Why Being a Christian School is Great
Dear Parents,
I have said it before, and I’ll say it again; being a Christian school is what makes our school so good.
What’s important about us being a Christian school is that Christian has Christ in it, and that is what makes the difference. Even the term ‘Christian’ means ‘following Christ’ or ‘adhering to Christ’ or ‘belonging to Christ’. That title means our school ‘belongs to Christ’, and I would agree. Yes, our school certainly does belong to Christ.
I only have to walk out into the playground at recess or lunchtime. I only have to sit in the tea-room and hear the staff conversations. I only have to drop in on any classroom and hear what’s happening to know that our school belongs to Christ. You see, there’s a vibe, there’s a feeling, there’s an atmosphere. There’s a style, a mood, an ambience, a sense that something is going on that you can’t quite put a finger on, but it draws your attention. It feels like someone very good, very kind, very nice and very calm is overseeing and guiding everything that goes on here. For myself as a Christian, I don’t hesitate to think: ‘Ah, that is God’.
Then there’s the less mystical, more practical good that comes from our being a Christian school. Here’s some examples.
Of course, every now and then someone messes up and uses bad language, but rude words are not heard often at school. That is a difference that comes from Christ. Because the Christian Bible says: “It is not fitting for you to use language which is obscene, profane, or vulgar. Rather you should give thanks to God.”
What about the precious reality that we rarely have physical fights happen? Well, once again, that is because we are a Christian school, because the Christian Bible says: “Avoiding a fight is a mark of honour; only fools insist on quarrelling.”
And then there’s that important quality of Christian schooling that we call ‘Respect’. Respect is one of our Core Values, so we define our success by that Core Value being fulfilled in the school. Even respect comes from Christ because the Christian Bible says: “Show proper respect to everyone.”
And I will give just one more example, although there are literally thousands upon thousands of examples because every part of our school, every policy and every program, every procedure and every protocol are shaped by the fact we are a Christian school: a school that belongs to Christ.
Because we are a Christian school, each child matters.
Some independent schools are like academic sausage machines. They churn out children one after another after another, after another with their heads full of mere facts. At our school, we determine success as helping each child to unlock their God-given gifts and uncover their God-given calling. You see, in the Christian Bible, God says this amazing statement about each person: “I alone know the plans that I have for you, plans for prosperity and not for disaster, plans to give you a future and a hope.”
Indeed, every worthwhile and wonderful characteristic of our school can be traced back to Christ. The teachings of the Christian Bible are what make our school the caring community that it is. Our teachers, our maintenance staff, our receptionists and accountants are all people who know the teachings of Jesus Christ, and they do their best to follow those teachings. That is why people often say that there is something intangible but wonderful about Melton Christian College: an aura, a feel, a tone that makes the place special. As Christ says in the Christian Bible; “When even two or three people get together because of me, I am already there among them.”
Dave Gleeson, Principal