Summary: Thinking about schools' ministry across NSW

Comment / Review

Thinking local - thinking big – in schools ministry

Schools ministry is for most people a local thing - churches placing workers in their local schools. Whether volunteers for primary school Scripture, or paid workers for secondary Scripture, or a mix of the two, whether Scripture teachers or chaplains or adult volunteers, local churches are finding ways to support local schools. It's the passion for seeing young people helped to understand their value to God and to know his love shown in Jesus that drives local school ministry.

So what about the many state schools where not much is going on? Not all churches have the same fire to take up the opportunities, or they've run out of puff, or they've been blocked after trying to make a difference. Who supports the small handful of church members in many communities who long to see ministry happening in their schools but can't find the people and resources?

Over the last 30 years local Christian communities have launched combined efforts to place SRE teachers in their high schools, building on the magnificent volunteer ministry in primary schools that has been going on for over 130 years. There are now over 100 local Scripture boards, not to mention those churches that employ workers in schools. The vision has been picked up by more and more Christian communities. Partly spontaneous, partly driven by schools ministry workers employed by denominations and Scripture Union, a great work has been developing.

Where to now? The job is still huge. There are 397 state high schools in NSW and 17 central schools. Perhaps 140 of these have some form of paid SRE teaching. Still more have chaplains sponsored by churches and other Christian organisations. But how can we work together to help communities without schools ministry get it going?

GenR8 School Ministries has been set up by some of these workers especially for this purpose. Over the last year 23 SRE boards across the state with 28 teachers have joined with GenR8 to form the nucleus of this project to see a Scripture teacher for every possible student in every NSW state high school.

How will it work?

As the number of boards and teachers supported by GenR8 grows so more GenR8 advisers can be appointed to support ministry in more and more schools. They will continue to encourage and resource groups of Christians who want to get schools ministry going locally, helping place workers, develop local support, and grow the ministry. This will mean better local coverage and better state wide coverage.

Because of GenR8 the local vision for SRE teachers and chaplains in schools becomes a statewide vision as well. This wasn’t possible before. Now it is.

"Pray the Lord of the harvest to send workers into his harvest field."

Peter Robinson

Contributor: Peter Robinson. Updated 23-Apr-2010 11:56 AM.
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