Another good question from WordPress today. Am I a leader or a follower?
In general terms I would say I am mostly a follower. In most of my jobs I have enjoyed being second in charge and supporting my leader or manager.
My heart or the way I am wired is to serve. So I feel most satisfied when I have a leader to serve, support and encourage. I try and lighten their load and help them to be successful.
In my current role as School Chaplain I see my role to provide pastoral care to the school community and to support and encourage the school Principal. If I am taking care of pastoral care the Principal can focus on other things.
Yes there are times when I have been the leader, but in general terms I am wired to follow. When I do serve, I feel most satisfied.
This is a good question today. Something I learned in high school. The first thing that popped in to my head was woodwork. That was not what I expected.
Over the years the basics I learned in high school have really helped. I have made bookshelves, headboards, a bar for our games room, and computer desks for our kids. It has been really helpful and has been a relaxing hobby at times.
The funny thing is that I get to use the things I learned in high school each week. On Wednesdays I follow the high schoolers around and I spend most of the day in woodwork. I encourage the students and assist with their projects. It is an enjoyable day.
When I started woodwork as a 13 year old, I never would have dreamed that I would be helping other students as a school Chaplain some 40+ years later. It is funny how life turns out. My teachers taught me how to use a saw, drill and a chisel. Now I am teaching other kids.
Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?
I have to say in answering this question that I am a very blessed man. I feel loved by my wife every day and when I see my adult children they always give me a big hug and tell me they love me.
But one instance when I felt really loved recently was on the last day of school in 2023. I was walking around school doing my usual work as a Chaplain, when I large group of students came and gave me cards. I got lots of high fives and fist bumps from them all too.
On the cards were really nice messages of how they loved and appreciated my work as their Chaplain. They said things like thanks for always being there to listen and encourage us. One card from the oldest students was signed by all of them with personal messages.
I really love my job as a school Chaplain and times like that make me feel loved and appreciated too.
Pain and suffering are some of the hardest things we face in life. They can be depressing, debilitating and unbearable at times. But I believe God can recycle our pain for the good of others.
In my own life I have lived with crippling Rheumatoid Arthritis, suffered periods of chronic depression, lost loved ones to suicide and cancer, struggled with self worth and self esteem issues, and my parents were divorced when I was very young.
Some of these were quite terrible and very difficult to move past, especially when I was young. Some are just normal things people go through in this life, but adding them together made life really tough for me mentally and physically.
In my teens when I was depressed and crippled with RA, I did not ever think I would be able to work, get married and have kids, buy a house and build a life. I thought I would be on a pension all of my life.
After coming to Jesus in my early twenties I started to see my life differently. I saw a purpose in my pain and suffering and how they had actually drawn me to Jesus. Without them I do not know where I would be now?
Looking back I can see how my experiences had taught me compassion. I learned what it was like to live with constant pain, suffering, grief, loss and depression. It gave me an understanding of people and the things we all go through.
Now I work as a School Chaplain I can use these experiences and understanding to be a blessing to others. I can walk along side our students and enter in to their pain. I can sit with them, talk with them, cry with them and offer support.
I can also offer hope, encouragement and positivity knowing that not only can they get through their painful times, that things can actually get better and life can turn around.
Today I want to say to you that no matter what you have been through, or are still going through, God can turn it around. He can help you find purpose in your pain and recycle it for the good of others.
I believe He can use you to be a great blessing to those around you. Just hang in there and look to Jesus. He can recycle your pain.
A picture one of the students drew of my me recently.
Today I thought I would share what a “typical” day looks like as a school Chaplain. I work part time in two government schools, so I do not run religious services but am there to provide pastoral care, mental health and well being support. I mainly work with students but I am also there for teachers and parents.
1. I arrive at school and chat with the admin staff and teachers and see how school has been the last few days. As I work part time at two schools I am only in a school a maximum two days a week. They might let me know of students who have been struggling a bit.
2. I help run a breakfast club. This is where we prepare food for the students who want to come along. We have fruit, cereals, bacon, eggs, pancakes and all are welcome. Some do not have much food at home, some have long bus rides and some come for the social aspect. Brekkie club helps me to connect with the students and see who is not looking themselves and I can catch up with later in the day.
3. Once brekkie club is over and cleaned up I head in to the classrooms. My Principal wants me to spend time in each classroom over my two days at one school. So I head to the first class on the list and talk to the teacher and see which students need my help. Sometimes I just sit and assist with their work and other times I might go for a walk with them to talk about school or life in general.
4. At lunch time and morning recess I am out in the playground. As I love sport I am usually kicking a footy, playing soccer or playing some other sport. This really helps me to connect with the students and have fun with them. Often a student will ask we we can go for a walk and talk as a result or they might ask if I can come and sit with them in class after the break. I usually have my breaks straight after the students when they go back to class.
5. Often I might be called to the office or a classroom if a student is having a bad day. This takes priority over the class schedule I am given. I usually sit with the student and talk or we might go for a walk. Usually after about 15-20 minutes most students are ready to return to class and re-engage with their work.
6. At the end of the day I see the kids off at the buses. I just hang with them and talk until the buses arrive. I try to be really positive and encouraging and remind them of some of the good things they did during the day. There are a lot of high fives and fist bumps involved. I then might talk with some teachers and see how they are going and then head off home.
The only time my day differs is if we have a combined school sports day or some other combined event. But this is pretty much a “typical” day for me. Most of my time is spent with students, but I also spend time with teachers and parents too.
Being a school Chaplain is a great job. It is one where you go home each day knowing you have made a real positive difference in peoples lives.
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