From the South to the North
By Andy Callow
Last week I had the privilege of visiting a number of Christian Schools near Brisbane. I came, I saw, and ... I was impressed!
Our Victorian delegation first visited Hillcrest Christian College (Reedy Creek) just one of the many outstanding Christian Schools thriving on the Gold Coast. This group of schools (all with well over 1000 students) have a great deal in common, including the fact that they began in humble circumstances around 30 years ago, and now together form a most impressive educational option for families in the region. Each school has a story of amazing growth, built on sacrificial service from dedicated people, coupled with astonishing provision from God.
Groves Christian College, situated in one of the poorest sections of Brisbane, was next on our list. The Principal explained that the school site was originally a failed State infant school. While vacant it became the haunt of squatters, vandals and drug dealers.
Today it is a thriving P - 12 Christian School, and Early Learning Centre, where dedicated educationalists serve the poorest of the poor. Almost half of the students are classified as ESL (English as a Second Language) including many refugees from around the world (especially Burma). There are also a large number of students classified as having learning disabilities. My impressions of the school? – I met many happy students, and enthusiastic staff members, working together in an “outpost of hope” in an area of great need. Inspirational!
North of Brisbane is Mueller College, a P – 12 school of 1400 students. The school is an integral part of a vibrant Church community that provides holistic care out of a large site near Redcliffe. It sits between an Early Years Centre and a residential Aged Care facility, and shares facilities with a Bible College and a wide range of church ministries.It is an eloquent example of how a mission minded Church Community can be a dynamic force for building social capital in Australia today. I loved the stories of the positive interaction between the different generations on site, and the popularity of “mega-chapel” where over 1700 gather to celebrate life together.
Further north again is the impressive Glasshouse Country Christian College. Enthusiastic members from a local church overcame daunting obstacles to open this school in 2003 for an initial 16 students.Despite the presence of a large P – 12 State school directly opposite them, and the economic challenges of their region, GCCC has now grown into a most attractive and highly regarded school of over 800 students (in ten years!).
Their story of God’s faithfulness so closely mirrored our experience here at BHCS that I found myself laughing aloud and shaking my head in near disbelief. I hope the relationship between our two schools develops further as we have so much in common (except climate!).
Another school that we heard about that greatly interested me was Endeavour Christian College in Cooktown, north of Cairns. This week I phoned up the Principal to check my facts– and it’s quite a story.
ECC was started in 2012 by the pastor of the local Baptist Church, against great odds.There are only 2500 people in town, and the only other school (State P – 12) has less than 370 students. It is a needy community with few parents who can afford school fees. He was warned that the school wouldn’t be viable, never going beyond a handful of enrolments.
Just two years later there are 101 (!) students attending ECC and there are so many good news stories in the town that the local Mayor stated publicly that the school was one of the best things that had happened in Cooktown.
Across the Australian continent there are so many inspiring examples of the effectiveness of the Christian Schools movement. Space doesn’t permit more than a mention of the amazing story of Tyndale Christian School in Adelaide who purchased a redundant University campus to accommodate their growing school (!) or the rapid growth of Christian Schools in Perth. We share a special friendship with Southern Christian College, in Hobart, which continues to go from strength to strength. And can I really leave out the many good stories from the ACT and our most populous state of NSW?!
We know that we have been richly blessed in our “small corner”. However, the best news is that the wider Christian Schools movement is being used by God to bring hope and healing right across our country. May this help Australia to truly become the“Great Southland of the Holy Spirit”.
