Mission & Parish Council Update
July 2021

Mission Update – WCCEB

In August, Mission of the Month giving is directed to the Wollongong Combined Churches Education Board (WCCEB). So if you direct electronic giving to the church account as  ‘Mission’ then in August it passes onto the WCCEB. This ‘Scripture Board’ employs part-time SRE (‘Special Religious Education’) teachers in the following schools on our area:

• Keira High School – James Ulrich
• Wollongong High School Performing Arts – Heather Sitepu
• Smiths Hills High School – Samar Mikhael
• Illawarra Sport High School, Berkeley – Heather Sitepu
• Figtree High School – Naomi Lowth

It’s obviously been a disrupted start to Term 3, with different schools working out different access options for our school teachers.  Pray for them and for our voluntary primary school SRE teachers who are awaiting the return of physical classes. Pray that SRE teachers can work productively with school leadership for COVID-safe classes. Pray that students will be keen to pick up with Scripture classes once again, with positive attitudes leading even more kids to opt-in. Pray for our teachers to be helpful and sensitive when ministering to students with anxiety or other mental health challenges.  And pray that the Holy Spirit will work through God’s word as they teach.

Give thanks for Andy Stevenson’s long-term chairmanship of WCCEB. And praise God that he can continue in this role, as he leaves the church staff but remains a member here.