Associated Christian Schools

Most board agendas are full of risk, budgets and buildings. Fewer make room for the question underneath them: are the decisions we make this year still carrying the mission we inherited?

That question is the reason for Faithful Governance — a seven-part series presented by Resolve, the Official Leadership Partner of ACS, for Christian school Boards and Executive teams.

Each module takes one real governance pressure point and asks how Christian mission gets woven into it. Not as a devotion before the meeting, but inside the structures, relationships and decisions themselves.

Live online, 8:30–9:30am AEST. Free for all ACS members. Sessions, registration and all materials sit in the ACS Together App — which runs on iPhone, Android and straight through your web browser, so you can join from the boardroom screen, not just a phone.

How to join: download the ACS Together App (here: https://lnkd.in/g3-9Njkv ), create your free account (for ACS Members), then open 'Courses & Programs' and hit Join on Faithful Governance.

The ACS Leadership Summit 2026 continued on Thursday with a challenging and practical session from Samuel Richards, Managing Director at Brightlight, on "Keeping Faith in Our Financial Stewardship."

Sam made the case that every financial decision a school makes is also a statement about what matters most, and that stewardship is not merely operational but formational. His challenge to our leaders was memorable: faith without stewardship is sentiment, and stewardship without faith is drift.

Naming the quiet pull toward safety under enrolment, budget and reputational pressure, Sam invited us to shift the question from "is this safe?" to "is this faithful?" He unpacked what redemptive risk-taking looks like in practice, faithful and wisely governed rather than reckless, and how the way we steward a school's resources models to the next generation what faith looks like under pressure.

Grounded in Scripture and real-school examples, and anchored in stewardship rather than ownership, Sam gave delegates plenty to carry back to their boards and leadership teams.

Last Thursday morning opened the first full day of the ACS Leadership Summit 2026, and there was no better voice to set the tone than Max Priyan Jeganathan from Centre for Public Christianity (CPX).

In his opening session, "Navigating an Age of Uncertainty," Max drew on his experience at the intersection of faith, public life and culture to help us make sense of this cultural moment. His message to our leaders was: in a season of rapid change and competing pressures, the questions facing our schools are real, but so is the confidence we can carry when we remain anchored in Christ.

Wednesday night kicked off the 2026 ACS Leadership Summit began — not with a keynote or a program overview, but with conversation and food.

Leaders from across our network of Christian schools gathered for our opening Leadership Development Dinner, setting the tone for a Summit anchored in this year's theme: Anchored in Christ, Driven by Mission.

We were privileged to be joined by Nathan Mellor, EdD, PCC, CEO of Strata Leadership, who led us through a dinner workshop on "The Inner Work of Faithful Leadership." His challenge was as simple as it was searching: faithful leadership is sustained not only by vision and competence, but by the inner formation of the leader.

Nathan set the stage with the key ideas — self-awareness, emotional maturity, and attentiveness to God — before opening the floor for honest discussion at each table. Leaders wrestled together with how our habits, reactions and inner narratives shape the culture, decisions and relationships within our schools. Nathan then drew the threads together, inviting each of us to leave with a single, personal commitment to carry forward.

A rich and reflective start — and a timely reminder that before we lead our schools, we're first called to guard our own hearts.

At the 2026 ACS Leadership Summit, Max Priyan Jeganathan will speak across two sessions on Navigating an Age of Uncertainty and Salt, Light and Faith-Based Education.

Drawing on his background in law, politics, and his work with the Centre for Public Christianity, Max will help school leaders consider how faith-based education can serve the common good and engage students, families, and the public square with courage, grace and clarity.

Join us on the Gold Coast, 23–24 July 2026, as we grow together as leaders anchored in Christ and driven by mission.

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘁?
𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: https://acs.eventsair.com/acs-leadership-summit-2026/register/Site/Register
𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: https://christianschools.org.au/leadership-summit/

How do Christian educators resist reductive pragmatism and remain anchored in a vision of the good, the true, and the beautiful?

At the 2026 ACS Leadership Summit Dinner, Natalie Kennedy will speak on The Poetic Pedagogue: Recognising and Loving the True, Good, and Beautiful.

In a climate of performance metrics, cultural scrutiny, and increasing institutional pressure, Natalie will help us consider practices that keep Christian schools grounded in their founding vision and faithful to their mission.

Drawing from research, classroom experience, and her own story, Natalie will explore how poetic ways of knowing can cultivate moral depth, attentiveness, and wonder in our teaching and leadership.

Join us on the Gold Coast, 23–24 July 2026, as we grow together as leaders anchored in Christ and driven by mission.

Are you registered yet?

𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: https://acs.eventsair.com/acs-leadership-summit-2026/register/Site/Register
𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: https://christianschools.org.au/leadership-summit/

Hear Wendy Simpson AM FAICD speak on Keeping Faith in Our Leadership and Planning: Foundations of Christian Leadership & Business Success at the ACS Leadership Summit 2026. 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘁?

𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: https://acs.eventsair.com/acs-leadership-summit-2026/register/Site/Register
𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: https://christianschools.org.au/leadership-summit/

What does faithful Christian leadership look like when our schools are growing, changing, and facing increasingly complex decisions?

As one of Australia’s most experienced business women, Wendy will share from decades of hard-won wisdom at the helm and on the board of diverse organisations, helping us consider the foundations of Christian leadership and what makes for a successful enterprise, such as we’re pursuing for God’s glory through our diverse ACS schools.

Join us on the Gold Coast, 23–24 July 2026