It’s hard to believe how quickly the year is flying by! Term 2 is here already, and that means your chappies have got some exciting things on the horizon.
Firstly, we’ve got Chappy Week coming up from May 23 – 30. I always look forward to this week. It’s such a great opportunity to celebrate our chappies and all the people who put in extra effort to make their community a ‘Community.’
At the end of this term we also have SU QLD’s annual Chaplaincy Conference. After holding this event online last year, I’m sure your chappies are eager to mingle with one another in person again.
Conference will be held at a brand new location this year, Novotel Resort on the Sunshine Coast. I for one am excited just hearing some of the professional development topics they’ve got lined up for this year: “Supporting young people by working with their families”, “Trauma informed practice for professional helpers” and “Supporting students with a disability.”
As I mentioned earlier in the year, 2021 is shaping up to be a bigger year for SU QLD as we continue to get closer to potentially becoming part of a nation-wide Scripture Union movement.
On May 8, Scripture Union Company Members across Australia will meet in seven states and territories to decide if their movement will join a united Scripture Union Australia.
I’ll have more information for you and your chaplains next month. What I do want to emphasise is that your chaplaincy service will continue, as will the support you currently receive. We do expect many benefits to come from joining this national movement, particularly in the form of greater back office support and more professional development opportunities for your chaplains.
I am truly looking forward to this next chapter, and to be walking alongside people like you who are passionate about the wellbeing of our young people.
It’s only together that we can make a real difference, and I could not be more grateful to be investing in this important work alongside you.
Bless you this term,
Peter James
CEO, SU QLD