Year 12 students at the Anglican Schools Conference have put forward their own suggestions about living out the five marks of mission.

The students, from throughout the country, presented their ideas on the final day of the conference, saying that they had built community around faith in their time together and wanted to identify ways to do the same in their own schools and communities.

Faith Turner-Walker, from Craighead Diocesan School, described the conference as ‘phenomenal’ because she discovered how much the students could give back to the community through the five marks of mission.

Sarah Hurdle, from St Hilda’s Collegiate, said she had many ideas to take back to Dunedin.

The marks of mission were summed up as tell, teach, tend, transform and treasure.

Phil and Carol Trotter, Bex Chapman and Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley worked with the students on their projects. The hope is that some projects will become a reality.

Students suggested modern-style chapel services to tell, a national Anglican high school camp to teach, mentoring young children in the community to tend, fundraising for educational resources in Polynesia to transform, and outdoor chapel services to treasure creation.  

The suggestion of a national Anglican high school camp gave details of daily activities that would provide ways to teach how faith is expressed across the three tikanga. These could then be taken back to chapel services.

Dakota Rolleston, from Hukarere College, outlined the hopes of the camp and then led the conference in one of several impromptu dances that had bishops, principals and chaplains following the moves.

The session ended with the different projects being discussed in groups. The students left with new friendships across the province.

A comment from Dakota Rolleston indicated the enthusiasm of all as she said, “If I could do it all again I would!”