Rev Emma Matthews was inducted into Nedlands Uniting Church over the long weekend. On Sunday 6 March, Emma was officially welcomed to the congregation during a bilingual service, in both Mandarin and English.
Having served as the chaplain at Penrhos College – a Uniting Church WA school for girls in kindy to year 12 – since her ordination as a deacon in 2011, Emma will now serve at Nedlands where she will focus her ministry on working with children and young people as well as training for small group leadership, preparing people for baptism, preaching and organising retreats. Prior to ordination Emma worked in lay ministry in Sydney, Brisbane and a small farming community in south-east Queensland.
Rev Stephen Larkin, also a minister at Nedlands Uniting Church, preached during Emma’s induction service. He spoke about the importance of living in word and action.
“All are called to proclaim the love of God in word and deed,” Stephen said. “That’s what it says on the back of the Nedlands Newsletter. The ministry leaders are not Stephen and Emma, or the council. The ministry leaders are the members of the congregation. And the ministry leaders – that’s all of us – need to be using both their wings.”
“The opportunities to make a difference are endless.
“The final words of Matthew’s gospel are the familiar words of Jesus, ‘to go and make disciples.’ Going and making disciples is a two winged effort. It is loving in word and action. It is caring for the whole person, body and spirit.”
In response to her induction, Emma thanked the congregation and shared her vision of empowering those present in their ministries.
“As my ministry here takes shape, I want you to know that I am praying for all of you,” Emma said. “I am praying that you will all discover your God-given gifts and use them for the building up of this community and beyond.
“This will mean that Stephen and I can use our gifts for teaching and training to educate and skill you to do what God has called you to do.
“May it be a time of rich harvest that we share widely.”
