Ministry

Recently the ministry staff were invited to attend Year 11 Christian Living classes to be primary resources for an ethical research topic. Students were able to choose their own ethical issue to look at and then very professionally interviewed the ministry staff for a Christian perspective on their topic. The Ministry Team and I were challenged by the topics that were presented to us and found the level of insight the students had on their topics quite incredible. Topics such as capital punishment, religion in schools and organ donation were just a few of the topics that students were researching and gathering views and opinions by interviews and other places. I found that giving the students a biblical reference for some of the opinions that I had formed were all quite similar despite the vast differences in topics. 

It was from Matthew 22 when Jesus was asked “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” He replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ 

Jesus came to teach the message of love and encourages us not only to love God, but to show that love to others. It is out of this message of love that I am able to form an opinion around various ethical issues.

 Jesus demonstrated love and spoke of grace and forgiveness. I find that when I filter my opinion through the idea that I should be loving my neighbour as myself, those thoughts become more in line with what Jesus would do. When we follow this greatest commandment, we are able to be loved by the people around us, those we live in community with and even others that share differing views than our own.

Eve Ormsby

Youth Worker