We’re just weeks away from Week of Worship (WOW) and, if you bought the t-shirt, you will have already noticed that our theme for this year is Glow Up.
Pastor JP and Pastor Annalise introduced this spiritual and cultural theme at the College Commitment Chapel in Term 1. It acts as a scaffold for much of our messaging this year and is the focus of Primary and Secondary WOW.
Glow Up was inspired by phytoplankton. These are living ocean organisms—marine drifters—that emit light in a chemical reaction called bioluminescence.
Phytoplankton emit beautiful neon colours in the ocean, adapting to both tropical and polar waters, and sometimes even radiating from waves banking onto shores at night. A spectacular sight!
Phytoplankton play a vital role in the ecosystem by reducing CO2 and producing over half the world’s oxygen! They are also a source of food for other marine life. Each day, this microscopic, plant-like organism drifts on the surface of the ocean, collecting light and energy from the sun. In a process of photosynthesis, they bloom while absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Some drift even back down to thousands of metres below sea level, taking their light with them! The glow from these microscopic organisms, which nourish and sustain life, is observed from space!
To share light, phytoplankton are first fuelled by light.
In popular culture, to say someone has experienced a “glow up” is a compliment. It means they have been through a positive personal transformation—not necessarily in appearance or style, but in character, confidence, and maturity as well.
This year’s WOW will explore how to Glow Up after spending time in The Light, and as a result, have the capacity to bring a nourishing and sustaining message to the world. The Bible promises that when we abide in Jesus, who is the "Light of the World", we will be transformed—shining from the inside out, even in the darkness.
“And the Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)
We invite parents and friends to join us on a journey of deeper understanding of what this means during WOW this year.
Design Statement
In the design you see below, plankton drifts upwards on the left towards the sun at the top, then returns to the darkness on the right. We hope our students take this concept and understand that the source of life is our Creator God, who wants to have a relationship with them (indicated by the invitational doorway in the image) and that it's a relationship that transforms ("glow up") their whole heart and life so they can shine in this dark world. However, we are called to reflect the light He gives us, much like the Moon in the centre of the design reflects the light from the sun. We pray our BAC community finds hope in this artwork.
