Matt Smith and Nic Wood have been friends for over a decade and recently completed their Master of Divinity at Trinity Theological College. They now serve as Associate Pastors at Providence City Church, a growing church community in Perth, where their long-standing friendship and shared theological training have come full circle.
Nic is the Congregational Pastor of the 6pm service and oversees Maturity, helping lead discipleship across the church community. His role includes overseeing growth groups, encouraging personal Bible reading, and helping people grow in their knowledge of God and confidence in handling Scripture. Matt pastors a newly established 10:30am congregation, filled with young families, and leads the church’s apprenticeship program, a prayerful initiative aiming to send out 20 apprentices by 2035 into gospel ministry, chaplaincy, and missions.
As university students, Matt and Nic were part of a tight-knit group of friends passionate about ministry. They prayed together, read the Bible together, and encouraged one another as they served Jesus. At one 21st birthday gathering, nearly everyone in the room shared the same hope for the future, pastoral ministry. Years later, many from that group studied at Trinity, with several sharing the same cohort as Matt and Nic.
During their time at Trinity, they did not simply attend lectures. They consistently processed what they were learning together, connecting theology with real ministry experience. Essays were debated, sermon ideas tested, and theological questions wrestled through. As Nic reflects, “I reckon I got way more out of it having close buddies to work things through with. We were always taking whatever we were learning and talking about it in the context of what we were doing at church or experiences we’d had serving in different places.”
That shared journey has sharpened them, and serving together now feels like the continuation of a conversation about ministry that began more than a decade ago. Nic shares, “Having had one big conversation for ten years about serving Jesus, it’s always been geared towards that final end where we’re going to be out of college and pastoring. I’m far better for it from having that experience together.”
Matt also valued collaborative learning. “Sometimes we would swap essays at the end and be able to gain from each other’s thinking.” They were also intentional about engaging their lecturers and appreciated their generosity. As Matt puts it, “We would squeeze the most out of the lecturers.I really appreciated the time that the lecturers gave us as a cohort, it was very generous.”
For Matt, one of Trinity’s great strengths was its clarity of focus. “College isn’t the place to learn all the practical skills,” he says. “It is the place to sink your teeth into the Scriptures and learn how to handle the Bible well.” He remains grateful for the training he received, saying, “I’m thankful for the gift that Trinity has given me of being able to teach the Bible better.” He was also shaped by the personal example of his lecturers, “The godly example of the lecturers– they’re praying for you, pastoring you, and I picked up so much from that.”
Nic describes how College reshaped areas of ministry that once felt intimidating. “I’m really gratified at how things that felt really hard before coming to College, like preaching or writing a Bible study have become far more instinctual. It doesn’t make ministry feel easy, but it does make it feel like something that we’ve been equipped to do.”
Reflecting on his studies more broadly, Nic appreciated being stretched while maintaining theological clarity. “I really appreciated reading things that were outside of my comfort zone, and Trinity did a really good job of helping us understand and expand our vocab and our perspective without losing the clarity of what actually mattered.” He also valued the unity of his cohort and the long-term friendships formed. “I really did appreciate the cohort we went through with and leaving with a bunch of friends who were on the same page with me theologically in terms of ministry and in terms of what we’re trying to do in Perth together. I’m really excited to keep working with each other for the next 20, 30, 40 years.”
For Matt, one clear highlight stands out. “My highlight of my College years was mission week.” He describes it as an opportunity to step into evangelism together as a pastoral care group, sharing testimonies and serving side by side, even when it required personal sacrifice. As he reflects, “You are there together hanging out, serving Jesus and that is one of the highlights for me.”
Now working full-time in ministry, both remain connected to Trinity. They plan to continue using the library, and through Matt’s role overseeing Apprenticeships there will be ongoing partnership with the College. They will continue praying for the College and faculty, as Matt puts it, “keep seeing them kicking goals for the gospel to keep going out in Perth.” Nic is also continuing further study, meaning he will regularly be on campus, and they remain grateful for the ongoing accessibility of lecturers beyond graduation.
For current students, their encouragement is simple and grounded. Matt urges, “Keep listening to Jesus at college. Keep fighting for time to sit and read and pray.” Nic highlights the central place of Chapel, saying, “Chapel’s the heart of the week at College, it’s actually the engine room of everything else you’re gonna do.” He also encourages students to invest intentionally in the people they study alongside, recognising the lifelong value of those friendships. For those considering study, Matt adds, “Get a gang together. I’m pretty sure there is a Bible verse saying two is better than one. Three is better than two. It’s definitely been my experience with going to College.”
As they step further into ministry, both are aware of their dependence on God. Nic asks, “Pray we can be good stewards of what we’ve been given.” He also asks for prayer that, in these early years of full-time ministry, they would establish healthy and godly habits. Matt’s request is that he would be able to “Use the knowledge God’s given us to love and serve people rather than ourselves.”
