, age-appropriate and grounded in our Anglican tradition. This term, we have been thinking about what it means to flourish, both as individuals and as a community. 

Here is a little of what we have been exploring in Chapel, along with some simple ideas you might like to try together at home. 

Junior School: Prep to Year 4 

Our younger students have been exploring the story of the Samaritan woman, whom Jesus meets at a well (John 4:4–42). Through this story, we have been thinking about the different things people need to grow and flourish. 

Over the past fortnight, we have been watching the seeds we planted during our last Chapel service begin to grow into seedlings. As those little shoots have emerged from the soil, they have given us a strong picture of how growth takes time, requires the right conditions, and looks different for every seed. 

Of course, your children are not plants! Although, if they were, Saturday morning sleep-ins would be much easier. 

But there is something we can learn from the way plants grow. We all need certain things to flourish. Food, water, rest and exercise help our bodies to grow. Relationships, encouragement and a sense of belonging support our emotional wellbeing. Opportunities to learn and discover help our minds to grow. 

In the story of the Samaritan woman, we also encounter another dimension of flourishing: spiritual growth and our connection with God. 

Jesus offers an invitation to know God and to remain connected to him. One of the simplest ways we can nurture that connection is through prayer. 

So, in Chapel, we have begun with a very simple practice. At the end of each day, we are encouraging students to pause and say: 

“Thank you, God, for…” 

It might be for something big: a special experience, an achievement or an upcoming holiday. Or it might be something wonderfully ordinary: a funny moment, a beautiful sunset, Maccas for dinner or someone being kind. 

There is no need to find the perfect words. The invitation is simply to pause, notice and give thanks. 

If it feels right for your family, you might like to try this together at home. Whether prayer is already a regular part of your family life or this is something quite new, a few moments of gratitude can be a powerful way to finish the day. 

Our lives can be busy, and there is often a lot competing for our attention. Taking a moment to connect with ourselves, with one another and with a God who sees us and loves us can be like coming to a well of living water. 

Years 5 to 12 

For our older students, we have continued this theme by exploring connection. 

Using the image of a branch connected to a vine, we have reflected on Jesus' words in John 15:1–11: 

“I am the vine; you are the branches.” 

Just as a branch cannot flourish when it is separated from the vine, Jesus invites us to remain connected to him. 

This has given our students an opportunity to think about the many things we connect ourselves to: friends, family, sport, technology, school, hobbies and ambitions. We have considered which of these connections genuinely help us to flourish. 

A branch will bear the fruit of the vine it is connected to. In much the same way, our choices, attitudes and priorities will often reflect the things we give our time and attention to. 

Christianity offers a distinctive perspective on wellbeing. We are not simply individuals trying to become healthier or happier on our own. We are people created for relationship: with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world around us.

Prayer is one of the ways we practise this connection. It doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it is simply about pausing and remembering that we are connected to a God who sees us, knows us, loves us and chooses us. 

As the psalmist encourages us in Psalm 46:10: 

“Be still and know that I am God.” 

Continuing the conversation 

If you would like to continue this work at home, my advice is quite simple: your children are looking for connection. 

One of the most powerful things we can do as parents and carers is to intentionally model the kinds of connections we hope our children will develop in their own lives. 

How we use our phones, how we make time for one another, how we respond when life throws us a curve ball, how we speak about ourselves and others, and whether we make space for quiet, reflection and prayer all communicate something to our children about what matters. 

We won’t get it perfectly right, but this also models a healthy connection with personal growth. Perhaps the invitation this week is simply to slow down a little, be truly present with one another, and make some space to notice the things that help us flourish.