Lydia Ellis (right) has been serving as Women’s Worker with Emmett Street Community Church in Christchurch for the past 18 months, with the primary role of evangelism and discipleship among the women in the church and wider community.
The church meets in one of the most socioeconomically challenged areas in New Zealand and has observed that a distinctive feature of their community is its strong matriarchal nature, where women often take on the responsibility of raising families whilst many men disengage.
Emmett Street Community Church sees this as a significant opportunity for gospel ministry, which is why they employed Lydia. Her work is not just about doing the ministry herself, but importantly about equipping and discipling other women in the congregation so that they, in turn can disciple others, following the model in Titus 2.
Last year, Lydia approached the elders about doing the Tim Course, a Christchurch-based, one-day-per week course that trains Bible teachers for the local church. The elders were elated to hear this, and sent through these comments in their endorsement of Lydia:
“We believe this programme will enrich her theological and biblical understanding, equipping her to minister even more effectively. In our community many of the women she serves face complex and challenging circumstances, and we trust that further theological training will help her bring the hope and truth of God’s Word into these situations with greater clarity”.
Matariki ladies brunch (left) and Christmas ladies brunch (right) that Lydia help organise.
It’s lovely to see how Lydia and the work she’s doing are so appreciated by her church family and community. We were so encouraged to read these comments of support from the ESCC eldership:
“Lydia is deeply loved by our congregation, and we are passionate about the work she is doing. We regularly pray for her and her ministry in our Sunday gatherings and prayer meetings, and she is upheld by many faithful prayer warriors in our church.”
Lydia is supported in her studies with a J H Baldwin Scholarship from Lichfield Lands. If you're keen to explore what theological training could look like and how you could be supported through a scholarship as you train, check out: www.3trustsscholarships.nz
