Our Mothers Minister

Two years ago we asked Mothers Union Sydney for a special grant for an all-new position of ‘Mother’s Minister’, and they graciously supplied us with the funds to employ Gemma Bartlett for the part-time role.

At the time, I described the role in this way:

We wish to employ a mature and experienced Christian mother to help strengthen and support new and younger mothers in our church to be godly wives who serve their husbands as they bring up their children in the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. 

They will teach how to develop Christian homes as a place for nurturing children, which will then be a natural environment to invite unbelievers in their networks to witness the outworking of the Word of God in the lives of their families and homes.

This will involve one-to-one discipleship of mothers in our church; the opportunity to train, resource and empower other experienced Christian mothers and grandmothers to share this ministry; and to prayerfully gather all members of our parish to seek to make disciples of all nations, one mother and family at a time. 

We also long to be a parish that learns and then shares from its ministry experience, in order to equip other, similar churches in rural and regional churches with this important, specialised ministry. 

I’m delighted to share that Gemma and all the Bartletts will remain with us as members of our church into the future, and will keep helping mothers and everyone grow in our ministry.

We recognise with great thanks the special contribution Gemma has made to the life of our church whilst serving in this 24-month role, and we thank God for the vision and resources of Mothers Union Sydney in providing us with the grant.

We’re also thankful for how our intergenerational focus has been fanned into flame under her leadership, and for the ongoing impact this has on everyone in our church.

JODIE McNEILL

(image credit: Kurt Stocker via Flickr)