Dear Parents, Caregivers and Whanau,

DON’T STOP TRYING

I once heard a Christian say that when he arrives in heaven he does not expect to hear “well done, good and faithful servant,” as much as “well tried.” He does not mean that God will laud him for projects he began with great passion before losing interest and becoming distracted by the next big thing. No, he means only that he believes God will reward him for his constant attempts to seek and do what He commands. He expects that even though in the final accounting his accomplishments may add up to little, his attempts at faithfulness will add up to much.

There are many things we begin in our lives with great energy and many projects we undertake with great enthusiasm. Convicted by the preaching of the Word or persuaded by our understanding of God’s providence, we determine that we will make a substantial change to our lives or embark on a ministry that will bless others. We attempt little things, big things, and things in-between. And though some of them succeed some of the time, many of them do not. Though a few of them grow up to become big things, far more of them remain tiny things or soon enough become former things.

A man longed to create a ministry through his local church that would serve the residents of a long-term rest home. This was surely a good and noble desire and he embarked upon it with great enthusiasm. But though he laboured diligently, he received few opportunities to meet with people in that home or to care for them. And though he told other believers about it, he learned that few of them had interest in joining him. He pressed on for a time, but eventually surrendered to the inevitable and determined he would invest his time and energy in other forms of service. And though this ministry was by most measures unsuccessful, I am convinced God will proudly say to him, “Well tried.”

Missionaries who set out to foreign lands but soon have to return. Pastors who found churches that fail to grow. Authors who pour their hearts out on the page but sell few copies of their books. Young people who start a Christian group on campus but have no one show up. I suspect that with an honest accounting you’d have to admit that your life is much like mine in that it is marked by all manner of failures—failure in the home, failure in the church, failure in the neighbourhood, failure in the workplace. And if not full-out failure, just plain mediocrity, a lack of success, a lack of great triumphs. But surely part of the reason we fail much is that we attempt much. Surely part of the reason we see so many mediocre results is that we at least have the courage to try. The only way to guard against all failure is to attempt nothing at all. But that, of course, is its own form of failure.

Our God-given goal in life is not to succeed at all we attempt. It is good to succeed, of course, and we should not laud failure as if it is nobler than success. But it is God who is sovereign over all of our affairs and his concern is not so much that we succeed or fail but that we grow in godly character. What matters to God is not our plaudits and accolades, but our conformity and obedience to Christ. And the fact is that though God shapes us through our successes, he often does so even more through our failures. It is through failures that we so often learn our limitations, through our failures that we so often gain humility, through our failures that we so often put off many vices and put on many graces. God is at work in us even when it’s hard to see how he may be at work through us.

Mark 10:27

27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

The day will come when we will stand before the Lord to give an account of how we used our gifts, talents, time, energy, enthusiasm, and everything else God has graciously bestowed upon us. Failure would be to admit that not only did we do nothing, but that we attempted nothing. Success would be to recount those things we dreamed of, prayed for, and attempted, even if they led to no great results. For surely in the mind of God, faithfulness is its own accomplishment, faithfulness marked by attempts to do those things that delight his heart. Surely it is his joy to commend us for successes and failures alike: “Well tried, good and faithful servant.”

In the last few weeks, we have been blessed with wonderful Prizegiving’s and Final Assemblies, all of which have honoured your sons and daughters, and especially God.

As Principal, I am delighted with the quality of the new staff we have appointed for 2023 and we look forward to welcoming them in the new year. It is also with some sadness that we farewell a number of staff who are leaving us at the end of this year due to retirement, maternity leave, or gaining positions elsewhere.

Thank you to all our staff for their contribution to the life of our school and for your faithful service to our school community.

We look forward to 2023 and continue to trust in God’s faithful provision for Middleton Grange School. For those families who have children / young adults leaving this year, please stay in contact with the school, especially as we continue to strengthen our Alumni association.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership with our school. May you have a safe and blessed holiday and Christmas/New Year season, and may the Lord bless you and watch over you during this time.

Our School Motto

Character, Excellence, Service for the Glory of God.

Blessings

Mike Vannoort

Principal / Tumuaki