2017 Tribute

“The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him.”  Psalm 24:1 (NLV)

Our College community seeks to submit to this Biblical truth each and every day.  Life at Donvale Christian College is never dull – it is “not allowed” to be!  Not allowed, because we dare to discuss the big things of life.

Teachers with students, teachers with parents, parents with their children, children with each other – ours is a community for Christian families, focused on delivering authentic Christian education. It is our consistent prayer that each student will grow deeper in their understanding of the faith they profess, all while doing their regular schooling, in preparation for university or whatever God has in store once school is over.

What does it mean to love one another?  What does it mean to remain faithful to God’s word?  What does it mean to be His people?  How do we deal with the “messy bits of life” – those times when life isn’t easy, when blessing and provision have been missing?  How do we live in unity, when there is diversity in the way we understand how God works and what He is calling us to do in the world?

Students this year, alongside their teachers, have spent time in the following activities, to better understand how to answer these questions:  in post-Christian western Europe, going to school with local German students; in Vanuatu, serving for a week in a Port Vila primary school; on wilderness walks as part of our outdoor education curriculum; serving the homeless, aged and infirmed; understanding how to do sport well – being competitive whilst maintaining godly behaviours; participating in large scale theatre productions with the entire Primary department; understanding our impact on the environment; working the school farm; doing great art; writing insightful essays; playing beautiful music; worshipping together; learning and mastering maths, science – in fact, all the academic disciplines.

When we get it wrong, we seek to restore relationship in healthy ways. We should always seek to be humble and gracious.  Do we get it right?  Not all the time.  Can we do better?  Sure thing.  As a community of believers, it is incumbent on us to always seek to improve, leaning in on God’s goodness and forgiveness to help us know how to do this.

But the certainty we have, in knowing that the God of the universe bothers, each and every day, to know our needs and to abundantly provide for them within our College community – the narrative of this magazine puts words and pictures around all that we can be thankful for in 2017.