When her high school students were being evacuated from their homes in the dead of night, with rain pouring so hard it was deafening, William Ross State High School chaplain, Kay, was there to support them in any way she could.

The February floods tore through the Townsville high school community, destroying everything in its path – carpets, furniture, resources. Some staff lost everything.

William Ross State High School principal, Allan Evans, who steered the school community through the flood disaster, said one teacher was lucky to escape with her life.

“[The teacher’s] fiance was shifting the vehicle up the road to get out of the water and when they walked out again the water was chest-deep. The guys in the boat said ‘dump the lot or die’, so they got in the boat and that’s what they left with,” he says.

Chappy Kay recalls that many students feared for their lives too.

“I was talking to some kids and they said they were taken out in great big army trucks, and there was a cover over the top but because the rain was so heavy, there was a foot-and-a-half of water inside the truck,” she says.

“They couldn’t see anything, and every time the truck lurched, the parents were grabbing their kids because there was so much water, and they didn’t want them to drown inside the truck.”

In the light of day, the devastation became heartbreakingly clear. Many of the buildings at nearby Oonoonba State School had to be completely gutted and rebuilt.

Mr Evans found himself adopting 350 year 3-6 students on the high school campus for Term 1 after quickly offering his support.

“We were given 12 hours to completely revamp the school. We were a little protective of the younger students,” Mr Evans says.

Even after the floodwaters began to subside, it was clear that the full impact was still being felt. Mr Evans recalls that many of the students would panic whenever it would start to rain again. “Every time it rained, it was like they were re-traumatised,” he says.

But he was full of praise for Chappy Kay and the school’s other support staff.

“The support staff are the pivotal edge of any change. Kay is one of five support staff and each brings that element of support and that’s critical,” he said.

“The day-to-day business, the staff have got the ammunition to deal with it. But when you’ve got the blow-ups, a teacher can’t handle that because they’ve
got 20 other kids – that’s when you call for Chappy.”

Chappy Kay was there to support her traumatised school community because of your support. Help keep this support going, visit suqld.org.au/donate

It’s nice when hard work is recognised, especially when it’s work done for a good cause.

The efforts to promote chaplaincy in Mackay have been recognised by Sarina Community Bank® Branch, Bendigo Bank who recently awarded the local School Chaplaincy District with the inaugural Community Impact Award. The award recognises  organisations that are making a significant difference in the community.

Rod and Raylene Ballard, long-time community members, and joint-chairs of the Local Chaplaincy Committee, are deeply invested in growing chaplaincy in their region and were pleasantly surprised for their team of chaplaincy supporters to be recognised.

“Sarina Community Bank® sees us as a group which interacts widely with the community in both our fundraising and our service. Our chaplains do such a great job in the schools supporting young people, so that doesn’t go unnoticed either,” says Rod.

“One of the benefits to this award is that you receive that little bit of extra exposure in the community. We’ve worked pretty hard over the years to help people understand what chaplaincy is, and how it helps young people.

“I’d just say, we don’t do what we do to get awards, because that’s not what it’s about. It’s all about the kids. When it all boils down, we’re just an ordinary group of people doing the best we can to help those who need it.”

Chair of Sarina Community Bank® Branch, Karen May, explains how the Community Bank® model works, and emphasises the importance of chaplaincy in the Sarina district.

“The benefit of the Community Bank®  is that we are able to invest profits locally. With 50% of the profits available to the local company, Sarina Community Bank^® Branch is able to invest in various community programs and initiatives. This means that when local people bank with Sarina Community Bank®, funds are able to be invested straight back into the community.”

“We have had a longstanding relationship supporting Sarina District School Chaplaincy for up to $6,000 each year because chaplaincy is a centerpiece in our community. By running a smooth transition to high school program, chaplains become the go-to person for our young people who are going through a difficult time.”

This generous support has enabled Rod, Raylene and their team to help chaplaincy flourish in our region. You too can empower communities to support the work of chaplains by visiting www.suqld.org.au/donate.

Over three decades ago, Trevor Meares founded Church of the Outback from his base in Broken Hill after seeing the desperate need for Christian fellowship in rural communities across Australia. Today, Alan and Myril Frankham continue his legacy as pastors of this unique community.

Each Sunday morning, Church of the Outback helps around 50 Christians from remote communities across Australia connect with other believers, who are eager to grow and nurture their faith – but would otherwise struggle due to their distance from a local church.

“Like any church, we gather together to meet with the Lord on Sundays, but our community does this by dialing in or logging in online,” Pastor Alan says.

“As part of SU QLD’s ongoing commitment to work with churches to bring God’s love, hope and good news to children, young people and their families, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Church of the Outback by offering the use of our telephone conference calling system.

“This has been a real blessing for Church of the Outback because the connection is large enough to host all of our members simultaneously,” Pastor Alan says.

Beyond the online connection, Pastor Alan and his wife love hopping in their caravan throughout the year to visit their flock for face-to-face fellowship and to provide pastoral care.

