| At
SMBC, community is one of our distinctives, but
exactly what does it mean? At a practical level it
means that many of our full-time students and half
our faculty live on campus. All full-time students
faculty and staff fellowship together over meals.
(There is no common room for faculty and staff.)
This encourages friendships. It breaks down
barriers that might exist in language and culture
(SMBC is an international community with
approximately 10 percent from overseas and the
remainder representing multicultural Australia).
It is these relationships that make up the core of
our community, friendships that can last our
lifetime, role models that can stimulate,
encourage and even rebuke us.
We believe there
is great value in learning within a communal
context. It is true that we learn not only by what
is 'taught' but also by what is 'caught'.
Christian doctrine should not only be heard in the
lecture room but seen in the context of community.
Our goal at SMBC is not simply to provide
knowledge about God but rather see lives
transformed by God. Living in community is a
terrific way for that to happen.
This may not be
easy! Living in community can expose our rough
edges (and those of others around us!). It becomes
therefore a place to learn more about ourselves
and to develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit. A
place to experience and give forgiveness for the
sake of Christ.
Some of the
community activities that full time students are
expected to be actively engaged in are College
fellowship groups, College chapels, Principal's
Hour, Ministry Matters, world prayer groups,
College lunches, Orientation, Open Evenings, and
Graduation.
Students are
encouraged to engage in some form of daily
recreation. The Croydon campus has facilities for
tennis and volleyball. There are nearby public
football and soccer fields, swimming pools, squash
courts, and gyms.
Stuart
Coulton
Vice
Principal |
