Only 3% of Australia’s youth have any real contact with a church and yet NSW law allows each child in the State School system to have 1 hour of “Special Religious Education” (SRE, also known as Scripture) each week. For 13 years of each student’s life, God has allowed us to reach them in our schools, with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Statistics show that 75% of Christians trace their faith to when they were under 16 years of age. We need to make the most of this opportunity.
Newcastle SRE Board is a group of 15 local Churches who have assigned a committee of their representatives to advance and maintain their vision to reach the 5521 school students in our 14 local schools with the message of the Gospel through weekly SRE lessons. This ministry is offered by 56 voluntary teachers in our primary schools and 2 employed SRE teachers in our high schools. These faithful teachers present weekly Christian lessons of Special Religious Education. Our ministry also offers weekly lunchtime ISCF groups in high schools and Supa Clubs in primary schools. We also employ 3 Christian Chaplains under the National Schools Chaplaincy Program.
This wonderful opportunity has the potential to bless a whole community. However, we are able to provide weekly lessons to only one quarter of our high school students due to a lack of the donated funds required to pay qualified Christian high school teachers to provide these lessons. Please explore our website and consider this need prayerfully as you do so.
Isaiah 54:13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children’s peace