Among them, service is a pillar of what we do — not as a transactional activity, but as a deeply formative practice. It challenges our assumptions about greatness, purpose, and what it means to be human.

Jesus taught that true greatness is not found in status or power, but in humility and service to others. This upside-down view of leadership is radical even today. In a culture obsessed with influence, visibility, and results, Jesus shifts the focus inward. Service isn’t just about what you do for others — it’s also about who you become through the act of serving.

This principle is powerfully illustrated in the parable of the Widow’s Mite. Jesus watches as people offer large sums at the Temple. Then a poor widow comes and gives just two small copper coins. Insignificant by economic standards, yet Jesus praises her above all. Why? Because her gift represented total trust, sacrificial love, and profound humility. It wasn’t the impact of the coins that mattered, but the heart behind the gift.

This story challenges how we evaluate service today.

We tend to ask: “What is the measurable outcome? What is the return on investment?” But that’s not always the right lens.

Measuring service by its utility alone is like trying to judge a poem by how well it explains chemistry. We miss the deeper truth. Service is not just about changing the world — it’s also about being changed ourselves.

That’s why our curriculum includes real, tangible acts of service, even when they don’t appear efficient. On Year 10 camp in Jindabyne, for example, students participate in gardening for a community member. Is it the most productive way to maintain a yard? Probably not — a professional gardener could do it faster and neater. But there is value that lies beyond the task itself.

When students serve, they step into someone else's world.

They feel the weight of someone else's needs. They give their time and effort without expecting anything in return. In doing so, they’re not just pulling weeds — they’re pulling away layers of self-interest. They’re not just trimming hedges — they’re shaping their character.

Service builds empathy. It builds gratitude. It builds humility. And when done with the right heart, it builds community. The Extended Stay Program taps into this idea as it looks to develop connections between North Shore Sydney students and the land and peoples of remote Northern Territory. We don’t schedule service just for the outcome, but for the process. For the chance it gives young people to become something greater than themselves — not in worldly terms, but in the way Jesus defined greatness.

In the end, service is not a side activity to fit into a busy life; it’s the training ground of the soul.

It’s where character is both revealed and refined. When our students serve, we’re not just asking them to help others. We’re inviting them to become the kind of people who live with purpose, compassion, and quiet strength.

That’s why we teach service at Barker — not just as an action, but as a way of being.

Rhys Wiliams

Rhys Williams is the Middle School Head of Sthalekar House and teaches Mathematics at Barker College. After studying Engineering and Commerce at Sydney University and working as a structural engineer, he made the move to teaching. Rhys supports the holistic education at Barker, grounded in its faith traditions and looks to serve in many facets of it.