Compass No 476 - October 2017

A Day of Hope As Churches Grow Together – Tuesday 31^st October

Around the world over the past 12 months there have been commemorative services led by leaders of Catholic, Lutheran and other protestant churches. The commemorative activities began in Lund, Sweden on 31^st October 2016, where the leader of the Lutheran World Federation, Bishop Dr Munib Younan and Pope Francis came together to hold a common prayer service, which built on the ecumenical work that has been taking place. In Australia, a joint statement between leaders of the Catholic and Lutheran churches has been released and across the country next Tuesday, Catholics and Lutherans will be coming together to commemorate the anniversary of the reformation, which changed the western world. 

In creating new hope for the future, in any context, there needs to be an acknowledgement of where hurt has been caused, seeking forgiveness from each other and God and then moving prayerfully forward with God as our guide. These are the themes of the commemoration, which aims to bring people together in service out of love for people and for God across the world. These themes are outlined below in the excerpt from Bishop John Henderson’s sermon for the day, which has a strong theme of unity and hope.

There are three dimensions to our commemoration: we are deeply aware of the past and of the damage that was a consequence of conflict and division; we thank God for the healing of the relationship between Catholics and Lutherans that has taken place in recent decades and for the impetus for unity that we share; and we look forward to walking a common path in the future, witnessing together to the mercy of God in proclamation and service to the world. (Bishop John Henderson, 2017)

The full text of his address, which speaks of the strong hope that we receive through God’s grace, can be accessed by clicking here. 

The talents, abilities and gifts of Pacific Lutheran College students is staggering. Every week I learn something new about the skills and abilities of our students and their achievements. The breadth of potential in our young people is immense as well as the opportunities for them to grow and develop, especially through the cross-curricular activities available. As well as the talents, abilities and gifts of students that are obvious, there are also those that are lurking in the background, waiting to emerge with a little encouragement from adults. Children and youth are crucial resources to nurture and grow as they become citizens and leaders in our society.

The story of the young boy Samuel in the Old Testament is evidence of this. Samuel was called by God to serve Him as a prophet. Samuel probably wondered beforehand, like many young people do, “Where do I fit into the world? What job or study do I want to do? What do I do in the next stage of my life?” Strangely though, Samuel’s story is portrayed that he had no such dilemma, he simply waited and listened for God’s call. Samuel waited on God to have his eyes opened to where he could serve.

Children and young people need to be provided with opportunities to have meaningful and useful roles in their communities. Young people certainly bring energy, passion and vision to all that they do. These are some of their great gifts to the community. Too often, adults down play the role of young people in society and especially in decision-making. Young people need to be given a voice and that voice needs to be heard. They are resources with skills, talents and abilities that are willing and able to be contributing members of our community. They just need the opportunities to do so.

The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) has introduced a Bachelor of Medical Science to commence in Semester 1 2018. This three-year degree will provide provisional direct entry into Griffith University’s planned Doctor of Medicine program at the new Sunshine Coast University Hospital. In 2019, Griffith University will open a 50-place medical school at the Sunshine Coast Health Institute (SCHI), which is part of the hospital complex. The program has been modelled on the Medical Science program offered by Griffith University and will include subjects such as anatomy, biochemistry, chemistry, disease, health, ethics, genetics, law, microbiology, pharmacology, psychology and physiology. Further information on the Bachelor of Medical Science is available at: http://www.usc.edu.au/learn/courses-and-programs/bachelor-degrees-undergraduate-programs/bachelor-of-medical-science.

USC currently offers Nursing Science, Midwifery, Nutrition and Dietetics and Occupational Therapy programs of study at the SCHI and is planning on teaching Psychology and Social Work there in the future. Further information on these courses is available at: http://www.usc.edu.au/learn/courses-and-programs/health-nursing-and-sport-sciences.

This week, the first Net Set GO session was held for our young Prep – Year 3 netballers. Students participated in a range of exciting activities, which focused on passing and pivoting. We had a great turnout of 86 players who will each receive a complimentary netball for participating in the program. Students can still register for the remaining three sessions through CareMonkey. We look forward to seeing everyone again next week when we move to footwork and long passing.

Next Thursday lunchtime is also the start of the Year 4-6 Netball Development Program. We look forward to seeing players from last year and some new faces who are excited about developing and extending their netball skills in preparation for next year. There are still places available in this program. If your son/daughter is keen to participate, please login to CareMonkey as soon as possible to register.

Ms Leigh Finter, Netball Coordinator

Last Friday night, the Sunshine Coast Secondary Schools Basketball competition came to a close, with three Pacific teams competing in grand final matches.

The Junior A Girls came up against a very good team from Mountain Creek State High School (MCSHS). The last time they met, MCSHS beat our girls by 30 points, but this game was closely contested. Unfortunately, Pacific lost by seven points in the end. Well done to Tegan Graves, Caitlyn Barry, Chloe Fleming, Eliza Woods, Lara Pointon, Katie Graves and Gabrielle Gorham for their efforts. Thank you to Andrea Prinsloo for coaching the girls throughout the season.

In the second game of the night, the Intermediate A Girls took on Sunshine Coast Grammar School (SCGS). Pacific had defeated SCGS in the previous round and looked as though they were going to maintain their winning streak. The game was close and Pacific fought hard to the end, but unfortunately lost. Well done to Phoebe Swan, Brooklyn Graves, Sophie Empson, Tayla Gorham, Abbey Doran, Louella Hindmarsh, Vivienne Casley and Kassidy McAuliffe for their efforts this season. Thank you also to Mr Joe Doran and Mr Scott Crompton for coaching the girls.

Finally, our Intermediate Boys played against Maroochydore State High School (MSHS) – a team we had defeated by 20 points two weeks prior. It was a very physical and fast-paced game. After falling behind early on, Pacific managed to claw their way back and looked set to take the victory. However, a few missed free throws and a lucky shot by the opposition meant that the boys fell agonisingly short, losing the match in the final seconds of the game. Well done to Joey Hock, Joseph Higginson, Sam Fleming, Matthew Weir, Nathan Weir, Jared Solti, Sam Henderson, Danico Prinsloo and Nick Lloyd on a great season. Thank you also to their coach Mr Nico Prinsloo.

At the end of the night, Pacific placed third overall in the competition, which is a tremendous effort! Well done to all our 2017 players.

Thank you to all the parents for their support throughout the season. A special thank you to all the coaches who helped make the season so successful: Mr Nico Prinsloo, Mr Scott Crompton, Mrs Michiko Hauser, Mr Joe Doran, Bailey Pointon, Andrea Prinsloo and Georgie Snelling. We’re already looking forward to 2018!

Mr Mark Hauser, Basketball Coordinator

If you can assist in the uniform shop from the 13^th – 17^th November (Week 7) or from 15^th – 19^th January next year, please contact Peta on 5436 7349. There are two daily timeslots to be filled: from 8.00am – 12.00pm or 12.00pm – 4.00pm.

This Sunday 29^th October, Wishlist is hosting a Teddy Bears’ Picnic at Cotton Tree Park to raise much-needed funds to support dementia patients at Nambour Hospital. Activities and entertainment will be provided at the picnic. Click here to download the event flyer. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting: http://www.wishlist.org.au/Events/TeddyBearsPicnic-595/.