Growing in faith and confidence: Tiff’s commitment to studying the Bible

Tiff Bennett is currently studying at Trinity for a second time after loving it so much the first time. She has an unwavering desire to know the Lord and his Word deeper.

Growing up in a Christian family, her faith was shaped by her dad’s humble and faithful example. 

“Dad persevered in getting our family to church, and prayed and read the Bible with us. That showed me that knowing the Lord was important to him, and that he wanted us to as well, and that was very impactful,” she shared. 

Fast forward to her young adult years, Tiff studied law and commerce at the University of Western Australia (UWA). It was here that Tiff got involved in the Christian Union. Being part of this opened her eyes to “the richness of the Bible and how it’s really one big story about Jesus”. 

After a few years of work, Tiff went on to pursue an Ministry Training Strategy (MTS) apprenticeship at the UWA Christian Union. She found the MTS experience really enjoyable, and upon completion pondered what her next step should be – pursuing further theological education seemed to make sense!

“With the apprenticeship, you do all kinds of practical ministry things and it’s really great, but to actually have a more formalised theological framework and to write things out and wrestle with different parts of the Bible and how it all fits together, that brings greater clarity and confidence in the truth,” Tiff said. 

When Tiff initially decided to study theology, the choice of where to study was a simple one. A lot of people from her church, including her pastor, had studied at Trinity. 

“I’d seen the fruit of Trinity’s work in equipping students. It just seemed like a place where they’d thought through what’s critical for ministers of the gospel to know if they’re going to grow Christians under God who will be faithful to Jesus and be courageous about sharing the gospel with other people,” Tiff shared.

Tiff says that one of the highlights about studying at Trinity is being able to spend a few hours per week soaking up God’s Word. She shared that she’s found the lecturers to be thoughtful, wise and godly in the way that they speak about big gospel truths. 

Tiff has found Trinity to be extremely accessible and flexible as she was able to finish off her graduate diploma during the first year of her eldest daughter’s life. “I had one unit left and so I managed to finish that off before she became an intrepid toddler, and then took a break from studying,” she shared. 

With three young kids, Tiff was waiting for a time in her life when she was less sleep deprived to go back and continue studying at Trinity. When her youngest son Hugo turned two last year, she decided to go back and continue her studies. 

Studying at Trinity has grown Tiff in her faith, and given her a deeper awareness of how much she needs God throughout her life. 

Tiff reflects, “The more I learn who God is and what he has done, the more I am confronted by my desire and habit of being capable and wanting to do things myself. I’m recognising that God’s the one enabling everything by his grace, and it’s all meant for his glory, not mine.”

Her experience has been so positive, that she would recommend studying at Trinity to everyone in Perth, especially in a full time capacity if possible. “If you can do it full time, do it, soak up the community of students and lecturers who love Jesus and long to see their students serve the gospel by carefully handling the Word,” she explained. 

Reflecting on her time at Trinity, Tiff is grateful for the impact her studies have had on her life and ministry, serving at her church, Providence Bayswater. She believes that her theological education has not only equipped her for vocational ministry but has also enriched her daily interactions and conversations across all generations, providing her with a deeper understanding of God’s grace and love for people.

“It’s just been wonderful to see how God’s Word is so rich and his grace is so deep. Studying at Trinity has pulled many truths together for me and helped me to be clearer in conversation with people – whether I’m teaching my children, answering a tangent in Growth Group or those one off questions that a non-Christian might ask; whatever it is, I feel more confident in engaging with it as a result of studying at Trinity.”