Pastoral Care

Our chaplaincy service is an important element of pastoral care at Rehoboth and complements the care provided by your child’s teachers.

The service is assisted by Government funding, which provides funding for chaplains in both Government and Non-Government schools.

Our Chaplains play an important role in realising our whole-child philosophy, which is essential for nurturing not only students’ academic progress but also their spiritual, physical, emotional, and social development.

Meet Our Chaplaincy Team

Mrs Theaart and Mr Lewis are available for students, families, and staff who may have spiritual, emotional, or social issues they would like to discuss.

Mrs Theaart joined Rehoboth in 2020 as Chaplain and Community Relations Officer, bringing with her five years of experience as a Chaplain with YouthCARE in the public school sector. Mrs Theaart holds a qualification in Religious Studies, and she is married with three adult children. She has been involved in various church ministries, including leadership, missions, youth, and women’s ministry. These experiences and ongoing external training equip her well for open, supportive, and realistic conversations with students and families. In our Primary Schools, she loves doing class or assembly devotions, running the Drumbeat and Heartbeat Program, and encouraging our parents through regular articles and hosting Flourishing Families morning teas. Mrs Theaart also supports our students individually, and this is how she spends most of her time in our Secondary School. She enjoys being part of excursions, camps, and talking to groups of girls about social, spiritual, and emotional challenges. In 2025, she also took on the role of Child Safety Officer at Rehoboth. In this role, she works closely with the teachers to make sure that Rehoboth is a safe environment for our students and a place where they can flourish as they are supported through changing circumstances and challenges. 

Mr Lewis joined Rehoboth in 2025 as Chaplain, with more than 6 years of extensive experience as a Chaplain in various school settings. Mr Lewis spent over 4 years as a Chaplain with YouthCARE in public schools in the primary, secondary, and education support contexts before working for 2 years in Christian education with Alta-1 College and Australian Christian College. Mr Lewis has also served on staff at his local church in a youth ministry role and, together with his wife and two children, remains actively involved in local church ministry. Mr Lewis cares deeply about the discipleship and spiritual development of students and the role of families and local churches in this process. Mr Lewis enjoys engaging with students over sports and games, meeting with students in 1-on-1 or group settings, and relishes the opportunity to provide support to students, staff, and families through the Chaplain role at Rehoboth.

Chaplaincy is about meaningful conversation. Chaplains have conversations with students about many aspects of life. Importantly, these conversations are driven by students and revolve around what they think is most important. Confidentiality is also important to students and our Chaplains’ first rule is “your business is your business”. Alongside prioritising confidentiality, our chaplains are committed to the safety of children and, should issues of safety be raised, will report their concerns to parents and/or relevant others.

Students can contact the Chaplains directly for an appointment via email, Teams message or in person. Students may request the help of their class teacher to make contact. Although student involvement with the Chaplaincy Service is purely voluntary, it is most effective when our chaplains are able to be involved in student life and to deliver initiatives that are meaningful and relevant to them. Staff members and parents can also request that the Chaplain makes contact with a student.

Support

The Chaplains don’t work in isolation and are part of student services teams. Chaplains meet regularly with Learning Support, Year Coordinators, Deputies and Principals of the Colleges three schools. Chaplaincy links to other support services and networks, including recommendations to talk with senior College staff, and referrals to external agencies where appropriate.

We’ve been encouraged by the support shown for the Chaplaincy service by the Rehoboth community. Parents regularly feedback to the college that the Chaplains are clear and consistent, and have noted the impact our current chaplains, and those serving before them, have had on student welfare. In particular, parents have noted how the Chaplains have been able to help students with issues that are difficult or can’t be raised in the classroom. Students are encouraged to develop not only academically, but in ways that better equip them to be people of authentic Christian character.

The House System

One of the ways in which we are able to offer pastoral care to students is through our House system. The current system was introduced in 2008 and affords students the opportunity to build communities by working together across schools and campuses, promoting a team spirit, and providing a framework within which students are able to develop their Christian character and forge Godly relationships. The House system also provides a forum for proactively countering bullying and other anti-social behaviours, as well as contributing to a sense of community service. Students are allocated to one of three Houses, each named for a significant hero of the Christian faith:

Wycliffe

Named for John Wycliffe, the 14th century English theologian and preacher responsible for the Wycliffe English translation of the Bible. His belief in the absolute authority of the Bible gives this House its motto, Sola Scriptura (“by Scripture alone”). The colours of Wycliffe House are blue and red.

Tyndale

A leading 15th century figure of Protestant reform in England, William Tyndale was the first to produce a printed translation of the Bible in English. Sola fide (“by faith alone”) was a cornerstone of his preaching and the motto of this House. The colours of Tyndale House are black and white.

Newton

Most people will be familiar with the hymn “Amazing Grace,” written by John Newton in 1773. He gave up his life as a ship’s captain and slave trader after coming to conversion following his miraculously surviving a terrible storm at sea. He became a pastor and was heavily involved in the anti-slavery movement. Sola gratia (“by grace alone”) is a testament to this. The colours of Newton House are green and gold.

Students meet in their House groups an average of three times per term to discuss and participate in activities related to that year’s theme. They compete in sports carnivals, Bible tournaments and in other ways for their Houses, and points can be earned toward their House totals for positive behaviour, Christian character, good work, good effort, and so on.

We regard leadership as a God-given attribute which needs to be nurtured and developed. Growing leaders who will become the next generation of Christian leaders in the church, and who will have a positive, Godly influence on our nation, is therefore vital. We aim to assist students in learning the communication and social skills necessary for them to become valued citizens and provide opportunities for them to develop resilience and confidence in leadership roles.

This is partly achieved by our House System. Senior Primary students at the Wilson campus have the opportunity to take on leadership roles as House Captains and Prefects, via a formal election process, while others will be able to work with and lead younger students through a number of Interhouse activities.

Secondary students have the opportunity to be involved with the Student Council. Within the Student Council, students are encouraged to develop and grow their leadership and interpersonal skills in a way that is glorifying to God. They may be involved in assisting with special projects throughout the College, working with younger students, and upholding and reinforcing college policy and procedures. Serving in this way can be recorded as part of a student’s CV when later applying for jobs, as it is a position of responsibility. The main functions of the Student Council are:

• Development of student leadership (which includes the involvement of other students)
• Representing Rehoboth at various functions
• Involvement in organising and participating in assemblies
• The Rehoboth Worship Band
• Student lunch time meetings (Prayer and Praise)
• Assisting with fundraising events

Leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills are needed not only within the College, but in the workplace, in the church, and in families, as mothers and fathers seek to lead their children to love God and obey His commands.