The School strives to offer each student the opportunity to come to a closer understanding of the Christian faith, and the teaching staff draw upon their personal and professional qualities in ways which provide our young people with a constant example of Christian living.
Barker is an Anglican School and welcomes students from a variety of Christian denominations and other faith traditions.
The role of our Chaplaincy team is to inspire our community through the Bible, to know God’s purpose for us. We consider this in the big questions of life but also in the details of how we live and learn; play and perform; grow and then eventually go from this School.
In a rapidly changing culture, we believe that Anglican schools should be a safe place where students can freely investigate, test and question biblical truth.
Our educational philosophy is grounded in the precepts of the Christian gospel and in Christian teaching. Christian values undergird all that we do. The School expects that parents, who may not necessarily themselves share the Christian faith, will nonetheless encourage their sons and daughters to approach Christian teaching receptively and openly, and that they will attend special family worship services each year with their sons and daughters.
You can read more about the School's historical Anglican roots here.
Chaplaincy Team
Barker's Chaplaincy team are fully immersed in the life and breadth of the School.
The Chaplains
Reverend Pete Tong is our Senior Chaplain, and works closely with a team of Chaplains, Youth Workers and teachers who conduct Chapel, Cru and lunch time groups for students and staff across the School. They teach Christian Studies classes and play a pastoral role in the lives of the students and staff and parents.
In the Prep and Junior School, Rev Andrew Brown and Becky Shu lead a vibrant and engaging combination of Chapel, Christian Studies and Cru that makes an understanding of God, Jesus and the Bible accessible, relevant and fun for the youngest hearts and minds in our school. Rev Brown also visits Darkinjung Barker, Ngarralingayil Barker and Marri Mittigar each week and records online Chapels for Dhupuma Barker each week.
Three of our current Chaplains are ordained Anglican Ministers and all of them have completed, or are completing, theological qualifications ranging from Diploma to PhD level.
Barker's Chaplains are available to meet with students and their families to discuss personal issues that may arise from time to time. Pastoral matters are also addressed in Chapel services, Christian studies lessons and Cru. Students and parents are welcome to contact the School Chaplain at any time for pastoral assistance.
Christian Studies teachers
Rob Hughes is the Head of Christian Studies and focuses on leading the teaching side of our team. All the Chaplains and Youth Works teach Christian Studies. We offer elective Christian Studies in Year 10 where students complete units of the Preliminary Theological Certificate (PTC) through Moore Theological College. We also offer Studies of Religion for the HSC.
Youth Workers
Our Youth Workers are teachers who work closely with students to lead CRU and lunch time Small Groups. They also teach Christian Studies and other subjects. Rev Adrian Foxcroft is our CRU Coordinator, so please get in touch with him if you have any further questions about CRU
CRU
The CRU group meets on Fridays at lunch in CRU Room on Level 2 in the Kefford building. It’s a place for students to connect with others from across Years 7-12, discover more about Jesus and to grow in faith. CRU also hosts several events throughout the year, including CRU Connects, Inter-Cru afternoons where we join with Cru groups from other schools, Prayer and Praise Nights and CRU Kickstart at the start of the year.
CRU Small Groups also run each week and are an opportunity for students to meet in year groups to explore the Bible, to ask and answer questions about the Christian Faith, to pray and to get to know each other better. Some of our Senior School students serve by assisting to lead the younger year groups alongside Chaplaincy staff.
Staff and Parents
There is a communion service for staff on Wednesday mornings and a Bible study group on Thursday mornings.
The Parents Prayer network is a group of parents who receive prayer updates relating to the Barker Community. Each term the Parents Prayer Network gather for a prayer meeting, either at School or off site in a home. Please use this link to sign up for the Barker Prayer network information.
Message from the School Chaplain
Thank you for visiting this page to find out more about Chaplaincy at Barker.
It's my honour to lead the Chaplaincy team at the School. I’m married to Katelyn, who works at another school as a school psychologist, and we have three children Chloe, Lily and Sam. As a father of high-school aged children I know well the vital contribution that schools play in the raising of our children. Environments that are warm, open and safe provide the perfect context in which to grow academically, socially and spiritually.
I spent many years working in local Anglican churches and I’ve always been convinced of the formative nature of school ministry. For me, high school was a time of questioning and testing my faith before slowly coming to understand that Jesus had given his life for me to create a personal relationship with God my Creator and Father. It’s a privilege, then, to serve in a setting like Barker and assist students in their own journey of faith during such a foundational phase in their lives.
laincy team by receiving regular emails with prayer points for the school, please email me.
The Reverend Pete Tong
Senior Chaplain
All students and teaching staff attend a Chapel service at least once each week. On each occasion, Barker’s Christian identity and mission is articulated and affirmed.