What is the Next Step?

By Mr Ian Keast

Posted on 23 September 2009

A key question for Year 12 students to think about. Or, if you are reading this and know a Year 12 student, please pass the article on!

The theme of my visits to schools to talk to students is to challenge them to think carefully and prayerfully about how they are going to serve Christ.

In my position as Director of Christians in Teaching, I want them to see the value of becoming teachers and serving Christ in our schools: they are strategic places for the gospel of the Lord Jesus to be heard and seen by a new generation.

I often base my talks around four key questions:

1. What will I be doing when I finish at school?
2. What gifts have I been given by God?
3. How can I take these gifts and use them to serve Christ, and also serve others?
4. Where is a strategic place to serve Christ, and serve others? (For more details about these questions, see my earlier Viewpoint article, 4 Key Questions).

During Term 3, when talking to Year 12 students, I add another question to these four: What is the next step?

For those who are considering tertiary study, the immediate next step is to do sufficiently well in the HSC to gain entrance to university. Once there, the next step is to join a Christian group on campus.

Which Christian group? My recommendation is to join the group affiliated with the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES). AFES groups are on all our uni campuses throughout Australia, and their website, www.afes.org.au lists the contact details for each group.

For purposes of fellowship, prayer and the support of other Christian students, joining a Christian group is essential.

In addition, a reason for joining is to take the opportunity at university to grow in your understanding of the Bible, to be stretched in thinking through the dimensions of our faith. For good reason, the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 12:2 -

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Renewing our mind through Bible study, hearing God's word taught, reading and studying Christian books, being mentored and stimulated by other Christians, are all key ways of growing as Christians at uni. The AFES group will assist here.

This is especially important for those training to be teachers. Renewing your mind in the scriptures is as vital for those preparing to be Christian teachers as succeeding brilliantly in your Education studies! Renewing your mind in the scriptures enables a biblical worldview to be developed and to think through what is involved in teaching Christianly. Renewing your mind in the scriptures better equips the Christian teacher to share and show the Lordship of Christ in our schools.

For further details about Christians in Teaching, contact Ian Keast.