From the Principal
Finding God in the Disruption
As we look ahead to the 2025 year, I can't help but reflect on the way that God has been preparing us for this new season. Earlier this year when we attended the ITEC Conference in Perth, a major take-home message was around finding God in the disruption and deepening our faith in times of challenge.
Next year will see us press ahead with the development of a new library at the heart of the school, new classrooms, and a performing arts centre that incorporates a foyer and cafeteria. Yes, we're going to have disruption, but how do we see this building site in the middle of the school as a way to deepen our trust in God, to rely on Him more, and not to just grit our teeth? There will be dust, noise, concrete and building works, but how do we use this discomfort as an opportunity to deepen relationships with each other and with God?
I'm excited for the disruption. But I'm more excited for the lessons we might learn from the disruption, and what we can express to students about resilience, about creativity and design, and how God works in that space. Sometimes you have to have a little bit of pain to make a whole lot of gain!
Nehemiah Learnings
Nehemiah 4 resonates with me at the moment. Nehemiah had a big project: to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He knew there were external dangers, and there were internal dangers. When you undertake a big project, it's really important that you understand the threats or possible challenges, both from within your community and outside your community.
While we're really excited and feel God has called us to go down this path, there has to be an awareness of the scene. For me, I'll be keenly conscious of how the building work is impacting our community and I'll be committing to regular 'temperature checks' on that space. How is the community feeling? What are they saying? Knowing this project is God-ordained, that it's what He wants us to be doing, I'll also be using the "strong and courageous" lens of Joshua 1:9 to navigate any challenges.
Leading Well in 2025
I love the energy and enthusiasm at the start of a year, so I'm delighted to start my third year in leadership at LCS. Part of my focus will be on the ongoing development of the leadership team as we start our second year together. I'm excited about that!
But everything comes back to the kids, and I can see that 2025 will bring a unique opportunity to demonstrate faith and leadership. How do we talk to young people about what we do when things don't go to plan? When there are delays, when things happen that we can't control, what do we do? And how does that impact our faith? These are the questions the leadership team will be giving time to.
Switch Off and Reflect
For me as a principal, it always takes a bit of time to wind down. But my encouragement for everyone comes from a famous quote that says:
"You don't learn from experience, you learn from reflecting on experience."
– John Dewey
I'd encourage everyone to take a break, whether you're a student or a parent, to reflect on the year that's just gone by, on God's goodness, on what you've learnt. Be intentional. Invest in time alone with God, friends and family.
I'll be getting stuck into a good book! I'm excited to get started on Trust, by Dr Henry Cloud, along with other books on leadership and growth, including Having Hard Conversations by Jennifer Abrams. I'm also a bit of a history buff and I'm looking forward to reading Dive! (Australian Submariners at War) by Mike Carlton, and I can recommend The Rest is History podcast with Tom Holland – if you're into history, that's fascinating.
But I digress! What I'd like to say in signing off for the year is this: be intentional about switching off, and take your holidays to feed your soul.
God's richest blessings on you and your family.
I look forward to seeing you in 2025.
In Christ,
Stuart Kent.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
– Joshua 1:9
From the CEN
As the end of the year is upon us, I want to take a moment to share some important updates and reflect on our journey together. Our progress over the past months has been both exciting and humbling, and I am grateful for all the contributions from our staff, members, and partners.
We are in the final stages of refining our revised strategic plan, and we are excited to share it with you in the coming months. This plan will guide us toward continued growth and success as we work to further our mission. We also greatly appreciate the interaction regarding the Constitutional review for CEN. This will be formally tabled at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in March, and we look forward to the continued discussion and collaboration.
Andrew Goelst
CEN Board Chair
As we approach the end of an exciting and transformative year, I want to share a few personal reflections. This year has been a whirlwind, both professionally and personally. I finished my long-term role at a school, took a 13,500 km road trip for long-service leave, then returned to start my new role here at CEN. Along with diving into ITEC and moving interstate, it’s been a year full of change, excitement, and new beginnings.
A highlight has been visiting some of our member schools. It’s been so encouraging to see the incredible work being done on the ground. The recent Governance Conference in Melbourne was another standout—both challenging and inspiring, and it was fantastic to hear about the positive impact Boards are having in their schools. Looking ahead, the Executive Conference and the National Conferences are just around the corner, both promising to be packed with insightful discussions on the future of Christian education. The AACS Advocacy Summit is also shaping up to be an incredible opportunity—not to be missed.
I also want to express my sincere thanks to the CEN Board for their thoughtful engagement on our revised strategic plan. It’s ambitious and stretches us, but it’s also full of vision for the future. This plan will help us tackle challenges and keep our focus on where we want to go. I’m looking forward to sharing more with you in the near future.
I also want to acknowledge those schools facing tough times—whether it’s with relationships, finances, legal challenges, or staffing. Please know we’re here to support you in whatever way we can as you work through these challenges.
As we head into the holiday season, I want to wish you all some well-deserved downtime with your loved ones. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to all we will accomplish together in the year ahead.
Blessings,
Mark Steyn
CEN CEO