Sar Shalom: Leading as God intended Hospitality, teaching, and pauses for reflection
When learners freely follow
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editorial
In this final edition of the Christian Teachers Journal for 2024, we are pleased to present a selection of pieces exploring leadership. While not all readers will have formal titles and roles in leadership positions, the presence of “good” leaders who are formed by God’s story impacts everyone.
Tim Argall’s “Sar Shalom: Leading as God Intended—Leading for Shalom in the ‘Now and Not Yet’” explores leadership that aligns with the concept of shalom and the way Jesus led. My own ponderings and experiences as a leader are presented in a piece “Leadership: Being Bothered About Botheredness” drawing on ways of being in leadership.
“Christian School Leadership: Learning from Teaching Christianly” by Chris Prior underscores the lessons that can be learned from our work on teaching Christianly, while David I. Smith and Joyce Azaki’s article, “Hospitality, Teaching, and Pauses for Reflection” explores how educators can create spaces where learners feel valued and engaged.
In “When Learners Freely Follow” Rachel Herweynen, principal of Gawa Christian School, shares research findings undertaken and situated on Country.
Joel van Bentum’s review of the book The Soul of Desire and Chad Smith’s “My Top Five” further enrich this edition as they each share recommendations of resources for leadership growth.
Whether you are a leader, or a follower, may you and the communities you serve be nourished by this edition.
Fiona Partridge
On behalf of the CTJ editorial team
contents
Sar Shalom: Leading as God Intended Leading for Shalom in the “Now and Not Yet”
Tim Argall
Leadership: Being Bothered About Botheredness
Fiona Partridge
Christian School Leadership: Learning From Teaching Christianly
Chris Prior
Hospitality, Teaching, and Pauses for Reflection.
David I. Smith and Joyce Azaki
When Learners Freely Follow
Rachel Herweynen
Book Review: The Soul of Desire
Joel van Bentum
My
Chad
Sar Shalom: Leading as God Intended
Leading for shalom in the “now and not yet”
By Tim Argall
ABSTRACT Tim Argall explores Jesus’ role as Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace) and the implications for leadership. Shalom, encompassing peace, wholeness, and divine intention, contrasts with typical human notions of leadership. By analysing Jesus’ servant leadership, compassion, and authentic living, Argall suggests that shalom leadership integrates these principles, providing a holistic model for contemporary Christian leadership.
“What about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29)
His Galilean followers’ perspective
Mark’s Gospel, as short as it is, has many pointers recorded as to who Jesus is. The Gospel itself starts with Mark telling us in his first line that Jesus is “the Son of God”, quoting Isaiah’s prophecy (1:2–3) and John the Baptist’s preaching (1:7–8). God calls Jesus “my beloved Son” (1:11), and even demons recognise Him as “the Holy One of God” (1:24).
And yet the people around Jesus, watching, ask “What is this?” (Mark 1:27). Before Chapter 8, Jesus wanders around the region near the Sea of Galilee, across it by boat and once by foot; He calls disciples, heals the sick, casts out demons, feeds the hungry, and proclaims the gospel of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
But it takes until Chapter 8 for a human being to “get it”. In verse 29, Peter’s response, “You are the Christ” changes everything. He knows the Hebrew Scriptures and he sees in Jesus the fulfillment of the prophecies spoken by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15) and Isaiah (9:6) and even the Psalmist (Psalm 2:1–7).
A wider perspective: Sar Shalom (the Prince of Peace)
Consider how the angels appear to the shepherds in Luke 2:8–14. They are a “heavenly host”. Here, the narrative has a very technical military term—a euphemism for “army”. Heaven’s army has been deployed to announce the Saviour, the Messiah, the Lord! Furthermore, they announce, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests”. Sar Shalom is announced by an army from heaven!
How exactly will this Messiah (the “warlord” of Israel’s dreaming for the previous millennium or so) establish peace? Will He do it just like how every world leader had in the past?
Humankind itself declared war against God when Adam and Eve rebelled against His authority in the garden, and the Old Testament historical narrative and prophetic utterances have documented and repudiated human rejection of God’s instructed way for them to live in the world as His image-bearers. We know that Jesus was born to give His own blood to establish everlasting peace for all humans with the Lord, their creator; upon His arrival on earth, this was something unprecedented in the life of any ruler.
And through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross (Colossians 1:20).
We stand on the other side of Jesus’ life on earth. As His disciples, we live by faith in the understanding that this propitiatory act has eternal consequences for our souls, and that our discipleship is lived as an act of worship because God, through Jesus, has extended grace to us.
In the Gospels, Jesus is often characterised (and self-described) as shepherd-like. We see this form of leadership in intimacy and through the way He guides His sheep.
If Jesus is Sar Shalom, what then is shalom?
Shalom is much more than just “peace”. The concept of shalom appears in the Old Testament 397 times (Franklin, 2020). Examples of how shalom is attributed or expressed include:
as an attribute of God (for example, in Judges 6:24; Swanson, 2002)
• as an exultation of God upon His people (as in Jeremiah 29:7)
• as the antithesis of harm and as a synonym for good outcomes (as in Jeremiah 33:9; Barry et al., 2016a)
• as individual and collective expressions of blessed relationship with each other (Joshua 9:15; Barry et al., 2016b) and with God (Genesis 26:28-31; Barry et al., 2016b; Isaiah 2:3–4; Yoder, 2017).
The earliest of Hebraic text (a pictographic form that is now, in more contemporary forms, heavily stylised) depicts the archaic form of the word shalom as a combination of four images from right to left; strong teeth, a shepherd’s staff, a nail, and water (see figure 1). The teeth are an image depicting destruction, the shepherd’s staff depicts authority, the nail—attachment, and water— chaos. Shalom’s ancient pictographic meaning could thus be described: to destroy the authority attached to chaos. Dynamic and capable of embodiment, it can be seen as both a command—a call to action—and a posture, a way of being.
God’s image of shalom—His “normative intention for us” (Sherman, 2022, p. 14) bookends the biblical narrative. Genesis 1 and Revelation 22 describe shalom created, and recreated (Yashim, 2020). Cole proposes that shalom is intricately intertwined in covenantal theology, citing Genesis 12 and the establishment of the Abrahamic covenant as the pivotal moment when God commences His revelation of shalom for His people (Cole, 2009). He further argues that the creation commission (Genesis 1:28–31), as part of God’s original shalom intentions for humanity, reaches complete expression when partnered with the Great (discipling) Commission (Matthew 28:18–20) and the moral commission (Matthew 22:37–40), as spoken by Jesus during His earthly ministry.
Brueggemann (1982) describes the Bible’s “persistent vision of joy, wellbeing, harmony, and prosperity” (pp. 15-16) alongside concepts such as love, loyalty, truth, grace, salvation, justice, blessing, and righteousness as being critical to a deep understanding of the multi-dimensional nature of shalom. Furthermore, Wolterstorff (2004) highlights both the relational side and the pleasure that emanates from being in a shalomic state:
Shalom incorporates delight in one’s relationships. To dwell in shalom is to find delight in living rightly before God, to find delight in living rightly in one’s physical surroundings, to find delight in
living rightly with one’s fellow human beings, to find delight even in living rightly with oneself. (p. 23)
Being in shalom indicates spiritual, psychological, physical, and social wholeness (Sherman, 2022). It is when humankind, as God’s image-bearers, is in shalom that the full expression of loving God with all their hearts, soul, strength, and mind (Deuteronomy 6:4–7) is possible (Glasser & Engen, 2003). Shalomic expressions of discipleship equip God’s people to be agents for flourishing “in every direction, personal and public” (Lindsley, 2013, n. p.). It is “a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed … shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be” (Plantinga, 1995, p. 10).
How did Sar Shalom express His leadership on earth?
Servanthood
Servanthood was a regular theme in Jesus’ teachings and actions. Consider the following:
humility: John 13 is a notable example—washing the feet of His disciples, a task usually carried out by servants.
compassion for those on the margins: Jesus’ miracles of healing and feeding (for example, the 5,000 in Matthew 14) were often directed towards sinners, the poor, the sick, the displaced, and the outcasts.
1. Hebrew text “shalom” (Seekins, 2012, p. 196)
Figure
sacrificial love and obedience to God’s will: Jesus submits to God’s plan willingly, even when it results in suffering and the horrific death of crucifixion; “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
• teaching on leadership: in Matthew 20:26–28, when Jesus teaches that greatness in God’s Kingdom comes from serving others, not seeking power or status.
Shepherding
In the Gospels, Jesus is often characterised (and self-described) as shepherd-like. We see this form of leadership in intimacy and through the way He guides His sheep. In John 10:3–4, Jesus describes how the shepherd calls His sheep by name, and they follow Him because they know His voice. As Shepherd, Jesus is protector: in John 10:11, He says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”. Jesus sought those who are lost. In the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:4–7), when Jesus uses the illustration of the shepherd’s preparedness to leave the 99 sheep to find the one that is lost, He is reminding us of His deep concern for the spiritually wayward and His mission to redeem sinners. Jesus shows compassion. In Matthew 9:36, we read “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”. And Jesus provides like a shepherd, ensuring the wellbeing of His flock, both spiritually and physically (Mark 6:34–44).
Authenticity
Beyond servant and shepherd behaviours, consider these examples of Jesus’ authentic leadership: maintaining integrity to God’s intended teachings (Matthew 5–7): the Sermon on the Mount is full of Jesus refocusing His followers’ actions and attitudes away from legalistic interpretations; instead, focusing on the character of God and the call on His people to godly
relationships with one another. Jesus’ life embodied these teachings; amongst the multitude of instances recorded in the Gospels, consider His forgiveness of His enemies while He hangs, crucified on the cross (Luke 23:34).
• acting courageously (Mark 11:15–18): while there are many examples of Jesus’ actions in standing up for the marginalised and oppressed, one might contend that the most graphic example recorded of this is when Jesus clears the temple and surrounds, driving out money changers and those exploiting worshippers. His righteous anger and bold stance for justice showed His commitment to serve God first, as He protected the sanctity of worship in the face of opposition.
