Cat's reflections

In 2000, when I first met Dave and Cathy at Summit, I wasn't a Christian. I'd opened the Bible once or twice (but closed it again quickly), had very little idea of who Jesus was and had never set foot inside a church. The community that Dave oversaw at MUCU was the most loving and welcoming group I'd ever encountered. Within 3 weeks I was a Christian, and I immersed myself in CU - joining every Bible study, training course and camp that I could find.

Fourteen years later, I've worked in IT, done a ministry traineeship at St Jude's, married Tim (an Anglican minister and now Principal of Bible College SA), have two kids and have done some theological education at Ridley. More importantly than any of that, I'm still a Christian and wanting to serve Jesus with my life, through more twists and turns than I'd ever anticipated back at uni.

The years I spent at CU were invaluable discipleship years. I can't think where else I could have had such intense exposure to opportunities to learn, grow, practice and see godly life modelled. Dave's teaching has been some of the most formation in my life - I've been struck in recent years (often in conversation with Dave and Cathy) how often Dave's words come to mind. I went from being biblically illiterate to having a solid working knowledge of the Bible in a couple of years. Even more than that, I came away from those years with a deep love of the Bible and of the God who is revealed in its pages. I was encouraged again and again to submit all of life to Jesus, my Lord. I learnt to appreciate some of the complexities of the Bible, and to be able to hold it's tensions together ("two things are true"). I saw sacrificial giving and service modelled repeated by Dave and Cathy.

One of the striking things that I recall from those years was the call to persevere in radical, passionate faith in Jesus, and to continue giving my whole life to him even when life throws up challenges or becomes too comfortable. Dave and Cathy often taught about how we'd encounter suffering and that it's hard to persevere as a Christian, but they modelled faithful service back then and continue to do so now.

I cannot thank God enough for those years, and the way they have set me up for a life of being God-centred, of using my gifts for him, of seeking joy, forgiveness, and above all, seeking Christ.

Cat Patrick (nee Harris), 2000-2003

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