studentsoul church ministry team

Helen Harray

Hey, along with Richard, I am the minister at studentsoul.

I'm the sort of person that desperately wants to make church a fun and relevant place to be. This has always fired me up. I want to worship in an environment where the whole of me is engaged in a vital and connected relationship to Jesus Christ. Knowing that I am a visual and kinesthetic person makes me determined to develop a model of church where the arts are valued and where we learn in ways that stimulate more than just our ears. Connecting the right brain with the left is one way of putting it.

I am also committed to building community where students learn the art of healthy intimacy in relationships and where mental and emotional health is balanced with the God stuff.

I'd love to get to know you and I'm pretty good at listening. Counselling is one of the things I do besides organizing services and camps and most importantly helping students to find their own identity and a place to serve and use their own gifts. If you give studentsoul a bit of time, you will find a place to be nurtured, challenged and provoked and hopefully you will leave Dunedin more whole and more in love with Jesus than ever.

Please introduce yourself to me.

Richard Dawson

Richard Dawson studentsoul minister

Hi, I’m Richard, senior pastor of Leith Valley Presbyterian Church and co-pastor with Helen of studentsoul. Our ministry into the university is something we as a church totally believe in and want to see grow and improve year by year so as many students as possible have their faith strengthened through their study years and are prepared for a life of mission when they leave. We’re also very concerned to see students become confident enough to share their faith in a reasoned and appropriate manner with as many as God sends them to.

God’s love has and continues to completely renew my life and I look forward to sharing that with you this year.

Emma McPhail

Emma McPhail Hey! I’m Em from England - Cornwall, to be precise, a real beach n surf zone. I’ve been in ministry since I was 19 and my passions are mission, worship, discipleship and preaching. My main aims within studentsoul are to raise our spiritual awareness and to help everyone to get closer to God, wherever you stand with him at the moment. I reckon we can always go deeper in our relationship with Jesus and I often rant on about the Holy Spirit because God's spirit is awesome - empowering, encouraging and comforting. I really want us all to be able to hear the voice of God more clearly and grow in our understanding of just how much he wants to talk to us and show us amazing thingsabout himself, the world and us.

Since leaving Bible College with a BA (hons) Biblical Theology and an MA, as well as having a Diploma in Ministry (distinction) and a Post-Grad Certificate of Education (distinction), I've been a High school teacher, Youth pastor and Church leader. I love missions and have been involved for many years, ministering in India, Africa, the Philippines, Australia and a bunch of islands in the Pacific. Watch out for mission opportunities coming soon... I really want to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and serve God, whether that's on your own doorstep or across the world.

As far as other interests go, I love kayaking, badminton, drawing taking photos of amazing places, valiantly trying to thrash Helen at table tennis, playing almost any sort of game and generally having a great laugh! I BELIEVE IN LIFE IN ALL ITS FULLNESS! If you need a good laugh, a bit of prayer or a late night deep and meaningful, give me a shout. I am NOT a morning person!!!

Tim Muller

Hey all, Tim Muller

I'm Tim Muller, a 5^th year student at Otago University, and a member of the studentsoul ministry team for 2008. I've just finished a BSc(Hons) in chemistry, and this year I'll be finishing off a BA in History, as well as making lots of bad movies, good (hopefully) music, and playing a bit of social sport and reading the odd book here and there.

A wise friend of mine, Mr Emerson Yeoman, once said that, while Christians are called to live "in the world but not of it" (see John 17:15), many Christians' lives would be better described by the phrase "of the world but not in it". It's very easy to spend so much time in study groups, worship teams, church social events and so on, that by the end of the week we can realize we've not spent any time with friends who aren't Christians. At the same time, our lives can be marked by the same selfishness we're so quick to criticize in the rest of society.

I believe both of these things have to change if the church is to regain its relevance to a world that just doesn't see the point any more. Not only do Christians need to live in a selfless, giving and loving manner, we need to do so where people can see it, not merely within the four walls of the church. Unless we are intentional about living as a member of society at large, rather than just a member of the church, we cannot understand the needs people have that allow us to share God's love with them, let alone meet those needs.

Because of this, I'm passionate about encouraging Christians to move beyond their comfort zone and interact with those who don't believe the same thing as them. For me, this has meant flatting, playing music, making movies, playing sport, and generally sharing the highs and lows of life with a fantastic bunch of people who just don't happen to have the same beliefs about God and life that I do. Part of my job at studentsoul this coming year is to help find out what that means for you.

Edward Masters

G’day, I’m Ed. In 2007 I finished a BCom in Management and a BA in Politics. In 2008 I will be studying theology, and will be a “ministry assistant” at studentsoul. I enjoy the outdoors, cycling and hanging with people.

More than anything I love to serve God. It is incredible that God allows us to serve and work in his kingdom, and it is when we serve that we grow closest to God. One of my passions is seeing the church look outside of itself and serve the community and the world around us.

Something that I have learnt in the past few years is that we cannot hope to serve as a bunch of individuals, it is exhausting and discouraging. But when we unite as a community of grace and love we can truly serve God as He wants us to.

Allister Laurent

Hi I’m Al, a 2^nd year student at Otago University. I’m on the studentsoul ministry team in 2008. This year is my second in Dunedin studying a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting and minoring in Management.

My role at studentsoul is mostly behind the scenes but includes coordinating the Audio Visual team (Sound and Data projector operators) and setting up for services each week. If you are interested in helping at Sunday services with anything, come and see me.

I’m passionate about telling students on campus about Jesus. Over the New Year period I went on a 13 day beach mission project at Whangamata on the Coromandel Peninsula with 36 uni students from around New Zealand. It was an awesome experience.