Mueller College is one giant, living, heaving and thriving community. Its boundaries stretch well beyond the school gate – it shares the embrace of the Early Childcare centre, Mueller Community Church and Peninsular Palms Retirement Village. It is one huge living organism.

But what contributes to it being such a special and unique community, are the strong community characteristics it possesses. Not just through a catchy slogan or in a convincing mission statement, but evidenced in the actions and the day to day goings on that occur at 75 Morris Road.

Mueller College holds a strong sense of being ‘in community’, a feeling of belonging and of togetherness experienced by all its constituents. It is written as one of our core values; Everyone belongs and can contribute to community. It is something that all parties have bought into. We believe it is important, and are keen to contribute to it in order to maintain it.

Members of a strong and sustainable community have many positive traits. They;

  • Share something in common
  • Care about what they have in common
  • Care about each other
  • Interact regularly and meaningfully
  • Are passionate about a common purpose
  • Have shared core values
  • Care about the community as a whole

While the Mueller community reflects many, if not all of these in its day to day operations, what makes it unique to me are the following additional characteristics. As a community it is evident that its people have a strong commitment to one another. As a community of believers, we are ‘together and have everything in common.’ We are not just unified but have a strong sense of the priority of unity.

It is a community that displays abundant generosity in meeting the needs of others. In the course of achieving mission together, needs arise for individuals within a community. People can become disheartened, experience distress and incur personal hardships. We all do at some stage. In a genuine community, the people are not blind to the needs of others, but rather respond by seeking to assist, encourage, and generously meet those needs. Sometimes this can mean stepping in to help carry the burdens of those around us.

In Exodus 17 God sent Aaron and Hur, two spiritual giants to stand beside Moses as the Amalekites attacked Israel. As Joshua led the Israelites into battle, Moses, Aaron, and Hur went on top of a nearby hill. When Moses lifted up his hands, the Israelites would start winning the war. However, if Moses’s arms got tired and he lowered them, the Amalekites would begin to win. So Aaron and Hur held up Moses’s hands for him. Likewise God calls us to carry each other’s burdens. While we are not called to pull others out of their suffering, we are called to walk alongside them and carry their burdens. This means that we must hop down into the trenches beside our brothers and sisters and take up a shovel. We are meant to help carry the load, not point out what is wrong. We are called to love those with heavy burdens, not take away their pain.

When we stand beside those in our community in their time of struggle, we are living out the call of our Heavenly Father. Jesus says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2. We are called to love our neighbour as ourselves.  We must serve others and in doing so we can help carry their burdens.

A community that does this passionately and fervently, is one that will continue to thrive, prosper and grow.

Ben Stiller

Week 7 // News and Updates