• empowering with trust (Luke 9:1–6; Matthew 28:18–20): Jesus empowers His disciples by entrusting them with the authority to heal, preach, and further His mission. Even after His resurrection, He commissioned them to “go and make disciples of all nations”.
Alignment to contemporary leadership literature
These three paradigms—servant, shepherd, and authentic leader—are extensively researched paradigms of leadership and been applied to educational settings for as long as they have been articulated (Feng-I, 2016; Schroeder, 2016; Wilson, 2016).
It is posited that shalom leadership differs from these others in that it will only be expressed when a leader is actively seeking shalom with God, other humans, and themselves, for the sake of the created world.
Widening our gaze, it becomes impossible to get a definitive count on the number of newly described leadership paradigms that have appeared in peer reviewed literature in the last two decades. Transformational, transactional, ethical, charismatic, adaptive, situational, relational, distributed, spiritual, complexity, agile, emotionally intelligent, and inclusive sit alongside servant and authentic as ChatGPT’s top 15 list of key leadership paradigms.
Greenleaf’s (1977) comprehensive description of servant leadership, Laniak’s (2006) first description of the shepherd leader, and Rodin’s (2010) and Wilson’s (2016) seminal works on steward leadership all broke new ground because of their links to the life and works of Jesus. Whilst each of the expressions of Jesus’ leadership examined earlier can be linked to biblical principles and narratives, (Adepoju, 2020; Rodin, 2010; Sendjaya & Sarros, 2002), it must be noted that each can also operate as a secular construct, absent from God and focus on the leader themselves. It is possible to adopt the posture described in each paradigm and not be a Christ follower. We must approach secular leadership literature with discernment.
Shalom leadership: a more complete leadership paradigm?
Currently, only a small amount of documentation exists to describe a shalom style of leadership. Research being undertaken by this author is seeking to more expansively describe this paradigm.
It is posited that shalom leadership differs from these others in that it will only be expressed when a leader is actively seeking shalom with God, other humans, and themselves, for the sake of the created world. Shalom leadership does not replace these other paradigms; it aims to capture their actions, attitudes, and postures as they align with the biblical narrative of godly leadership in the Old and New Testaments.
We thank God for the perfect example of Sar Shalom: Jesus our Messiah. It should give us cause to continually lean on Him, to be more and more like Him, until He comes again.
Deep immersion in Scripture narrative, seeking to understand the depth that God intended for His perfect shalom (passages such as Jeremiah 29:1–14; Isaiah 54:1–17; Ezekiel 37:21–28; and Revelation 21:1–22:13) is coupled with using a shalom-seeking lens to focus enquiry to provide depth and applicability into these leaders’ workplaces. Old Testament leaders (Joseph in Genesis 41:46–42:9, 45:1–15), prophets (Daniel in Daniel 2:37–47; 6:16–28), kings (David in 1 Samuel 17:8–18, 38–50; 2 Samuel 11:2–17, 12:7–14; Psalm 51:1–17), Jesus’ ministry (John 14:1–31), and New Testament leadership (Paul in Philemon 1:1–22) are examples of the rich explorations being undertaken by these leaders.
It is too early to report the findings, but it has already been an exciting journey. As Christian teachers and leaders, we are a storied people, immersed in the work God is doing in the circumstances we find ourselves in. He has given us glimpses of the world to come through His Word revealed to us, through our own experience of relationship with Him, and through the witness of others. Being shalom-seeking in our heads, with our hands, and to the depths of our heart’s desires enables those around us to see this more completely. We thank God for the perfect example of Sar Shalom: Jesus our Messiah. It should give us cause to continually lean on Him, to be more and more like Him, until He comes again.
References
Adepoju, A. (2020). Jesus Christ as the ultimate authentic leader: An inner texture analysis of Philippians 2:511. Journal of Biblical Perspectives in Leadership, 10(1), 34–47.
Barry, J. D., Bomar, D., Brown, D. R., Klippenstein, R., Mangum, D., Ritzema, E., Sinclair Wolcott, C., Wentz, L., & Widder, W. (2016a). Peace > In the Old Testament. In Lexham Bible dictionary (electronic ed.). Lexham Press.
Barry, J. D., Bomar, D., Brown, D. R., Klippenstein, R., Mangum, D., Ritzema, E., Sinclair Wolcott, C., Wentz, L., & Widder, W. (2016b). Peace > In the Old Testament > Peace in Relationships. In Lexham Bible dictionary (electronic ed.). Lexham Press. Brueggemann, W. (1982). Living toward a vision: Biblical reflections on shalom (2nd ed.). United Church Press.
Cole, G. (2009). God the peacemaker: How atonement brings shalom. IVP Academic.
Feng-I, F. (2016). School principals’ authentic leadership and teachers’ psychological capital: Teachers’ perspectives. International Education Studies, 9(10), 245–255.
Franklin, K. J. (2020). Searching for shalom: Transformation in the mission of God and the Bible translation movement. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 76(4),
Glasser, A. F., & Van Engen, C. E. (2003). Announcing the Kingdom: The story of God’s mission in the Bible. Baker Academic.
Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A Journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Paulist Press.
Laniak, T. S. (2006). Shepherds after my own heart: Pastoral traditions and leadership in the Bible. IVP Academic.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Lindsley, A. (2013, June 6). The Biblical definition of flourishing [Public Square / Theology 101]. Institute for Faith, Work & Economics.
Plantinga, C. (1995). Not the way it’s supposed to be: A Breviary of sin. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Rodin, R. S. (2010). The steward leader: Transforming people, organizations and communities. InterVarsity Press.
Schroeder, B. (2016). The effectiveness of servant leadership in schools from a Christian perspective. BU Journal of Graduate Studies in Education, 8(2), 13–18.
Seekins, F. T. (2012). Hebrew word pictures: Ancient Hebrew letters as signs from heaven (New edition). Hebrew World.
Sendjaya, S., & Sarros, J. C. (2002). Servant leadership: Its origin, development, and application in organizations. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 9(2), 57–64.
Sherman, A. L. (2022). Agents of flourishing: Pursuing shalom in every corner of society. InterVarsity Press.
Swanson, J. A. (2002). שָׁלוֹם (šā·lôm). In A dictionary of biblical languages with semantic domains: Hebrew (OT) (electronic ed., p. 8934). Logos.
Wilson, K. R. (2016). Steward leadership in the nonprofit organization. IVP Books.
Wolterstorff, N. (2004). Educating for shalom: Essays on Christian higher education (C. W. Joldersma & G. G. Stronks, Eds.). Eerdmans Publishing.
Yashim, S. Z. (2020). Biblical shalom for sustainable holistic transformational development in Nigeria: A study of two rural communities in North Central Nigeria. Cumbria.
Yoder, P. B. (2017). Shalom: The Bible’s word for salvation, justice, & peace. Wipf and Stock.
1. How does this presentation of the concept of shalom challenge or expand your understanding of leadership?
2. In what ways can the example of Jesus as Sar Shalom inform your approach to leadership in practice? Reflect on practical applications of servant leadership, compassion, and authenticity inspired by Jesus’ example.
3. How might the integration of shalom leadership with contemporary leadership paradigms enhance or transform organisational culture?
Tim Argall has been the executive principal at Donvale Christian College since 2016. He has held deputy or principal roles in four schools in two different states for three decades. He is married to Kris and they have three adult children. His current research project, as part of a PhD program at the Australian College of Theology, is focused on documenting a new leadership paradigm rooted in the shalom-seeking practices of leaders, as described in the Old and New Testaments.
Leadership: Being Bothered About Botheredness
By Fiona Partridge
ABSTRACT This article presents key ideas in the resource Five Ways of Being: What Learning Leaders Think, Do, and Say Every Day (Danvers, et al., 2020). The five ways of being are discussed, exploring how each is positioned within the biblical story. It is suggested that faithful Christian school leaders need to apply a bit of “botheredness” to these ways of being, paying attention to our relationship with the Story we are called to live in and out of.
Botheredness
“I can’t be bothered.” Have you ever thought this as a leader?
On the other hand, there are the things that do bother us: the little episodes that tug at our emotions and derail our confidence, keeping us awake at night.
But what about “botheredness” as in being intentionally bothered to work at something because it is important? Why is it my new favourite word? I recently came across the concept of botheredness when reading the book When the Adults Change Everything Changes: Seismic Shifts in School Behaviour, by Paul Dix (2017/2023). Dix promotes the importance of relationships in learning communities, describing botheredness as deliberate daily acts to build positive relationships in the classroom; “relationship building done properly, in slow motion. Gentle, kind, and caring” (p. 39).
As I think about the lessons I am learning as a leader in my current role (along with the lessons I have sometimes bruisingly learned through my mistakes as a leader) the idea of botheredness as those deliberate daily acts to build relationship certainly resonates.
Relationship building is foundational in the Bible. Our very existence can only be truly understood in relationship—with God and in the knowledge that we are created by Him, for His purpose, living in His story. Relationship building needs botheredness.
Christian leaders and educators must first recognise that our identity and worth are defined at the deepest level by being in the image of God (Watkin, 2017). We are “always in relationship with One who is other than ourselves” (p. 102). That relationship is found in a story; The Story. It is the story of God loving us so much that He gave His son to bring us, and all creation, back into right relationship with Him. Careful work at our relationship with God, with His story, and with others should be a daily habit in our leadership.
What might botheredness look like in action for leaders in Christian education?
“Five Ways of Being”: within the biblical story
In the book Five Ways of Being: What Learning Leaders Think, Do, and Say Every Day (Danvers, et al., 2020) the Australian authors explain a “Way of Being is the nature or essence of leadership. … It is about who you are becoming in your ongoing pursuit to learn about yourself and those you work with” (p. 4). “Learning leaders” are encouraged to look internally for the answers to the challenges they face: being trusting
• being brave
• being a storyteller
• being purposeful, and
• being growth focussed. (p. 4)
For Christian leaders, taking up these postures will require some care. As Watkin (2017) notes,
In order to “find” myself, I do not need to look inside myself, to my own thoughts and feelings … I need to look outside myself, to God whose image I am in. For the autonomous, self-determining self, relationships are secondary and contingent; for the human being in the image of God, they are primary, necessary, and identity formed. … for the biblical outlook, it is possible to make sense of ourselves only if we do so out of our relationship to God. (p. 102)
We need to carefully examine what God intends for His people, being mindful of the distortions that the culture around us may assume in each of the “ways”. In God’s redemptive light, what will the five ways look like as we work to bring God’s Kingdom into our schools and communities?
