Dear College families,

Each year I endeavour to spend at least a little time on a Secondary camp and this year I’ve been fortunate enough to be with Year 12 for most of their final camp experience at NWCC. From seeing their focus on their studies, to their skills in practice at their trivia night, it’s been a great joy to see them thrive and grow, especially after the intensity of the last couple of years. Camps are a unique experience, one often compared to ‘being in the trenches,’ where common experiences are encountered and memories and friendships are forged.

I’m grateful that most of our Secondary students are experiencing their own camp journey this week. Knowing that their community will be strengthened when they return, as well as their knowledge of our Lord Jesus, is a true joy and one I eagerly await to hear more about.

Felicity Marlow
Principal

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” EPHESIANS 1:7

One of my favourite hymns is Amazing Grace. The message of redemption, forgiveness and mercy from God is so powerful. It’s also a hymn that has been sung for a few centuries, having been written in the late 1700s. That is amazing. Why is grace so amazing and why do we teach our students about grace?

Grace is one of the most astounding and life-transforming aspects of God’s character. God has chosen to lavish grace upon us from the beginning of time instead of wrath. Time and time again, we’ve turned our backs on Him. And time and time again He demonstrates the depth of His desire for us through the giving of His boundless grace. In His grace, we are afforded a life not only apart from His wrath but lived in the glory of relationship with our Creator through the redemption of Jesus.

Paul says that in Jesus, we have “redemption through his blood.” Have you thought about the nature of your redemption at length before? Colossians 1:19-22 says, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” Such is the grace of your heavenly Father that there is not a single thing between you and Him. You, who at one time stood apart from God, have been brought into the family of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

Not only have you been redeemed once and for all, but you are forgiven both now and forever. Paul writes that we as believers have “the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” Where in your life do you need forgiveness today? What do you feel is separating you from an unveiled relationship with your heavenly Father? When you confess your sins, God offers you His forgiveness for anything you have done. “According to the riches of his grace,” which was made perfectly evident in the death of Jesus, you are being offered forgiveness. If God would send His Son to die in order to have a restored relationship with you, you can unquestionably believe He will forgive any trespass that seems to stand in your way now.

God doesn’t operate the way the world does. He doesn’t make you pay the penalty for your sin. Instead, He offers perfect grace. There are so many stories in Scripture where God turns the systems of the world on their head through the concept of grace. In the story of the prodigal son, the father allowed the son to dishonour him, set aside his rightful punishment, and threw a huge party for his wayward child when he returned home. He didn’t wait. He didn’t make him work for his redemption. He immediately offered him forgiveness freely in grace. God offers us the same today. Don’t attempt to pay for your sin by separating yourself from the fullness of relationship with God. Jesus paid the only price necessary by His own death. Live in light of God’s grace. Offer your heart to God freely. Let him work out redemption in every area of your life that you might more fully experience the wonderful relationship you have available to you with God.

Our hearts are naturally stirred to find rest in His goodness in seeing God for who He is. So may your heart be stirred at the revelation of God’s wonderful character.

Dee Fulcher
Director of Primary Learning and Teaching

We are living in times of uncertainty, threats of war, a pandemic, natural disasters, climate change and changes to life’s daily routine. Many of us may be feeling; unsure, helpless, afraid, isolated, hopeless, sad, disappointed, anxious, overwhelmed, lonely, isolated, tired, frustrated, scared, sad, stressed, trapped, worried, insecure, exhausted and/or nervous. All of these feelings are a normal part of life, they are neither negative nor positive, feelings are just feelings.

As a child in Year 4 I learnt the poem My Country by Dorothea Mackellar and I didn’t really think much about the words, I just learnt the poem so that I could recite from memory. The poem’s evocative words are from one of Australia's most quoted poets. The second verse is the most quoted and the one that most Australians can recite. My Country was written by a homesick young Australian, Dorothea Mackellar (1885-1968) in about 1904. The poem was first published in the London Spectator on 5 September 1908 and was titled Core of My Heart and her family were visiting England at the time. This famous poem is believed to have been directly inspired by her experience of life on the land, and her love of growing up near Gunnedah NSW between 1900-1935. It was written over a 100 hundred years ago and although our country is vast, rugged and at times challenging, these are the qualities of the country that Dorothea captured in 1904. Although at times this country is difficult and a trial, I have watched the resilience of people today to keep on persevering and to keep going no matter what their circumstances.

Sometimes people are just not able to continue the fight and they feel weary, overwhelmed and exhausted. It is perfectly natural to have these feelings when faced with so much uncertainty and change in our lives. I have included some resources below that may assist anyone who is struggling at the moment. Parents are welcome to call the counsellor at the College if they wish to get further assistance or perhaps, they may just want to debrief about how they feel.

Helpline Resource sheet. Helplines, telephone and online counselling services for children, young people and adults.

Digital mental health resources for your needs

Mental health issues and services

Thrive inside with Smiling Mind

Questions to ask yourself every day from smiling mind.

- What am I grateful for today?
- Who am I checking in on or connecting with today?
- What expectation of “normal” am I letting go of today?
- How am I moving my body today?
- What beauty am I creating, cultivating or inviting in today?
- How am I getting outside today? Connect with an image of something that you love outside even if that isn’t possible at the moment.

Catherine Redwood
Counsellor