Emma Collett on the Centre for Christian Education

Youthworks College Dean of Women interviews Emma Collett

Emma is the Executive Minister at Church Hill Anglican. In her past she has been a teacher, a children’s minister, and an advisor for Youthworks. She is currently teaching the unit ‘Formative Christian teaching’ in the Centre for Christian Education.

Ruth: “Emma, how long have you wanted to teach?”

Emma: “I wanted to teach ever since I was a little girl, I was probably about six or seven years old. My mother taught Sunday School at our local church and I helped with the little kids. Then in year 10 when I had to do work experience, I went back to my old primary school.

After university I worked in a music school, but soon I felt a calling to vocational ministry. I worked as a children’s and family minister for seven years and I found there was lots of teaching involved with that. I taught children and SRE, but also adult volunteers who wanted to be involved in the ministry.

Teaching was also important when I worked at Youthworks as an advisor in the Ministry Support Team. I worked with churches, training and supporting children’s ministers and rectors. But I also taught the Children’s Ministry unit at Youthworks College.

Over the years I have asked myself the question: ‘Should I go back to work in a school?’ I love schools.”

Ruth: “What motivated you to be part of the Centre for Christian Education (CCE)?”

Emma: “When Mike Dicker (Principal of Youthworks College) talked to me last year about CCE, it really piqued my interest. People are walking away from teaching for a whole host of reasons and Christian teachers are finding it hard. I think there is a real gap here for the Centre to step in, to raise up and prepare Christian teachers.”

Ruth: “How does the Centre do that?”

Emma: “The students come to college for one year before they study education. They spend three days at college studying for a Diploma of Theology and two days working at a school.”

Ruth: “Tell us about your unit in the course: ‘Formative Christian Teaching’".”

Emma: “I ask the students: ‘what does it mean to be a Christian educator?’ We are moving away from the idea that Christian education is teaching Christian faith, to Christian education being located in the person, because being a Christian will shape the way you teach.

I also teach them that their theology will shape their practice by asking them a few questions. What is our current understanding? What does the Bible say? How this will reshape our thinking? And finally, how will this shape our practice?

That is always what Youthworks College has been about, how your thinking affects what you do. Being a Christian will not just shape what you teach, but how you teach. How you live your life, how you love the children, care for them, and provide a safe environment for them to learn.

Being in a school is also important. We will help the students to reflect on their experience in the life of a school. Later in the year we will have Christian educators come into college to talk to them about their experiences of being a Christian in a school.”

Ruth: “Do you have hopes for the future of the CCE?”

Emma: “I think there is scope for Christian education beyond someone who has just finished school. There is room for the Centre to grow in the post-grad world, or even for those who have been teaching for five, ten, or 15 years. What a great opportunity to study subjects like: Formative Christian Teaching, Old Testament, New Testament, Ethics and Theology.

I was 17 when I finished school and went to university to become a teacher. Gosh it would have been good to have a program like this. It would have been perfect for me. I hope that churches and schools will partner with us and send us students, because the CCE is unique!”