Solidifying an assurance of salvation: Maddy’s story

Maddy Rhodes says she knew early in her walk with Jesus that God would call her to ministry at one point. After working on staff at her church part-time for a few years, Maddy is now studying full-time at Trinity—and the spiritual growth she has experienced during the process so far has been more than she could have hoped or prayed for.

From doubt to assurance

Maddy came to love and trust Jesus when she was a teenager. She had been exposed to a number of ideas about spirituality, God, and even atheist views amongst her family, but all these ideas felt empty and unconvincing at a heart level, to a degree she couldn’t explain. While she was in high school, Maddy experienced a period of depression where she doubted her own self-worth, and struggled with the idea of not feeling worthy to be loved. It was during this time that she started attending church.

“I learned about the God of the Bible and at first I loved the idea, but felt that if God existed, he wouldn’t truly love me,” Maddy explains. “But then I learned about Jesus, and the proof of God’s love for me based not on my own works, but the person and works of Christ—and my heart and life was transformed. By his grace alone, I have been saved.”

Maddy served on staff at Providence Midland for a few years as an Associate Minister overseeing operations, communications and women’s discipleship ministries. Alongside that role, she spent a few years working as a speech pathologist at Joondalup and Armadale hospitals, working with adults who had communication and swallowing difficulties. It was during this period of time that Maddy was encouraged to consider theological training.

“I was encouraged mostly by my pastor at the time at Providence Midland, and mentors within the Providence network,” Maddy reflects. “I admired how the trained pastors and leaders of my church could faithfully handle God’s Word and provide insight into Christian living to honour God. As they had mostly trained at Trinity, it seemed the best place for me!”

Growing in grace

It turns out that Maddy’s suspicion was right. She has absolutely loved her first three semesters, and although it has been tiring studying full-time while caring for a toddler and supporting her husband through a busy season in his work, it has been a real season of growth. 

“God has massively grown my assurance in the salvation I have in Christ Jesus. By spending significant time considering what the Bible has to say about God, his faithfulness to his promises, his unchanging nature of love, mercy and justice, and what Christ truly achieved for his people through his cross and resurrection I have a stability and rest I felt I didn’t truly grasp in the same way previously,” Maddy shares. “I am in no way perfect at remembering this, but it has helped shape where my identity, and priorities lie in my life.”

Blessed to be a blessing

For Maddy, it’s not only what she has been learning at Trinity. She has felt blessed by the lecturers themselves, too.

“The lecturers are pastoral in nature, and they truly want to see you grow in your faith and love of Christ, rather than get the right answers,” Maddy explains. “They are very often concerned with the wellbeing of the Church and people that we minister to, often considering how to apply the knowledge we learn into practice.”

Post-graduation, Maddy would love to be back serving at Providence Midland, whether in a vocational or volunteer capacity, to train and encourage others. She’s looking forward to getting more involved in the women’s ministry, and she’s excited about ideas floating around the Perth women’s scene related to training and equipping Christian women in Perth.

“Studying at Trinity has been such a wonderful experience for me,” Maddy says. “What I’ve learned has grown my faith in and love of Christ so much, and I am so appreciative for the way it’s informed my ministry to my own family and my community, that I’d encourage any who have the opportunity to study at Trinity to do so!”