Breaking new ground with CHAT in SA

Have you heard about CHAT yet? CHAT stands for, Cultural, Hearing, Asking and Telling. It is a new intercultural program produced by SU Australia. The main purpose of CHAT is to grow understanding among students when it comes to relationships and respect across different cultures, religions and values. As part of this all students are encouraged to share their beliefs, culture and values, including Christian students and CHAT presenters, who may share about what following Christ means to them. 

In Qld and NSW many school Chaplains have already been trained and are delivering CHAT in their schools. CHAT is a well-received program that fits with the Australian curriculum. Through CHAT and the Christian presenters, Christian faith is shared as part of the content and conversations. 

In Adelaide, Chris Battistuzzi has recently been trained as a trainer for CHAT and SU is now working with SMG to see school Pastoral Care Workers (PCWs) trained to deliver the program in their schools. 

Our hope is that through CHAT we can grow our partnership with SMG, and see more PCWs equipped to deliver this much-needed program, as we explore other ways to partner to impact young Australians. 

Part of the CHAT training is to visit the site of another religious place of worship. This experience can have a huge impact on the trainees and help them to better understand and engage with other faiths. At our recent training, the group visited a mosque. The Imam and their people were very welcoming and answered many questions. 

CHAT training can be done by school chaplains, PCWs, SU staff, church staff and even volunteers. If you would like to know more about CHAT in SA please contact Chris Battistuzzi through the SA office.