It is Friday morning and Ken Weslake and I are driving back to Sydney from the ASA Consultation of the last two days, March 18-19. For both of us, this was a most significant and highly successful event.
The consultation started with an inspirational address on DVD by Barry Oliver. Barry powerfully affirmed Adventist education as a core ministry of the Church. Then after a historical overview of previous summits by Les Devine there were excellent presentations on four key issues by John Hammond, Daryl Murdoch, me (hopefully OK!), Peter Morey and Kingsley Wood. The worships by Owen Ellis and Malcolm were also inspirational.
The first day was a marathon, stretching between 9 am and 8:15 pm. It included a most relevant discussion of chaplaincy issues and finished with the first break out discussion group session. The second day was filled with intense and productive group discussions of issues relating to teacher supply, special character, financial management and school clientele. John Hammond urged groups to produce focused recommendations that would direct the system for the next 5-10 years.
I was moved by the enormous goodwill, warmth, and fun of the consultation. There was a very positive spirit in all sessions, and the feeling grew in me that pastors, administrators and teachers in Australia were not only reading from the same page, but were showing that they have moved closer together than they have ever been. This consultation was a most refreshing occasion that benefited from much hard reparatory work and excellent planning and chairmanship. The position papers informed participants well, and both they and the proceedings will give a useful springboard for ASA as it plans ahead. Well done AUC Education Department, AUC Administration and all involved. I am sure we will hear a lot more about this consultation.
Barry HillDirector of Education SPD
News about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Roll Increases of 50% and Brother Yun
I am back in the office again after working in Lae, PNG last week. Nine principals from high and secondary schools attended a four day workshop on principal effectiveness, leadership styles, Adventist distinctiveness and managing change. I always enjoy working with the folks up there.
PNG is a land of contrasts. That is really an understatement. While there I read in the local papers of cults and gangs that are terrorising state local schools all over lunch money! In one school up the Markham Valley, young children were being intimidated by older youths to hand over their lunch monies or else. A group of children took the matter into their own hands and soundly defeated the youths and sent them packing. That was in the morning. By afternoon the youths plus reinforcements returned armed with machetes, bush knives and a couple of shot guns. It wasn’t until the guns were brought to bear that the teachers and kids gave up. The school was closed for several days to try to sort things out.
A couple of high schools in Port Moresby also came to blows with the police unable to restore order for a considerable period of time. Now I’m not saying that we are any better down here in Australia than in PNG. But the result is that our school system in PNGUM is under considerable enrolment pressure as parents look for a school system where there is firm and fair control and where the students are loved and respected.
Most schools have faced a 25% roll increase this last year. And most of those students have come out of the. Two of the principals I spoke to had increases of 50%. In one case this took the roll from 400 students to 600 and no increase in teachers or classrooms. Remonstrating with him about class sizes that are now over 60+ in each the reply was “How else are we going to tell the children about Jesus’ love and free gift of salvation?” He had a point.
Which brings me to Brother Yun. I have just about finished reading a book “The Heavenly Man” a biography of the man considered in China as the father of the home church movement. It is a fascinating story of a man, led by God who has suffered and been tortured brutally and severely for his faith. He remarks in his book that the house church movement grew so fast and is continuing to grow quickly, that there were not enough leaders for them all, and it came near to collapse because of that. As I read, I too kept wondering why God allows His work to grow so fast that it often outstrips the available resources to cope with it all and consequently faces failure and chaos. And then I thought of the answer that the principal of Lae Adventist school gave. “How else are people going to hear of Jesus love and salvation?” It’s not really our problem after all. That belongs to God. Our challenge is to be obedient to the call He places on each of our lives to do what He wants us to do and to provide for the resourcing of His work where the need is always great.
Now I need to keep a promise I made last year about sharing with you some of the good stories of the Pacific Bible Series Text that is currently being introduced in the Pacific. It adopts a Head, Heart, Hand approach using multiple intelligences. Following are some of the responses.
From a volunteer teacher – read that as not being paid! She now has an Indian boy in her room who is praying to God rather than to his idol Bagwhani.
A Methodist pastor came to the teacher and admitted that his daughter in Grade 4 new more about the Old Testament than he did.
Some children who were afraid to stand in front of the class to present work are now keen to come forward and share their learning.
Another Yr 6 student from a Methodist family has decided to become a Pastor when he has finished school and is now operating as the class chaplain.
Students have organised their own prayer room and timetable for using it.
Unknown to the teacher, her class went out visiting families in the village after school and giving small gifts. The teacher only found out when an old man said how much he appreciated the visit by a boy from her class. She initially didn’t know what he was talking about.
Ten people in one village have been baptised as a result of the witness and preaching and singing of a class of Year 7 & 8s.
