Box Forest

Chris Helm is the full-time Chaplain for Box Forest College in Glenroy. This is a vital way of giving the College's students religious education, counseling and support.

Our parish, along with other parishes of different denominations, provide support to Chris in a number of ways.

The Australian government recently endorsed chaplaincy in government schools. The government has offered up to $20,000 to government schools who want to employ a Chaplain or enhance an existing Chaplaincy. The Council for Christian Education in Schools (CCES) has been bombarded with expressions of interest from schools and prospective chaplains as a result of this.

In response to an editorial written by Michelle Grattan criticising the government's support of this approach, I wrote the following and it has been posted to the CCES website.

The question is often raised as to what chaplaincy can offer a multicultural, multi-faith
government school?

I have been chaplain at Box Forest Secondary College since 2002 and would like to share with you some of my experiences.

Box Forest College is a government high school in Glenroy. It currently has approximately 500 students, from about 50 different cultures.

Students include Muslims, Catholics, a range of Protestants, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Atheists. Amongst the staff, there are Catholics, a (smaller) range of Protestants, Scientologists, Muslims (both devout and more liberal) and Atheists.

During the five years I have been Chaplain at Box Forest College, my work has included the
following:

• Pastorally caring for a Bosnian, Muslim girl as she battled and succumbed to cancer over 15 months, attending her funeral, and meeting with her parents following her death. My family was welcomed into their home with gifts and great warmth.

• Facilitating a memorial service at another local secondary school, following their third
student death this year. I was approached specifically because I was a ‘Chaplain’ but also
because I had an educational rather than religious institutional affiliation, and the welfare
staff of the school knew me through my work.

• Visiting and praying with a student (and her family) who is currently in a coma after a tragic accident.

• Pastorally caring for students, from a huge range of faith and cultural backgrounds. This has included dealing with smaller issues (being ‘dumped’ by a boy/girl friend), through to the very concerning issues of suicidal thoughts, self-harming (I have bandaged wounded wrists and called ambulances following pill overdoses) and severe family breakdowns.

My status as a ‘Christian chaplain’ has proven to be no barrier to students seeking support and a listening ear. And the range of issues certainly crosses faith and cultural lines—they are common to all.

• Facilitating a space for fasting Muslim students to pray throughout Ramadan.

• There have been numerous opportunities to sit with students as they explore issues, concerns and questions surrounding faith, prayer, demons, angels, God, the Bible.

• I have had students referred to me by other welfare staff who did not feel comfortable or qualified to engage with the students around these issues. I have found that there are few others, amongst school staff, who have the time or the inclination to allow time for students to wrestle with these very real issues.

• I have also met with and cared for parents from many cultural and faith backgrounds as well.

I see all these activities as being ‘in my brief’ as a Christian chaplain. I love that I can work
from my base of Christian values, as part of the welfare team of the rich and diverse community of Box Forest College.

There are staff (colleagues) at my school who openly express their disagreement with having a Christian chaplain in a secular school. But these same people have also expressed their appreciation and support for my work with the students.

Chaplains around Victoria are acutely aware of the sensitivity and integrity required to work as Christians in secular, multi-faith environments.

• I have been accepted into the Arrow Leadership Program for 2007/2008. Details of the program can be found at www.arrowaustralia.com.au, but in short, it is a program that takes 35 young, Christian leaders from around Australia for 2 years. The program looks to develop that potential and connect the participants with mentors and key leaders who can train, support and develop them, whilst they maintain their work/ministry.

• I continue to work with CASA House (Centre Against Sexual Assault) to develop and run a violence prevention program with Year 10’s. This also involves training Year 11 and 12 students who have done the program in past years as ‘Peer Educators’, to help deliver the program and give a peer’s perspective. This is very exciting work, and addressing a very real need, as many young people are not necessarily learning healthy and respectful ways of relating socially and sexually.

Thank you for your ongoing interest in and support of Chaplaincy here, the mission in the local mission field. If you would like to know more about the work of Chaplaincy here, please contact me at the school, or come along to our Chaplaincy Committee meetings on the first Wednesday of the month (except school holidays).

If you wish to provide a financial donation to assist Chris in his Chaplaincy, please contact the Vicar via email info@trinos.org.au or by phone on (03) 9354 6575. Alternatively, to pray for Chris or his work at Box Forest, you can join our prayer group.