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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
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October 2005 |
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Looking for a challenge?Tasmanian schools are still open to Christian input, and one lady has carried on the ministry faithfully well beyond the age when most of us retire. But where are the replacements? Sue Morton reports. How many people take on a new ministry in their late fifties and carry it out faithfully for another quarter of a century? June Scott from St Stephen's Church, Sandy Bay taught Christian Religious Education (CRE) to Grade 6 classes from the late 70s until she finally retired in 2003. 'I thoroughly enjoyed it all, and felt welcomed and appreciated in the school', she says. Why did she start and what kept her going for such a long time? Formerly, ministers of religion went into schools and taught groups organised by denomination. Later, this changed to class groupings. It was difficult for ministers to maintain regular attendance with other urgent calls on their time and lay people were encouraged to become teachers. Mrs Scott recalls being asked by the Rev. Lennard if she would be interested in such a mission. The Catholic sisters in Taroona were very instrumental in promoting CRE and used to run training days. She also attended a two-week course run by teachers from Queensland where there was wide acceptance and encouragement of CRE. In the beginning, the curriculum was not set and teachers had to make their own. Mrs Scott can remember starting a lesson by discussing the date (always written in the board) and the significance of BC and AD. Later, Queensland material was used, followed by sets of teachers' and students' books produced by the Council for CRE in Victoria. When Mrs Scott accepted the challenge, she did it because she could understand that it was a vital outreach and there was no-one else ready to accept the job. Her opinion has not changed in over twenty years. She always found the class teachers very supportive, and the materials contained provided plenty of options for presentation of the lesson. In the early days, she wrote plays which the students practised after school to present to the other classes. Once a year as a Christmas special, she would take her class down to St Stephen's, where at least some of them would enter a church building for the first time. They would have a quiz, a Christmas program and a special afternoon tea prepared by the Mothers' Union. Mrs Scott would love to see people willing to consider teaching CRE in schools while principals and parents still allow it to be taught. Whom in your congregation could you encourage to follow this example of faithful service to God? Who will take the baton?
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