Not surprisingly for a school which takes seriously its charter to present the Good News of Jesus Christ, every year level at Faith Lutheran School has a core subject, called Christian Living which is designed to allow students to reflect on issues of faith and life in an open and sensitive environment which values all students’ views. It goes without saying that students are all at different stages on a faith journey and have different perspectives and questions to share and discuss.
However, because Faith School believes that faith issues are part of a holistic education for life in general, (hence the name Christian Living), Christian Living classes at each level also have other crucial functions within the curriculum. For example, at the Year 10 level, when students are really wrestling with work and study choices for the future, the critical area of Career Education becomes part of the Christian Living course.
This is also where the Christian Living Service component fits in. At the Year 9 and Year 11 levels, all students go out into the community and work with young children in schools and kindergartens or with aged folk, helping them in any way they can. This is Christian Living in action and it teaches students that faith is more than just head knowledge or classroom learning but involves relationships: Jesus’ law of love.
The general areas covered at each year level are listed below.
Year 8:
Semester 1: Part 1: God revealed. An introduction to who God is and how he is revealed in Jesus.
Part 2: Peer Support. Working in groups with year 11 leaders to get to know Faith School and each other.
Part 3: God cares. Students investigate their own identity and God’s purpose for them
Semester 2: 1. Spirituality. 2. The Bible. 3. Judaism, Islam and Christianity. and 4. Ethics
Year 9:
1. Community service
2. An investigation of drugs and alcohol
3. A study of prayer
Year 10:
Semester 1: Part 1: Career Education A Christian view of work and vocation.
Part 2: Worshipping together. Understanding how different churches worship God.
Semester 2: Relationships and Sexuality from a Christian Perspective
Year 10 Retreat – a bushwalking experience involving a reflection time on Life’s journey.
Year 11:
Semester 1: Career Education
Semester 2: The search for Spirituality and Religions of the World
Practical: Community Service and Peer Support leadership
Year 12:
Part 1: Jesus the Man.
Part 2: Mental Health
Part 3: Social Justice
Part 4: Ethical decision making
Preparation and presentation of School services at Easter and at the end of the year.
Not surprisingly for a school which takes seriously its charter to present the Good News of Jesus Christ, every year level at Faith Lutheran School has a core subject, called Christian Living which is designed to allow students to reflect on issues of faith and life in an open and sensitive environment which values all students’ views. It goes without saying that students are all at different stages on a faith journey and have different perspectives and questions to share and discuss.