Move forward, and from 2012 hope was growing! CEIS was gaining momentum with parents requesting, schools underway, volunteers joining, extra staff starting, promotion broadening, unity happening and children engaging with materials that would form the basis of our 4-year cycle of interactive sessions! Hope was strong too, for the power of God’s Word and love present through His people, along with the incredible work of the Holy Spirit that we had the privilege to witness over and over. Hope spurred us on through an intense period of growth during the next few years and I had intense hope in the hands and feet of staff and volunteers bringing God’s good news to our young!

Jump to 2019 and we truly saw God’s love in action across the ACT! We were in our third cycle of curriculum, edging towards 40 schools, consolidating local church-school partnerships, collaborating with voluntary leaders and members from over 30 churches, and exploring God’s gifts of love, full-life, friendship, forgiveness and forever, with around 2000 students! We were held in the loving hands of an amazing God, followed Jesus’ way of unconditional love, and sensed the Spirit of love flowing through us to the children. Love was also shown in the power of prayer protection, and in a supporter base investing in this local opportunity. What a joy it was to see so many intentional works of love, as the love of Jesus was shared and explored!

How blessed we were to have this grounding of faith, hope and love established as COVID hit in 2020! It found us connecting with schools in ways beyond any scheduled CEIS sessions and we saw trusted local churches provide assistance and support in ‘restricted’ but meaningful ways. Our team turned to some side-lined administrative tasks, produced some videoed CEIS sessions, and slowly commenced the ‘up and down’ return to schools as we all navigated the roller-coaster ride of lockdown and restrictions. I distinctly recall students exclaiming, “We are so glad you are back! We really missed you!” Faith, hope, and love held us well as most schools re-established the CEIS routine and we even detected a level of contentment with our presence, following such a crisis.

The CEIS budget didn’t quite re-establish as well, and post COVID I have dedicated significant ‘behind-the-scenes’ time to the challenge of growing financial support for this ministry at the same rate as God is growing the ministry itself. This work continues to date, with the aid of the ACT Churches’ Council and a contracted investment with chillibeanmedia. At the same time, we have seen staff and staff hours change, but are now blessed with three continuing staff sharing skills that align with the vision we believe God is guiding – to expand into high schools and beyond so that CEIS is accessible to every age and grade, to consolidate more church-school partnerships so that trusted relationships develop around those who deliver Christian Education and other acts of service, and to invite more offers of provision so that more work hours, resources, and skills can be dedicated to the areas God is guiding us to.

I now trust in my personally timed, considered, and much prayed-over decision to stand aside during August and see this ministry move into these capable hands. Together, Marike, Caz, and Jess have the capacity to continue the comprehensive service that CEIS currently provides in our local schools. We have planned out our workload distribution, I am sharing wisdom and insight, they are already completing tasks, and we’ve worked closely through Term 2 to consolidate this committed team. Additionally, the ACT Churches’ Council is taking strategic steps towards significant support of CEIS to ensure maintenance of what God has already blessed, and growth to where God now directs. Information about specific roles and support structures will be communicated soon, as this time of change is navigated. Until then, I pray and ask that you now also lean into faith, hope, and love; that you remain committed in faith to where you are with CEIS, that you bring the blessing of hope to the staff and vision ahead, that you walk in strength and love as you continue to support this service through donation, prayer, partnership, or volunteering. May you remain focused and united on the core business of helping the young people of Canberra seek, question, and explore a new ‘friend’ in Jesus.

Finally, I thank you, each and every one of you, who has shown me, and the evolving CEIS ministry, faith, hope and love over the last 17 years! I absolutely could not have done what I did without you! God works through relationship, and I treasure the many, many beautiful relationships that I have been blessed with as we have served together in schools, prayed together as one, worked together on resources, shared together our stories, persisted together through challenges, trusted together for provision, donated together our time and money, walked together in His name, and been present together as friends. You truly are His precious craftmanship and I am truly blessed to have had you by my side, yes as brothers and sisters for this work, and yes as caring and loving friends. I pray this may continue into whatever the future holds!

May God hold you daily, strengthen you boldly, and bless you abundantly.

In love, Karen

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:16-21