PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Dear Friends,

When I applied for the Principal’s position at St Andrews Christian College in 2010, one of the things that attracted me to the College, was knowing that there was an active Parent Prayer Group.

What a blessing this prayer group has been over the years (past, present and future)! We know that St Andrews is God’s school; but to know there are people who faithfully pray for the College each week (and daily) is always encouraging and spurs us all in our faith journey in Him.

Please join us on Tuesday evenings from 8pm – 8:30pm and follow the link sent out by the College to pray with staff and parents.

I can’t operate without prayer. It is through prayer that God gives me the strength, wisdom, courage, love, grace and hope that I need each day. God is more interested in our availability to Him rather than our ability, and He does equip us for any task He does assign to us.

Jesus is our example, and if He had to pray regularly and be in constant communion with His Father, so must I.

Several years ago I was blessed to tour Israel (a journey in the footsteps of Christ) with an international group of Christian leaders/Bible teachers. One of the places we visited was the Pater Noster (means ‘Our Father’ in Latin) Church which is located on the top of the Mount of Olives. The original 4th Century Byzantine church is now part of a Carmelite Monastery, and it is believed to be the place where Jesus Christ taught the disciples how to pray.

On various walls around the Monastery, colourful mosaic plaques display the ‘Our Father’ (The Lord’s Prayer) in over 100 different languages.

I loved seeing this beautiful prayer in so many languages and bought post card copies of the plaques in some of the languages of our community here at St Andrews: Indonesian, Fijian, Farsi, Thai, Korean and Chinese.

Whatever language we pray in, may prayer become a way of life for us all. A sustaining, living line of communication in His presence, overwhelming love and grace.

Shalom,

Catriona Wansbrough

Principal

"Pray then like this:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

      on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

      as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

      but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 6:9-13 ESV