Editorial
I recently joined a lunchtime gathering run entirely by middle school students for prayer and worship. Their faith was inspiring, and I was deeply moved as I listened to students share their testimonies with one another. In the midst of this, the story of one Year 9 student stood out to me as a beautiful picture of how God is at work in our community.
He spoke of an ordinary Tuesday afternoon in his Christian Education class, where he was invited to find a Bible verse that stood out to him. As he searched, he came across a passage that felt deeply significant - one his mother had shared with him some time earlier. That evening, he said, he asked his father for a Bible, and his father had one ready to give.
He then shared about attending youth group, where he heard a message that spoke powerfully to him - so much so that it left him in tears. He reflected, “From that night on I started realising what it means to be a Christian. I started reading the Bible more, praying more, and talking to Jesus and living with Him in my life.”
What struck me most was not only the student’s growing faith, but the way it had been nurtured through multiple, interconnected influences. The home, where Scripture was first shared. The school, where space was created to engage with God’s Word. The church, where the message of the gospel came alive in community. None of these stood alone. Together, they formed a tapestry of discipleship - an expression of what it means to be a Kingdom community.
This reminds me that discipleship is not a program or a moment; it is a way of life cultivated over time through relationships, rhythms, and shared commitment. It is about far more than what we do - it is about who we are becoming.
Discipleship reshapes our identity. As we engage with God’s Word and respond to His call, we begin to see that we are not simply called to live in a certain way, but that we belong to Someone. We are known and loved by God. We are His children. And from that place of belonging, everything else begins to take shape -our choices, our values, and our sense of purpose. As Scripture reminds us, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). Our lives find their meaning and coherence in Him.
This is why experiences like the Grade 6 Worthy Day this week are so significant. At a key transition point in their lives, students were invited to reflect on their identity. They were reminded that their worth is not found in achievement, popularity, or what they possess, but in being deeply loved by God - that as His children they are precious in His sight, created with purpose, and held securely in His love.
And when our children hear this message day in and day out, from the home, church and school, it can shape them and their sense of self in profound and lasting ways. For when we know whose we are, we are freed from the need to find our identity in the shifting expectations of the world. Instead, we are anchored in something true, lasting, and life-giving.
As we approach Easter, we are drawn again to the centre of our faith - the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The cross reminds us that our worth is not something we need to strive for - it has already been declared. And the resurrection assures us that this is not the end of the story, but the beginning of a new life lived in hope.
I continue to be deeply encouraged by the ways I see this lived out across our College -students stepping into leadership, encouraging one another in faith, and creating spaces where others can encounter Jesus; staff faithfully modelling Christ-like character in both word and action; and families and churches partnering so intentionally in the spiritual formation of our young people.
We are, together, a kingdom community.
It is a privilege to be part of this work, and I look forward with great hope to all that God will continue to do in and through us - for His glory.
Craig Ogden
Director of Christian Formation
