Sarah Michael recently completed her Master of Divinity at Trinity. Looking back, she speaks with warmth and gratitude about her time studying. “It was really good. I really enjoyed it,” she says. “There was lots of opportunity to dig deeper into the topics that we were covering, which was fantastic.”
One of the highlights for Sarah was learning alongside students enrolled in different units and certificate programs. Because they were reading different books and working on different assignments, class discussions were enriched by a range of perspectives. She says it made discussions “more rich and robust” as they worked through different avenues of the topics they were studying, and adds, “It was quite fun.”
Soon after finishing her exams, Sarah stepped into full-time ministry at Albany Baptist Church, her home church before she moved to Perth to study. Both her church in Albany and the church she attended in Perth supported her throughout her studies. The position became available just as she was finishing her degree, allowing for a smooth and thorough handover from her predecessor. “It really was absolutely God’s provision,” she says. “I think it was almost unheard of in ministry to have that overlap time to do the handover. So that was really fantastic and a very precious time.”
Sarah now serves as the Community and Serve Pastoral Leader. In her Community role, she oversees welcoming and pastoral care, helping people connect into church life. She spends much of her time meeting with people, discerning where they are in life and helping them take next steps, whether through a gospel course or a growth group. She also leads teams that focus on helping newcomers feel at home.
In the Serve space, she helps people find where they can use their gifts. She describes this as walking alongside people to discern their gifts and capacity, and connecting them into sustainable roles so they are not overburdened but can serve cheerfully and with joy. Sarah is passionate about seeing people use their gifts to serve the church and build one another up. Alongside this, she occasionally speaks at youth events, camps and women’s gatherings, something she greatly enjoys.
Sarah is quick to point out how much Trinity prepared her for this work. She explains, “It gave me such a good solid theological foundation. Especially as I’m overseeing these areas, I need to have it crystal clear in my head why we have community, why we welcome people into the family of God, and why we serve each other.” The time spent studying Scripture now helps her articulate these foundations clearly and lead her teams well.
Mission Weeks were also significant for Sarah, giving her what she describes as “the real picture of ministry being hard work, but it’s worth it for the gospel.” She also remembers wise advice from lecturers about pacing in ministry. “Don’t go so hard at the beginning and burn yourself out. Treat it like a tennis match. Go in hard, work hard, then rest really well and then do it again.” As someone who naturally throws herself into tasks, that counsel has stayed with her. She says she wants to build good habits early in ministry so she can “last the distance.”
Over her time at Trinity, Sarah loved the focus on Scripture across every subject. She valued how every idea was brought back to the question, “What does God’s Word say about this?” before robust discussion followed. Learning from lecturers who were both wise and honest about their own growth was, in her words, “such a privilege and an honour.”
Sarah also appreciates that Trinity focuses not just on grades, but on character and spiritual formation. “I think that’s one of the things that sets Trinity apart,” she says. While academic excellence matters, she explains that the consistent emphasis was on walking with Christ. She adds, “They don’t just want it to be head knowledge, but heart knowledge lived out according to God’s word.”
As a non-denominational Bible college, Trinity brings together students from diverse church backgrounds, something Sarah greatly valued. She reflects on the variety of ministry exposure, from chapel speakers serving in different contexts to missionaries sharing firsthand experiences, which allowed students to ask questions and build meaningful connections.
Sarah speaks warmly of the lecturers who shaped her during her studies. “I’ve very much found it such a privilege and an honour and a joy to be learning under people who themselves have gone through both good and bad times in ministry and personally, but have trusted God through that. All the lecturers really are very wise.” She says it was amazing to spend extended time learning from people who had faithfully trusted God through both joy and hardship.
Friendships formed at Trinity continue today. “Greek and Hebrew is hard work, so it forges deep bonds of friendship that last beyond College.” She remains in contact with classmates and makes the effort to catch up whenever she returns to Perth.
She also remains connected to Trinity through friendships, newsletters, conferences and ongoing conversations with lecturers. “They’re really good at keeping in contact, that care continues on.” She is grateful for their continued support and looks forward to delivering an elective at the upcoming Trinity Enrich conference in May.
For current students, Sarah encourages them to “Keep going. It is a really intense time but stick close to Jesus. Be in the Word, engage your heart and take the time to make really good friendships. Also ask questions of the lecturers while you’ve got the opportunity to have all this amazing knowledge and wisdom right at your fingertips.” She adds, “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, make sure you rest and enjoy it while you’re there as much as you can.”
For those considering studying, she says, “Jump in. I have no regrets.” Even those who feel unsure about their academic ability can take the first step, and there are one year options and short courses to get started. “Trinity is so good at meeting you where you are and helping you navigate what is going to work best for you, for the way God’s gifted you, for the opportunities God’s provided you with for your family situation, and your life circumstances.” Sarah encourages people to jump in and “God will provide.”
Sarah loved her time at Trinity and will miss much about it. She values it as a rich season of digging deeply into God’s Word, growing in theological understanding, building lasting friendships and preparing for ministry. “It prepares you to continue serving God,” she says.
As she continues in ministry, Sarah asks for prayer that she would put into practice the advice she received at Trinity and build sustainable habits for the long term. She also asks, “Pray I can do it wisely and well for the glory of God and for the good of the people I’m leading.”
