Sylvia Barry completed the Howard Guinness Project from 2017-2018.
Why did you decide to become a Howie?
One of the clearest ways that God speaks to me is through his incredible timing. In 2015 I fell quite sick in semester 2, so instead of finishing my undergraduate degree, I had two more subjects to complete in a year. I decided to get involved in more EU ministry, but having science subjects to do, the 4-5 hours they were taking up a week were getting in the way of ministry so that’s when I decided I wanted to be a Howie and set aside two years to fully immerse myself in ministry without other distractions. So I jumped into it in 2017. If I hadn’t fallen sick, I’m not sure I would have taken the plunge! I absolutely did not have a plan. I went into the HGP program being open to the idea of college, but I didn’t have my heart set on it, and was open to finding a medical science job which was my field of study.
What have you been up to since completing the HGP?
Since completing the HGP I worked in an After School Care centre, which was completely unrelated to my undergraduate degree, to give me some time to reflect on whether I wanted to continue on in ministry or go down a different path. Eventually, I settled on going to Bible College because working in this secular workplace wasn’t bringing me the joy and purpose that I had when spending my weeks steeped in God’s word and proclaiming Christ and training students. I started Bible College part time in 2020 with the hopes of getting back into uni student ministry.
I used to think that vocational ministry was for the elite, the academically incredible, people unlike anything that I am. But it really challenged me in realising that any ordinary Christian should consider, and could do, vocational ministry.
What is something God taught you during your time as a Howie?
He is SO good. His plans are perfect. He is sovereign. When I forgot to pray and petition for something, He would still deliver. When I didn’t know how something could possibly work, God would deliver. When I wanted to do something my way, God would do it his way and it would be so much better.
How has it challenged, changed, or reaffirmed your views of vocational ministry?
I used to think that vocational ministry was for the elite, the academically incredible, people unlike anything that I am. But it really challenged me in realising that any ordinary Christian should consider, and could do, vocational ministry. It’s not for the elite, but God uses us in our weaknesses to do his good work!
Sarah Chaudhary is 3 months into the Howard Guinness Project.
Why did you decide to become a Howie?
When I graduated from Macquarie University, nobody could have convinced me that I would do a traineeship with the EU. Although I was interested in seriously considering serving overseas, university ministry simply wasn’t on my radar, much less university ministry in Sydney! But, after a year at Bible college, I realised that if I were to serve overseas, it was important that I have practical training and experience before I go. After talking with staff and grads from the EU, I was convinced of the rich value of the HGP, but still hesitated – was I the ‘right sort of person’ to go into uni ministry – or even any sort of vocational ministry? I felt very encumbered by my weaknesses – whether they be in character, maturity, and competencies – and though my enthusiasm for uni ministry increased the more I considered it, I think the only reason I had the bravery enough to submit my application was because I knew that if it wasn’t God’s will, I might be not accepted or advised to wait a few years! But I’m so thankful now that I have started (it turns out that God does his work through ordinary people) and I’m really looking forward to all the ways he will shape me in these coming two years, and his plans for me after the HGP.
Going into the Howie program, I wasn’t sure that I was the ‘right sort of person’ to go into vocational ministry. Although I probably wouldn’t have articulated it so bluntly, I did place a much higher value on a person’s natural abilities and perceived competencies in considering whether vocational ministry was for them than I would now.
What has God been teaching you in your first 3 months as a Howie?
Several things jump out as I reflect on these first few months; and the first one is prayer. In one instance, I was anxious to get in touch with a non-Christian who had registered interest in a bible study via our facebook page. I sent several messages to her over several weeks, fearing that this student who was keen on investigating Christianity simply wasn’t receiving my messages! Finally, I asked our bible study to pray that she would see them – and that day, she read and replied to them! I’m sure God could have nudged her to read my messages before that day when we prayed…but I think he was teaching me that, even in mundane or everyday administrative tasks, we always rely on him, and he delights to answer our prayers.
How has it challenged, changed, or reaffirmed your views on vocational ministry?
Going into the Howie program, I wasn’t sure that I was the ‘right sort of person’ to go into vocational ministry. Although I probably wouldn’t have articulated it so bluntly, I did place a much higher value on a person’s natural abilities and perceived competencies in considering whether vocational ministry was for them than I would now. I’m also keener than ever to continue pursuing serving overseas – I love seeing the work of God’s spirit in and through his people in Australia, and would love to see the same number of zealous Christians raised up and equipped for ministry in places around the world that are less reached and less resourced!