THE VISION

Our Christian Purpose
Traditional schools such as ours today face a very different set of community standards and beliefs than those which reigned when they were first established perhaps a hundred years ago. Theirs was an era that espoused Christianity. The Christian ethic and values were at the core of the political and social development of our society. Today, many families who send their children to our schools are at best nominal Christians, and many others are of non-religious belief or from one of the other major world religions. Students generally reflect the views, attitudes and opinions that they hear at home, and this may be a place where rampant materialism and secularism have largely replaced the religious belief and practice of their grandparents.

Within such an environment, it is important that we make clear our stance on our Christian ethos and commitment to Christian education.

Each of us belong to Christian Schools. The life perspectives of Jesus are the central reference point for the philosophy of our schools. They provide the central beliefs which are the basis of the values our schools stand by, and which we aim to develop in the students who pass through them.

It is these values and the way that they are allowed to impact on the operations of our schools which best determine how successful the schools are in their Christianity. They provide the constraints that prevent the schools from straying. For example:

• The school must not allow itself to ignore the whole person in its singular pursuit of sporting, academic, musical or other goals.

• The school must not forget compassion in its dealings with disciplinary matters - though neither will it allow a lack of control that shows little regard for social responsibilities and the pursuit of the good in human endeavour.

• The school must not allow itself to become so engrossed in ‘active time’, controlled by bells, timetables and programmes that it loses the opportunity for receptive time - to listen, to reflect and to meditate.

• The school must not ever apologise for its position, whatever the pressures from our pluralistic society. When the school calls itself Christian, it is no longer a neutral place in regard to religion. The Christian character of the school is made explicit by prayer, by religious education times and by service to the wider community.

• The school must not allow religion in the school programme to be considered as a separate extra, removed from the mainstream of learning. Rather, it will be at the heart of understanding of being. Staff at the school, are at the front line of youth ministry and carry with them the burden of creating the image of God that students will carry with them all their lives. For many young people, school will be their only direct contact with the church.

Our active pursuit of Christian education, whether it be in programmes, activities or direct interaction with students, should reflect the culture of the School. To do otherwise would be to threaten to marginalise the spiritual component of our educational offering.
To promote the Christian experience of students at our schools, activity and adventure should be included. Adding adventure and tangible experience to the spiritual dimension of our students’ education will help to bring life to the Christian experience of the whole school community.

Promotion of Spiritual Discussion

Though any single pilgrimage will only involve a handful of students and be limited by their capacity to pay and travel at that time, the exercise is designed to spread well beyond that group.

The planning of the pilgrimage and the interaction within our school communities following our return is designed to involve others. The pilgrimage must provoke discussion on issues such as:

• Why we are going?
• Why the trip is so well supported by pastoral staff and heads of our schools?
• Why a trip with an obvious spiritual focus should involve service work and travel out of the country?
• Is it possible to enjoy yourself in a religious setting?


THE NATURE OF THE PILGRIMAGE

The Theme Throughout

The theme, which runs through each of the three components of the pilgrimage, is spiritual self discovery. All teenagers will search for meaning and consider God at some stage. Our pilgrimage focuses attention on a larger world than our immediate one. It demands that we move ourselves, and our thinking beyond our school, Armidale and even Australia. The confrontation of poverty, intellectual demands of considering a diverse Christian World and offering of hope for young people combine to demand new thinking about the spiritual world and our place in it.

Phase One : Living with the Poor in a Christian Setting

We begin by confronting the group with a world so different to their own that they must forget comparisons to home and start to think again as humans without the baggage of their day to day lives. A world where clothing, shelter, food and clean water are not taken for granted is fertile ground for the consideration of basic human relationships, community and God.

It is crucial that our group not come to this environment to look on, but rather to live with the local people and to see them beyond their physical environment. To talk, work, laugh and share food with those from completely different backgrounds is an enriching experience because it takes away all the usual measures by which we judge those around us. It leads to a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.

The support of missionary workers in the Third World provides a link to a spiritual experience, which helps to guide our understanding of why we would wish to travel to this part of the world and what joins us together as people. This does not mean it is our job as a group to take on the work of missionaries. Rather, we will support in a more physical sense, but within the influence and direction of missionaries who share the daily life of the local people.

Phase Two : Questioning the Nature of Christianity

With the immediate experience of a ministry and life completely different to our own, we seek guidance in asking some of the hard questions about our diverse World and what might draw it together.

