5 minutes with Melinda ...

- Tell us a little about you

Jesus follower, pastor, Bible teacher, Bible student, world traveller, city dweller, blogger, grammar pedant, friend, sister, auntie, chocaholic, raw-tomato-detester.

- What's your favourite bible passage & why?

Such a hard question! Usually whatever part of the Bible I am studying or preaching this week - I tend to find whenever I really dig into God’s Word He speaks to me through it and it touches on the questions of my life and the world around me. One passage that I often return to though, is Lamentations 3:21-33 - I love that right in the very centre of this book of unspeakable pain and tragedy are the most profound words of hope and joy.

- How do you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?

Certainly time alone in quiet and solitude helps me pray and listen to Jesus, and if that can be in a beautiful part of creation at the same time, even more so.

But as an extrovert, keeping connected with His people is also a big one for me. Being involved in a church, and making sure I am using my gifts for the encouragement of others, is one of the best ways for me to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus as I see Him at work in me and in others.

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

That God loves them and has gifted them and that both the church and the world desperately need them to stand up, speak up and live out those truths.

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

It’s very genuine - people are allowed to make mistakes (in the church service as well as in life) and its very mission focused - seeking to connect with and serve the local community.

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

That He can handle my questions, my doubts, my anger and whatever else is really going on inside me. That crying and lamenting are part of prayer and that sadness and suffering are part of life … and He is still able to bring joy in the midst of it.

- What are you passionate about?

God’s Word and God’s world and seeing how they connect. I am a lifelong student of the Bible and love discovering more of God’s purposes and perspectives in it. I am also a keen traveller and love seeing how different people in different places and cultures do life, and particularly how they worship Jesus.

- What do you enjoy doing when you rest?

Reading fiction - whether it’s a beautifully moving story like The Book Thief or a gripping page turner like Gone Girl, I love finding a book that can transport me into another world for a couple of hours. You can read Melinda's blog called Thinking Out Loud here. It's a great read!