Jessie is studying Social Work and leads a senior small group in her faculty. I asked Jessie how this experience, including her weekly training with senior staff, has been equipping her to grow in her biblical and theological maturity:

“Senior small group leading has and continues to really challenge and humble me. I, so often, fall into a proud mindset of thinking I know a lot of things about God but the more I study God’s Word, the more I realise that I don’t know much at all. It’s also allowed me to really study in-depth books that I wouldn’t have really thought much about, like 1 Thessalonians, or stories that I thought I was familiar with, like Jonah. Furthermore, senior leader training has really taught me to not always be content with surface-level answers but challenged me to really dig deeply into what God is saying to his people.

Being a small group leader has helped me really appreciate how much depth there is to God and the Bible, and how interconnected everything is. Going through Old Testament books and passages has been so great in reminding me that God has been the same gracious, patient and loving God throughout all of history, which brings so much assurance that he will continue to be the same forever. It means that in the midst of changes and up and downs in my life, this growing knowledge of God’s steadfast nature has been something that I can really cling onto.

Senior leader training has really given me the skills and equipped me to read the Bible in its right context and in light of the whole biblical narrative. It has also taught me how to study the bible deeply for myself. This has been so incredibly enriching for different ministries I’ve been involved in, and even just for my personal devotion time with God.”

Please pray with us that our small group leaders will grow in their knowledge and love of God through his word, and that this would equip them for a lifetime of ministry amongst God’s global church.