Chaplaincy at St Cuthbert´s College

As a ‘non-denominational, Christian’ and independent school, it might be imagined that this student body would be fairly homogeneous. In reality a wide range of cultures, backgrounds, ethnicities and religions are represented.
Nearly 75% of St Cuthbert’s students are Pakeha, 14% are Asian, and 8% are Maori or Pacifica.
At enrolment, 15% of parents stated that they followed no religion, 77% stated they were Christians of various denominations and affiliations, with 2% Hindu, around 2% Jewish, around 1% Buddhist, and the remaining students Sikh, Zoroastrian and Muslim.

The challenge of Chaplaincy is to meet each of the members of the college community- students, parents, Old Girls and staff- where they are in terms of their spiritual and intellectual development. It is to offer something which will nurture each person’s acknowledgement and recognition of their inherent spirituality, to offer sustenance for their journeys of exploration of their identity as individuals and as members of this community.
For many, but by no means all, this is acknowledged as a deepening of their calling to follow in the footsteps of Christ.

It is the task of the Chaplain to articulate how this journey may unfold, in a way which is relevant and welcoming to all, irrespective of religious adherence or commitment. This ministry is exercised in a variety of contexts.
It is the task of the Chaplain to weave the component threads together in a way which is in keeping with the College Compass and with an intellectual rigour befitting an educational institution. The role is inherently evangelistic, but it would not be appropriate for it to be evangelical.

Chapel services are at the heart of this ministry. Services for junior year-levels are held on Tuesdays at 10.20 and for senior year-levels on Thursdays. Monday evenings each week there is a service for the boarding community. On Thursday after school a Eucharist is held for staff and senior students. Each year group has a family chapel service on one Sunday morning during the year.
Weddings are conducted for Old Girls and also many baptisms and blessing ceremonies, with meetings and interviews prior to these services to explore the significance of what is being undertaken.
Easter services are held for the junior and the senior school, and Carol services at Christmas. An ANZAC service is also held.

Co-ordination of flowers for the Chapel, morning tea provision, and liaison with the music department is required for these services. Students are co-ordinated and rehearsed for readings, prayers, and other involvement.
Our Values programme is fundamentally important to the College vision, and each student supports their level Values project and explores what the College motto “By Love Serve” might imply in practical terms.
The Chaplain co-ordinates the staff involved in devising and implementing the Values strategies, has regular meetings with the Values Team, prepares financial reports and assesses budget needs.
A web-site presence is in the process of being established, and a notice-board is maintained with information about Values and faith matters. In every edition of College Ties there are two pages allocated for the Chaplain’s article and comment, and additionally in the final edition of the year a report is given of the Values programme for the year.

The Chaplain is responsible for selecting the readings and prayers and hymns for senior assemblies, Mondays and Fridays. The Chaplain is part of the Guidance network, and attends Dean’s and other related meetings. She is available to staff and students for individual interviews. Referrals are made to the Chaplain through the counseling service or senior management, concerning students and families which may need pastoral support. The Chaplain is Head of the RE Department, and teaches Year 8 Religious Education herself. This role involves deciding on textbooks and teaching resources, liaising with staff to devise curriculum content, and managing a budget.
The aim is to deliver a stimulating, age-appropriate and relevant programme of religious exploration for girls from Years 1 to 9 at the College, in one period per cycle.
The primary focus is Christian, but at higher levels other religious traditions may be explored. As with other aspects of Chaplaincy, the aim is to weave together the different aspects of the emotional, intellectual and spiritual development of the individual, and to encourage service within this and the broader community.

The core task of Chaplaincy is to empower members of this community with the vision, creativity, self-reflective capacity, openness of heart and conviction which will enable them both now and in the future to “live life in all its fullness.”
As Jesus said, (Matthew 7:7-8) “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”