From the Head of Campus' Desk

Dear Parents/Guardians

The Year 11 Missions trip to Queensland (Townsville) took place in the last week of Term 1 plus the first week of the holidays. This trip was the make-up mission trip for Year 11s as they were unable to go during last year's COVID-19 restrictions. The trip was a very significant experience for them all as they had focussed time on developing their relationship with God, but equally important were the opportunities they had to step out in faith and look to serve and bless the local Indigenous community on Palm Island, in particular.

Serving others and giving to others is such a strong theme throughout the Bible with the most obvious example being Jesus. We are told in Mark 10: 45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Time and again we are called to put others ahead of ourselves and look to bless others through serving them, and we are blessed by God as we do so.

This message is increasingly counter-cultural with society strongly pushing messages such as we need to look after ourselves first (‘look out for number 1’), and that ‘you’ are the most important person in the world. Yes, we are precious as we are God’s creation, but we are no more important or precious than any person.

Whilst these cultural messages sound very tempting, teenagers don’t really need much encouragement to live this way! Any of us with teenage children, or with memories of ourselves as teenagers, will know that the teenage mindset is very much geared towards the world revolving around themselves (I must confess that I am not overly proud of my behaviour or attitudes during those years ☹).  

Hence, at HCC we are continually reinforcing the importance of students to look to serve and bless others and, through such programs as the Year 9 Year of Challenge Community service, our Missions trips at Years 10 to 12, Missions week and other fundraisers for our sponsor children and various charities, we hope that this can help students feel that they truly have something of value to offer to others, and to serve can be done in a myriad of ways. In fact, we are called to serve in ways that are consistent with how God has created us. 

1 Peter 4: 10 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms”.

I would encourage us all to strive to serve others, to give, to live generously and to seek to bless others – what a special part of our calling as individuals and as a College.

Phil Eastman

Head of Campus