Greetings,
Welcome back to the Community News for 2020. May I take this opportunity to thank the team of people that work hard each week to put this together, and all of you for sending through notices and information so that we can all be informed about what is going on. It is surprising how far this document actually gets!
This morning I stood in an assembly hall with other parents as our Year 7 children were welcomed as part of the new high school community. It was a lovely ceremony where all students and parents were reminded that the school is one community but is made up of many different people who all have their role to play. It is a community where respect is valued and all members are encouraged to play their part to make a positive difference.
At one point of the ceremony a boy from year 8 spoke about what respect means. He spoke of how respect is not just about having the space to use the gifts you have, but also using your gifts in a way that is respectful to those around you. He explained that while he has the gift of speaking (and he certainly did) that this gift was no good if it was used at the expense of the gifts of others … if he spoke all the time and his friends couldn’t have quiet space to reflect, then he wasn’t respecting them. Some wise words from a young man.
It is as though this year has begun with heaviness. We have had a devastating bushfire season in our country and that is still not over. We have people who are suffering from a new virus which is rapidly spreading. All these things can leave us feeling tired and vulnerable.

The gospel reading for this week reminds us that in the midst of all that happens we are blessed because we are loved by a God who is concerned with us! As people of faith let us claim the blessings we have so that we can live as members of a community where respect is valued, and we might be a blessing to others.
Blessings – Rev Heather.