About
“You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.”
– Matthew Chapter 5
Chaplaincy & Student Wellbeing
Meet our wellbeing team
Our team of chaplains and our College counsellor work alongside the Deans of Wellbeing to provide students with holistic, Christ-centred care within their learning environment.
Mrs Hayley Mourdant | Chaplain
In office: Monday, Tuesday, Friday
Mr Timothy Ballantyne | Chaplain
In office: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Mrs Ruth Crawford | Counsellor
In office: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Chaplaincy
Both of our chaplains are ordained Ministers within Acts Global Churches. They each hold current Working With Children’s Checks in accordance with SCEA staff policy. Our chaplains work to support student wellbeing through:
- Participating in College events such as student training, camps, club activities, prayer meetings, services, and parent programs.
- Provide Pastoral care and support for students, staff and parents of the ECC community within a Christian framework.
- Provide support in areas such as student mental health, engagement, attendance and connectedness and refer onto other professional agencies as needed.
- Assist students to explore their worldview and beliefs through education and conversation.
- Network with support services, other agencies, and organisations in the local community to provide a broad range of support services to the ECC student community.
Counselling at ECC
Mrs Ruth Crawford is a registered counsellor with PACFA and ACA providing counselling services and personal support to ECC students, families, and staff.
As a counsellor, she works with students to help them achieve the most beneficial outcomes and realise their potential. Counselling services also help provide professional support with mental health and emotional concerns, learning difficulties and behavioural issues. This includes the provision of individual and group therapy, planning and implementation of interventions as requested for students, and working closely alongside those in key roles of pastoral care and other teaching staff to ensure the positive wellbeing of students.
Mrs Crawford can also provide support and guidance in navigating referral pathways and liaising with outside agencies as needed.
Chaplain's Corner: May
Chaplain’s Corner is a monthly devotional written by our College chaplains, published here and in our newsletter. Read this month’s edition below.
WORDS: Hayley Mordaunt
The back story to this scripture we are about the read is that Jesus had just fed 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. The people were so amazed at what he did, and a short time later the same people had gathered in the same place and were waiting for him, and when he wasn’t there they went searching, and this is the conversation that followed next.
John 6: 25When they finally found him, they asked him, “Teacher, how did you get here?”
26Jesus replied, “Let me make this very clear, you came looking for me because I fed you by a miracle, not because you believe in me. 27Why would you strive for food that is perishable and not be passionate to seek the food of eternal life, which never spoils? I, the Son of Man, am ready to give you what matters most, for God the Father has destined me for this purpose.”
28They replied, “So what should we do if we want to do God’s work?”
29Jesus answered, “The work you can do for God starts with believing in the One he has sent.”
30-31They replied, “Show us a miracle so we can see it, and then we’ll believe in you. Moses took care of our ancestors who were fed by the miracle of manna every day in the desert, just like the Scripture says, ‘He fed them with bread from heaven.’ What sign will you perform for us?”
32“The truth is,” Jesus said, “Moses didn’t give you the bread of heaven. It’s my Father who offers bread that comes as a dramatic sign from heaven. 33The bread of God is the One who came out of heaven to give his life to feed the world.”
34“Then please, sir, give us this bread every day,” they replied.
35Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life. Come every day to me and you will never be hungry. Believe in me and you will never be thirsty.
These people that were speaking to Jesus were used to working hard to get food on the table. They had now found a miraculous source for food, and were hoping for their need to be met again in the same way. When they asked Jesus how he got there, he answered them with why THEY were there – often we gain understanding in to our motives, when we can see why we are asking Jesus for something! We know that Jesus cared about their physical situation because he did feed them and provide them with a meal. So this was not Jesus fobbing them off. The physical hunger was such a focus for them that they were missing the deeper spiritual hunger that Jesus was longing for them to seek to be filled. This sounds too familiar to me. This resonates with me. Just as hunger and thirst are physical signs that we need food and water, spiritual hunger and thirst can only be met with spiritual sustenance. The people that Jesus fed were hungry & needed food in their bellies, but were so focused on the miracle, that this excited but impure enthusiasm wasn’t leading them to seek Jesus, it was leading them to seek natural satisfaction. Jesus was leading them to this point that could change their lives as they knew it – to understand that apart from Him there is no true satisfaction.
There are 2 words for “life” in the Bible – one is bios (which means breath in your lungs or physical life) and is only used 10 times. One is zoe which means “possessed with vitality looking to the fulness of life”, and it’s used 135 times. When Jesus said I am the bread of LIFE – it’s the word ‘zoe’. He is the bread of life really means “He is the sustenance that fills us with vitality pointing us to the fullness of life!” We easily forget WHO the source of life is, and we seek “bios’ life instead of ‘zoe’ life. Have you ever noticed that when Jesus was tempted in the desert, in a time of fasting, the enemy tried to tempt Jesus to full his spiritual, soul hunger with temporal sustenance? I’ve believed at different times that my longings and aches could be fulfilled if “just” this little thing changed, or if I “just” had an answer to that question.
Even if we are seeking God’s answer or God’s provision, what Jesus was saying to the people was “look PAST what I can give you and see ME. See “I AM”! Hunger for ME to fill your SOUL and your deeper needs, not just my miracle to fill your belly!”
Matthew 6 reminds us that God does care for our physical and natural needs & he will provide, and not to worry about them.
Today, can I encourage you, that if you are seeking God’s provision, to also seek God himself. He loves you and will show up for you, and he will bring you deep satisfaction that leads to vitality looking to the fullness of life!
