On Sunday I was commissioned as the minister of Hills Community Church in Māpua, and it was just incredible. The church family here has been incredible with their welcome and their warmth and the hard work they put into creating such a beautiful and meaningful service. I'm blown away by God's love and beauty through all of these people.
It's been a huge journey coming to this point. So many people have been part of that journey. I just couldn't have gotten here alone. There's been so much learning and collaboration during the curacy with colleagues, with people overseeing me at the Cathedral and at Holy Trinity, and so many people supporting us in the diocese and the parishes. So many people surrounded me and our family, supporting us on this journey to be able to play this role and be part of the family here at Hills. I'm just feeling so thankful and so loved.
I first felt the call to ministry back in 2007, when I started a Bachelor of Ministries and interned at Grace Church in Richmond. My second year of study and ministry formation was over in Israel, in Jerusalem, with a bunch of other young adults from all kinds of different denominations and cultures. People who were just wanting to give their lives to Jesus for his global mission. For the next few years I did ministry, discipleship and leadership formation at the Mission Fellowship in Nelson. It was a huge shift – more focused on interpersonal Bible study and devotion in the Word of God, activating and practicing the giftings that I had. I was mentored in ministry leadership, character formation, and practical skills for leading and discipling, and being involved in local mission. After having started a family, I got more intentional about resuming my studies in 2018. I finished my last year of the degree part-time over two years through Laidlaw with Bishopdale College. I started at All Saints as the children and families leader, finished my studies, then went through the process of ordination and curacy over the last three years. I did two part-time years at the Cathedral, and then just over a full-time year at Holy Trinity in Greymouth.
The switch to the Anglican Church was out of necessity at first – because I was studying at Bishopdale, as well as other changes that were happening at my old church, and I was going through traumas of personal loss. God used that situation to bring me into the Anglican Church as a safe space to heal, grow, and move further into my calling. I delved into Anglican theologians, culture, ministry functioning, and form of worship.
I feel like I’ve found my tūrangawaewae, my place of standing. In being Anglican, I find it important to remain well connected to the other parts of the Body, and that’s one of the beautiful things about Hills Community Church – it’s a place of connection for multiple denominations. Nearly every denomination is represented here. It’s a group of people doing the courageous, hard, beautiful work of walking in unity while holding their different meaningful traditions.
I will remain connected and foster unity among denominations, but I feel that my place of standing is in the Anglican Church. That’s where God has called me and placed me.
As amazing as it was to study and help out as a team member in ministry, curacy was what really prepared me to be a lead pastor. Being a minister is such a specific, multifaceted role. It includes administrative, governance, people, ministry, practical, and spiritual aspects. Curacy helped me see how all of those fit together, how not to be overwhelmed, how to be strategic and effective, and how my personality, giftings and wiring can serve well in this kind of role.
It was also testing. It tested the stuff I’ve learned, my character, my ability to work in new scenarios and with different personalities. It tested how my marriage and family function in ministry which is important because you are never alone in ministry, you are a family on mission together with different parts to play. Curacy tests and brings wisdom and nurture to all of that really thoroughly, which is amazing before you take on that responsibility fully.
The move to Greymouth was the perfect place for our family for that time. God provided the perfect people around us for what our journey needed to be. We’ve grown and flourished together, and God has done deep healing and maturing. Sometimes that happens best away from all your familiar people – being taken out of your home context to grow.
We did it to raise money for Holy Trinity in Greymouth. I’d only ever run about 12 kilometres before, but we felt God asking us to train for this huge race to raise money, so we trained all year. We did lots of research into training, nutrition, and building up capacity.
It was such a God thing, because there are so many parallels with ministry – ministry is an endurance race. You have to figure out how you’re going to train, build capacity, support yourself, and keep moving for the long term. There were lessons in strength building, nutrition, pacing yourself, practice – so many parallels with ministry.
We raised just over $30,000 for major roof repairs on the Trinity Centre hall. Jesus made us able to complete the race and bring in the funds needed, which was awesome! It felt really cool to be able to do something like that for them, after they had blessed us so hugely through the curacy.
I love learning and I’ll be learning and growing all my life. There’s so much I don’t know, but this journey of curacy has brought me to a place of confidence. I really appreciate the oversight and support of the diocese – of Bishop Steve, Simon, Watiri and the diocesan team – how they’ve supported and guided me, helping me to discern and journey through it with God and become ready. With my beautiful husband and children alongside me, I’m stepping into this role with confidence, ready to keep learning and growing, running this ultramarathon of ministry.
