The Real Nicole.

I often talk about calling and how I so strongly felt called to move to the country to do youth ministry. I talk about wanting to listen to what God has to say about the ministry I am passionate about.  But what happens if the logistics and realities of life seem to be getting in between my calling?  For the last couple of weeks I fasted, 21 days in a Daniel fast. Meals consisting of fruit and vegetable. A spiritual practice I hadn't tried before. I did this for a few reasons. I wanted to learn some disciple in my faith. I wanted to intentionally spend time trying to draw closer to God. I wanted to allow space in my life to hear from God, particularly on matters of importance around calling and the future. I also wanted to pray around the finances of our church as it was in a bad situation.  What did I learn and hear during my fast? Not a lot and quite a lot.  I learnt that while food is a love language and a place which welcomes hospitality; for me it ...

This is my 5th year studying at Uniting College, I'm about $30000 in student loan debts, and only have successfully completed about half of a degree so far.  If that wasn't enough of an opening statement to prove that study just isn't my thing, I'll finish it off by saying that I've been doing distance education for the last 2.5 years which is extra tricky and have issues with self worth and most of the time feel stupid studying ministry when I don't know anything and especially since I don't know where my future lies.  I've found it frustrating hearing from people who used to study at college saying things like, I never got anything less than a distinction and I'd only been a Christian for a short time before studying. Or commenting on the subject selections or had made. This year, I have approached study differently to before. It's not because I've looked at the debt I have and realised I can't afford to fail - although that...

The last few weeks at youth group I've started to transition year 6's from the local primary school I work at into youth group. These last few weeks I've noticed something. I seem to be thinking differently to most people in the room at youth group.  I love 10-14year olds. And I love having them at youth group. They are probably some of my favourite people.  It's fascinating really,  year 6s tend to think they are the most important person in the room, they aren't aware that things have been operating before them and will in the future. Other youth hate them, they label them twelvies and are annoyed by their bouncy, loud and energetic attitudes. Other adults get tired by them, they seem to want to have a conversation with them and this of course doesn't happen in a mature way.    Me? Why do I love them so much?  I love them because their energy can be turned into evangelism, their loudness can be turned into leadership and their bouncing can be ...

One thing I've really struggled with since being Is Naracoorte is making friends. Don't get me wrong I've got some mates. But every week at church it's a real struggle to know who I should sit with. I pray that youth will come and not have their family with them to sit with. Often I sit alone. It's not nice. A few years ago I wrote for the New Times (Uniting Church SA magazine) about being a young adult in church and not being treated as an adult because its the church you grew up in and older members of church don't really realise you have grown up because they remember you as a kid. I thought when I moved churches and started in leadership I would be treated as an adult. But I still find that difficult in my new context. Not because people are horrible but I think because the age gap is big. Most of the church congregation is 40 years old and older. In fact I think there are maybe 5 people aged 20-40 in the congregation. Then there are youth.  Now these ot...

I was asked to speak at a Church in Naracoorte in December about how i had been called and ended up in Naracoorte.  I also shared this similar story/message to the campers and leaders at CE Camp. Hello my name is Nicole Mugford, I’m 22 years old and I have grown up in the north eastern suburbs of Adelaide until moved to Naracoorte in February when I began working as the Youth pastor at the Uniting church and more recently in the second semester as Christian Pastoral Support Worker at Naracoorte Primary School. I'll tell you more about my roles later but first let me tell you a bit about my journey to getting here and how God has paved the way for me.  I don’t really have a testimony of a life of sin and turning from it, but I don’t have a story of faithfully growing up in a Christian home either.  My family have had a connection with church for a long time but not regular attenders.  After being invited to a kids club during primary school, my mum built conn...

One thing that totally blows my mind and overwhelms me is how much my life has changed in 6 months.  Now I don't mean that in a bad way, because some of the things I've done and achieved is awesome. But it really does shock me.  6 months ago I was living at home and leading in the youth group of the church I grew up in. I wasn't unhappy, I fact I loved it, I was exploring what God wanted me to do though. With my whole life for a long time. I like details, and I don't feel like I have very many in that category. But God has sent me on this awesome journey to the country and I really love it here. I love the community and the slower pace, I love that I feel safe walking around and generally being here and there is loo worry about doors not being locked and stuff.  I love the sporting community and atmosphere, I totally would have done sport growing up if it was like that in the city and you didn't have to pay a million bucks and be elite to get good sporting communi...

So I'm a  youth pastor right, it's something that sometimes I say out loud and it still blows my mind. It's something I always wanted to be and I am that now.  I don't know if I'm doing a good job, i thonk I'm doing alright, I might not be as cool or successful as some of my other youth pastor friends but I feel like I'm doing alright.  Last week I went to NYMC Encore which was a day conference for those in youth ministry.  It was a great day and totally worth  coming back the 400kms  to adelaide for the day, I got to see my friends, my family, my support network. But I heard from God too. Both on a personal level and also for my ministry.  One question I am left with after the conference is about young leaders.   Now I would consider myself a young leader. At 21 , I am young, I have been blessed with many leadership opportunities well beyond my years, but in still a young leader . I'm still leading about who I am and my style of lead...

God called me and I answered, and that is while I'm here now. its been a crazy journey to get here. The beginning of the story starts here... In late December of 2012 i was first time leading of CE Camp and had an awesome group of 16 year olds.  On of these girls was from a country area.  She told me of the struggle it was to be a christian teenager in the country because she was the only one her age and the youth group was just an occasional dinner or something at the ministers house with her younger sister and a few others.  I left that conversation thinking that someone who was passionate about youth should really go out to the country and support them and care about them because that's what they were passionate about rather than that was a need to address.   About a week later (Jan 2013) i was at Beach mission and talking with the Minister of Naracoorte UC who was on the team. I was talking about the plans i had that year to serve in my church with ca...