Being a storyteller
We know the saying “actions speak louder than words”. While appearing third on the list of the five ways, being a storyteller must be a Christian leader’s first way of being; our lives and leadership (our actions) must tell God’s story.
School culture is shaped, nurtured, and made manifest through what learning leaders think, say, and do every day (Danvers, et al., 2020). As Christian leaders, our actions, our behaviours, and the culture we set in our schools (impacted by our words and the language we use) must be formed by His story more than any of the latest leadership books, podcasts, or seminars.
Colossians 1:20 tells us that all things find their place in God’s story; all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals, and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the Cross. ( The Message, paraphrase)
God’s story must be the story which shapes our mind, thoughts, and
strategies as a leader. It must form our relationships and practices. But knowing God’s story requires our botheredness.
Like many Christian educators, I grew up in a Christian home, well connected in a church with solid biblical teaching. I attended several variations of Scripture classes, Bible studies, church life groups, and so on.
I know the many “heroes” of the Old Testament. I know many of Jesus’ miracles recorded in the Gospel accounts. I am inspired by Bible verses that teach how I should direct my thoughts or have faith as a follower of Christ. I admit I’ve skipped over some of Revelation that—let’s face it— has been the cause of many a church argument, or the absolute source of fear for teens worried about “being left behind” (think the LaHaye and Jenkins series, and yes, I was very afraid after watching that series of films in the early 1990s!).
However, I realise I fall short in my Bible knowledge leading to action: that is, of the fullness of the Bible story, soaking it in, and having it form me—my mind and thoughts, my words, and my actions—my very relationship with God, His story, and with others, including my actions and decisionmaking as an educational leader.
“Education at its best, informs, forms, and transforms the very ‘being’ of people and does so in ways that are powerfully life-giving for both themselves and their society” (Groome, 2011, in Thompson, 2023, p. 94). What characterises such formation? It is apprenticeship to Jesus Christ. It is the formation of His disciples (Thompson, 2023).
We may think this notion of discipleship is directed towards our students, but being apprenticed to Jesus Christ is for Christian educators and leaders too. We need to be formed ourselves as disciples so we can then be equipped and used by God to form others. Being formed as a disciple is for all who claim to be in relationship with Christ. To do that, we need to
know God through His Word. “To teach from a Christian perspective requires humility, discernment, and immersion in the biblical story, together with sound biblical literacy” (Prior, 2021, p. 13). This also applies to educational leadership.
How are we to evaluate 21st century stories told by advertisers, politicians, and parents? How are we to understand, critique, and redeem the stories told in movies and magazines, on YouTube and TikTok? These stories powerfully shape our students. They seek authority in the formation of minds and hearts. How are we to faithfully live and work as educators in these times and places? Only by living in and then out of the story told by the scriptures. Only by allowing the authority of the biblical story of Christ to shape our responses to all other stories. (Thompson, 2023, p. 8)
Interpreting leadership in education (and the role of education) through immersion in the biblical story is a must. Biblical immersion is work: sometimes dutiful, but most often creative, imaginative, whole-bodied, and wondrous work (Thompson, 2023).
Such immersion is our faithful response to the unique, revelatory, life-giving, heartrenewing authority of God speaking through scripture. Such immersion addresses all the texts of the Bible because all of them—some obviously and some obscurely—contribute to the overarching story of God’s grace in Christ. (p. 13)
Days for leaders are always full but we must practise botheredness when it
comes to reading and studying God’s Word. When we live in and out of God’s story, the remaining four of the Five Ways of Being (Danvers, et al., 2020) find their place.
Being trusting
We cannot simply demand trust. Being trusting and trusted as a leader will come out of intentionally being immersed in God’s story. As we allow our lives to be planted in God’s Word, “fruit” will develop in our lives and be evident in our leadership. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Being trusted will require us to be emotionally mature and eventempered. It will mean taking responsibility for our own actions, along with our inaction, rather than looking for others to blame. Building trust and being trusted will mean being honest with our team and those we are responsible for.
Paul teaches that we are chosen by God for this “new life of love” urging us to “dress in the wardrobe God picked out for us: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline”, being “even-tempered” (Colossians 3:12). We are reminded as Christian leaders of the way God pursues and extends His kindness to us. If we are followers of Christ, we must do the same for those we are called to lead, and for those God has put in our sphere of influence and trust. We must first see all people as image-bearers of God (whether they know that for themselves or not) although we well know the effects of
God’s story must be the story which shapes our mind, thoughts, and strategies as a leader. It must form our relationships and practices. But knowing God’s story requires our botheredness.
sin entering the world is still evident, with our lives needing directing to the cross.
“As relational beings, the degree to which we value, honour, and care for each other—students, teachers, leaders, and families alike—impacts our mutual flourishing” (Swaner & Wolfe, 2021, pp. 7–8). An effective leader “brings out the best in people by entrusting them with meaningful stewardships and to create an environment in which hightrust interaction inspires creativity and possibility” (Covey & Merill, 2006, p. 333).
It is the strength of our relationships— the ties that bind us—that make all the difference in school communities. High-quality relationships are built on trust. “Trust can only be built by getting to know each other as total human beings above and beyond our formal roles” (Danvers, et al., 2020, p. 21). Leaders inspire trust in others and those they lead. While mistrust creates division and disunity, trust creates a flourishing community.
Being brave
The “inherent nature of learning requires us to feel uncomfortable, to confront the unknown, to feel vulnerable and to make peace the ambiguity that learning brings” (Danvers et al., 2020, p. 43) and as leaders of learning we need to be brave. We must choose being brave and courageous over our own comfort as a way of being, embracing conflict and tension as opportunities to grow. The word “courage” comes from the French word le coeur—the heart (Swaner & Wolf, 2021). Courage is
therefore the ability to “have heart” in a situation. En-couragement is the giving of courage to another— literally “to put heart into” them (p. 101). The reverse can also occur; discouragement takes the “heart out” (p. 101) of a person or situation. Encouragement must be foundational to our relationships. To be an encourager will take courage. For Christians, living in and out of the biblical story, such courage is not found in humanism, or in our individual resilience and application of grit. Courage can only authentically grow as fruit in our lives when we are planted in God’s story for us.
The Bible’s teaching on loving our neighbour and showing hospitality needs to shape our actions. Taking this seriously as a leader in a Christian school today can be challenging. Richard Stearns (2021) notes, Our workplaces matter because they are human institutions filled with people whom God cares about. God wants all people to flourish and to be drawn into relationship with him. ...Good and godly leadership contributes to human flourishing when it creates cultures and environments that are fair, just, and caring. (p. 18)
We are called by Jesus to love God and to love our neighbour (Luke 10:27); being fair and just, caring for those with less voice. People not like us. This will take bravery and courage.
In the first chapter of Learning From the Stranger, Smith (2009) presents an example from the Old Testament story of Abraham (then Abram), noting that God defined his future in terms of
We are reminded as Christian leaders of the way God pursues and extends his kindness to us. If we are followers of Christ, we must do the same for those we are called to lead, and for those God has put in our sphere of influence and trust
“bringing blessing to all the peoples of the earth” (p. 21). Four factors working together in Abraham’s actions lead to an unsettling result. Through fear, power (and lack of power), partial knowledge, and limited horizons, Abraham achieved the opposite of that for which he was called; Abraham was to “be a blessing”. He was to grow in such a way that his presence would be a channel of wellbeing.
Smith (2009) invites Christians today to consider how our reactions to cultural difference have potential to turn a desire to bless into the ability to curse, noting we can ill afford ignorance about culture and its effects upon us and our callings.
For leaders in Christian schools to be a blessing to those they lead and encouraging others to find their place in God’s story takes bravery. It takes effort. Botheredness. Attention to building trust, being brave, encouraging others, and building relationships.
Being purposeful
Being purposeful is integral to doing one’s job as a leader and bringing those we lead with us. A learning leader’s integrity relies on congruence between intentions and actions (Danvers, et al., 2020).
Swaner and Wolfe (2021) present five domains of flourishing identified in their Flourishing Schools research initiative. “Purpose” (p. 7) is one of the domains; a clear understanding of why we are together at school. A common purpose helps us to be “unified around clear goals and to work toward a greater good to which we aspire” (p. 7).
Our wants, our desires, and our loves shape everything we do. They shape our daily lives, as well as our long-term plans. They shape our priorities and our choices. They shape the bounds of what we are willing (and unwilling) to do. Over time, what we love shapes our identity—who we are, and what we’re known for. (Smith, 2016, p. 21)
The “primary goal of Christian Education is the formation of a peculiar people; a people who desire the kingdom of God and thus undertake their life’s expression of that desire” (Smith, 2009, p. 34). Among the many alternative stories demanding our attention, we need to ensure that the very purpose of Christian education is kept at the centre of all we do.
Being growth focussed
A growth focussed approach to leadership embraces challenges and mistakes, viewing these as learning opportunities for the leader. Being growth focussed sets up a psychologically safe space for others to develop in their leadership (Danvers, et al., 2020). But we must come back to the biblical story and ensure that is the story driving and informing our growth, and the culture we develop for others to grow. When we as leaders embrace God’s gift of grace to us, we are to come to our leadership with a posture of being a learner ourselves. Ephesians 4:20–21 makes clear that learning and teaching are fundamental to the lives of all Christians.
Communal leadership is a calling to serve in leading. It is a calling to guard the communal life, ensuring that each member of the community has the optimum conditions and power to fulfil the office to which that member is called. (Fowler, in Hanscamp, 2018, p. 41)
In this view, a leader’s success is measured by the degree to which every member is enabled to be effective in his or her office. Being growth focussed as a leader will need us to take care of what is fuelling and informing our growth.
