CAMPUS MINISTRY

RITES OF PASSAGE, RETREAT AND BECOMING WHO WE WERE BORN TO BE

This week, our Year 9s have been participating in their Rites of Passage Camp and Retreat Day.

These are both moments of reflection which lead our students to consider their relationship with themselves, with others and with God. Through times of stillness and solitude, sharing and laughter, eating together and interacting with staff and one another, they have journeyed more deeply into understanding the person God has made, and calls them to be.

Moments like these are often called 'liminal space' - a time where we are open to the possibilities of life in ways that we usually are not.

From the Scriptures we know that Jesus sought these out during his life - spending time in the temple with the Jewish elders, retreating into the desert before beginning his public ministry or making regular “time outs” with disciples on the sea of Galilee or in hidden, quiet spaces.

As our young people take the adulthood journey, these liminal opportunities are vital in allowing them space and time to grow and question.

As a community, we pray that this week has helped our students as they approach the coming years.

Mr Chris Kan

Dean of Campus Ministry