Ashleigh Trebilco teaching an elective session at Refresh, a young adults camp held at Tōtara Springs Christian Camp over Matariki weekend.
You may have seen Ashleigh Trebilco’s name at the bottom of the Wrap—Ashleigh is part of the team that works to put this email together every week. We’re pleased to properly introduce Ashleigh to you as we hear more about why she’s pursuing theological education.
“I was baptised at 15 after realising how much I truly needed a saviour. At my baptism, I was given a book that would change the trajectory of my life—Knowing God, by J.I. Packer. As I read, I became convinced that knowing God was by far the most important thing I could do in this life. And as I studied the Bible more and more, it became like a living thing in my hands. When I opened it, the God who wrote it became more and more familiar to me. I began to know him as he had revealed himself.
“Getting to know the Lord better by studying his Word full-time had become almost the most important thing in the world to me, and just a few years later I decided to pursue theological education. I immediately began conversations with my church, Te Awamutu Bible Chapel, and they were super excited to support me as I pursued studying. I heard about the JH Baldwin and Matthew Alexander Scholarships through CCCNZ. With this financial support, studying became a possibility.
“At eighteen, I left New Zealand to fly by myself to the USA, where I’ve been living for almost three years while I study at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. I’m now three years into a five-year degree programme in which I will receive a Bachelor’s in Biblical and Theological Studies and a Master of Divinity, also in Biblical and Theological Studies.
“I can understand both Greek and Hebrew and can read the Bible in the languages it was written in. I’ve discovered how to read the Bible as a whole and been taught how all of Scripture can affect my daily life. All in all, my pursuit of knowing God through his Word has been the most fulfilling thing I could have done with the last three years of my life.
“Each day that I spend studying the Bible, I become more and more passionate about sharing some of what I’ve learned. It’s my hope that I will be able to spend the rest of my life serving the Church, even though that may not look like a career, or full-time, or even paid ministry. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity I was given, and I hope that the Lord will call more Kiwis to study his Word and serve his Church through study".
