Welcome back to Donvale Christian College for 2017. It is my hope that every family in our community had an opportunity over the Christmas period to spend some “down time”, in each other’s company, sharing fellowship and enjoying revisiting the story of Christ’s arrival on earth in all its humility and humanness. Wasn’t it great to reflect on the fact that God’s perfect plan for us, in which Jesus entered the world as a baby born in a manger, is only a very small part of the narrative of God’s rescue offer to each of us. It was prophesied about for hundreds of years before his advent. Christ’s growth to adulthood, his public ministry, his death and his resurrection were yet to come – and then there is the power of his work in the lives of believers for centuries to follow – up to this present day.
Indeed, the members of the Donvale Christian College community are all part of that narrative. God’s offer of salvation, gratefully received by each of us, and his work in our lives in his service, continue the reveal God’s inconceivable greatness and majesty. I trust Christmas and the holiday break were an opportunity for you to share with each other in these truths.
As we gather together as a Christian community together this year, I thought it helpful to share some passages from the Bible regarding God’s hope and promises for communities of believers in him here on earth.
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3:8
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:14
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had. Romans 15:5
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3
These are great challenges to us, and provide a solid framework for our interactions together. It is my prayer that our community will continue to be known for its unity, its love, its humility, its godly mindedness and godly activity.
Our student population at DCC as we start 2017 has again grown – we start the year with 1250 students in total. We welcome 227 new students and their families to our community this year. There are 84 new Prep students – our largest ever intake. Wow, what a blessing these, our youngest, are going to bring our College community over the next 13 years. An additional 53 new students join them in the Primary in Years 1-6. We pray that friendships will come early and easily as you join our dynamic Primary family.
We have 64 Year 7 students from other primary schools joining the 70 Year 6 (2016) students moving into Secondary from our Primary. It is our prayer that new and returning families will blend well and discover a common unity as they embark together on the secondary schooling journey together. There are also 26 additional new students in Years 8-12. We welcome you most warmly and pray that you will quickly find your niche and your ‘happy place’ within our College community, surrounded by good friends and experiencing man, many good things each day.
Our new students were born in 12 different countries, spread across five continents. As always, they bring a richness of experience because of their previous schooling experiences and the Christian church communities they are part of. We look forward to all the ways that our new students and their families will enrich our College community.
And, of course, there are our new staff, 17 in total. Seven are replacing staff who left us last year, ten have been appointed in response to our increased student population. A mix of part-time, full-time, teachers, administrators, aides, support – men and women joining us from a vast array of previous experiences. Their common thread is their commitment to Christian education borne out of their love for Jesus. We are thankful that they have answered a call to work here at DCC and we pray for blessing on all that they do amongst us.
In conclusion,
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5
May we as a community again be excited and blessed by the way the words of Romans 12 work themselves out in our interactions and activities this year. I look forward to sharing this with you in 2017.
educating 4 life, too 
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