Women's ministry workers have been told to avoid the temptation to judge their effectiveness by what they have achieved, at one of three training mornings yesterday.
The women who attended " all in paid ministry to women in the Sydney Diocese - were urged to consider their work from God's perspective, and to examine their own and others' expectations of ministry.
Archdeacon for Women's Ministry, Narelle Jarrett says the three mornings examined ministry principles in 2 Corinthians 4 and 5, reminding the 36 women who attended that "competency comes from God, that ministry rises from God's mercy to us, and therefore, as Paul says, we do not give up'.
"We talked about presenting the truth plainly; about the supernatural battle that is involved," says Archdeacon Jarrett.
"We considered that, for ministers of the gospel, there will be difficulties to deal with, yet as we follow Christ, we are able to live for the benefit of others."
The women present discussed questions such as whether we can live and minister by faith, not by sight, and whether in ministry there can be such a thing as failure.
"Paul's own experience was very difficult yet his confidence was so placed in God "therefore, we do not lose heart" for we fix our eyes on Jesus'," says Archdeacon Jarrett.
These training mornings have been running for three years now, in half-day sessions to make attending as easy as possible for women with a number of ministry commitments.
"A goal is to bring women in ministry in the various areas of Sydney together, for encouragement and to help us keep our priorities and focus clear," she says.
Two of the training mornings, entitled "By Faith, not by" ', were run by the Women in Ministry Network in late August, with the third and final morning run yesterday.
The network continues to encourage women in ministry in the Sydney Diocese to attend these events on a voluntary rather than compulsory basis.
"Compulsory things are self-defeating and I think undermine the fellowship of being co-workers together," Archdeacon Jarrett says.
