Nerida Zhao
What ministry are you currently involved in?
My ministry is what many women do in the church. I
am a volunteer. Of course, my foremost ministry is to
my family. My own four children also need to know
God’s grace in practice!
I have a more formal role teaching Scripture at my
children’s Primary School. I try to speak to parents
informally about the positives of Scripture classes.
I also help to lead a women’s bible study at our church at Wild St Church in Pagewood and
this involves preparation and pastoral care.
Apart from these roles I see ministry in a far broader way, which is to relate the love of God
to people that I meet through my family, especially friends of my children who stand outside
the grace of God. I suppose I have a special concern for newcomers to the area and single
parents whom I know. I’m not always a forthright person, so I can only hope for God’s
guidance and power through His Holy Spirit to help me on my way.
An important area of ministry for me is also involvement in Christian organisations which
support the poor and especially impoverished Christians in the Third World, e.g. Bible
Society, CMS, Bible League. Living in this wealthy and educated society, we cannot help but
know of their physical and spiritual suffering and having that knowledge means I have
responsibility to help them.
What preparation and training did you undertake before taking on this role?
I’ve had a lot of life experience in terms of being married and having four children, working
in Nursing Homes and as a Social Worker in hospitals and with students newly arrived in
Australia. God uses all of this.
In terms of formal training, I am halfway through doing the Children’s Ministry Certificate
with Youthworks for Scripture training. As a single person I learnt the principles and
practicalities of ministry as a Ministry Training Strategy worker at the Uni of NSW and this
has always helped me in thinking how to minister to others.
More recently, after experiencing stress in informal ministry I decided to go to MAC to get
some more encouragement from the Bible and from other Christian women. I’m doing
biblical exegesis, theology and practical subjects like pastoral care. It hasn’t been easy and
has been difficult for the family, however, my husband has been a wonderful support. It’s
interesting that my training has always started after I’ve begun any voluntary ministry. This is
probably the case for most unpaid ministers of God’s grace in the church - first you see the
need, and then you want to pursue more training.
What are the strengths and benefits of training you have received from MAC?
MAC is for women, from young to older all in very different circumstances - some single,
some married with children, some single parents, some retired. I enjoy learning with people
who have such different perspectives. I like MAC’s flexibility as it is run with women in mind
and so is held during school terms, within school hours. Since there are classes in all areas of
Sydney there is usually a class nearby each woman wanting to attend. You can do between
one to four subjects each term, which is great because I find my family, and other
responsibilities vary from year to year. One term I did four subjects, another term I did one!
So far at MAC I have completed exegesis subjects on Romans and Psalms/Ezra, OT and NT
theology and practical application in pastoral care and interpersonal communication. I enjoy
this kind of study because it looks at the big questions of theology and the history of theology
in the church. The challenge is also in looking in-depth at the bible in exegesis. The areas
that I have benefited in understanding more profoundly are our sin and failure, and God’s
character and His overwhelming grace.
At my age (I’m in my forties) I find a lot of Christians are struggling with their responsibilities
and families and finding it hard to participate in church ministry. But understanding God’s
power and grace we can continue on, in whatever capacity in our church, committed to our
brethren, because ultimately our future is with Him through His power and love. As
Christians we are very aware of God’s grace at the time of our conversion. However this
seems to be lost as we go on and we get weighed down and distracted by the things of this
world and preoccupied with our own achievements (or lack thereof). MAC has reminded me
of God’s grace through studying God’s word. My job is to go on, ministering His grace to
others and myself! We must allow ourselves to be ministered to by God’s grace everyday,
otherwise we are playing God. Satan always wants us to move from living under God’s grace
to thinking church is for something else. If our future is secure in His grace our present
responsibilities are not burdensome. We can undertake them by His power only.
What do you most love about the ministry you are involved in?
In Scripture classes I love to see the children’s interest in learning about how God has saved
man through Jesus. More than ninety percent of these children come from families where
they are not taught about Jesus. If it is true that most Christians are converted before
adulthood, then Scripture teachers are working on the cutting edge of sharing the Christian
message with the majority of Australians who no longer have any idea of who Jesus is or
what He has done. I love this opportunity and it may soon disappear in schools. God will
care for faith planted in the heart of a child and this inspires me. It was my own experience.
In women’s ministry, I love to share the bigger picture of God’s plan of salvation through
Jesus. It is a big effort for women to come to bible study, especially with small children, but
when they make that effort they are encouraged and go away knowing that they have been
prayed for. I started going to a women’s bible study when my eldest son (who is now 14) was
born and continue to be encouraged by the faith and prayers of the other women.
What would you say to women considering training for ministry?
Women should be encouraged to get extra bible and ministry training because a lifetime of
ministry with their own families, with children and other women is exhausting. Voluntary
work can be difficult if Christian leaders, or the setting of the voluntary work, offers little
encouragement or recognition of the work being done. So we have to set our own
boundaries for what we are prepared to do and seek our own means of support and
encouragement if it does not exist in a formal way. Women need refreshment and a resetting
of their perspective to God’s way. Of course, God is our strength and other women doing
similar voluntary work may offer the support needed.
Really, unfortunately there are few opportunities for employment for women in Christian
ministry, but many opportunities for voluntary work and this is what most women will do over their lifetime. With many women in the workforce now, the future of voluntary work in
churches needs to be rethought. Also the baby boomers may well have to work much longer
to support themselves and may have less time for voluntary ministry. We should not take
people for granted while they give what limited time they have.
Women need the encouragement from understanding the big picture that theological and
ministry education gives. A college like MAC offers contact with other women with a
ministry minded perspective. It also offers a deeper understanding of God’s purposes and our
role in His eternal plans under Christ. |
