14 July 2025
Teachers’ Summit Theme: Telling the Better Story
As educators in Christian schools, we are called to do more than impart knowledge—we are entrusted with shaping the hearts and minds of the next generation. This year, we invite you to join us for the Christian Schools Teachers Conference at Citipointe Church where we will explore the powerful theme of Telling the Better Story.
Why do so many graduates struggle to hold onto their faith after leaving school? How can we nurture a worldview that not only shapes academic success but also fosters deep, lasting belief in the gospel?
This conference will provide insights and practical strategies to help you engage students in a more compelling, life-changing narrative—the story of Jesus Christ. You’ll leave with a renewed sense of purpose, equipped with the tools to passionately tell the better story of the gospel, and do this effectively in a world that desperately needs it.
Join us for an inspiring and enriching experience that will strengthen your faith, your teaching, and your impact on the next generation. Together, let’s ignite a passion for telling the better story!
Checkout the Summit Program!
Summit Speakers
Sam Burrows
Session: Where are we now?
We are living at a time of rapid and significant change, and this means old narratives don’t work the way they used to. What does a Christian school need to hold on to in this specific moment?
About:
Sam is the Director of Professional Learning for CEN. Born and raised in New Zealand, he was previously working at Laidlaw College in Auckland as a lecturer of education and theology in the School of Social Practice. He has a broad range of teaching experience in New Zealand schools including a role as deputy principal. Sam is most interested in the intersections between theology, culture and pedagogy and how these areas interact with one another. In 2022 he completed his Masters thesis titled: “Beyond the God Within: Speaking to the Subjective Turn in the Faith and Spirituality of New Zealanders.” The thesis explored current trends in spirituality in Aotearoa and the wider West, tracking the major cultural influences of these phenomena and offering a theological response.
Simon Smart
Keynote: Lemonade on the Porch: Christian Schools as Vehicles of Hope
The pace of secularisation has left many Christians feeling bewildered, defensive and increasingly disconnected from the surrounding culture. How should we respond?
Simon Smart makes the case for Christian schools being uniquely positioned to not only proclaim but to embody a life-giving alternative to the dominant cultural narratives of our day.
In this session Simon will illuminate key aspects of the Christian story that speak to universal human longings with compelling answers that are found nowhere else. We will explore a vision of life that is not only coherent, but uniquely appealing.
About:
Simon Smart is Executive Director of the Centre for Public Christianity. A former English and History teacher, Simon has a Masters in Christian Studies from Regent College, Vancouver. He is the co-author of For God’s Sake: An Atheist, a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim Debate Religion, and was co-presenter and co-writer of the historical documentary For the Love of God: How the church is better and worse than you ever imagined. Simon’s writing has appeared in such places as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the ABC, The Australian, and The Guardian. He is the host of the Life & Faith podcast. His latest book is The End of Men? He lives on Sydney’s northern beaches and is an inept but enthusiastic surfer.
Stuart Kent
Workshop:
Would you like some practical “out of the box” ideas for effective storytelling in your classroom, school hallways, fields and stages, and maybe even your wider school community? If your answer is yes, then this workshop is for you. Stuart, with some 20 + years of classroom teaching, will share some very practical ideas, tips, and tricks that you can use to enhance your storytelling and inspire your students.
As Mary Catherine Bateson said, “The human species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories. And let’s not forget that “The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.”
About:
Stuart was born into a Christian family and spent his childhood in Melbourne, The Netherlands, and Sydney. After graduating from University with a History and Teaching degree and 4 years of teaching in both Government and Anglican schools in Sydney, Stuart and his wife Sheree set off on a 23-year international teaching journey. Throughout this amazing journey, Stuart taught and led in various small, large, Christian, and secular international schools in South Africa, Colombia, Cambodia, Korea and Brazil. While overseas, he and Sheree started their family (Grace, Sophie and Jack). Stuart and his family decided to repatriate to Tasmania in June 2022 to be closer to Sheree’s parents. Stuart started as the principal at Launceston Christian School in January 2023. Stuart enjoys the joys and challenges of leading a Christian school. When not working at LCS, Stuart enjoys reading, watching sports, cooking, and being involved in his local church, and I am sure this is no surprise, travelling both domestically and internationally.
Christian Baldauf
Devotion
About:
Christian Baldauf, born in 1982, is married to Jennifer and father of four children aged 9 to 20 years. He lives with his family in Meinerzhagen in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia in the middle of Germany.
He believes in Jesus Christ as his savior and Lord and is a member of the local church “FeG Ihne” (www.feg-ihne.de).
Since 2020, he has been working as the head of the VEBS-Academy (Association of Christian Schools and Daycare Centers, Germany): www.VEBS.de.
Christian Baldauf grew up as a missionary kid in Peru, South America. He spent his childhood there (a total of eight years), and then returned to Germany with his family as a teenager.
After graduating from school he initially studied law at the University of Cologne for two semesters before changing his course of studies and studying “Primary Education” at the University of Siegen.
After completing his preparatory service, he worked for several years at a state primary school and as a trainer at the Center for Practical Teacher Training in Lüdenscheid. From 2017 to 2019, he headed a regional seminar for primary school teaching.
Paul Matthews
Session:
A Christian Vision for AI in our Schools
About:
Paul is an Australian teacher, consultant, and TEDx speaker who is dedicated to partnering with schools to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence. As a Christian educator, Paul emphasises the need to integrate our understanding of Artificial Intelligence within our broader worldview. He believes that the lordship of Christ is the theological starting point for understanding how AI impacts our school communities. Paul is passionate about providing practical strategies to help teachers save time, be more creative, and have a bigger impact in the classroom.
Summit Speakers
Outstanding Speakers
Hear from five outstanding speakers from around the world, including a devotion, time of workship and networking experiences.
Professional Development Opportunity
Wherever you are in your professional journey there is something for everyone at the conference. You’re encouraged to join us for a conference which provides a depth in professional growth and educational understanding unmatched anywhere else.
Networking & Fellowship Opportunities
The Teachers Conference provides an unparalleled opportunity for networking with likeminded people within Christian education and a unique fellowship experience promoting growth, advice and support between Christian Educators.
Group Bookings & More Information
To make larger group bookings contact ACS Executive Officer / Events & Operations Manager, Ethan Kuss via ekuss@christianschools.org.au
Invoice & Payment Sent After Registration
Summit Costs
All prices are excluding GST.
