Category: Leonie Poole

Seminar – Ordinary fuel for running the race

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On Monday’s we like to draw your attention to certain aspects of the Scottish Women’s Convention. For the next few weeks we’ll be telling you a bit more about the range of Seminars that are on offer.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAName – Leonie Poole

Lives – Sileby – a large village situated in the Soar Valley between Leicester and Loughborough

What is the title of your seminar at the Scottish Women’s Convention?

The working title is “”Ordinary fuel for running the race” though I have been pondering “Ready Brek for the soul” – probably breach of copyright there! Perhaps “Porridge for persevering pilgrims?”

What is the seminar about?

The seminar is about how we keep going as Christians, how we keep running the race – what has God provided for us that we need to take hold of? We will discover how God’s word, His fatherly goodness to us and our communion with him in prayer, our brothers and sisters in Christ and our fellowship with them and giving and receiving in service and day dreaming about heaven will keep us running the race til the end.

Who is the seminar for?

For any one who has ever felt like giving up on the Christian life– whether due to failure, fatigue, faithlessness and anyone who is running well at the moment but is conscious that none of us are promised that following Jesus will be easy.

Why is this area important?

The longer I have been a follower of Jesus, the more I see that it is the ordinary life, the day to day keeping on that is often the silent killer of faith. Crisis of faith, tragedy – they make us more aware of the testing times, but in the day to day slog we become complacent. Yet this is where the battle is fought too. And sometimes we have been guilty of giving the pat answer “Just read your Bible, pray and go to church.” Which I endorse entirely – but I want to remind people why God has given us these gifts for our perseverance and why we should keep coming back to them with renewed joy and delight.

Besides your seminar, what one thing about the Scottish Women’s Convention are you looking forward to and why?

Being back in the homeland, catching up with dear friends who I don’t see often and being encouraged by their perseverance. I have been involved with the Midlands Women’s conventions over the last couple of years and I am keen to encourage this convention in Scotland, knowing how helpful it has been to women in the Midlands. And maybe having chance to enjoy a sneaky white pudding supper while I’m there!

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 .

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Meet Leonie…Leonie lives in Sileby – a large village situated in the Soar Valley between Leicester and Loughborough.

What area of ministry do you work in?

My official title is “schools and children’s work co-ordinator for the United Benefice of Sileby, Cossington and Seagrave”!  Which means I am responsible for teaching children about Jesus: on Sundays in XTB – our Sunday groups, during the week in school assemblies – we have 4 primary schools, in toddler groups, youth groups, after school club and summer holiday club and it’s termly follow up sessions on Sunday afternoons.

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

I had the good news about Jesus taught to me from a young age at Sunday school, camp, after school club, youth group – I think that is where my passion for ministry with children really began!

As a student I worked with UCCF as one of the very first Relay workers, enjoyed working with students but felt ill-equipped so then did the Cornhill course in London – a year spent learning how to teach the Bible. I didn’t really have a plan, I just knew I wanted to teach the Bible – I was employed by a group of churches in rural Essex as an apprentice and did mainly youth and children’s work there for 3 years and I’m still doing it 18 years later, having ministered in churches in Burton on Trent, Aberdeen and now back in the Midlands.

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

Sometimes I walk up the road to school thinking “I’m taking another assembly” when God kindly reminds me by his spirit that I am not just “taking an assembly” I am teaching the good news about Jesus to the lost . I stand in a long line of those who have sought to pass on the Good news, invited to take part in God’s great salvation plan. The challenge is always to keep the cross central, lifting your heart and mind to the spiritual realities as you live or sometimes slog, day to day on this earth. The great joy is that we do have good news of a great saviour to share and the reason I know is because he saved me and opened my eyes.

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

I have been preparing Sunday school lessons from Luke’s gospel, about the people Jesus meets and interacts with and this has caused me to ponder about Jesus’ mission to the lost. Namely, that He has a heart for the lost as the very fabric of his being, it is his eternity’s work, love, labour, plan and delight to seek and save the lost. I am just a Johnny come lately to this game. I need to ask him in prayer to bring me up to speed with his plans and to humbly ask where I can serve. Which is a great comfort when I feel tired, don’t see much fruit, don’t have my faith in the right place, forget that God’s power is shown in weakness. He will never give up his mission til all his sheep are safely home. He could do this work without me but he chooses to use my bumbling efforts to bring about his plans. Who would ever have thought up such a plan?

Leonie will be leading a seminar at the convention.  Next week we will share more details of her seminar.