In Psalm 34, the Psalmist invites his readers to “taste and see that the LORD is good…”.
Here at Arden, this is what Christian education boils down to. Our aim for our students is for them to receive a taste of God’s goodness, whether that is in the classroom, in Chapel, in our Christian lunchtime groups or away on camps.
Christian education at Arden offers students the opportunity to meet God as He is revealed in the Bible, in the person of Jesus, and to experience the difference He makes in our lives.
This occurs overtly – in dedicated activities focused on learning about the gospel – and in hundreds of ordinary, inconspicuous ways that emerge from the relationships and culture of the School.
Starting in the classroom, every student is given the opportunity to challenge their own beliefs in our Christian Studies program. They are encouraged to ask why they believe what they believe, and whether there is good reason to believe it. This is all done in a non-judgemental, open environment, where everyone is heard and accepted. We believe that Christian education is not only about the content of the lesson (although that is important) – it is about character and conduct. Fostering a classroom ethos of love and acceptance, of the value and dignity of all students who are all made in the image of God, is our goal.
On both our Junior and Secondary Campuses, our student-led CRU Christian groups meet weekly at lunchtime to foster further thinking and build strong friendships. The key to our lunchtime groups is indubitably our students. Older students lead younger students, share their lives with them and, of course, model how to follow Jesus as they regularly meet together. Student leaders are trained and prepared well by the Chaplaincy team, who also provide a constant support. Many of our Prefects come through the Christian lunchtime group leadership training program. Our goal is to raise up servant leaders who “in humility value others above themselves, not looking only to their own interests but also to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4).
Our Christian education calendar culminates in an annual event for each Campus.
At the Secondary Campus, close to a third of our students voluntarily come away for a weekend on our Anchor Camp to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” Some are checking out Christianity, some are sceptics seeking answers, but many are committed Christians seeking to grow in their faith and be encouraged by fellow believers. It is a remarkable weekend of joy, challenge and friendship.
The Junior Campus also offers a similar experience. Each August, a team of staff volunteers, Secondary Campus students and a handful of parents, all led by the Chaplaincy team, take on Solid Rock – an afternoon and evening of Christian teaching, games, singing and good food, all with a fair bit of craziness thrown in. This free event is open to Arden students in Years 2-6 and books out in a matter of hours each year.
Across the School our Arden Values – Compassion, Service, Respect, Hope, Love and Courage – shape who we are. Each value is underpinned by the Bible’s teaching about God’s character and His goodness, and our hope and prayer is that students at Arden grow to become people who reflect them. These values define who we strive to be as a school, whether in the context of academic pursuits, sporting endeavours, Drama and the Arts.
In keeping with our motto, In God My Joy, at Arden we encourage our students to taste the joy that is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe He is worth getting to know.