Audiences with the His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mrs Sonia Gandhi and President Kalam are designed to provide a focus for these questions, rather than answers we can take away. There is the opportunity to consider:

• What does it mean to be Christian?
• What separates the Christian religion from other religions?
• In a diverse Christian World, what draws us together?
• Is there hope for the future of the Christian World?

Together with these direct questions to the Dalai Lama, Mrs Gandhi and President Kalam we will consider how we feel about our home environment in the light of our experiences in the Third World. Most importantly, we will consider whether we can make a difference in a World where problems seem so huge.

Phase Three : Joining Youth of the World in their Spiritual Pilgrimage

Coming together with other young people from other schools around Australia and working in particular with the immediate peers of our group in service projects will show that hope is universal. The experience will present the contrast of middle class Australia and the Third World in a world-wide perspective.

The periods of meditation after the work projects are completed will provide the opportunity for personal reflection needed to focus on the future.

BEYOND THE PILGRIMAGE
Spreading Word of the Experience
Follow-up activities upon our return will be structured to provide something of the excitement of this powerful experience to others. It is critical that the group not be seen as elite.

Research of outcomes within the planning phase will help to identify tangible links to others within our schools. It will not be enough for those in the group to speak at assembly or chapel. What we have learned should be spread through our national churches. I believe we should also investigate ongoing relationships with each sector of our pilgrimage through service contributions and email contact.
Further Pilgrimages
This initiative has the potential to act as an ongoing catalyst to spiritual development within our schools. The success of the first Pilgrimage has led to excitement within the school and the desire to complete planning for the next Pilgrimage. Younger students will become excited by this if they know there is the potential to become involved at a later date.
The time between each pilgrimage should allow every generation of students to take part if they wish and allow enough time for fundraising to open the opportunity to everyone.
GROUP SIZE
We will be limited in our service work. We suggest a total of not more than 50 participants with the expectation that we would split in the service phase into smaller units.
BUDGETING AND FUNDING
The cost is likely to be around $4,000 for the whole trip and this may prohibit the participation of some. There is only limited time for participants in this pilgrimage to raise their own funds and very limited scope for us to arrange special fundraising given the amount of competition for these activities within the School.
Despite these difficulties, I suggest we actively promote fundraising by participants individually. The sacrifice in this is an important element in the overall commitment.
Mr Murray Guest Headmaster
Brother James Pilgrimage of Hope Coordinator
The Armidale School
Armidale

ETHICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE PILGRIMAGE, AND
DUTY OF CARE CONSIDERATIONS

1. INFORMATION

It is crucial that accurate and detailed information be provided to interested students before selection processes occur. This information should include:
• Details about the nature of projects and their ‘degrees of confrontation.’
• Aspects of choosing to ensure student is ready for the experience they are nominating
• Details about cultural impact of being in India – sights, sounds, smells, extreme poverty, beggars etc.

If possible this information should be given by pilgrimage support staff personal and directly to interested students using video of their recent experience and personal accounts of being there. Plus handouts.

2. SELECTION
By interview/assessment. A standardised format. Interview to include Principal/Head and key staff (pilgrimage staff). Outside assessor – Psychologist/Counsellor.

3. PREPARATION OF GROUP
• Involvement of trained professional from development agency as consultant and direct provider. To provider preparation experience for students re the experience of being in a culturally different setting and likely personal responses. Provided to local level if possible.
• Provision of accurate and detailed information re health issues – to be provided by appropriate staff – medical/health.

• Group to meet for 3 days prior to leaving Oz to enable group building to occur, final briefings etc. Formation of small support/buddy groups?

4. GROUP MAINTENANCE IN INDIA

• Daily group meetings/processes/debriefings at the end of the day.
• Opportunities for reflection/fun
• Opportunities for individual/small support group connections with Counsellors/Chaplains/School Staff
• Daily staff briefings and debriefings

5. CARE OF THE ADULTS
A parallel process of duty of care covering preparation, maintenance and well being.

6. DEBRIEFING PROCESS
At the conclusion of the pilgrimage – one day. Process for students and adults separately and together.

7. BACK IN AUSTRALIA
Provision of counselling as required by individual students – locally arranged. Review and follow-up visit by BJ/Pilgrimage Counsellors one/two months later to each school.
Mr Rob Hadfield
Pilgrimage Psychologist