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Chaplaincy & Student Wellbeing

Meet our wellbeing team

Our team of chaplains and our College counsellor work alongside the Deans of Wellbeing to provide students with holistic, Christ-centred care within their learning environment.

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Mrs Hayley Mourdant | Chaplain
In office: Monday, Tuesday, Friday

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Mr Timothy Ballantyne | Chaplain
In office: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

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Mrs Ruth Crawford | Counsellor
In office: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

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Chaplaincy

Both of our chaplains are ordained Ministers within Acts Global Churches. They each hold current Working With Children’s Checks in accordance with SCEA staff policy. Our chaplains work to support student wellbeing through:

  • Participating in College events such as student training, camps, club activities, prayer meetings, services, and parent programs.
 
  • Provide Pastoral care and support for students, staff and parents of the ECC community within a Christian framework.
 
  • Provide support in areas such as student mental health, engagement, attendance and connectedness and refer onto other professional agencies as needed.
 
  • Assist students to explore their worldview and beliefs through education and conversation.
 
  • Network with support services, other agencies, and organisations in the local community to provide a broad range of support services to the ECC student community.

Counselling at ECC

Mrs Ruth Crawford is a registered counsellor with PACFA and ACA providing counselling services and personal support to ECC students, families, and staff.  

As a counsellor, she works with students to help them achieve the most beneficial outcomes and realise their potential. Counselling services also help provide professional support with mental health and emotional concerns, learning difficulties and behavioural issues.  This includes the provision of individual and group therapy, planning and implementation of interventions as requested for students, and working closely alongside those in key roles of pastoral care and other teaching staff to ensure the positive wellbeing of students.

Mrs Crawford can also provide support and guidance in navigating referral pathways and liaising with outside agencies as needed.

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Chaplain's Corner: February

Chaplain’s Corner is a monthly devotional written by our College chaplains, published here and in our newsletter. Read this month’s edition below.

WORDS: Hayley Mordaunt

Have you ever received a gift from someone and you felt like you have nothing to give back in return? It’s the worst feeling. I’ve even found myself over compensating to give back, or to alleviate a feeling of guilt, for feeling empty handed.

I didn’t grow up knowing how to receive. Obviously, I was taught to say thank you, but to really just receive a generously given gift, with no strings attached – especially if it felt undeserved – it had to be paid for, or compensated for somehow.

Then, when I was 16 – Jesus entered my life. I couldn’t escape the love of God if I tried – it was coming to me through my school chaplain, through my friend on the bus,

through the high school teams that came into our school from my church. The Christians that God brought into my life were living so freely – and it caught my attention.

I learnt that the destruction and hopelessness that I was living in, was because I was living in Sin.

I learnt that my sin had a consequence – separation from God, and eternity without Him.I also learned that a gift had been given – and there was nothing I could do to earn it.  I wasn’t good enough, I didn’t deserve it – but the gift had still been given.

The gift wasn’t a what, it was a who.  Jesus Christ.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Roman 5:6-8

Jesus died because of who humanity is – and we had nothing to offer Him.  We were the sinners – and Jesus took everything we deserved upon Himself and He died on the cross for us. It’s tempting to try to repay Him, to find a way to show gratitude.  To prove to Him that I’m worthy! The reason that it’s exhausting trying to earn salvation is that we simply can’t.  It’s impossible.    

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9

It’s simply our belief – our faith – that saves us by God’s grace.

Where does faith come from?  It’s already within us, it’s given to us from Him! 

Today, take a moment to think about Jesus and how truly amazing and wonderful He is. As you read this list, if one of Jesus’s names stands out to you, why don’t you meditate on it?

  1. Emmanuel (God with Us) — Isaiah 7:14
  2. The Wonderful Counselor — Isaiah 9:6
  3. The Prince of Peace — Isaiah 9:6
  4. The Holy One of Israel — Isaiah 41:14
  5. The Suffering Servant — Isaiah 53:11
  6. The Messiah — Daniel 9:25
  7. The Son of Man — Daniel 7:13–14
  8. The Son of God — Matthew 3:17
  9. The Word Made Flesh — John 1:14
  10. The Lamb of God — John 1:29
  11. The Bread of Life — John 6:35
  12. The Light of the World — John 8:12
  13. The Gate of the Sheep — John 10:7
  14. The Good Shepherd — John 10:11
  15. The Resurrection and the Life — John 11:25
  16. The Way, the Truth, and the Life — John 14:6
  17. The True Vine — John 15:1
  18. The Author of Life — Acts 3:15
  19. The Deliverer — Romans 11:26
  20. The Rock — 1 Corinthians 10:4
  21. The Image of the Invisible God — Colossians 1:15
  22. The Head of the Church — Colossians 1:18
  23. The Fullness of God — Colossians 1:19
  24. The Founder of Salvation — Hebrews 2:10
  25. The Eternal High Priest — Hebrews 7:17
  26. The Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith — Hebrews 12:2
  27. The Mediator of a New Covenant — Hebrews 12:24
  28. The Great Shepherd of the Sheep — Hebrews 13:20
  29. The Lamb Without Blemish—1 Peter 1:19
  30. The Advocate with the Father—1 John 2:1
  31. The Savior of the World—1 John 4:14
  32. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah — Revelation 5:5
  33. The Holy and True — Revelation 6:10
  34. The Lord God Almighty — Revelation 15:3
  35. The King of Ages — Revelation 15:3
  36. The Faithful and True — Revelation 19:11
  37. The King of Kings — Revelation 19:16
  38. The Lord of Lords — Revelation 19:16
  39. The Alpha and the Omega — Revelation 22:13
  40. The Beginning and the End — Revelation 22:13
  41. The Bright Morning Star — Revelation 22:16

 

 

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