5 minutes with Jan

FHE Editor
9 hours ago
5 min read

A little about myself

- A nearly 70 year old single woman, living with my second best mate - Buddy - a straight hair, black and white cavoodle. My best mate, of course, is my Lord and Saviour, Jesus.

- I grew up in Victoria, unfortunately in an abusive family. I think all the way from childhood, I had committed as much of myself to as much of God as I understood him. In my late teens, early twenties, I understood about a personal relationship with Jesus, and my faith then grew strongly.

- I’m a sports fan, and hockey and cricket helped me get thru my childhood/teenage years somewhat sane. Still love sport but don’t play anymore.

- I left school early, after Yr 11, to get away from both school and family, and went and worked as a jillaroo, working with stud cattle. But then went back and did my HSC at 21, then studied dental therapy - kids school dentistry. I was sent to Gippsland, and that is where I discovered a passion for ministry and evangelism. Being in a smallish diocese, in terms of people, and a large one in area, I was mentored, encouraged etc in ministry, camp leadership, youth work etc, and 2 years later went to Church Army College of Evangelism in Sydney.

- Since then, I have worked in parish work - Tassie and NSW, and chaplaincy - juvenile justice and general hospital - NSW.

- During the nineties, I had to stop work because of ME/CFS, and during that time the horrors of my childhood surfaced. I still deal with chronic health issues, which sucks, and prevents me from doing as much as I want to do!

- I am now retired, but involved in parish ministry and Kairos prison ministry. There may be developments in the next few weeks about short term ministry in another diocese. Watch this space! 😅

Favourite Bible Verse

John 10:10b - sort of cheating a bit!

(Jesus said)… "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10b

(And I normally preface it with Jesus saying ‘I am the Good Shepherd')

I love all the I ams in John's Gospel, and the Good Shepherd is my favourite. Of course, he gave his life, so that everyone who believes has life, and life to the full/abundant.

There's a great book - A Shepherd looks at the Good Shepherd (by Phillip Keller), with lots of amazing stuff about Middle Eastern shepherds. I love that, instead of herding sheep from behind as we do, the shepherds in Jesus's day would have been leading, and the sheep following. This means for me, that as I follow Jesus, my feet go where his feet have gone. I can’t go anywhere where he hasn’t been - rocky ground, narrow paths, hilly, boggy etc - He goes first.

I preached my first full length sermon on this passage, about 47 years ago, and would do so again at the drop of a hat!

How do you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?

That’s a really interesting question,and a hard one to answer!

It’s almost habit. Rarely would a day go by that I don’t turn to a passage in my Bible, and spend time - short or long - talking with Jesus.

Something I’ve been doing for the last couple of years has been doing Versle each day. It appeals to my competitive spirit, plus it takes me to passages that I wouldn’t normally read - every second day is an OT passage.

I’m also doing further study - both an online Diploma of Ministry through Ridley, plus teaching some Ridley Certificate subjects with some people from church. So most days I would be doing something with study.

I enjoy the noon time Lectio 365, and most times listen to it when eating my lunch. As I read so much, it’s nice just listening to it.

What would you like the next generation of Christian women to know?

* Each person is made in the image of God - female and male. Female is not the lesser of the genders. Unfortunately, the complementarian mindset has become more common in the last few decades, and more strident. Don’t let that determine your ministry (if God is calling you to vocational ministry, or ministry in daily life). God has gifted you - find out how, and use these gifts. Gifts are not gendered. If God has called you to teach, teach. If God has called you to lead, lead. If God has called you to serve, serve and so on.

* Stay away from people like John MacArthur. And Doug Wilson who says women should be making the sandwiches. 😡 Take note of Jesus's words to Martha re Mary - "she has chosen the better thing" (Lk 10:42)

* If you don’t have the opportunity to use these gifts where you are, consider if moving is an option.

* Make the most of egalitarian 'sources'. Groups like CBE, FHE etc. Podcasts - The Alabaster Jar, Mutuality Matters. Teaching - Drs Lynn Cohick, Mike Bird, Nijay Gupta, Tom Wright. Blogs like CBE International, Marg Mowczko's. Many other resources too.

* If you are thinking of Bible College, I would recommend Ridley, or Morling. Make sure you will be on the same footing as male students.

* And if at college, and particular male students are 'a problem', report them! I had a fellow student tell me I should start reading the Bible 🤬

* Use/befriend us oldies! Let us walk alongside you.

What's one thing that you love about your local church?

The people! Their encouragement of me in ministry. And their friendship. Chances to preach - although that dried up in 2025 for both the other woman who preaches and I.

We went through a terrible time in the years before COVID, and God has been dealing gently with our trauma.

(Sorry that’s more than one!)

What did you learn about God at a time in your life you found hard?

That God was faithful, even when I thought he wasn’t!

I have a strong dislike of people using 'dump and run' type verses, or the platitude type verses. I would much rather people sit beside me in my trauma, and be God with skin on. Be 'real' like in the Velveteen Rabbit story.

What are you passionate about?

This follows on from the previous question.

*. Being real about God, and sitting beside people in their tough times. Being God 'with skin on'. Love one on one type ministry.

* Passionate about ministry to people behind bars, and also those impacted by the imprisonment of others - Kairos Inside and Kairos Outside.

* Teaching the Bible, plus learning more about it myself

* Sport

* Buddy!

* Injustices. And speaking out about them.

What do you enjoy doing when you rest?

Cuddles with Buddy!

Watching sport - cricket, Winter Olympics coming soon etc

Reading