SRE

On 26 November 2024 the Holroyd SRE Board agreed to transition from being accountable to the former Holroyd Christian Ministers' Fellowship, to being a sub-committee under Cumberland Christian Churches and Ministries Incorporated. As a result new by-laws are currently being established for the SRE Board and will be adopted in 2025. 

Christian Churches in Holroyd have been partnering together since 1990 to provide Christian SRE (Special Religious Education, formerly known as Scripture) in local schools. The NSW Education Act allows for SRE to take place in schools for up to one hour per week and for parents/carers to choose whether or not their child participates. Several local churches have collaborated to form the Holroyd SRE Board, and more churches are welcome to partner with us in this important ministry. The Board in turn partners with and funds local churches to employ part-time coordinators to oversee the teaching of Christian SRE- one coordinator one day per week in each of the five local high schools and one coordinator/liaison for the 18 local primary schools.  A whole host of authorised volunteer teachers from local churches work with these coordinators to teach weekly Christian SRE classes using approved curriculum. If you'd like to find out more about the Board, the Christian SRE program in any particular school or becoming a volunteer, please email us sre@cumberlandchurches.org.au 

Curriculums used:

• Primary schools: GodSpace or Connect

• High schools: Explore 

Further to SRE, in most high schools we also run an ISCF lunchtime group, with the permission of the school Principal and with written permission from the students’ parents/carers. Some schools also invite our coordinators and volunteers to provide welfare and wellbeing support to students and families

How can you support Christian SRE in Holroyd?

1.  Pray! We believe the most important way you can support Christian SRE in Holroyd (or anywhere else) is to pray for the coordinators, volunteer teachers, students, school staff and families. One suggestion is to "Slow down & pray" every time you go through a school zone, or to regularly touch base with a coordinator or volunteer to offer to pray for them. Click here to receive monthly prayer updates.

2. Give! All donations to Holroyd SRE are tax deductible and your support plays a vital role in sustaining Christian SRE in our local schools. Tax receipts are available by emailing our office with your payment details. We'd love to receive your donation via:

   • Bank transfer to "Holroyd SRE Board" at the Commonwealth Bank BSB 062202 account 10291242 (no surcharge)

   • Credit/debit card or PayPal donations (please note these donations incur a 1.1% surcharge payable by Holroyd SRE Board)

3. Volunteer! You can volunteer to provide behind the scenes support to a coordinator (for example providing snacks for high school lunch groups) or helping with an ISCF group or helping support a teacher in a classroom or by becoming a volunteer teacher. Of course, any volunteer helping in a school needs to complete forms and training. If you need help finding out what training you need to do, contact our office by emailing sre@cumberlandchurches.org.au 

Meet our SRE Coordinators