Servanthood is one of the major goals of all of our teaching and learning in our school communities.

Developing our own servant hearts and that of our students must be progressive and purposeful. Everything we do must make a positive impact on our servant hearts.

Notice that we’re not just referring to “Acts of Service” – but to servanthood. Acts of service can be switched on and off. We can serve for an hour and then stop serving.

Being a servant means having the heart of a servant 24/7. It means we are willing to be a servant rather than being negatively compelled.

The call of Jesus is to be a servant. “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all”. [1]

Paul tells us that being “a servant of Christ Jesus” is part of his redeemed identity in Christ. [2]

This flows on to being a servant to others: “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” [3]

Our goal is not to just to “do service” but to develop servants. As such, we need to be careful that we don’t develop a “behaviourist” understanding of servanthood. We should not be simply saying, “Jesus served, so must we”. We need to be developing a culture where being a servant is the norm, where we are constantly thinking about why that should be so and what will cause us to be willing servants.

So, our first understanding, as with all things, is theological. We ask the question “what characterises the relationships of the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit?”. We see a dynamic of love and of other-person-centredness.

“The relationships of the Trinity are relationships of love. They are marked by devotion to each other.” [4]

Being made in the image of God, this love and disposition of serving others is part of our DNA as created beings. This is how we are made to live. When our students discover love in serving, we can point to why this is so.

Every blessing as you engage your relationships shaped by love and service.




[1] Mark 9:35

[2] Romans 1:1

[3] 2 Corinthians 4:5

[4] Connected – Sam Allberry