Trust in the Lord
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5-6
I shared this scripture with the staff on Monday morning – as one that has been central to my Christian walk for most of my life. Obedience to the claims on our lives that scriptures such as this one have been behind many of the parenting decisions Kris and I have made in our family context.
School such as ours seek to be an extension of this family dynamic, as a community with a deep trust in the Lord and his unfolding plan for us as individuals and as a group. Role modelling and explicit Biblical instruction are core to our college’s articulation of this obedience, and it relies in a large part to the freedom we have had in the employment of committed Christian staff in all areas of college operations.
Our current wider context
In similar previous roles, it is almost never my habit to write about the current political climate. You have no doubt heard about the long running campaign to cut back on the freedoms that Christian schools have regarding employing Christian teachers. As such, I have to break this practice in my first networks writing, as it is so current and the timing so important. As a school, it is my understanding that this issue has been mentioned in a number of contexts, including as far back as 2009/10, and during the 2014 election campaign.
Our present state government wants to change the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. If the Bill becomes law, it’s intent is for Christian schools to lose authority over their right to employ staff on the basis of the faith of the school. It’s a serious threat to our religious freedom.
There is now another opportunity to members of this community to take up this cause. The Andrews Government introduced the Equal Opportunity (Religious Exceptions) Bill 2016 into Parliament last month, and using their numbers in the Legislative Assembly, the Bill passed the Lower House on 15 September and is now on the Notice Paper for consideration by the Legislative Council.
Action
There’s a range of actions we can take. The Legislative Council (LC) is particularly important here as the Bill has to pass through the Upper House where the government doesn’t have a majority.
The easiest and most important action is PRAYER. Prayer for the hearts, mind and courage of members in the Upper House, that they will not vote to pass this Bill. It is my understanding that there are many members of the Legislative Council who are yet to finalise their decision. The best outcome would be for this Bill to be defeated.
The next easiest is an EMAIL. A formal letter that you’ve written gets significant attention.
Writing to members of the LC is really worthwhile. Here is a link to the beginning of a letter that you may choose to send to our regional Legislative Council member. The red text in the suggested letter are guiding notes for you to personalise the letter. It doesn’t have to be very long, but it will make an impact. I have attached a copy of an article called ’12reasons’ which contains material you may want to use in your letter. Of course, there may be other personal reasons you would like to add.
And finally – SIGN a petition. We have been asked by our local Victorian Lower House member, The Hon. Ryan Smith MP, to consider signing a petition in opposition to the Bill. We will leave this petition at the Admin Reception, and coordinate Class Representatives to circulate with the petition amongst families from their classes, over the next week or so, in order that it might be presented to parliament at the most appropriate time.
Thanks so much for your support in this. Please feel free to take action, in whatever way you feel you can do. I trust these suggestions help, and that our assistance will be of benefit to your actions in this regard. It would be an outstanding outcome for a strong, united voice to raise up at this challenging time.
In conclusion,
Thank you so much for the warmth of your welcome.
I am genuinely excited at the journey God has in store for us all, as we seek to honour him here as His community. Please feel free to say hi; if I haven’t met you yet, may it not be too long before that has changed!
educating 4 life, too 