As the Academic year for 2020 begins, can I take this opportunity to welcome all Genesis families back to the College.  A very warm welcome to the new families, I look forward to you joining the Genesis community.

As the new Principal of Genesis Christian College, I am excited to join this wonderful community and am passionate about the opportunities that lie ahead for us as a College.    I have already been blessed to receive a very warm welcome from many of the staff, students and families.  It is a privilege to follow Mr Barker and to continue the good work that has been established by him.

As I began the year with staff, I launched a theme for the year, “What’s in your hands?”  It is based on the story of Moses in the book of Exodus.  In chapter 4:2, God asks Moses, after listening to his doubts, “what is in your hand?”  Following this, God uses Moses with the staff he held in his hand to lead the people out of Egypt.  There are numerous examples in the Bible of God using what is in people’s hands to do amazing things even though they may seem menial or insignificant.  The challenge that I presented to staff was, how can we create space for God to use what he has given us and equipped us with for the year ahead.

Perhaps this is a theme that you may like to discuss with your children as they prepare for a new school year.  What opportunities do your children have ahead of them? What gifts, talents, interests and passions has God given them that they could use more fully this year. This theme and passage also remind us of the important message of trust and faith.  Moses had many doubts and felt inadequate to complete the task that the Lord had for him but God simply asked Moses to trust in him and rely on him for all that he required.  Sometimes our children need some extra encouragement to have a go, challenge themselves and rely on God for the confidence and courage they need to step into new things that may feel a little daunting.

As you return, you will notice that much has been happening on the building front.  Eden Eats, our new Tuckshop, is incredibly exciting and will be open for business from Monday, 10 February (please note there will be no tuckshop facilities available in Weeks 1 and 2).  Our STEM building is also looking fabulous and will become a very valuable learning space for our students as they journey through the Secondary School.  This building will be open for students to use and experience very early in Term 1.  We are blessed as a College to have the opportunity to improve and develop our facilities, to provide the very best learning environment for all students.

God bless you and your family as you embark upon this new year.  I look forward to connecting with you in the coming weeks.

Paul Sterling  

Principal