A special message from College Archivist - Mrs Bev Starrenburg

Northside Christian College is 40 years old. It is a time for happy celebration and deep thankfulness to our good God for His blessings, provision, wisdom and protection through every one of those forty years. Thanks be to Him. What began in the hearts of a few people has flourished into the large community we now celebrate. God has blessed the efforts and the faith of every person who has contributed and we can be confident that, as the past forty years have been in God’s Hands, so is the future.

For me, it feels very strange to be writing what will be my very last newsletter article and even stranger to say that I am retiring at the end of this term. I cannot yet comprehend what it will be like to not be part of the staff in such a special community.

What is now Northside Christian College was started as a ministry of the church so the children of Christian parents could receive an education of excellence which was based, not on the values of the world, but on those of the Word of God. This ministry was based on an original partnership between Church, School and Home and this partnership remains an imperative for the future. It has been an absolute honour and a privilege to be a small part of this ministry and the many children, parents and colleagues I have known have given me a wealth of special memories. I would like to thank each and every person who has played a part in making my time here so rich and fulfilling.

I first began working on this site in 1976 while the church was being built. I had been appointed Director of Northside Christian Family Kindergarten which began that year and was later closed at the end of 1984 to provide space for Northside Christian Community school to begin the following year. I joined the school staff in its second year, 1986, as a teacher, then eventually became Junior School Coordinator, working with the Head of School. From the commencement of 2022, I changed roles to become the College Archivist and have been working since then to capture and collate the history of the College and where it came from.

This history is a marvellous tapestry of God’s handiwork as the leadership and successive staff members have sought to fulfil the College mission to ‘make disciples of Jesus Christ; educated and equipped for any future’. Many students have come and gone and each one of them has been prayed for that they would allow the Lord to work in their lives and that they might find His purpose for them.

One of the words that characterises the life of the College is ‘growth’. Kindy children have grown to be graduating Seniors, the Campus has grown from a single, empty plot of land to seven plots covered in an increasing number of buildings and landscaping, student enrolments have grown from 14 to over 1200, skills and ideas have flourished, programs have been developed, careers have been launched, and lives have been changed. Alumni have gone on to be people of influence in many and varied spheres of life and in diverse places.

With growth, comes change. However, the mission (the most important focus) remains the same, and that should never change. Visitors to the site often comment about a ‘different feel’; school excursions have evoked positive statements from others about the students’ attitude and behaviour.

No one or no community is perfect but we thank God for all He has done, is doing, and will do to enable the mission of Northside Christian College to continue as a ministry of Nexus Church, in partnership with supportive parents who desire an excellent Christian education for their children.

As I retire, long-term and new friendships will be treasured, as will the prayers and conversations, the shared laughter and tears, the moments when a student has suddenly “understood”, the support of the parents, and, above all, the faithfulness of our loving Heavenly Father. Without Him, it would all be as nothing.

Thank you to everyone who has enriched my journey. God bless you as your journey continues.