Conclusion
The five ways of being are interconnected; living in and out of God’s story will lead to being trusting and brave, building courage in others. Telling His story requires leaders to be purposeful and growth focussed.
Courage can only authentically grow as fruit in our lives when we are planted in God’s story for us.
There is good reason to be bothered about practising botheredness in these areas.
As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glorystrength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. Colossians 1:11-12 (The Message)
References
Covey, S. M. R., & Merrell, R. R. (2006). The speed of trust: The one thing that changes everything. Free Press.
Danvers, J., De Blasio H., & Grift, G. (2020). Five ways of being: What learning leaders think, do and say every day. Hawker Brownlow Education.
Dix, P. (2017/2023). When the adults change everything changes: Seismic shifts in school behaviour. Independent Thinking Press.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Groome, T. (2011). Will there be faith? A new vision for educating and growing disciples. HarperCollins.
Hanscamp, M. (2018). (Ed). The Christian school as community: The ideas and insights of Dr Stuart Fowler. Christian Education National.
Prior, C. (2021). Coming to terms with faith and learning in Christian schooling. Christian Teachers Journal, 21(4), 11–21. Smith, D. I. (2009). Learning from the stranger: Christian faith and cultural diversity. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Smith, J. K. A. (2009). Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, worldview, and cultural formation. Baker Academic.
Smith, J. K. A. (2016). You are what you love Brazo Press.
Stearns, R. (2021). Lead like it matters to God: Values-driven leadership in a success driven world. InterVarsity Press.
Swaner, L., Eckert, J., Ellefsen, E., & Lee, M. H. (2022). Future ready: Innovative missions and models in Christian education. ACIS Cardus.
Thompson, R. (2023). Birth battle build: A resource for a story-formed approach to biblical studies. National Institute for Christian Education.
1. What things bother you, particularly as a school leader? Record your top three. Pray about these.
2. Are the things that bother you worth being bothered about? Listen to God's prompting. Share with a trusted friend.
3. How are you being informed, formed, and transformed as a participant in God’s story? What does that look like?
Fiona Partridge is the editor of the Christian Teachers Journal and the principal of the National Institute for Christian Education. Fiona spent thirty-plus years in the classroom with an interest in the middle years of schooling. She has held various leadership roles at school, state, and national levels. Fiona lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills on Kaurna country.
Christian School Leadership: Learning From Teaching Christianly
By Chris Prior
ABSTRACT Christian schooling promises a biblically counter-cultural approach to education. Over time the emphasis in Christian schools has rightly been on classroom practice, on what it means to teach Christianly. What about the leadership required to bring the Christian faith to life in Christian schooling? This article suggests we need to pay more attention to Christian school leadership. Teaching Christianly may help us to understand and develop our Christian school leadership practice.
One of the consistent messages of the Scriptures is the call for the people of God to embrace a counter-cultural Godhonouring way of living. God is Holy (Joshua 24:19; Psalm 77:13). Faithful followers of Christ are called to be set apart (Leviticus 20:26), to be wholehearted in our love of God and love of neighbour as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). Grounded in the biblical story, a Christian education will always be distinctive, a very different education to that offered in other contexts. Among the brief statements schools use to describe this counter-cultural (Christian) education is that teachers teach from a biblical or Christian perspective.
Christian school leaders have roles that include ensuring that this Christian distinctive, often succinctly expressed in a mission and/or vision statement, is brought to life. While all in the community are to be focused on the mission, leaders have more obligation and opportunity to do so. Through their leadership, Christian school leaders can influence others and set direction. Through their words, they can rally others toward the mission. Further, through their actions, school leaders can shape culture and practice, including staff induction processes and content, the focus of meetings, the ideas they embrace, and the professional learning offered to support practice.
Christian schools certainly promote a distinctive education informed by the beliefs of the Christian community. What is less certain is whether Christian schools deliver on what they say. There is much that is consistent with Christianity. Christian schools employ Christian staff. Some Christian schools also have chapel services, programs, and, often, a biblical studies subject included in the curriculum delivered across the school. Yet, despite all the writings, resources, and professional learning, biblically-informed classroom practice remains inconsistent (Dickens, 2013; Prior, 2017). As Hull (2003) argues, “what normally passes for Christian education can be more accurately named Christians educating” (p. 204). While Hull’s words were written over twenty years ago, they remain relevant. Last year research in the Australian Christian schooling sector revealed that while teachers are generally positive about encouraging faith development, few are intentionally integrating the Christian faith into their teaching (Brinton, 2023). Brinton's research indicated that Christian elements are present in school programs but not consistently reflected in teachers’ practices. Among the resources available to help Christian school leaders foster a curriculum consistent with the biblical story is Transformation by Design (Dickens et al., 2017). Recently, two research projects
concluded Transformation by Design was a resource that could assist the self-efficacy of Christian educators (Street, 2022; Verdouw et al., 2023). However, “incomplete and piecemeal implementation” (Street, 2022, p. 7) compromised the usefulness of this resource in schools.
Pointedly, the researchers involved in one of these projects noted the priorities of the principal and teaching and learning leaders were critical to the understanding and practice of Christian education (Verdouw et al., 2023). In some schools, the principal championed professional learning to support teachers in ensuring their faith was integral, shaping teaching and learning. In other contexts, respondents were “ambivalent about school principals and teaching and learning leaders being effective leaders around use of the resource” (Verdouw et al., 2023, p. 32).
In Christian schooling, much attention rightly has been on Christian teaching and learning, on teaching Christianly. Christian school leaders do not lack resources to foster biblically-informed classroom practice. However, given the inconsistency in the practice of biblically-informed teaching and learning, I wonder whether the Christian school community is giving enough attention to the leadership that can be the difference to a Christian school culture that fosters flourishing Christian teaching and learning, or not.
One way Christian school leadership has typically been understood is through the lens of our culture. Unlike leadership and even school leadership, our understanding of Christian leadership in schooling rests on “a thin theoretical base” and “very few robust models” (Spencer & Lucas, 2019, p. 57). What contributes to
Through their leadership Christian school leaders can influence others and set direction.
successful Christian school leadership has often been described with reference to strategies and models in the literature on leadership and school leadership. Certain strategies, it has been argued, sit well with Christianity and Christian educational leadership. In the limited literature available it has not been uncommon for Christian school leadership to be aligned with transformational leadership and servant leadership (see, for example, Bootsma, 2018; Harrison & Allen, 2015). Additionally, attention in Christian school leadership has also been given to the importance of sharing and/or distributing leadership. Sustainable Christian school cultures are cultivated through leadership that is distributed (Iselin, 2011).
The leadership strategies and models said to align well with Christian schooling are not too different from those said to contribute to success in any school. Indeed, there has been a trend in school leadership toward “collectivist approaches that emphasise distributed power with rather than power over” (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2020, p. 31). Understood through the lens of the school leadership literature, the research above is a reminder of the importance of Christian school leaders leading the learning; an emphasis also apparent in the current school leadership literature. In other words, from the perspective of the literature, Christian school leadership may not look overly different from leadership in any school!
It is helpful to understand the strategies of successful school leaders. Yet, Christians are called
How might Christian school leadership be biblically countercultural? How might it impact a distinctively Christian approach to education?
to be immersed in, and live out of, the biblical story, to be countercultural. Conversations about Christian school leadership must be biblically-grounded. Across the pages of the biblical narrative is the call for the people of God to be counter-cultural; to be holy because God is holy (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16). This call to be holy necessitates the people of God not being like the nations (Deuteronomy 18:9-14), not conforming to the world around them (Romans 12:2). Instead, the people of God are to live in wholehearted devotion to God. They are to love the Lord God with all their heart, soul, and mind (Mark 12:30). This love of God is to be evident as they love their neighbour as themselves (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39).
How might Christian school leadership be biblically countercultural? How might it impact a distinctively Christian approach to education? A good starting point might be to look at, and learn from, recent conversations and emphases concerning teaching Christianly. Today, there exists an extensive library of literature on Christian schooling, particularly on how we might seek to integrate our faith and learning in the Christian school classroom, and our understanding of teaching Christianly. Many journals focus on teaching in Christian schools, as well as a significant number of websites dedicated to supporting the idea of teaching Christianly. What about Christian school leadership? There are chapters within books, there are also articles, a few models of Christian school leadership, and, at most, a handful of books. Overall, the resources are fewer.
As Christians involved in education, we should celebrate our accumulated learnings of what it means to practise a biblically faithful approach to teaching and learning. Teaching Christianly has moved well beyond simplistic notions that Christian teachers are to imitate Jesus’ pedagogy. One way in which Christian teachers teach Christianly is as they model or embody the Christian faith. Their words and actions show students
how they can honour God through their conduct and choices. Yet, teaching Christianly is more than modelling behaviour; counter-cultural classroom practice is more than Christians educating. What and how we teach conveys meaning. Through a curriculum, “a particular framing of reality is being repetitively reinforced to form the self” (Graieg, 2017, p. 27). As such we utilise resources such as Transformation by Design (Dickens, et al., 2017) to ensure the curriculum has a biblical lens. We are also aware “there is no straight path from Bible verses to pedagogical choices” (Smith, 2018, p. 37). Teaching Christianly involves acting with wisdom and discernment in classroom practice, understanding that pedagogy, classroom routines, and practices can either be consistent or not with the biblical story. Everything we do in the classroom is formative. Mindful of this we seek to bring a counter-cultural Christian lens to all that we do in teaching and learning.
The Bible may not be “a handbook on leadership” (Irving & Strauss, 2019, p. 3), but it does have a lot to say about leadership. On occasion, in the conversations around Christian leadership, attention is given to imitating certain biblical leaders, for example, Moses, David, and Jesus. I am not convinced that following the examples of leaders of nations is appropriate for schooling. Rather, consistent with our maturing conversations around teaching Christianly we need to appreciate the call of the people of God to be counter-cultural. This extends to Christian leadership. An example of this counter-cultural expectation is found in the account of the sons of Zebedee, James, and John, asking to sit on either side of Jesus in glory (Mark 10:35-45). Hearing about this the disciples become angry. Jesus begins by first referencing their shared understanding of how leadership is practised in their prevailing cultural context. The Gentiles may lead a certain way; they lord it over others. Not so with you! Followers of Christ are not to live in accordance with the patterns of the prevailing culture. Jesus, the Son
of Man, came not to be served but to serve, to give His life for others. Christian leadership, as an outworking of Christian discipleship, is to be counter-cultural, a call to lead in the way of service to God and others.
