Reach Your School

A Chaplain & a Mentor Transform Chris’ life in School - from September 2008 Issue of the QB Magazine.

Although the seats outside the Principal’s office were relatively comfortable, no one who found themselves sitting there had the peace of mind to enjoy them. “Chris!” the Deputy Principal called with a certain drone of familiarity.

Chris was particularly nervous. His repeated angry outbursts in class were incredibly disruptive and this last one was a doozey. By his own admission, it wasn’t the teacher’s fault. Chris had been angry because of what had happened at home that morning. He was constantly battling – and responding to - verbal abuse, offensive gestures, inappropriate behavior… you name it. Chris’ whole body spewed the rage that had built inside and the teacher had been the victim today. Chris had no choice but to resign himself to whatever punishment was coming.

“Chris,” the Deputy began, “what you did in class today was an outrage and I want to be completely upfront. It’s serious this time. Suspension is likely. And it could be worse. But first, I understand you have an appointment with your mentor. You can attend, but be sure to report back to me immediately afterward.”

Chaplain introduced Chris to mentor

Mentoring! With all that was going on today, it had slipped Chris’ mind. Chris had first met his mentor, Andrew, through the school chaplain. Andrew was a local a church-goer who volunteered at the school once a week to spend time with him kicking a football and talking about the ups and downs of life. Chris had been meeting with him for the last 10 weeks.

When he saw Andrew, he felt overwhelming relief. It wasn’t that Andrew could miraculously change things for Chris, but he was great at helping him think through tricky situations. In the past, he’d been able to come up with ways to deal with problems that Chris had never even thought of before. That afternoon, as Andrew listened, Chris talked through his situation and what had happened in the lead-up. Together they discussed the pros and cons of what to do from here.

After the mentoring session, Chris fronted at the Deputy Principal’s office. He was still in hot water, but Chris was ready to take responsibility for what he’d done and apologize to his class and teacher. That afternoon, Chris was suspended from school for one week. However, his apology was very well received by his teacher. And Chris had learned much about how to respond when mistakes are made.

Churches partnering with school chaplains

QB Youth has a passion for Mission that is characterized by school and community transformation. This story, coming from a state school mentoring program coordinated by the school chaplain, is just one example of how school and community transformation can happen when the local church partners with chaplains in loving a school community with the love of Jesus.

Scripture Union Qld (the largest employing authority for chaplains in Queensland) reports that at this time in 2007 there were less than 200 chaplains employed in state schools across Queensland. As a result of the Federal Government funding for chaplaincy, there are now almost 500 SU Qld chaplains across the state. Today, close to 335 000 (or 68%) of young people in Queensland state schools have access to an SU Qld chaplain. At this point in time there is incredible potential for local Baptist churches to partner with school chaplains… to love school communities in the name of Christ.

If you haven’t already, why not start your local mission work today and give your local chaplain a call to see how you can serve the school community together.

Article written by school chaplain Tim Sweetman