One of the various hats I wear is Chairman of the Council at St Catherine's School, Waverley. And we're hiring.

To be specific, we're seeking to fill two exciting new roles in 2011 that I'd like to tell you about. Maybe you're the person we're looking for; or you might know someone who is.

For a range of reasons (that I'd be happy to chat about if you're interested), the Council and Headmistress have decided to split the traditional ‘chaplain’ role at the school in two. We're looking for a Head of Biblical Studies, who will drive the teaching of the Bible and its worldview within the school curriculum, and a Chaplain, who will be responsible for ministry within the school outside the classroom.

The Head of Biblical Studies position is an opportunity to develop something different in Christian education. ‘Christian studies’ is too often a kind of soft, semi-evangelistic part of school curriculums; something that feels tacked on, and is neither a proper ‘subject’ (with the appropriate rigor and assessment) nor really a very effective investigation of Christianity (because it is compulsory and in a classroom setting).

We're imagining something different: a curriculum stream that studies the Bible seriously as the most important text in Western civilization. We want students not only to understand the content of the Bible, but to see how the biblical worldview relates to everything else. We want them to understand how biblical thought has shaped who we are as modern Western people; how biblical ideas lie at the heart of our history, our language, our science, our art, our literature, our architecture, our culture.

We want every girl at the school to be well educated in these areas, whether or not they come from a Christian background or choose to be Christian, because we think the study of the Bible and its thought, and its effect on our entire civilization, should be a central component of the education of any thinking person.

So I guess the new Head of Biblical Studies will need to be someone with both theological and educational gifts; someone who could drive a new way of teaching the Bible and its worldview within a school curriculum. Is that you? Or do you know someone?

However, you can't study the Bible without the big issues emerging (God, humanity, Jesus, life, death, heaven, hell). It's not as if these would be (or could be) excluded from the classroom! However, we're thinking that the better place to pursue these subjects further, and to think through the personal impact of these truths, is in a range of other activities that take place alongside the classroom curriculum. That's where the role of the Chaplain comes in—to drive all aspects of the ministry of the gospel within the school community outside the classroom.

The Chaplain we're looking for will obviously need to be able to relate well to girls, and to be able to communicate the gospel clearly in a range of contexts (personally and through public preaching). He or she will also need to be someone with a strategic cast of mind, and be able and willing to bring fresh ideas to the task of ministry within a school community. Is this you? Or someone you know?

To chat about these roles, please feel free to get in touch with me at tpayne AT matthiasmedia DOT com DOT au, or simply apply for the positions (by October 15).

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