“It can be lonely in these remote communities. So it’s important that we get out there and remind our church members that they are not alone. We are indeed one body,” Pastor Alan explains.

Albeit a unique one.

“Recently while doing Bible Study during the week, we had people dialled in across three states of Australia, plus a young man on an interstate train travelling back to his work in far western Queensland, and another couple connecting in via the internet from Vanuatu. It’s mind-boggling,” Pastor Alan says.

“Our services include welcome, worship, a Bible reading and message, communion – with everyone providing the elements in their own homes and a dedicated time for prayer.”

Church community is a connection that is so often taken for granted, but it is vital for believers to come together, regardless of how that looks. Hebrews 10:24-25 says,

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

“We’re technically denominational under the umbrella of Churches of Christ, but we’re also not,” Pastor Alan explains, “What we are about is the gospel: that’s our focus.”

Pastor Alan uploads his weekly teachings onto the Church of the Outback website, so even if members do miss Church, they can still listen to the sermon later in the week.

With SU QLD now transitioning to internet-based conferencing, Church of the Outback is also making a similar change using both the phone and internet/video based communication.

Church of the Outback is a community of friends in rural communities who have been able to share in the fellowship of believers.

Members stand together in times of difficulty, pray for one another regularly, and show the love of Christ to their mates in their outback communities.

For SU QLD, it is a pleasure to be partnering with this amazing community.

Please pray for this beautiful ministry and for our brothers and sisters in remote communities in need of fellowship.

If you or someone you knows has a heart to serve in outback communities, SU QLD currently has a number of chaplaincy positions to fill. Find out more, visit suqld.org.au/morehands.

Sport is a great way to connect faith communities with local communities – an incredible opportunity made possible thanks to your support!

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I’ve been blessed to be a part of SU QLD’s ministry for more than 25 years. It has been a long and beautiful journey.

For much of my time serving in this ministry, school chaplaincy has been such a big focal point. And sure, it makes sense when you consider that right now more than 600 chaplains are serving in more than 800 school communities across Queensland. (more…)

If your New Year’s resolution was to be more active, and whether you’re still on track at this point and fell off the wagon a few weeks ago, we’ve got you covered!

The SU QLD 2019 calendar is jam-packed with opportunities for you to get up, get out, and do something amazing, while helping to bring hope to children and young people. There’s not better motivation than that!

March 2 – Boonah Chappy Challenge: Walk, run, or cycle to support Southern Queensland school chaplains.

May 25 – Cycle for Hope (Far North Queensland): If you’ve got the quads to match your heart for school chaplaincy, join us for the ride from Redlynch to Port Douglas and support your local chaplains.

June 7 – Brisbane Golf Day: Whether you score birdies or bogies, you can swing on by for our annual Brisbane Golf Day. Look forward to a fun day out, while supporting the work of SU QLD.

July – Tour de Chaplain (Rockhampton and Gladstone): Don your best Lycra outfit and take part in Central Queensland chaplaincy’s answer to that French-based riding event, Tour de… what was that name again? 

July 22-28 – Journey for Hope Larapinta Trek 2019: If you have a heart for children and young people, then journey with us through the heart of Australia’s beautiful Red Centre, all while raising funds to keep chaplaincy in our schools.  

August 25 – Bridge to Brisbane: Join the SU QLD B2B Team and walk or run to raise much-needed funds for your local school chaplains.

Various dates (see page 12) – Community Cups: 2019 is going to be a great year for sports lovers with four community cups featuring netball, touch footy, beach volleyball and six-a-side soccer. Come for a great day of sport and community!

There is so much more in store this year. So watch this space. We look forward to your company as we partner together to bring hope to children, young people and their families.

School chaplains do an amazing job, but no chappy is an island – behind every one is a Local Chaplaincy Committee helping them along.

A little birdie told us this week that Elanora State High School LCC chairperson, Jan Drury, will receive a 2018 Queensland Community Achievement Award for her outstanding support of chaplaincy after being nominated by one of her school’s principal.

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Ten years ago, Dawn Barrie saw a need and decided to fill it… with 50 cent coins.

In her youth, Dawn had been profoundly impacted on Christian camps like those run by SU QLD. When she heard some young people couldn’t afford to go, she took action.

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Calling all adventurers!  SU QLD is taking fundraising and community building to new heights with our Journey for Hope – Larapinta Trek 2019!

The Larapinta Trail is regarded as one of Australia’s premier walking tracks. From the old Alice Springs Telegraph Station to the peak of Mount Sonder, the trail stretches 223km along the backbone of the West MacDonnell Ranges.  Above all, you will be helping to raise funds for SU QLD to bring hope to children and young people.

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A passion for building into the lives of children in need was all the staff at Merrin & Cranston Architects needed to get behind SU QLD, school chaplains, and the breakfast programs they run.

The firm has been a big supporter of many SU QLD initiatives over the years but breakfast clubs hold particular importance for the staff.

Merrin & Cranston marketing coordinator, Penny Bellas, said chappy-run breakfast clubs did more than feed hungry tummies and unite a school community over toast, cereal and fruit. (more…)