A message from the Revd.
What makes you sad? Many things make me sad. When people are cruel or nasty to others, I get sad. When people settle for less than they need to, I get sad. The list goes on, and some of those things on our list will make us sad and angry.
This virus also brings sorrow and sadness with it, and for me, one of the sorrows of the coronavirus pandemic is that we can’t meet as a whole school in the Chapel of Christ the King.
I miss the students. I miss singing Shine Jesus Shine more than I thought I would and I certainly miss singing Jerusalem. I miss the boys of Williams house shouting “he leapt up high” whenever we sang the Lord of the Dance. I miss throwing things into the congregation and the crazy games and stunts I had planned for the start of 2022! Yes, for certain, for me, one of the sorrows of the coronavirus pandemic is that we can’t meet as a whole school in the Chapel of Christ the King.
Our chapel is 55 years old this year and, after extensions 21 years ago, has since seen thousands of students pass through its doors. It has been a place where we have cried, laughed, danced, sang and celebrated. It has been a place for fashion shows, drama, hide and seek, pancakes, music and even rowing machines! It has been a place of welcome, hospitality, challenge and engagement; a place for haka, poowhiri and celebration of kaupapa māori, above all, a place of faith.
A place where faith is explored, celebrated, accepted, challenged and engaged with. A place where we have seen some remarkable young people profess their faith and stand up for their faith. A place where we have seen incredible student leadership in the roles of chapel and service prefects: one of our most demanding and important roles. A position in which our young people pioneer and create new opportunities for service for other students across the city alongside creating and delivering incredible thought-provoking messages.
Each year of our story has produced exceptional leadership in those roles, and this year will be no different. Five students have been recognised for their skills, which will contribute to the life of the chapel and school in the coming months. The Chapel and Service Prefects for 2022 are Zoe Chapman, Daniel Williams, Sam White, Christian Fladgate and Emily Jin. Daniel and Zoe will also take on the co-head roles of Mission Outreach & Service. We congratulate them, pray for them and wish them well for 2022.
We have also interviewed and chosen the two Year 11 service leaders for the Refugee Orientation Centre (ROC) Trust programme. 86 Year 11 students have answered the call to serve this programme. These are numbers never seen before. 21 of the 86 students applied for the two leadership positions, but only two could be put forward for the role. We are delighted to appoint Jimmy Ma and Stella McFadden to these positions for 2022.
Whilst our normal service programme operations have been curtailed by Covid, and we are not in the Chapel together, these days will pass. I am always encouraged by our amazing students who rise to these and many other challenges. State in fide; it’s what we are about; standing firm in our faith.
Mā te Atua e manaaki
Ngā mihi nui
Revd Peter