Our vision here at SU QLD is simple: to see each child and young person connected and supported in community, serving others, and experiencing fullness of life. It’s not complicated, but it does make a profound difference to the way our staff and, in particular, our chaplains, view their work and their mission.
Our chaplains do more than run breakfast programs or play handball with students on their lunch breaks (although those things are important)… School chaplains are part of their community, and that means their passion for helping others doesn’t end at the school gate. Many of our chaplains spend their free time
connecting with parents or staff outside school hours, dropping off food baskets, checking in on sick children (or their families) in hospital and volunteering as leaders on SU QLD camps.
What I love about our chaplains is their willingness to pitch in and help out, whether the need is big or small – which is why our annual Chaplaincy Conference is, for me, one of the biggest highlights of every year. There’s something incredible about looking out over a crowded room filled with over 600 chaplains and nearly 100 other SU QLD staff and knowing that every person there has come for a common cause – to help bring hope to a young generation of Queenslanders.
This year’s conference, from the 4th-8th August, was a great opportunity for our chaplains to be refreshed and inspired, and to receive some top-class training that they can take back to your school and community; I trust you’re already seeing some of the benefits!
The next few months will be hectic and exciting and we’re looking forward to the government’s announcement of a new funding model for 2015 and beyond. As always, thank you for your tireless efforts on behalf of our chaplains and, most importantly, the children and young people of Queensland.
God bless,
Peter James
CEO, SU QLD