Looking back over my year studying at Bishopdale College, it's been really good to build a solid foundation for my faith. One of the highlights has been Formation class, learning that Christianity isn't so much about doing things to be a good Christian, but about pursuing Jesus in a relationship with him, empowered by the Spirit.
I've also learnt that my sanctification isn't all my responsibility. God is transforming me by his Spirit. I have a part to play in that, but I'm not the one who can bring it to fruition. Learning this during such a formational time in my Christian life has been really valuable. I know I'll have a bigger bank of knowledge, understanding and experience to draw on in the future.
One of my projects this year was organising a prayer service at St Barnabas. It was interesting working with volunteers. Getting in contact with people in a busy world can be challenging, but it was awesome when everything came together on the night. We created a really lovely, quiet and meditative space that people appreciated.
Organising the service helped me understand what goes into planning an event and built my confidence in communicating with volunteers. One thing I learnt was the importance of giving people specific tasks. When I first asked a friend if she wanted to help out, she said she was too busy. But when I asked if she could make a poster, she was happy to do it. It's those little changes in how you ask people. You're not asking them to be a co-leader, just to help with something specific. There was lots of good learning around that.
I finished high school in 2025, so this year has also been about moving out of home and learning to become an individual adult. It's been really good to have that time of discipleship, an emphasis on faith, and dedicated space to learn more about God. At times, it's been like a fire hose, trying to churn out assignments and take on so much information. But looking back at everything I've worked on, I can see how insightful it's all been.
Going straight to university would have been quite a different experience, especially living in a hall of residence with lots of people who aren't Christian. I expect I'll really value and appreciate my time at Bishopdale when I go on to study in other fields. As a building block when you're taking those first steps into adulthood – it's really, really valuable.
When I think about Bishopdale's culture, I think of Toastie Tuesday. Love, love Toastie Tuesday! Lots of toasties have been consumed this year by me. But beyond the toasties, the lecturers genuinely care about you. They love you, and I'm sure they're praying for you as well. I haven't experienced tertiary study anywhere else yet, but when your lecturer is someone who loves you, rather than just tolerates you as a student, it creates a much better learning environment.
That close connection between lecturers and students is really valuable. During breaks, we're all intermingling, having little chats between classes, and I know Bishopdale is really intentional about that. It's something I've really appreciated about my year at Bishopdale.
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We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
Looking back over my year studying at Bishopdale College, it's been really good to build a solid foundation for my faith. One of the highlights has been Formation class, learning that Christianity isn't so much about doing things to be a good Christian, but about pursuing Jesus in a relationship with him, empowered by the Spirit.
I've also learnt that my sanctification isn't all my responsibility. God is transforming me by his Spirit. I have a part to play in that, but I'm not the one who can bring it to fruition. Learning this during such a formational time in my Christian life has been really valuable. I know I'll have a bigger bank of knowledge, understanding and experience to draw on in the future.
One of my projects this year was organising a prayer service at St Barnabas. It was interesting working with volunteers. Getting in contact with people in a busy world can be challenging, but it was awesome when everything came together on the night. We created a really lovely, quiet and meditative space that people appreciated.
Organising the service helped me understand what goes into planning an event and built my confidence in communicating with volunteers. One thing I learnt was the importance of giving people specific tasks. When I first asked a friend if she wanted to help out, she said she was too busy. But when I asked if she could make a poster, she was happy to do it. It's those little changes in how you ask people. You're not asking them to be a co-leader, just to help with something specific. There was lots of good learning around that.
I finished high school in 2025, so this year has also been about moving out of home and learning to become an individual adult. It's been really good to have that time of discipleship, an emphasis on faith, and dedicated space to learn more about God. At times, it's been like a fire hose, trying to churn out assignments and take on so much information. But looking back at everything I've worked on, I can see how insightful it's all been.
Going straight to university would have been quite a different experience, especially living in a hall of residence with lots of people who aren't Christian. I expect I'll really value and appreciate my time at Bishopdale when I go on to study in other fields. As a building block when you're taking those first steps into adulthood – it's really, really valuable.
When I think about Bishopdale's culture, I think of Toastie Tuesday. Love, love Toastie Tuesday! Lots of toasties have been consumed this year by me. But beyond the toasties, the lecturers genuinely care about you. They love you, and I'm sure they're praying for you as well. I haven't experienced tertiary study anywhere else yet, but when your lecturer is someone who loves you, rather than just tolerates you as a student, it creates a much better learning environment.
That close connection between lecturers and students is really valuable. During breaks, we're all intermingling, having little chats between classes, and I know Bishopdale is really intentional about that. It's something I've really appreciated about my year at Bishopdale.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
