How Learning Became a Life of Service

Celeste didn’t set out to go into full-time ministry. In fact, when she first enrolled in a couple of evening classes at Trinity, it was “more just for personal interest.” But those early steps would grow into something much more. Trinity became not just a place of learning, but a catalyst for clarity—equipping Celeste to serve God with confidence and conviction.

Celeste has always called Perth home. “I grew up just outside Perth. I’ve lived here my whole life,” she says. Church became part of her life early on, after her parents became Christians when she was a child. By the time Celeste was a young adult she had given her life to Christ, too.

After high school, Celeste wasn’t sure where her path would lead. She tried a few different jobs before eventually studying English at Murdoch University. It was there she became involved in the Christian group on campus—part of the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES). This community became a turning point in her faith.

“It was really helpful for encouraging me and helping me to think through a lot of things that I didn’t have a good handle on,” she says.

Celeste’s passion for ministry grew during those uni years, but she wasn’t sure how—or if—she could serve in a more formal capacity. 

“I wasn’t really confident that I could do ministry in a kind of legitimate capacity,” she explains. 

So she took a job with the Department for Communities and began dipping her toes into theological study, enrolling in a couple of evening classes at Trinity. At the time, it was for her personal spiritual growth. But those part-time classes ignited something deeper. 

In 2010, Celeste enrolled full-time in the Master of Divinity. Even then, she didn’t start with a clear ministry plan. 

“I think I was just trying to equip myself better to make those decisions,” she says. “To see if this was something that I could get into.”

Her time at Trinity became deeply formative—not just theologically, but personally. 

“I went to college as a single person and by the time I left I was engaged,” Celeste laughs. 

That transition meant rethinking her ministry options and direction. But through it all, she found clarity.

Trinity challenged her assumptions about who could do ministry: “I had thought ministry was for a particular kind of person with particular gifts,” she says. “But I came to understand that ministry is about serving with what you have—about living out your faith and being a godly person in that.”

Theological study also reshaped her framework for understanding and decision-making. 

“One of the most useful things I learned was theology—how the concepts in the Bible connect,” she says. “Understanding how everything we know about God and the gospel affects everything else… that was so valuable for ministry. It gave me a framework for understanding people in a way that I hadn’t before.”

She also appreciated the community Trinity offered: “Spending a lot of time with people getting into important things—with educators who had thought so much and were very wise—was just really good.”

Since graduating in 2012, Celeste has worked with AFES, first at Murdoch and now at the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle. She’s been in campus ministry for over a decade now, and continues to invest in others—especially women—through mentoring in Trinity’s  Equip program for women.

“I meet with someone studying the course, and we talk about what she’s been learning, how her ministry is going, and how to set goals,” Celeste explains. “It’s such a privilege.”

When asked why she’d recommend Trinity, Celeste is clear: “It’s really good to have rigor in what you’re learning. It’s not easy, but it’s so valuable to be stretched and to question what you think you know.”

Now married to John and raising two primary-aged kids, Celeste is learning to navigate ministry in a new life stage. 

“I’m over 40 now, so I can’t really pretend to be a student anymore,” she laughs. “I’m working out how to minister to students in this phase of life.”

Please pray for Celeste: for perseverance in ministry, and for wisdom as she and her team navigate the changing landscape of student ministry. As she enters a new life stage, pray that God would continue to equip her to connect meaningfully with students and serve them well.