Month: March 2016

Thursday Spotlight

On Thursday’s we want to give you an insight into the lives of some of the women involved in the Scottish Women’s Convention.  Some of these women are involved in full time ministry in the local Church, while others balance serving in the church with a secular job.

We sent them a questionnaire asking them to give us a taste of what they do, the challenges they face and what they are looking forward to about the Scottish Women’s Convention.

IMG_0456Meet Naomi…Naomi lives in Edinburgh with her husband and works for Chalmers Church.

What area of ministry do you work in?

Mainly internationals and women

How did you come to work in this particular area of ministry?

I’ve been interested in overseas mission since going on a year abroad at university to Argentina and so I’ve been keen to meet internationals and get to know them.  When I started my apprenticeship at Chalmers Church, I got to know a Korean girl who was studying in Edinburgh.  Chatting to her got me thinking about how to reach out to more internationals in the city.  So we started an English conversation class at Chalmers. It’s been great to get to know people from all over the world and, by God’s grace, to try and share the gospel with them.

Give one great challenge and one great joy of working in gospel ministry?

A great joy is seeing God work in people’s lives through reading his word and hearing his word preached.  It’s amazing to see the impact it can make in people’s lives when they understand what God is saying through the Bible.  It’s a great challenge to see people ignore his word and wander away.  It’s a great challenge to keep on remembering to focus on Jesus and the Bible and to keep on letting it change my heart, my attitudes and my actions.

What one thing has the Lord been teaching you about yourself and himself in recent times?

He has been teaching me about his Son, the servant King who humbled himself in coming down to earth and reaching out to sinful people like us.  And in teaching me this about himself he has been teaching me more about the Christian life, that we are to follow Christ in this same way – to keep serving him humbly and thinking more about others than about myself.

What thing about the Scottish Women’s Convention are you looking forward to and why?

Seeing women from all over Scotland coming together to learn from God’s word. Joining together as we try to run the race for Christ and encouraging each other to keep on going.

Thursday Spotlight

On Thursday’s we want to give you an insight into the lives of some of the women involved in the Scottish Women’s Convention.  Some of these women are involved in full time ministry in the local Church, while others balance serving in the church with a secular job.

We sent various people a questionnaire asking them to give us a taste of what they do, the challenges they face and what they are looking forward to about the Scottish Women’s Convention.

my-passport-photoMeet Rachel…Rachel was born in Belfast, lived in England for 7 years and moved to Edinburgh when she was 13 years old. Edinburgh very much feels like home now! She grew up in a Christian family and committed her life to Christ at a young age.

What area of ministry do you work in?

Women’s Ministry. I am the Women’s Ministry Coordinator at Charlotte Chapel. Within this role I lead bible studies, disciple younger women, organise events and much more. I am particularly passionate about training and equipping women to grow and develop the gifts and abilities God has given them for service.
How did you come to work in this particular area of ministry?
Leaving university I knew I had a desire to be involved in ministry but was unsure how and what it would be. I trained to be a teacher and a couple of years into teaching the desire hadn’t changed so I started exploring options. A conversation with my minister, Robin Sydserff, led to me applying for the apprenticeship programme at our church. I was accepted and did this alongside the Cornhill Training Course in Glasgow (http://www.cornhillscotland.org.uk/). After my apprenticeship I got the job at Charlotte.
Give one great challenge and one great joy of working in gospel ministry?
The greatest joy is getting to speak to people about the gospel and Jesus on a daily basis. I love being able to open the Bible with people and show them how God speaks to them  through it today. It is even better when you see God transforming lives by His Holy Spirit.
The greatest challenge is to retain a desire for personal Bible study and prayer. When spending your work hours in the Bible it can be easy to let personal habits slide. I have learnt time and time again that when I am not deepening my relationship with God I am much more tempted to rely on myself. In those times I either become proud or feel overwhelmed. To keep going in ministry I need to be growing in my dependence on God which comes through spending time with him.
What one thing has the Lord been teaching you about yourself and himself in recent times?
More recently God has teaching me what his word has to say about singleness and this path he has me on. I still desire marriage and strongly believe that the Bible teaches that marriage is an honourable thing to desire. However, what God has been teaching is enabling me to see my singleness less as a burden and more as a good gift and time not to be wasted. Elisabeth Elliot put it this way, “This gift for this day. The life of faith is lived one day at a time, and it has to be lived not always looked forward to as though the “real” living were around the next corner. It is for today we are responsible. God still owns tomorrow.”
What thing about the Scottish Women’s Convention are you looking forward to and why?
I think I am most looking forward to seeing women from all over Scotland coming together to learn from God’s word.