From microbiology to ministry: Helena’s path to Trinity

It was during a two-year ministry apprenticeship that Helena confirmed a passion for ministry that ended up with her enrolling at Trinity.

As a child, Helena’s first exposure to the gospel was through the faithful witness of her parents.

“I think I would have always called myself a Christian,” Helena explains, “but it was in my high school years that I started to take my faith more seriously. When I was 15, I started to meet with a lady from church one to one to read the Bible together. It was during this time that I started to comprehend my sinfulness and God’s grace. I had always been a ‘good’ kid and so it was very significant for me to realise how I truly bring nothing to my salvation, and that it’s purely on the basis of Jesus’ death in my place that I could be made right before God.”

While Helena was studying her undergraduate degree, she was challenged to think through how she might use her life for God’s glory. 

“I knew that I could glorify and live for Christ in a whole lot of different ways, but was challenged to consider whether working in ministry vocationally (for a job) might be how I use my life for him,” Helena shares. 

She spent some time working in quality control laboratories doing microbiological testing before undertaking a two-year ministry apprenticeship on a university campus with the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students. 

“I did a two-year ministry apprenticeship to get a bit of a taste of what ministry as a job looks like, and I loved it!” Helena says. “I decided to pursue theological studies to be better equipped for a lifetime of serving Jesus.”

Helena ended up at Trinity after it was recommended to her by a number of peers as well as older Christian leaders.

“The clear and faithful teaching I have received from people who had previously studied at Trinity testified to the quality of training that Trinity provides,” she explains.

So far, studying at Trinity has lived up to Helena’s expectations.

“I have enjoyed the community at Trinity and also the content,” she says. “I have particularly enjoyed learning from lecturers who humbly and clearly teach their students. I’ve really appreciated that the lecturers genuinely care about their students and their growth.”

To be fair, Helena’s experience has not been without challenges. She has wrestled with how to be faithful with her study.

“For starters, theological studies are quite different to my undergraduate degree in science so I’ve had to adjust how I study,” Helena shares. “But more significantly, I’ve found that it can be easy to start treating my degree the same way I have previous studies—thinking of assignments and classes as simply tasks to be ticked off with the goal to get a good mark. I need to be careful that the primary goal of my studies doesn’t become academic success but rather growing in my knowledge and love of God.”

The blessing of studying at Trinity far outweighs the challenges for Helena. She is grateful for the way God has been working in and through her.

“I often find assignments help me to stop and reflect on God’s Word and its implications for me,” Helena explains. “For example, an assignment on how John uses the words ‘abide’ or ‘remain’ in 1 John helped me reflect on the assurance I have of my salvation and relationship with God.”

Helena doesn’t yet have a firm plan post-graduation, but she would love to do some form of vocational Christian ministry. At this stage she’s considering something that involves spending time in God’s Word with other women.

In the meantime, she’s passionate about sharing the gift that Trinity has been to her and so many other students.

“The staff at Trinity are passionate about the growth and equipping of the students who study with them,” Helena says. “Despite being extremely knowledgeable, they teach in a really humble and accessible way.”