Like teaching Christianly, Christian school leadership is not reducible to morality and spirituality. Christian school leadership is also about the what and the how. It requires discernment. With respect to the above-mentioned research, I am acutely aware that by what they say and do, Christian school leaders either reinforce or compromise Christian education. Put another way, everything a Christian school leader does matters. While programming professional learning to support Christian educators is a good start, leaders also need to be able to model the outcomes they are looking for (Erdvig, 2021). They need to be steadfast in pursuit of the mission they promote and sit alongside teachers as they learn, and where possible provide teachers with the role models they need in teaching Christianly.
Many in Christian schooling have contributed to what I would argue is a maturing understanding of what it means to teach Christianly. Further, there are now a significant number of resources at the disposal of Christian school communities to support teaching practice. What I am less sure of is whether the Christian school community has focused enough on the leadership that has both the obligation and opportunity to contribute to the flourishing of Christian schooling. There is a conversation to be had which I hope will lead to reflections, frameworks, and books supporting this integral part of nurturing a counter-cultural Christian education.
References
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2020). Leadership for learning: A review of school leadership literature. AITSL.
Bootsma, P. (2018). Effective leadership practices of successful superintendents in Christian schools (117) [Doctoral dissertation]. University of St. Thomas.
Brinton, S. (2023). A tale of two missions: The stated and perceived mission of three member schools of Christian Schools Australia [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Newcastle.
Dickens, K., Hanscamp M., Mustin A., Parker C., Stok J., & White T. (2017). Transformation by design: A curriculum development resource for Christian schools. National Institute for Christian Education.
Erdvig, R. (2021). Beyond biblical integration: Immersing you and your students in a biblical worldview. Summit Ministries.
Graieg, L. (2017). Who we are: Curriculum and identity. Christian Teachers Journal, 25(1), 26–29.
Hamilton, C. (2015). The wisdom in leadership: The how and why of leading the people you serve. Matthais Media.
Harrison, S., & Allen, J. (2015). Leadership in private Christian schools: Perceptions of administrators. International Christian Community for Teacher Education Journal 10(2), 1–19.
Hull, J. (2003). Aiming for Christian education, settling for Christians educating: The Christian school’s replication of a public school paradigm. Christian Scholar’s Review, 32(2), 203–223.
Irving, J., & Strauss, M. (2019). Leadership in Christian perspective: Biblical foundations and contemporary practices for servant leaders. Baker Academic.
Iselin, D. (2011). Guiding principles for cultivating sustainable Christian school cultures in an era of change. TEACH Journal of Christian Education, 5(2), 26–33.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Christian school leadership is not reducible to morality and spirituality. Christian school leadership is also about the what and the how. It requires discernment.
Prior, C. (2017). From vision to reality: The perceptions and practices of school leaders in Christian Education National [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Australian Catholic University. Smith, D. I. (2018). On Christian teaching: Practising faith in the classroom Eerdmans.
Spencer, E., & Lucas, W. (2019). Christian leadership in schools: An initial review of evidence and current practices. Summary report.
Street, M. (2022). Feeling capable and teaching Christianly. Christian Teachers Journal, 30(2), 4 –9. Verdouw, J., Partridge, F., & Ireland, J. (2023). Transformation by Design: Evaluating the effectiveness of a Christian Education National professional learning resource. Research phase one report. National Institute for Christian Education.
1. What aspects of this article resonate with your own understandings of Christian leadership?
2. What specific strategies might Christian leaders employ to ensure their practice consistently reflects authentically Christian leadership?
3. In what ways can Christian school leaders address the inconsistencies between the stated mission of a school and biblically-informed practices in the classroom and wider school community? What role should leaders play in bridging this gap?
Chris Prior is an experienced Christian educator and leader having worked both in Christian schooling and the Christian tertiary sector. His doctoral studies explored leaders’ perceptions and practices in Christian schooling. Chris has served as the principal for the National Institute for Christian Education where he continues as a senior lecturer in worldview and school leadership.
Hospitality, Teaching, and Pauses for Reflection
By David I. Smith and Joyce Azaki
ABSTRACT This piece captures a mutual growth experience between David Smith and a student in his graduate class, Joyce Azaki. They share the transformative interaction both parties can experience as lecturer and student when teaching and learning is positioned as an opportunity for hospitality. This powerful story of faith-shaping practice calls educators to pause, reflect, and consider the shifts they can make in practice, allowing others to flourish.
DAVID: Some years ago, I was teaching an intensive graduate class in curriculum studies to a group that included students from multiple countries. The first significant written assignment came a few days into the course. I asked students to write about how their upbringing and identity were likely to bias their curriculum work. Which of their experiences and perspectives were most likely to nudge them toward creating learning resources that would be easier or harder for students from different backgrounds to access? Were there ways in which their own formational experiences might be a resource or make their curriculum work less hospitable?
One student in the class was Joyce Azaki, a school leader from Nigeria with a vision for reshaping curriculum to better serve diverse learners. She wrote a thoughtful reflection on her own school experiences with large classes and a prescribed curriculum focused on memorisation. I wrote to her recently to check my memory of what happened next against her perceptions. She agreed to tell her side of the story in her own words.
JOYCE: My beloved country, my motherland Nigeria, is a country located in West Africa with a current population of about 200,000,000 people. The nation has struggled to stand on her feet since independence from the British on October 1, 1960. The British had politically empowered groups whom they believed were more friendly, and this contributed to underdevelopment, incompetent leadership, and socioeconomic strife. Nigeria, as with every other people group, has always had its own cultures and beliefs, as well as its traditional system of governance. The British, on getting to Nigeria, fought the Indigenous people and their native systems to impose British imperial rule. Those who vehemently opposed the occupying
I would always sit and try to listen to Professor Smith as he lectured, but as hard as I tried, I would always hear his British accent bringing back horrible images of British colonial history in Nigeria.
power were subjected to humiliation and ill-treatment. Some were executed or dehumanised by the British, while others were favoured and utilised. Social tensions arising from British colonial actions have contributed to underdevelopment and socioeconomic strife. Incompetent leadership has contributed its own problems. Due to my own experiences and position in Nigerian culture, I associated Britain strongly with past colonial violence.
DAVID: As I read Joyce’s reflections, I was in new territory. My knowledge of Nigerian history was close to zero. I was educated in British schools and received a solid dose of history classes, but I do not recall being taught about this facet of Britain’s involvement in the wider world, or much about the history of African countries in general. But this was not a history class. It was when Joyce went on to describe how her sense of history affected her ability to participate in my class that I began to panic.
JOYCE: EDUC 522 was a class I looked forward to, especially since it was a curriculum course, and I would always sit and try to listen to Professor Smith as he lectured, but as hard as I tried, I would always hear his British accent bringing back horrible images of British colonial history in Nigeria. As much as I was ostensibly listening to his lecture, deep in my thoughts the portrait of a colonial past was what was standing before me. My perception, and not what he was teaching, dominated
what I was hearing and seeing. In essence, what I was supposed to be learning from him was not happening.
His commanding presence in the class as a professor reminded me of the British colonial exploitation and how it contributed to present injustices, political problems, and inequalities. Ethnic tensions fueled by the British “divide and rule” political strategy contributed to post-independence challenges in Nigeria. Because of my own relationship to this history, I resented the British professor standing before me.
DAVID: I confess that in the first moment my reaction was not admiration for the courage and relevance of Joyce’s comments. At first, all I could hear was rejection. I was a bad teacher and a bad person. I was too ignorant of the world of my students to serve their needs well. There was also some self-pity and resentment in the mix. I had never even been to Nigeria. I was not the one who had committed crimes of which I knew nothing. It was not fair to bundle me together with folk with whom I had a tenuous connection beyond my genes and my accent. It was not my fault, and I was being stereotyped. There was a lot of insecurity too. How could I even continue teaching the class if this is what my voice sounds like to this student, and if these are the perceptions my presence is evoking for her?
I think my outward response was polite, but like Joyce, I had to work
I confess that in the first moment my reaction was not admiration for the courage and relevance of Joyce’s comments. At first, all I could hear was rejection.
to process my inward reactions. Pausing to think the matter through and move out from the knot of my own vulnerability, I began to wonder what my options were. I could start researching Nigerian history to see if I could find loopholes in Joyce’s account, since the social tensions it mentioned implied that there would be other versions of the story. I could insist that she is in America now and needs to buckle down to learning. I could protest my personal innocence and ask to be treated based on my individual virtues and defects. But pausing gave me prayerful space to wonder what story my response might tell about my own relationship to power, to hospitality, to learning. Responding in a manner that appeared to confirm the stereotype did not seem a promising path toward changing it. My responses to difficult moments with students are, like it or not, part of what I teach.
When we next met, I asked Joyce if she would be willing to lead the class for a short time at the beginning of our session on Monday morning. Knowing her gifts and strength of personality, I thought it could work. I suggested that because the whole class was working toward an understanding of how identity can shape teaching and learning and affect access to curriculum, it could be very helpful for everyone to hear Joyce’s reflections on how her perspectives were affecting her learning. We would not be off topic. I asked her to explain to the class how her understanding of the British role in Nigeria had impacted her ability to learn in a curriculum class in Michigan led by a British person. I asked whether she was comfortable with the idea. She agreed, and I gave the opening minutes of the class session over to her.
JOYCE: Now, I wasn’t sure it was a good idea that Prof. Smith asked me to share my thoughts with the larger group, but what I am certain of is that I remember a few of my colleagues who sat close to me whispering admonitions that would have discouraged me when I started to speak. The atmosphere became tense, I guess some thought I was directly attacking the professor but I was just expressing myself in relation to my awareness of what British people had done in Nigeria and how this class came across to me as meeting with the colonialist.
