Our Core Values: Christ-Centredness

I wrote to you last fortnight reminding you of our Core Values; the values that identify us as a community. One of those Core Values, and perhaps the most foundational of them, is … Christ-centredness.

For people who are not Christians and are unfamiliar with this terminology, the words ‘Christ-centred’ might seem a bit mysterious. It might be hard to know what it means for someone or something to be ‘Christ-centred’. But fortunately, it is very easy to understand, and I would like to explain it to you.

To put it simply, people who are Christ-centred are people who respect and implement the teachings of Christ. In our community of staff, students, and parents at Melton Christian College, we commit to being Christ-centred. That means that we speak and behave according to Christ’s teachings; and His teachings are more about being selfless than anything else.

Another way to understand the word “Christ-centred” is to compare it to something else that is very familiar. For example, you could think about the term ‘self-centred’ and compare it to ‘Christ-centred’.

Way, way, way back in the 1970’s, when I was a thoughtless, insensitive, selfish, inconsiderate teenager, my poor mum would say in frustration, “Oh, for goodness’ sake, David; stop being so self-centred!” There’s that word: “self-centred”. When I was being self-centred, I would think only of myself and not think about others. I would do things only for myself, ignoring the needs of others. I would serve only myself, and never even consider serving others. I used to take great interest in myself and take no interest in others.

In the same way but with opposite outcomes, when we are being Christ-centred we do these things. We focus on Christ, so we always think first of others. We do everything for Christ, so we never ignore the needs of others. We serve Christ, so we always look for ways to serve others. Christ is our greatest interest, so we also show great interest in others. I guess you could say that self-centredness and Christ-centredness are opposites. Selfishness is the opposite of “Christ-ish-ness”.

If you are part of this school community, you have already signed up for the core values; and the most foundational of our core values is Christ-centredness. Parents and staff, let’s be authentic examples of selflessness for our children and students by demonstrating Christ-centredness in all that we do.