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We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
On Sunday I was commissioned as the minister of Hills Community Church in Māpua, and it was just incredible. The church family here has been incredible with their welcome and their warmth and the hard work they put into creating such a beautiful and meaningful service. I'm blown away by God's love and beauty through all of these people.
It's been a huge journey coming to this point. So many people have been part of that journey. I just couldn't have gotten here alone. There's been so much learning and collaboration during the curacy with colleagues, with people overseeing me at the Cathedral and at Holy Trinity, and so many people supporting us in the diocese and the parishes. So many people surrounded me and our family, supporting us on this journey to be able to play this role and be part of the family here at Hills. I'm just feeling so thankful and so loved.
I first felt the call to ministry back in 2007, when I started a Bachelor of Ministries and interned at Grace Church in Richmond. My second year of study and ministry formation was over in Israel, in Jerusalem, with a bunch of other young adults from all kinds of different denominations and cultures. People who were just wanting to give their lives to Jesus for his global mission. For the next few years I did ministry, discipleship and leadership formation at the Mission Fellowship in Nelson. It was a huge shift – more focused on interpersonal Bible study and devotion in the Word of God, activating and practicing the giftings that I had. I was mentored in ministry leadership, character formation, and practical skills for leading and discipling, and being involved in local mission. After having started a family, I got more intentional about resuming my studies in 2018. I finished my last year of the degree part-time over two years through Laidlaw with Bishopdale College. I started at All Saints as the children and families leader, finished my studies, then went through the process of ordination and curacy over the last three years. I did two part-time years at the Cathedral, and then just over a full-time year at Holy Trinity in Greymouth.
The switch to the Anglican Church was out of necessity at first – because I was studying at Bishopdale, as well as other changes that were happening at my old church, and I was going through traumas of personal loss. God used that situation to bring me into the Anglican Church as a safe space to heal, grow, and move further into my calling. I delved into Anglican theologians, culture, ministry functioning, and form of worship.
I feel like I’ve found my tūrangawaewae, my place of standing. In being Anglican, I find it important to remain well connected to the other parts of the Body, and that’s one of the beautiful things about Hills Community Church – it’s a place of connection for multiple denominations. Nearly every denomination is represented here. It’s a group of people doing the courageous, hard, beautiful work of walking in unity while holding their different meaningful traditions.
I will remain connected and foster unity among denominations, but I feel that my place of standing is in the Anglican Church. That’s where God has called me and placed me.
As amazing as it was to study and help out as a team member in ministry, curacy was what really prepared me to be a lead pastor. Being a minister is such a specific, multifaceted role. It includes administrative, governance, people, ministry, practical, and spiritual aspects. Curacy helped me see how all of those fit together, how not to be overwhelmed, how to be strategic and effective, and how my personality, giftings and wiring can serve well in this kind of role.
It was also testing. It tested the stuff I’ve learned, my character, my ability to work in new scenarios and with different personalities. It tested how my marriage and family function in ministry which is important because you are never alone in ministry, you are a family on mission together with different parts to play. Curacy tests and brings wisdom and nurture to all of that really thoroughly, which is amazing before you take on that responsibility fully.
The move to Greymouth was the perfect place for our family for that time. God provided the perfect people around us for what our journey needed to be. We’ve grown and flourished together, and God has done deep healing and maturing. Sometimes that happens best away from all your familiar people – being taken out of your home context to grow.
We did it to raise money for Holy Trinity in Greymouth. I’d only ever run about 12 kilometres before, but we felt God asking us to train for this huge race to raise money, so we trained all year. We did lots of research into training, nutrition, and building up capacity.
It was such a God thing, because there are so many parallels with ministry – ministry is an endurance race. You have to figure out how you’re going to train, build capacity, support yourself, and keep moving for the long term. There were lessons in strength building, nutrition, pacing yourself, practice – so many parallels with ministry.
We raised just over $30,000 for major roof repairs on the Trinity Centre hall. Jesus made us able to complete the race and bring in the funds needed, which was awesome! It felt really cool to be able to do something like that for them, after they had blessed us so hugely through the curacy.
I love learning and I’ll be learning and growing all my life. There’s so much I don’t know, but this journey of curacy has brought me to a place of confidence. I really appreciate the oversight and support of the diocese – of Bishop Steve, Simon, Watiri and the diocesan team – how they’ve supported and guided me, helping me to discern and journey through it with God and become ready. With my beautiful husband and children alongside me, I’m stepping into this role with confidence, ready to keep learning and growing, running this ultramarathon of ministry.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
