Editorial

Remembering Who 

Is in the Boat

Remembering Who Is in the Boat 

As we move through the final weeks of another significant year at Plenty Valley Christian College, I have found myself reflecting on a familiar passage from Mark’s Gospel. 

In Mark 4, Jesus and His disciples set out across the lake when a fierce storm suddenly arises. The disciples are frightened by what is happening around them and wake Jesus, wondering whether He understands the seriousness of their situation. 

Jesus does not simply reassure them. He speaks, and the storm becomes still. 

The disciples are left asking a much bigger question: 

Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him? 

There is something profoundly reassuring in this passage for us as a Christian community. The presence of a storm does not mean the absence of Christ. 

Like every school year, 2026 has brought moments of joy and celebration, alongside change, challenge, important decisions and new opportunities. There have been times when we have needed to step forward in faith without necessarily seeing everything that lay ahead. Yet through it all, God has been faithful. 

The hope of the Gospel is not that we will always have calm waters or that we will have every answer. Our hope is much greater than that. Our hope is Christ Himself. 

He is Lord when the way ahead is clear and when it is still unfolding. He is Lord over our classrooms, our relationships, our decisions, our celebrations and our future. He is present in the boat. 

This is also at the heart of what makes Christian education distinctive. We believe that Jesus Christ is Lord over all of life. Our faith is therefore not something simply added to education. It shapes the way we understand learning, creativity, relationships, leadership, service and the way we see each young person entrusted to our care. 

Made to Create 

I saw something wonderful of this at our recent Heart of the Valley – Made to Create evening. 

This year's reimagined celebration was intentionally centred on student learning and achievement, giving our young people opportunities to exhibit, perform, design, create and share their work with our wider community.

At its heart was a simple Christian conviction: creativity is a gift from God, and our students are called to discover, develop and steward the gifts He has given them.   

Across the evening, our students' creativity was brought to life through learning, performance, visual art, media and creative projects.  

For me, attending my first Heart of the Valley was particularly special. What I loved most was seeing learning made visible. Some of it was displayed, some performed, some demonstrated and some shared through conversation. Behind every finished piece, performance or presentation were hours of learning, teaching, encouragement, perseverance and creativity. 

It was a wonderful reminder of Ephesians 2:10

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” 

We are made to create because we have first been created by God. Our creativity does not point simply to what we can achieve. At its best, it points beyond us to the Creator who gives each person gifts, imagination and purpose.

A Community to Be Thankful For 

There is much for which I am thankful. 

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Heart of the Valley – Made to Create. Events like this do not simply happen. They are the result of enormous effort from staff, students, families and those working quietly behind the scenes. Thank you for creating such a joyful opportunity to celebrate our students and their learning. 

I also want to particularly thank our Community Relations Team and the many staff and student helpers who supported our Twilight Open Night. Coupling the Twilight Open Night with Heart of the Valley gave prospective families an opportunity not simply to tour the College, but to experience something of our community and see student learning and creativity firsthand. 

More broadly, thank you to our entire PVCC community. 

Thank you to our staff for the extraordinary way you continue to teach, lead, serve and care for our students. 

Thank you to our families for your partnership, encouragement and trust. 

Thank you to our students for the energy, curiosity, joy and creativity you bring to our College. 

And thank you to those who serve our community in so many ways, often without recognition. 

As we approach the end of the year, my overwhelming feeling is one of gratitude and hope. There is much ahead for PVCC, and there is much to look forward to. We do not need to know every detail of what lies on the other side of the lake to step forward confidently. We know who is travelling with us. 

So perhaps the invitation from Mark's Gospel is a simple one for each of us: 

Remember who is in the boat. 

Christ remains Lord over our College. He remains faithful. He remains present. And as we look towards the remainder of this year and all that God has ahead for PVCC, we can do so with confidence, expectation and hope. 

May we continue to be a community that learns courageously, creates generously, serves faithfully and gives thanks to God, the One from whom every good gift comes. 

Yours in Christ, 

Natasha Mackinnon

Executive Principal