DAVID: I remember consciously reflecting on where I should be while Joyce led the group. If I stood hovering to one side, I would not be yielding the floor. Joyce’s voice would be visibly curated and framed by mine. I wanted to model a humility that showed a willingness to yield the center and make space for a perspective that did not flatter me so that we could learn from it. The room where we met had a low ledge running around the walls, about a foot from the floor. I went to a corner and sat on it until Joyce had finished her story. I was conscious that where I positioned myself was also curriculum.
JOYCE: One good thing that sharing with the larger group did for me was to afford me opportunity to ventilate vestiges of British colonisation in Nigeria, which sincerely lightened the
burden I have carried over the years concerning the impact of the British on my people. That British accent in the classroom was until now for me a symbol of pain and injustice. Nevertheless, talking about it and having a class discussion around it without obstruction made me see a Briton who was ready to give me the opportunity to let others at least hear my story and perspective on how my roots and identity were shaping and contributing to my learning, notwithstanding whether my history and related feelings and pains were the subject of discussion or not. I was and am thankful for this opportunity as my learning for the rest of the semester was never the same again.
DAVID: I was aware of risks. My lack of relevant background knowledge meant that I could do little to expand on what students heard about Nigeria, even if other accounts might complicate the picture; the topic firmly removed me from the position of expertise. But the center of attention was on understanding the learning process, not Nigerian history. I had no guarantee that this experiment would change anything. But the purpose was not to fix everything, merely to create an opportunity for Joyce to be heard and for the rest of us to think with her about how her history, experiences, and perceptions impacted teaching and learning. There is no guarantee that it would go the same way on another occasion, or with a different person, or in a different class. This is a story, not a recipe.
My own interest here is in how my faith interacts with my teaching decisions. Pausing to reflect and to pray interrupts at least two processes that are otherwise at risk of determining most of what I do as a
When we next met, I asked Joyce if she would be willing to lead the class for a short time at the beginning of our session on Monday morning.
teacher. One is the persistent patter of my instinctive thoughts and feelings. Though I trust that some healthy formation has happened over the years, and I have more capacity for sober reflection than when I started, my first reactions and responses do not always arise from the ground of my faith or my best virtues. The other is the rushing routine of habitual teacher behaviours: the way we always do things, the way I did it last week, and the need to get to the next task. Unless I actively choose to pause, what I do next is likely to echo the pattern of what is always done, for good or ill. Pausing lets me question the obvious options. It creates a little space to ask myself questions. What does it mean for this moment that this student is made in God’s image? What might it look like in teaching terms to not “lord it over one another,” or to “consider others better than yourselves” (Matthew 18:1–4; Philippians 2: 10–11)? What might count as humility, as care, as justice? How might all of this flow together with all my other teaching and learning goals?
The pause does not make space for God, who is present in everyday words and actions as much as in thoughtful silences. The pause makes space for me to take God and the others in the room into account. The pause does not guarantee that I will choose wisely. Yet in this instance, it was with gratitude and wonder that I learned from Joyce later in the course that our interaction had cleared the air for her, that she had been able to learn more easily for the rest of the course.
JOYCE: I did not imagine that this one opportunity of letting my voice be heard in a class would mean this much to my learning and thinking as an educator, but it did in many ways. Coming from a system of education where the professor and teachers know it all, my experience in EDUC 522 taught me that as an educator I will need to learn about my individual students in order to make a difference in their learning. Humility from my professor is one thing that
One good thing that sharing with the larger group did for me was to afford me opportunity to ventilate vestiges of British colonisation in Nigeria, which sincerely lightened the burden I have carried … concerning the impact of the British on my people
I learned from the class. I learned the need to pay attention to what my students might be saying or thinking by listening more to my students and by giving them opportunity to express themselves. Hence, as a teacher, even when I might feel I am in charge, listening will only help me be a better educator and not an educational dictator/prescriber.
Creating a learning environment where every learner can be free to share without being judged or ridiculed is a lesson I cannot forget. I am striving to be that educator whose learners will see schools as the safest place they can flourish irrespective of where they are coming from or what they think about themselves.
This piece was first published in March 2024 as a blog on the Christian Scholar’s Review. It will also be published as part of David Smith’s new book, Everyday Christian Teaching, Eerdmans, available early 2025.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. David shares how the deliberate act of pausing creates a space to ask questions. Is the act of regular pausing something you need to consider in your own practice?
2. Pause now. Reflect on the content of this piece. What are the challenges and opportunities for you?
3. David asks, "What might count as humility, as care, as justice?". Reflect on your own context. What responses arise that you could act on?
David I. Smith is professor of education and director of the Kuyers Institute for Christian teaching and learning at Calvin University. He writes on teaching and learning at https:// onchristianteaching.com
Joyce Azaki is currently homeschooling her two children and works as the director of Yahweh Outreach Ministries in Nigeria. This pet project was founded seven years ago with the goal of putting back smiles on the faces of widows and getting outof-school orphans back into the classroom in remote villages in Nigeria. As wife to Rev. Dr. Nash Azaki (senior pastor ECWA Wuse II Abuja - Nigeria), she combines leadership and teaching roles for pastors’ wives and women in the denomination.
When Learners Freely Follow
By Rachel Herweynen
ABSTRACT This article is based on the author’s ethnographic research Malthun-nhäma-ŋämadjäma-märram (followwatch-listen-work-take): Stories of engagement in the homelands of Gäwa, Naŋiny’burra, and Ban’thula’ conducted in 2023 as a culmination of National Institute for Christian Education Master of Education (Leadership) studies.
Introduction
In true Yolŋu* epistemology of Elders being the primary teachers (Yunupiŋu, 1989) and talking to the right people in the right order (van Gelderen & Guthadjaka, 2018), this research was inspired by Gäwa Elders who founded Gäwa Christian School, Kathy Guthadjaka (Gotha) and Colin Baker. Through my adoption into the Yolŋu gurruṯu (kinship), Gotha is my momu (paternal grandmother) and Colin my mari’mu (paternal grandfather). I sought their wisdom and guidance in my research topic and design. My mari’mu encouraged me to sit with my Yolŋu family as I have done for many years and listen to the stories shared around the fire. He also told me not to do interviews or surveys; this links with Yolŋu educator and politician Guyula’s (2010) statement that in Yolŋu pedagogy, learners asking questions of teachers/Elders is considered rude. My momu, (paternal grandmother) Gotha, told me that the pattern of Yolŋu learning is malthunnhäma-ŋäma-djäma-märram (follow-watch-listen-work-take) and I saw this unfold in every Yolŋu-led activity I participated in.
The findings are the stories now shared. Would you come sit and listen? Follow along and be warmed by the fire of our Yolŋu family’s ways of being and seeing that bear the marks of our Creator and Saviour Jesus.
*Yolŋu are the First Nations peoples of northeast Arnhem Land in Northern Territory, Australia
Yolŋu engagement principles we can receive as gifts
“Ŋarra dhu malthun?” Can I follow?
In the homelands of Gäwa, Naŋiny’burra, and Baṉ’thula on Galiwin’ku (Elcho Island), NT, children, young and old, ask this question readily when they hear of an impending hunting trip. What is it about a Yolŋu-led hunting trip that makes everyone want to come along?
What does it promise that makes learners freely follow?
In a homeland hunting trip, learners (1) follow a knowledge holder (2) on country, where there is (3) security of family, (4) shared purpose, and (5) a predictable pattern of engagement (follow-watch-listen-work-take).
Knowledge holders
A knowledge holder is someone who has the knowledge and skills in a particular area such as painting, hunting, dancing, and ceremony. Elders are knowledge holders often on a range of topics. Other adults who are not or not yet Elders can also be knowledge holders. Christie and Verran (2010) use the term “knowledge authorities” (p. 1).
On a trip hunting for the correct tree bark to make a yidaki (didgeridoo), we were led by a knowledge holder from the Djambarrpuyŋu clan. He was a known maker of yidaki as well as a ceremonial leader for his clan. My field notes read:
I notice the silence in looking back at the videos. Everyone is following my ma’mu (paternal grandfather) around … as he taps on tree barks. He leads the way into the bush and all the young men follow in the distance, going the same direction as ma’mu.
Knowledge holders lead first by action. No one tells any of the young men to follow or watch the knowledge authority, they do so of their own will. They trust that who they follow has the knowledge and skills. Silence is a sign of focused observation. The learners watch the knowledge holder’s every move. Woven into the long silences was my ma’mu’s voice, giving sparing instructions like “ŋäṉarrmaram” (peel), mostly showing rather than telling.
In contrast, this is how one rägudha (mud mussels) hunting trip started: Five kids and four adults went hunting for mud mussels. My husband and I and two teenagers followed half an hour later. Trying to locate the first group, I followed footprints on the mud plains.
Knowledge holders lead first by action. No one tells any of the young men to follow or watch the knowledge authority, they do so of their own will.
However, it led to the creek (where crocodiles can be) and the teenagers didn’t want to go any further. We could hear voices in the opposite direction and instead followed the intermittent voices.
Where I was leading, following the footprints, was a familiar hunting spot, traversed by my husband and I countless times in seven years. I was surprised at my own hesitancy to go ahead. However, this was our first time being the only adults, as the Yolŋu knowledge holders, my dhuway maṉḏa (two sisters-in-law), gurrung (niece), and yapa (sister) were in the group that went ahead. The two teenagers unwilling to keep following me were wise as I was not a knowledge authority in hunting. Simply being a trusted adult is not enough for learners to follow. As in didgeridoo-making, credibility lies in the knowledge and skills the teacher possesses. In hunting, I am but a child, still learning and dependent on my Yolŋu family. It was comforting to be reunited with the first group of hunters. There is security in being led by knowledge holders.
Reflect with your teaching community: What knowledge and skills do you possess and how do the students know this so they can freely follow you? Who are other knowledge authorities that you may learn from or invite to share with your class/school? What implications does being a knowledge-holder (or not) have for leaders within your school?
On Country
Out in the Arafura Sea, by crocodileinfested creeks, through eucalypt forests, or in the jungle-gym of mangroves, every hunting trip is a journey on Country. Country is the setting of many beautiful memories, shared in stories year after year. In our homeland, when recalling our loved ones who have passed away, we remember stories on Country.
