I feel blessed to work as the Education Secretary of LWF National Committee (KN-LWF) in Indonesia. I thank God and you that I am involved in helping to solve problems faced by church schools, principals, teachers and students. When I started my role on 5 January 2012, I committed to: Encourage and support the spiritual […]

I feel blessed to work as the Education Secretary of LWF National Committee (KN-LWF) in Indonesia. I thank God and you that I am involved in helping to solve problems faced by church schools, principals, teachers and students.

When I started my role on 5 January 2012, I committed to:

• Encourage and support the spiritual and professional growth of staff and leaders in Indonesian schools
• Promote and develop uniformly high standards of teaching, learning and leadership
• Represent Lutheran schools at national and international levels in matters affecting them
• Maintain effective communication and information links with Lutheran churches, the government and with the wider community
• Maintain regular visiting schedules for Lutheran schools to keep abreast of issues affecting teaching and learning outcomes for students
• Coordinate international school partnership arrangements with partner churches.

We eagerly work together for school improvement. I develop and run teacher training sessions in order to develop good teaching and methodology skills needed for high quality Indonesian Lutheran schools. Principals receive training in management and leadership. There are conferences for students, teachers and the training for Christian Studies. I hope that all Indonesian Lutheran schools, principals, teachers, students and their communities can work together and help each other to improve the quality of their schools.

School partnerships between Australian Lutheran schools and schools in Indonesia bring significant benefits for both schools. The partnership which began in 2012 between SMA GKPS 1 Pematangraya (Senior High School) and Navigator College at Port Lincoln, in South Australia, is of great value and continues to bring positive effects.

It is in line with what Paul says in Galatians 6:2: ‘Carry each other’s burderns, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ’. Before the partnership, SMA GKPS 1 had only 140 students, but now it has 670 students and has improved in both quantity and quality. They have also developed a teacher/student exchange which helps to improve their students’ views of the world and their English competencies. School partnerships don’t just stay solely with the schools, their benefits spread to the church communities, local people, church diaconal ministries and cross-cultural understandings. By 2017, through LCA International Mission and Lutheran Education Australia (LEA), there were six Australian Lutheran schools that had developed school partnerships with Indonesian Lutheran Schools.

Thank you to you and to my mentor, LCA International Mission educational consultant Neville Highett, for your support for the strengthening of Lutheran education and for your ongoing partnership with people of the Lutheran churches in Indonesia.

Mr Ridwin Purba is the Education Secretary for the LWF National Committee, Indonesia. He is supported in this role through funds provided to LCA International Mission through the LLL International Mission Support Fund (a permanent fund of the LLL).

This story was also published in the August 2018 edition of Border Crossings, the magazine of LCA International Mission.

If your school would like to know more about how they can connect to the mission of God through a LCA International Mission service-learning and ministry partnership, you are invited to phone Erin on (08) 8267 7300 or email erin.kerber@lca.org.au. For more information, go to www.lcamission.org.au/join-gods-mission/service-learning/

Read more stories about school partnerships and school service-learning at www.lcamission.org.au/category/stories/local-partners/schools/