1992-1994 / Bachelor of Ministries (Henderson Campus)
The things that are memorable for me was meeting Christians from many cultures and ages, married and single. We had so much in common due to our commitment to Christ and missions. We were there to learn more and put it into practice – to have more knowledge so we could share the gospel more simply. I was also grateful for the personal input of so many lecturers that gave their time and shared resources with me. It is great to hear updates about the other students I studied alongside and hear what God is doing through and with them.
I feel like my 'theology' was pretty settled as I entered Bible College – even as a 20 year old. However, many robust discussions deepened my understanding and gave me more tolerance for differing opinions and perspectives. I especially loved how lecturers modelled the importance of "coming back to the Bible" as our final and sole authority. Linking my study with practical weeks of mission and outreach kept things relevant.
My life has constantly changed and I love it! From Bible College, I went to Teachers’ College and completed a Post-graduate Diploma in Primary Education. I have been teaching since 1997 in full-time and part-time positions. I got married in in 1999, and am still enjoying it 22 years later. Our two boys have now left home. After ten years of teaching, I completed a Diploma of Counselling with Bethlehem Training Institute over four years and started to practice casual private counselling. I also followed a hobby of tennis refereeing, and in 2016 was appointed the Tennis NZ Head Referee for junior national tournaments, which I still do when tournaments are running – they have been a bit scarce the last two years. In 2012 I was appointed the South Canterbury Grief and Loss Coordinator and have continued to develop peer support groups in the area. My counselling has increased in more recent years, and I began facilitating workshops for counsellors and social workers about using the Solution Focused approach. I love the many biblical aspects to using the Solution Focused approach, and that motivates my passion to share.
I am currently teaching full-time (with reasonably flexible hours), counselling about six clients a week (always changing), tennis refereeing, grief and loss coordinating and preaching in my local church once a month.
I am grateful that the biblical foundations I received from my family and from my training at Bible College have enabled me to be confident and active and share it with others.
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