Country is a place of teaching and learning and often a hunting trip covers different landscapes as illustrated in these ethnographic field notes:
This time we walk to the hunting spots rather than being driven part of the way. We share the carrying of a 10L water container.… We go to a different spot than last week … with softer mud.… They collect theirs [mud mussels] and even more than last time.… Satisfied with the number we found, we head to the beach to cook them up. My little yapa (sister) starts collecting firewood as we walk towards a tree for shade. And then a quick swim in the ocean to cool down. My little yapa then gets instructed by my dhuway (sister-in-law), hunt leader, to set up the fire in a particular spot. Others who left before us and hunted in different spots came to join us and made another fire.
Country not only provides food but also the means to catch and cook it. It provides refreshment and cooling in the heat. Despite being on Country often, it continues to provide wonder. My five-year-old ŋapipi (uncle) was endlessly entertained by sea anemones on a hunting trip for pipis.
Contrasting the limitations of learning in a classroom versus learning wäŋaŋur (on Country), my momu, Guthadjaka (2010) writes, “Here … the Yolŋu is learning, he is looking, and listening, then gets energised for hunting” (p. 25). Being on Country, all senses are engaged leading to motivation and action. Being present in a particular place leads to active participation. When doing activities on Country, stories that teach children emerge (Guyula, 2010).
Reflect with your teaching community: Where are outdoor spaces in your school and how can they be part of weekly rhythms of teaching and learning?
Security in family
In the homeland, everyone is family. Hunting trips are a social event, not an individual pursuit. As much as there is comfort and direction in a knowledge holder’s leading, there is much security in being with family when hunting. A few stories illustrate this:
Our youngest hunter was a threeyear-old in nappies. He was careful to step over little mangrove shoots. And his mum would carry him across more tricky terrain. He sat on the mud as others hunted around him, content with his one mud mussel in his hand. His 8-year-old aunty played and sat with him, keeping him company. In some hunting spots, the vegetation is so thick that you can be a few meters away from someone and not see them:
My dhuway (sister-in-law) in charge would call out every few minutes, calling out names of those she can’t immediately see, calling them to stay near, “räli”. The little 6-yearold she’d always have within close distance.
My gurrung (niece), who was heavily pregnant joined us even if her ŋama (mother) told her not to. When her ŋama sees her, my gurruŋg promises she won’t do the bending down to pick mud mussels herself and that she’ll take it easy.
Learners freely follow when they know family will be around. Family means support and care and someone
Learners freely follow when they know family will be around. Family means support and care and someone to sit and laugh with.
to sit and laugh with. Hunting in family groups means everyone is known to each other as kin and relates accordingly. The study also shows that Yolŋu children are trained not to achieve alone but to work together and to always have a bämara (companion). Further, the centrality of kinship was evident in conversations, where young children would often be tested in their knowledge of how they are related to others. This affirms findings (Armstrong et al., 2022) on Yolŋu assessment practices.
Reflect with your teaching community: Who would your students say they are in relation to among staff and students in your school? What practices can nurture a sense of family or kinship in the classroom/cohort/school?
Shared purpose
In every Yolŋu-led activity I participated in this ethnography, a clear purpose and end emerged. Sharing was the culmination. As the didgeridoo was being finished, a buŋgul (dance ceremony) was also being organised so the didgeridoo would be used for its purpose right away: to bring people together through dancing to traditional songlines. In hunting, the day’s catch as well as stories are shared. Every hunting trip also ended in dancing together, be it traditional dances, worship dances, or worship dances with traditional dance patterns.
Sharing is also taught through small comments or gestures.
My 6-year-old wäwa (brother) had been holding onto the four mud mussels he found whilst others have been putting most of theirs into a communal bag. At the end of the hunt, just before finding a spot to sit and cook the shellfish, my wäwa placed his mud mussels into the communal bag. My dhuway, his carer, clicked her tongue and gave him a thumbs up, quietly approving of his decision to share.
This constant reinforcement for the need for one another was also captured when a young lady started her own fire after a hunt.
My gurruŋ, in a cheeky tone, remarks that this young lady has her own fire but asks, “Wanha nhanŋu rägudha?” (Where are her mud mussels?), teasing that she has her own fire but she’d need to ask the more successful hunters to put anything into her fire. We laugh, including the young lady.
Reflect with your teaching community: How does a teaching unit or cycle in your class/school usually end? Can you imagine ending your teaching cycles in the type of sharing Yolŋu teach—where everyone can join in celebration and no one is without at the end?
A predictable pattern (followwatch-listen-work-take)
Finally, learners follow freely when they know what will be expected of them. This is the gift of the Yolŋu pedagogy of malthun-nhäma-ŋämadjäma-märram (follow-watch-listenwork-take). The Yolŋu pattern of engagement leaves little room for uncertainty of roles and expectations. In hunting, it is clear who the knowledge authorities are, who to watch and listen closely to. Once the learners have some confidence to copy what they have seen done, they then do the work themselves, be it finding the shellfish or an appropriate tree bark for a didgeridoo. This work is always with a bämara (companion), so learning is a team effort with no worry of failing or falling short as an individual. The work of copying the knowledge holder then allows the learners to grasp the lesson; the Yolŋu word märram literally meaning “get, take, or pick up”.
An excerpt from my notes on didgeridoo-making gives a glimpse of this pattern at work:
I notice them taking turns with giving things a go. I notice the confidence in ma’mu (paternal grandfather). He doesn’t talk much but just does what he needs to. He doesn’t check if the young men are watching. He knows they are. He always has a go first and chooses my waku (child), the oldest of the young men, to do any tasks that
The Yolŋu pattern of engagement leaves little room for uncertainty of roles and expectations.
are perceived to be dangerous, such as using the axe. Ma’mu also is first to use the garrkatji (handsaw) and then lets the young men have a go.
This pattern is so familiar to the homeland children that they even use it to teach me:
A couple of the children sought to sharpen my hunting skills by indicating a square metre area where they could see some mud mussels but then left it to me to find them and dig them out.
Reflect with your teaching community: Are there lessons where you can apply this pedagogy of follow-watch-listen-work-take? Where would you go and what knowledge and skills would you show learners that may inspire them to freely follow? What does this pattern imply about what leadership could look like at your school?
Echoes of God’s design
Who uttered the words “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19, 9:9; Mark 2:14; John 1:43, 21:19)? Who said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15)? Who sent out disciples two-by-two to work as He did (Mark 6:7-13; Luke 10)? Who taught from a boat, on a hill, on the road, and not just in the temple?
This Yolŋu ancient pattern of learning through following a knowledge holder and working with a bämara (companion) is the pedagogy practised by Jesus Himself, the ultimate knowledge authority. He is the one who adopts us all into God’s family (Ephesians 1:5) that we may be infinitely and eternally related to one another. He is the one who calls those who do the will of God—brother, mother, or sister (Matthew 12:50).
Learners freely follow when pedagogy is God-breathed, echoing divine design.
References
Armstrong, E., Maypilama, L., Fasoli, L., Guyula, A., Yunupiŋu, M., Garrutju, J., Gundjarranbuy, R., Gapany, D., GodwinThompson, J., & Lowell, A. (2022). How do Yolŋu recognise and understand their children’s learning? Nhaltjan ŋuli ga Yolŋuy nhäma ga märr-dharaŋan djamarrkuliw marŋgithinyawuy? PLoS ONE 17(8), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pone.0272455
Christie, M. & Verran, H. (2010). Reflections on the Teaching from Country programme as a situated learning community: Media, place, pedagogy. Learning Communities: International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts, (2), 25–31.
Guthadjaka, K. (2010). Teaching when nothing is lying around. Learning Communities: International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts, (2), 25–31. Guyula, Y. (2010). The story comes along and the children are taught. Learning Communities: International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts, (2), 18–22. Van Gelderen, B. & Guthadjaka, K. (2018). Renewing the Yolŋu ‘Bothways’ philosophy: Warramiri transculturation education at Gäwa. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 1–11.
Yunupingu, M. (1989). Language and power: The Yolŋu rise to power at Yirrkala School. In Ngoonjook: A Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, 2, 1–6.
Rachel Herweynen is God’s appointed principal of Gäwa Christian School since 2017. She is led by Yahweh and her husband, Cameron. Rachel embraces the guidance of the Holy Spirit, traditional Elders, and her homeland family in her leadership. Her passion is to see the image of the Triune God in all people and is excited to share how her Yolŋu family reflects the ways of Jesus in teaching and learning. In 2023, Rachel completed her Master of Education (Leadership) through the National Institute for Christian Education, through the support of her employer, NT Christian Schools.
BOOK REVIEW
By Joel van Bentum
The Soul of Desire: Discovering
the Neuroscience of Longing, Beauty, and Community
By Curt Thompson, 2021
“What kind of conversations would we be having about leadership if our leaders were more integrated?” Curt Thompson, Being Known Podcast
Publications in neuroscience and education have increased significantly in the last few years and Curt Thompson MD has made several excellent contributions. He is a Christian psychiatrist who works at the intersection of spiritual formation, neuroscience, and interpersonal neurobiology (IPNB), a multidisciplinary approach to the mind. He has written four books, all of which provide rich reading for Christian educators: Anatomy of the Soul (2010), The Soul of Shame (2015), The Soul of Desire (2021), and The Deepest Place (2024).
The Soul of Desire develops the idea that “we are people of desire” (p. 11). A core desire we have is to be known, defined to encompass being seen, soothed, safe, and secure in our relationships. This security in
our relationships allows us to live embodied and integrated lives. Integration helps us to engage in our world and to contribute through the creation of beauty in all its forms. Thompson recognises due to sin and the fall that we suffer the disintegrating effects of trauma and shame that entwine in our stories and impacts our ability to be integrated. A way to respond to this disintegration in our lives is to find opportunities to tell our stories more truly. Doing this in relational, confessional communities allows us to be deeply known as we practice for Heaven. The healing possibilities of the imagination through the lens of Psalm 27:4 are then explored.
