Our Faith in Action
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” — Ephesians 4:11–13, NIV
For Lutheran Schools this passage means so much. In essence it provides a key rationale for what we do and why we do it. We are to equip our students for works of service, so that the body of Christ is built up. We prepare students to become valuable members of our society and serve through their vocations.
As Christians we believe that we are all called to servant leadership, called to care about those around us and serve them with the gifts God has given us. Our leadership must be less about power and individual purpose. Rather, our leadership should show Christ’s love to others and be filled with His purpose and intent.
I recently asked Schools to provide me with some examples of how we carry out this commission and what it looks like in schools across the region. I was amazed at the wonderful ministry that you have all created.
Schools provided details of a diverse range of ministry activities that they provide to their school communities. Here are just a few examples:
- Christian lunchtime group for students
- Opportunities to serve the wider community through soup kitchens and other charitable organisations
- Working with Australian Lutheran World Service to support overseas mission.
- Christian leadership camps for students
- Sunday evening family worship services
- Special Easter and Christmas Chapel services for families
- Providing meals for Foodbank
- Introducing Student Faith Captains to assist with ministry opportunities.
- Running community playgroups
- Sending student designed Christmas cards to the community
- Working in partnership with schools overseas to support them.
These examples are in addition to the class devotions, chapel services, Christian Studies classes, Rite Journey and the many times that you have supported students and families through difficult times.
Your leadership sets an example to those around you. Both your speech and your actions point toward love and kindness. Your leadership is a wonderful and powerful tool to point others toward Christ as well as show unity and love to those who need it. For all that you do I am so very thankful.
Oh, it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith. And so it is impossible for it not to do good works incessantly. It does not ask whether there are good works to do, but before the question rises, it has already done them, and is always at the doing of them. Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times. This confidence in God’s grace and knowledge of it makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and all His creatures. Martin Luther
Julian Denholm
LEVNT Executive Director
