In this 2 hour session, we’ll provide a high-level overview of the supporting legislation and the Department of Education’s RI Policy, so you understand the authority under which we enter Queensland public schools. We’ll also unpack: * how RI works in practice, * the relationships that support RI, * what the commitment looks like, and * how we support you every step of the way. There will be time for questions, and we’ll invite you to explore some key topics to help clarify expectations. This is a no-obligation exploration designed to help Christians make an informed decision about participating in gospel ministry through RI.
We believe that making an informed decision about RI ministry begins with field research—observing what it’s like to be an instructor in a classroom, delivering a lesson. You may choose a school in your local area that offers an RI program and select the age group you feel best suited to teach. Minimum requirements for school entry: A current Blue Card Completion of the Department of Education’s MAST program (school induction) Your Foundations training manual includes a Classroom Reflection Sheet at the back to guide your observations and note-taking. This will be a valuable resource for your mentor if you choose to proceed in the ministry.
Teaching the gospel in a secular context requires a customised, competency-based discipleship program that prepares volunteers to deliver age-appropriate, engaging, and compliant lessons. Our theory sessions cover useful topics such as: (1) curriculum planning & lesson delivery including learning styles & engagement strategies (2) classroom & behaviour management, and (3) answering student questions appropriately. We use a variety of delivery methods to impart the theory- one-on-one with your mentor, group delivery in person and group delivery virtually - depending on instructor and trainer availability, locations and the number of volunteers at the same stage of development.
Our commitment to every RI volunteer is that you will not be placed in front of a class until you are ready to deliver content confidently and effectively. For those with a teaching background, this may take a few weeks of supervised delivery. For others new to the classroom, it may take a full term. We use a co-teaching model, where your trainer works with you to develop lesson plans and gradually guide you through delivering segments of a lesson. This is known as the “I do – We do – You do” method. Training combines: * theory, * supervised practice, and * reflective mentoring. This proven approach helps identify and address skill and knowledge gaps, building competence progressively.
The Religious Instruction Quality Assurance (RIQA) Committee liaises directly with the Queensland Department of Education and is responsible for: (1) approving RI curricula for use in Queensland public schools; and (2) appointing an independent curriculum review board to assess content annually for age appropriateness and compliance with legislation and departmental policies. This review process supports continuous improvement and helps maintain safe, respectful, and effective gospel ministry in schools. RI instructors may select their preferred curriculum from the approved list. On the Sunshine Coast, the RI network generally favours GodSpace for Years 1–5 and Big Questions for Year 6, though exceptions exist across individual schools. Each volunteer’s sending church is responsible for resourcing their instructor(s) with the necessary curriculum. Churches with training agreements with CREP-SC cover curriculum costs through their annual training and program management fee, enabling CREP-SC to provide volunteers with direct access or licensing at cost.