Endeavour College: Investing in our local Lutheran Community
Endeavour College hosted a gathering of local Lutheran pastors and chairpersons, as well as representatives from the LCA SA-NT District and LESNW, for the inaugural Pastors and Chairpersons Dinner held at Endeavour College.
Held in the newly upgraded and rebuilt Discovery Centre, this event came as a result of conversations between College Principal, Richard Baird, and Pastor, Chris Mann, as to how the College can serve the local Lutheran community and increase collaboration in our region. As the Lutheran Church of Australia undergoes change and looks to continue bringing the good news of Jesus to society beyond 2024, we know that to work well together, we need to know, love, and trust each other just as Jesus knows, loves, and trusts us with his presence and his good news.
Endeavour College has been blessed by significant investment from countless Lutheran people – from the time it was an idea being bandied about, through its formation and building, up until the present time, and we know that this investment will continue.
With gratitude, we also want to invest in the Lutheran community. While we know that we do so through sharing the good news of Jesus with staff and students and being the best school that God would have us be, we also want to be a blessing to the Lutheran communities around us, just as they have been to us. We are a part of the Lutheran Education system, served by both LESNW and LEA, and the Lutheran Church of Australia, and take our partnership in education and mission as a gift to be stewarded well.
As such, we joined with local Lutheran leaders over an enjoyable meal. Our evening included a devotion that included insight into how we seek to develop our students to lead like Jesus, insight into our Strategic Plan from College Principal, Richard Baird, and Chairperson, Leanne Ridsdale (who also serves as chair of Salisbury Lutheran Church), an opportunity to test out the new Virtual Reality system in the Discovery Centre, and opportunity to interact with, and be encouraged by, members of the Student Ministry Team.
All of this took place in the context of Endeavour College’s Strategic Plan. Pillar One of our plan is centred around our Lutheran Faith, Identity, and Community, and includes objectives around authentically connecting with other Lutheran communities, and being a blessing to them. We know that we are part of the wider LCANZ Synod – and schools, congregations, and other entities need to ‘walk together’.
The evening was an excellent opportunity for Endeavour to invest in our local Lutheran community, and we intend to be a blessing to these congregations moving forward. We are grateful for how God has blessed us through those around us, and we are actively working on being a blessing, as Jesus leads us, moving forward.
