Looking Back on the Year
Thanks for your prayer and continued support through this turbulent season. Thanks to YOU I’ve been able to:
Prepare for 2024 - this week our students voted in next year’s student executive committee and we received the joyous news that some who we thought were moving on have chosen further study and intend to still be present in some capacity to encourage the new students. Our Launch Conference at the beginning of the year is NOT to be missed by any Christian emerging adult in Tasmania.
Teach seminars and workshops for students on the topics of prayer, evangelism and small group leading.
Equip Fellowship Group Leaders to grow in personal areas of reading, prayer and Bible study. I shared several resources and bits of advice with each student and checked in with them during Semester 2.
Design promotional material for print and online for our conferences, Islam and Christianity debate and concert.
Preach at Women’s Winter Festival on the Hannah’s Song using her story to springboard to the broader story of God’s relationship with women throughout the Bible.
Participate in feedback prior to a report being submitted to and approved by the General Assembly of Australia (Presbyterian) making recommendations for women participating at all levels of the church.
Share news, resources and ideas with you in Christine: Behind the Scenes to benefit your own personal ministries.
Engaging with Love: Building Bridges in Evangelism
a seminar written by Me and ChatGPT
This year I enjoyed teaching a seminar for our students at Mid Year Conference with the aid of ChatGPT to craft a script to demonstrate some of the approaches to making meaningful connections with people. Bizarre, I know! But the students enjoyed the exercise, even stating that the two characters in the script seemed extrremely “self-aware” … (it was only then that with a twinkle in my eye, I revealed that the script was written by AI and only a few strategic prompts by me).
Here’s my workshop outline and the script and some scenarios to work through. Enjoy!
Teaching Art
At the end of last year, I received a surprise email asking me to consider teaching art at a local Christian school my daughter would be attending in 2023 for high school. I wasn’t looking for more work. I hadn’t given ANY thought to going back to the classroom for YEARS. It was a BIG ask that could potentially disrupt an enjoyable equilibrium we were experiencing as a family with a healthy balance of life/work/ministry.
I remember discussing the pros and cons with me husband and us settling on “No” as the answer. Immediately, my body felt a surge of emotion indicating that “No” was not the final word. It was the opposite of that rush of feeling one might feel after deciding that the special someone you were dating was indeed THE ONE you want to spend the rest of your life with. That body sensation confirming that your head decision was indeed the right one. But THIS was the opposite, communicating HOLD ON! So we discussed some more and created a list to bring back to the school leadership to see if they could accomodate some of our requests.
And they DID … respectfully and joyfully.
My prayer is that I can help bridge the experience of school leavers/graduates to adult life/faith and ministry by connecting many of them with campus ministries if they go on to university.
This year has been a blast, creating and learning alongside our Year 7-9 art students. They make me laugh. They stretch me and inspire me. I am their biggest fans. I’ve shared several of their projects over on my Facebook and Instagram.
Please pray for next year. I have been put forward by my supervisor to also teach Christian Studies classes next year.
Gospel Giving
Please prayerfully consider partnering with my mission on campus to proclaim Jesus and raise up the next leaders of the church and world mission.
Your contribution to my ministry covers
my pay,
personal and family living expenses,
ministry work expenses,
and professional development, etc.
Monthly Target: $3098
Current Regular Giving: $2985
Giving Back to You
Sharing resources is my way of giving back to you and supporting your own relationship with Jesus and your church family and your own ministry. All links have been shared in Christine: Behind the Scenes. Join us in the group to discuss how the content might affect our lives and gospel work.
[Watch] From Darkness to Light: I got to demonstrate how living in darkness is unsafe to ourselves and others. We feel trapped and insecure. Jesus, our rescuer, brings us into his light and we can follow him in the Way of the Kingdom of God. In Jesus, we are safe and free and can live boldly for him! He is Light and Love and LIFE!
[Watch] A Tip for Improving Bible Comprehension: Chad Bird shares a quick tip to help improve your Bible reading and comprehension.
[Listen] Dragons in the Bible: Bible Project’s latest series is all about dragons and their symbolism in the Scriptures.
[Read] Someone Else’s Deconversion : "I am so convinced of the Love that shaped and formed the universe that I believe we are held in that Love within our unbelief. I am here, I’m not going anywhere. Call yourself what you need to call yourself, pick up and put down labels, whatever. I love you just as you are right now. Tell me everything. I'm listening. And I’ll keep walking with you. And if you ever need it, you can borrow my faith to rest within for a while."
[Watch] My Testimony : I shared my testimony with my church this year during a Kids Talk segment. Someone watching the livestream sent an email thanking them for airing the testimony as she often watches at home with her autistic son and he found it helpful.
[Listen] Context Matters : Listen how a couple are passionate about creating visual resources for children that give them a true sense of the context of the Old and New Testaments.
Upcoming Speaking Events
Bookings for speaking at your church, ministry, school or event are open for 2021 via Video or In Person.
Please contact me at christine@ufcutas.org to discuss your event.
23 and 30 September: Bishop’s Training Event elective: How to Help Teens Make the Jump to Young Adult Faith (with Mikey Lynch)
20-22 February: Launch Conference: Workshops
