A good rapport
When SU Australia’s Group Manager Fundraising, Matthew Hodge, went along to help out at a holiday camp, he saw for himself just how much our chaplains’ relationships with the community matter
Sometimes we get asked about how chaplaincy is different from social work or how it ties in with the good news about Jesus.
This is a good question.
To answer it takes more than just a sentence. Because a chaplain’s job is multi-faceted. Rather than working in isolation, chaplains are embedded within communities, often as part of well-being teams. In everything they do, they bring the love of Jesus. This is of course seen in the way they serve young people, but also in relationships with the adults around them.
Here is an example of this love in action. Chaplain Marion Venz has been a chaplain for nine years at a local school in Queensland.
Over that time, she and the school have built up a good rapport and for the last three years, SU has been able to run a three-day holiday camp at the school, where kids can come, hear stories about Jesus, play some games and be cared for in a safe environment.
In addition, Marion has been able to run a kids club called FriYay at her church down the road on Fridays after school.
Marion connects not only with Christian kids at the school growing in their faith but also with children from homes that don’t regularly attend church and sometimes people from other religions.
I went along to help out for the last day of camp but my hat is off to Marion and her team of chaplains and volunteers who have been doing this for three days! Today involved many activities from Bible talks to gardening to water games.
Behind chaplains like Marion are you, the supporters, making all this possible. Thanks for being a part of loving communities just like this one across our nation.
I praise God for Chappies like Marion. It is a challenging and exhausting role that demands 100% commitment both to Christ and to those that God has called them to minister to. Ministry to children is the most important role anyone can have, especially reaching them before they enter high school. There is no greater privilege! I prayerfully stand behind the work of SU chaplains.
My husband and I lived for over 30 years in Indonesia and most of my early ministry was teaching RE in the schools and training SS staff and youth ministries. Even today, over 50 years later, I am still in contact with children to whom we taught the scriptures, led to Christ and nurtured.