I hope you had a great rest over the Easter season, and are looking forward to what’s ahead this term – it’s shaping up to be a big one!
As you may be aware, SU Australia is currently in a time of transition, with our team experiencing a number of changes as we continue the process of unifying eight former state-based entities into a single, unified movement.
What that said, I want to take a moment to say how grateful I am for you and the stable support you’ve been providing on the front line to our chaplains. Without you and the way you continually show up to LCC meetings and put your hand up to contribute to fundraising events, we would not have chaplaincy services in schools. On behalf of a very grateful movement, thank you for all you do – both the seen and unseen things you do are greatly appreciated.
Next month, we are excited to celebrate our very first National Chaplaincy Week, which will undoubtedly be a fantastic occasion. Your school chaplains continue to play a valued and beloved role in school communities right across the country, and I encourage you to champion them and the work that they do during May 21-28.
You will find a range of resources available here, so please feel free to make use of these to help make your Chaplaincy Week the best one yet!
I’m also really looking forward to our very first SU Australia national staff conference, which will take place in the Term 2 school holidays. As was the case in 2022, we will once again be gathering for four days on the Sunshine Coast for a time of training, equipping and networking. But most exciting of all, this conference marks the first time all SU Australia staff will be together under one roof, so we’re really looking forward to the opportunities this will bring for your chaplains as they interact with both office and field staff.
It’s going to be encouraging to hear from and meet our Western Australian and Tasmanian chaplains and learn more about what school chaplaincy looks like for them in their schools. The goal is that this conference would increase our unity as an organisation, and also allow us to learn from one another and grow in our mission so we can expand our impact in communities across the country.
Term 2 is also traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for fundraising, and there are many dinners and events popping up all across the state. If you need any assistance with these, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at support@su.org.au. We’d love to hear from you.
All the very best this term, and thank you again for all you do to make this work possible.
Peter James
CEO SU Australia