We long to be known … more deeply and joy-fully… . In the centre of our souls, “eternity” is not just measured in time; it is measured in depth—a depth that feels infinite. It is the depth of our desire to be known that is infinite (p. 21).
Thompson articulates that our first acts after birth are to reach out into
our new world and to be seen—to be seen by our mother and then soothed, leading to a sense of safety, we can explore the new world securely. As this process is repeated, a deep sense of connection ensues, so that we can continue to explore the world in positive ways. This process continues for adults, teachers, and leaders. When things go well it leads to the integration of the mind, or as Thompson frames it, a swimming river of integration. When trauma or shame impact us we move toward either rigidity or chaos which form the banks of the river of integration.
It is in the body of like-minded people who are working hard to tell their stories as truly as they can that Jesus shows up, right in the middle of their narratives—rigid or chaotic though they may be. (p. 96)
Readers are encouraged to be open to the impact of sin, trauma, shame, and disintegration on our lives. The way we reconnect to the good desire for our lives is to work to know our own stories and to be prepared to tell our stories more truly. There is healing in vulnerably sharing our stories in safety and the way a confessional community of minds can connect.
NEW PODCAST
HOSTED BY SAM BURROWS
The way we reconnect to the good desire for our lives is to work to know our own stories and to be prepared to tell our stories more truly.
Human flourishing, then, is about our being able to imagine in embodied form the new creation, the new works of art, that God is creating, in, through, and with us.
(p. 116)
Thompson explores how imagination can support our spiritual formation and healing. He unfolds the practices of dwelling with the Lord; gazing on
the Lord; and inquiring of the Lord, exploring how these practices can foster integration.
Thompson invites Christian educators to deeply consider our stories in an embodied way, and to know ourselves. Our Christian educational communities can only benefit from more people who are able to tell their stories more truly and lead from a place of integration, imagination, and beauty.
Joel van Bentum is the principal of Green Point Christian College. He is passionate about developing schools that:
• reflect the full diversity of the community and body of Christ, pursue authentic grace-filled relationships,
• stretch conceptions of vocation, partner with the wider community in the educational journey of students, and help students contribute positively to the environment in which they learn, work, and serve.
Joel is married to Phoebe and they have three wonderful adult children. In his freer moments he enjoys walking, reading, and learning how to rest.
We’re excited to have launched our new podcast: MakerSpace. Sam Burrows hosts this new addition to CEN’s media offerings, engaging with world-leading scholars in their areas of expertise. The podcast discusses the links between what we believe, what happens in the classroom, and the cultural changes that we’re in dialogue with. We want to equip our listeners with the richest available thinking: being transformed by how the gospel speaks to it all.
The name “MakerSpace” is a play on the Kuyperian quote: “There is not a square inch in the whole of creation over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”.
It’s all the Maker’s space, here for us to discover and reason with. It’s also an educational term: a makerspace is a context in which people get together to collaborate and problem solve in projects. That suits this well too. Lastly, it’s a play on words: it sounds like “make a space”, a hospitable disposition towards people and ideas as we do the discernment work. We’re looking forward to the conversations that will unfold together.
Chad Smit's
MY TOP
(Plus one to keep the “energy” going)
As teachers and leaders in Christian schools, our heart is to foster growth in our students—and ourselves. We should ask ourselves daily, “Am I learning and improving? How is my emotional, spiritual, and leadership development?”. We must be committed to refining our gifts for service and worship to Jesus. Everyone has influence, whether with family, students, or in conversations. My top five books (plus one) reflect a desire to grow, lead better, and serve Jesus with a non-anxious presence. These books inspire our entire community—teachers, nonteachers, and parents alike—to develop and refine our actions, resulting in schools that are centred on love, authentic community, and serving God.
1Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will
Guidara (2024)
Our schools may not be restaurants but Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality has transformed my perspective on how we can better serve our school families, students, and staff. The book offers a powerful approach that extends beyond the hospitality industry, applying directly to creating a thriving school environment. Guidara challenges us to adopt a mindset of “unreasonable hospitality” where exceeding expectations becomes standard practice. In a school setting, this means infusing every interaction with students, staff, and parents with care, attention, and a commitment to making each person feel valued. The principles in this book encourage us to focus on the details that create lasting, positive experiences and the importance of empowering teams to embrace this ethos. By cultivating a spirit of hospitality among staff, schools can create an environment where everyone feels responsible for contributing to a positive, inclusive, and nurturing atmosphere. Unreasonable Hospitality is an inspiring read for any school staff member who seeks to elevate their community by leading with generosity, empathy, and a commitment to going the extra mile for every member of the school family.
Audio book is on all platforms including Spotify, and podcast: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=KBtu4ttKGe4
Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken
by Henry Cloud (2023)
You may be familiar with Amy Edmondson (Harvard Business School and psychologist) who promotes the idea that great teams consist of individuals who have learned to trust each other. Dr Henry Cloud’s book Trust explores the essential role of trust in leadership and relationships, providing valuable insights for school leaders. Cloud’s “Five Essentials of Trust”—understanding, motive, ability, character, and track record—offer a solid framework for building and sustaining trust in a school community. In our school, we’ve embraced Cloud’s emphasis on transparency and vulnerability. By being open about challenges and decisions, we foster trust among staff, students, and parents. Encouraging authentic communication allows leaders to create a culture where trust is foundational to every interaction. Cloud also discusses “trust repair, vital in educational settings where conflicts may arise. His advice on acknowledging mistakes, making amends, and consistently showing trustworthy behaviour provides a guide for maintaining and restoring trust. Incorporating Cloud’s principles leads to a more connected, positive, and thriving school community.
3
Think
Ahead: 7 Decisions You Can Make Today for the God-Honoring Life You Want Tomorrow
by
Craig Groeschel (2024)
Craig Groeschel’s Think Ahead is a must-read for every Christian, especially those in leadership roles. The book offers a powerful guide for cultivating foresight and intentionality in decision-making. It encourages readers to pre-decide on areas of discipline, helping them navigate the complexities of being a Christian role model. Groeschel emphasises the importance of strategic thinking and future planning, urging leaders not just to respond to the present but to anticipate and prepare for what lies ahead. This forward-thinking approach is crucial in a school setting, where foresight can significantly affect the wellbeing and success of students, staff, and interactions with parents. The practical tools and frameworks provided empower leaders to create a vision for their schools that is both inspiring and actionable. Think Ahead is essential for any school employee committed to the school’s core vision, aiming to be a proactive, wise, and clear-minded team member.
4
Leveling Up: 12 Questions to Elevate Your Personal and Professional Development
by Ryan Leak (2023)
Ryan Leak’s Leveling Up is an inspiring guide for those eager to embrace growth and push beyond comfort zones. It offers practical insights for educators on fostering continuous improvement and resilience within a school community. Leak emphasises embracing challenges and learning from failures as pathways to growth, encouraging staff and students to view setbacks as development opportunities rather than obstacles. Secondary students who have read this book can recognise the importance of “leveling up” their leadership and responsibility. The book also highlights the power of intentionality—being purposeful in actions and decisions. It encourages setting clear goals, modelling a growth mindset, and creating an environment where everyone strives for excellence in service to Jesus. Leveling Up is a valuable resource for school team members looking to inspire growth, adaptation, and continuous improvement, fostering a dynamic and supportive learning environment.
Rare Leadership: 4 Uncommon Habits for Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead by
Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder (2016)
Rare Leadership by Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder offers vital insights for school leaders, focusing on emotional maturity and relational wisdom. The “RARE” acronym—“Remaining relational”, “Acting like yourself”, “Returning to joy”, and “Enduring hardship well”—provides a practical framework for effective leadership. As a school leader, “Remaining relational” is key, emphasising strong, trust-filled connections with students, staff, and parents. “Acting like yourself” promotes authenticity and consistency, crucial for building credibility and trust. “Returning to joy” helps manage the emotional ups and downs of school life, fostering resilience and a positive atmosphere. The concept of “Enduring hardship well” was particularly transformative for me, during my own significant time of hardship, offering strategies to handle difficulties with grace. Rare Leadership is essential for those committed to leading with emotional intelligence and creating a resilient school culture..
BONUS
The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by
Jon Gordon (2018)
Jon Gordon’s The Energy Bus is an essential guide for harnessing positive energy to drive success and fulfilment in schools. The book’s principles are highly applicable to creating a vibrant, motivated, and cohesive school community. Gordon’s ten rules for life and work, centred on a positive mindset, offer practical strategies for inspiring staff and students alike. The book emphasises the importance of cultivating a positive culture—critical in a school setting where attitudes and energy levels greatly impact learning and relationships. By focusing on optimism, teamwork, and personal accountability, teachers can use The Energy Bus to foster an environment where positivity thrives, challenges are embraced with enthusiasm, and everyone is dedicated to a shared vision. It is a must-read for teacher leaders aiming to build strong, energised classrooms and teams.
Chad Smit is serving as the principal of Devonport Christian School in Tasmania. He and his wife, Carla, are raising three phenomenal future adults. They love exploring Tasmania’s natural beauty, from mountain bike tracks, to beaches, to cafes, and camping grounds. Tassie is picture perfect. Chad leads an authentic Christian school where faith formation and identity transformation are at the heart of the rigorous Christian curriculum. Their community declares, “JILOA: Jesus is Lord of All” focusing on Kingdom impact. Passionate about leadership, Chad is committed to seeing the next generation of leaders rise from our schools, where students love God, pursue excellence, and flourish in worship and service to Jesus. With a lifelong dedication to Christian education, Chad believes every staff member is a leader.
Julia Verdouw writing on a season of loss and grief
This book is for those who have known grief. It is for those who are grieving. It is also for anyone curious about loss or grief, or seeking to understand something about its presence in the life of others.
Purchase your copy at
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To honour those who have made a significant contribution to Christian education, Christian Education National (CEN) is offering two places for new students to study two core units with the National Institute.
Applicant Criteria
• You are not a current student with the National Institute
• You are working or serving in a CEN member school
• You are committed to providing a written, recorded or live report of your study and a reflection of practice after having completed at least one of the units. For more details and the application process please visit cen.edu.au/services/the-giants-bursary
