5 minutes with Sue ...

Tell us a little about you Senior pastor of the Grainery Church in Newcastle, NSW. I’m married to Graeme who is CEO of St Philip’s Christian Colleges. I have four amazing children, one beautiful daughter-in-law and two incredibly gorgeous grandsons. Do you have a favourite bible passage? If so, what it is and why? I love Philippians 4:4-8 It’s become my rule of life. I need to remember daily the goodness of God and His power at work in my life and in the world around me. It helps me get my thoughts headed in the right direction and my heart in the right place. I believe it’s one of the key secrets of being a follower of Jesus. How do you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus? Meditating on His Word, keeping that Word in my heart, keeping songs of praise in my heart and asking the Holy Spirit to enable me to do all of that. I’ve learnt I can’t do any of that in my own strength. What would you like the next generation of Christian women to know? There are seasons in life. We don’t have to do everything at once. If we have children, there is a time for being there for them. If we are single there’s time to use the singleness in serving the Lord. If we are called to leadership we do so knowing that a woman’s heart reflects the heart of God just as a man’s heart does. They may seem different but each of us has an aspect of God’s heart. As we move in unity we reflect God’s heart to the world. What's one thing that you love about your local church? It’s a community of people who are there for each other. It is generous. What did you learn about God at a time in your life you found hard? One of my sons died in 2008. It was a time when I felt totally let down by God. As I kept pushing in to know Him more I discovered His love in greater ways than I have ever experienced. It was my deep need for Him that drove me further into His presence and I discovered He is who is says He is and He is faithful. What are you passionate about? I’m passionate about the Bible and seeing people know it and put it into practice. What do you enjoy doing when you rest? I love to read, to walk and to watch a good movie. But most of all I love to be with my family.