LIGHT Tours - A Passion for Service
Mr David Chilton | From the Head of Ministry and Service | 20 September 2024
Next week, over 50 St Luke’s Grammar School students will be departing on ‘LIGHT Tours’. Year 6 students will head to Central Australia, Year 9 to Fiji and Year 10 to Cambodia. But what are these trips and why do we run them?
The LIGHT acronym in LIGHT Tours stands for ‘Learning In God’s Hope Together.’ These trips are all about learning. Learning about other cultures, learning about service and learning about why service is integral to Christian faith.
At the heart of the LIGHT tours are four central aims;
- To engage in authentic service
- To grow our knowledge and respect through cultural immersion and learning
- To appreciate and care for our environment and
- To consider why and how this is a significant part of Christian Education.
One of the common misconceptions about service is that it only benefits one party – that one ‘serves’ another because they need help. This is not the model for service at St Luke’s. Galatians 5:13 says ‘serve one another humbly, in love.’ We teach and encourage students to be aware that whilst they are going to ‘serve’, they need to do this in a humble way that doesn’t see themselves as better than others or heroic in any way but to go with an attitude of respect and a desire to learn from others. Students learn the language, culture and history of the area they visit. Groups learn traditional song, dance and customs and leave with a deeper understanding of other cultures and a love and appreciation for their fellow humans. Matthew 22:39 says 'love your neighbour as yourself' and our students demonstrate this admirably both in a practical sense as they dig wells, paint schools, cook and serve meals for women and children in shelters, build paths and toilets, plant trees, clean up rubbish etc but also as they live with an learn from others.
The story of creation in the Bible is one that constantly stresses the role that humans have as stewards and caretakers of all that God has created. Indeed, in Genesis 2:15, God commands humanity to ‘work it and take care of it.' These trips are an opportunity for students to open their eyes to the wonders of creation and learn the importance of why and how to care for our environment.
A big part of these trips is learning through reflecting. This is done through meetings, conversations and journaling. Before the trips students will meet together with the tour provider and St Luke’s staff to learn about the place and people and the service work and cultures they will engage with. To prepare for the trip they are all given a journal and asked to reflect on their expectations, hopes and concerns/questions. During the trip students will be given time each day to journal. Before or after journaling, a staff member will reflect on a Bible verse or passage and give students some questions to aid their reflections. At the end of the trip, students will share with the group what they have learned and hope to put into practice. Soon after students return there will be a ‘reunion and thank you’ night that parents are invited to where students will share photos, videos and importantly what they have learned and how they have grown from the trip.
It isn’t all hard work and deep introspection. There will be plenty of time to play, laugh, connect and engage in more touristy activities and get some souvenirs!
These LIGHT tours are a fantastic opportunity to engage in service and culture while seeing and exploring wonderful parts of the world.