Abbey Grainger (on the right) teaching at HM Rage.
Abbey Grainger, from Mt Wellington Community Church, is involved in serving God in her church as a youth leader, on the worship team, and at kids' camps.
Last year, she began studying for a Graduate Diploma in Applied Theology through a New Zealand theological college and received support for her fees from a JH Baldwin Scholarship from Lichfield Lands.
Abbey writes:
"Last semester I took two papers—Introduction to the New Testament and Gospel of John, and I definitely learnt a lot! The study was both challenging and fascinating, engaging me in a way that my previous commerce studies never could.
"Writing my first exegesis was difficult, but I found that I really enjoyed the application part of it. The process of analysing the linguistics, history and context of a passage was tough, but it is a skill that I will be able to use in the future.
"I’m now into my second semester, so right back into the hard mahi, but I look forward to growing and continuing to stretch my faith".
CCCNZ Scholarships Enabler, Liz Hodge writes:
"Abbey is so appreciative of the way the studies have informed her thinking for the areas in which she’s already serving.
"She led a session earlier this year at HM Rage and says that although she still gets nervous when teaching, the training from the Grad. Dip. has given her a real boost in her confidence when planning what she’ll talk about.
"Abbey doesn’t necessarily see the theology studies as a clear pathway to formal church leadership—but instead says that 'we need all sorts of people in the body of Christ to be growing in their knowledge and application of theology'".
If you’re serving in our churches and would like to talk more about undertaking some theological study, at any level, chat to Liz Hodge.
