Nurturing Compassion – Teaching the Love of Christ

Tatachilla Lutheran College is a R-12 Lutheran School nestled in the beautiful McLaren Vale area south of Adelaide in South Australia. This year, the school celebrates 30 years of Lutheran education. Our mission statement is to ‘Teach the love of Christ’, and we have service projects that reach out to communities both in Australia and overseas. ALWS is one of the charities our school consistently supports. Through our support of ALWS, our students have grown to understand how we can help others. 

One of the ways we do this is through our annual ‘Challenge for Charity’ Day. Before this day, classes are nominated or are given a challenge to raise money for charity. Challenges are completed, and the money raised is brought to school. It culminates in a day celebrating the challenges classes have done to raise money for charity. This event happens right across our Reception to Year 12 students. Money is donated to ALWS, including using the ‘Gifts of Grace’ booklet.

In the Junior School, each year level sets a challenge for its students. Some of the significant challenges have been artwork that is sold, doing chores at home for family and friends, and a student version of ‘Walk My Way’. Our Tatachilla community greatly supports these challenges.

One of the fantastic ways that ALWS helps the Junior Years students grow in their understanding of others is through their presentations. Each year level participates in a workshop and activity presented by one of the ALWS presenters to learn about countries in our world that don’t have things like we do. 

Our Year 6 classes are also involved in a program called ‘It’s my business’. Through the input of ALWS, students plan a business, set up a business and make items to sell. There is great excitement on the business day as students in the Junior Years buy the items they have made. The money made becomes another way we support the work of ALWS.

We are blessed in our Lutheran communities to have access to what ALWS does overseas for communities. The work they do and the way they can share this with our students is inspirational and a beautiful way for all of us to have the opportunity to be the hands and feet of our Lord Jesus Christ.