One class went out into the markets and streets and looked for homeless kids and orphans. They then invited the children in and gave them a good meal and clothes and food to take away. One girl and her Mum are now attending church on a regular basis.
I asked the teachers for any problems that this new Bible program was causing. I would say that at least 60% have commented that it is now so hard to get the children to stop the Bible lessons as they just want to keep on going.
The AUC and NZPUC are also working on a new Bible Curriculum. I am sure that this new approach too will have similar effects on our classes as well.
I trust that your week has begun well and wishing you each God’s continued leading.
Ken Weslake,
Associate Director, Education
South Pacific Division, SDA Church
News about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific.
PNG is a land of contrasts. That is really an understatement. While there I read in the local papers of cults and gangs that are terrorising state local schools all over lunch money! In one school up the Markham Valley, young children were being intimidated by older youths to hand over their lunch monies or else. A group of children took the matter into their own hands and soundly defeated the youths and sent them packing. That was in the morning. By afternoon the youths plus reinforcements returned armed with machetes, bush knives and a couple of shot guns. It wasn’t until the guns were brought to bear that the teachers and kids gave up. The school was closed for several days to try to sort things out.
A couple of high schools in Port Moresby also came to blows with the police unable to restore order for a considerable period of time. Now I’m not saying that we are any better down here in Australia than in PNG. But the result is that our school system in PNGUM is under considerable enrolment pressure as parents look for a school system where there is firm and fair control and where the students are loved and respected.
Most schools have faced a 25% roll increase this last year. And most of those students have come out of the. Two of the principals I spoke to had increases of 50%. In one case this took the roll from 400 students to 600 and no increase in teachers or classrooms. Remonstrating with him about class sizes that are now over 60+ in each the reply was “How else are we going to tell the children about Jesus’ love and free gift of salvation?” He had a point.
Which brings me to Brother Yun. I have just about finished reading a book “The Heavenly Man” a biography of the man considered in China as the father of the home church movement. It is a fascinating story of a man, led by God who has suffered and been tortured brutally and severely for his faith. He remarks in his book that the house church movement grew so fast and is continuing to grow quickly, that there were not enough leaders for them all, and it came near to collapse because of that. As I read, I too kept wondering why God allows His work to grow so fast that it often outstrips the available resources to cope with it all and consequently faces failure and chaos. And then I thought of the answer that the principal of Lae Adventist school gave. “How else are people going to hear of Jesus love and salvation?” It’s not really our problem after all. That belongs to God. Our challenge is to be obedient to the call He places on each of our lives to do what He wants us to do and to provide for the resourcing of His work where the need is always great.
Now I need to keep a promise I made last year about sharing with you some of the good stories of the Pacific Bible Series Text that is currently being introduced in the Pacific. It adopts a Head, Heart, Hand approach using multiple intelligences. Following are some of the responses.
From a volunteer teacher – read that as not being paid! She now has an Indian boy in her room who is praying to God rather than to his idol Bagwhani.
A Methodist pastor came to the teacher and admitted that his daughter in Grade 4 new more about the Old Testament than he did.
Some children who were afraid to stand in front of the class to present work are now keen to come forward and share their learning.
Another Yr 6 student from a Methodist family has decided to become a Pastor when he has finished school and is now operating as the class chaplain.
Students have organised their own prayer room and timetable for using it.
Unknown to the teacher, her class went out visiting families in the village after school and giving small gifts. The teacher only found out when an old man said how much he appreciated the visit by a boy from her class. She initially didn’t know what he was talking about.
Ten people in one village have been baptised as a result of the witness and preaching and singing of a class of Year 7 & 8s.
One class went out into the markets and streets and looked for homeless kids and orphans. They then invited the children in and gave them a good meal and clothes and food to take away. One girl and her Mum are now attending church on a regular basis.
I asked the teachers for any problems that this new Bible program was causing. I would say that at least 60% have commented that it is now so hard to get the children to stop the Bible lessons as they just want to keep on going.
The AUC and NZPUC are also working on a new Bible Curriculum. I am sure that this new approach too will have similar effects on our classes as well.
I trust that your week has begun well and wishing you each God’s continued leading.
Ken Weslake,
Associate Director, Education
South Pacific Division, SDA Church
News about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Welcome year 2009!
News about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific.
Hi Everyone,
What a Year we have ahead of us, We have had many changes in our office, We have two new instructors Boli as a Correspondence Instructor as well as Emma who will tackle our online Marking. Sharon has stepped into the senior instructor position.
Dial A Prayer has been launched! For those of you who are unsure what Dial a Prayer is its a Support Network, it allows people to ring a number and recieve a prayer for the day.
Also look forward to a new correspondence course for prayer.
Till next Time
Discovery Courses :)
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