The Real Nicole.

Social media and limited characters for bios has forced us to create an identity in as little characters or words as possible. I often do this with I am statements and statements or words about things I love.  Facebook says:  I am... 22 I am... christian I am.. Known as Muggles, Nicolee-ole, The Mugginator, Miamle and Muggers I am... a Leader, a Youth Pastor, PCW and a Dreamer i am... a friend and a Daugther I am... learning from my mistakes I am... studying a Bachelor of Ministry I am... a child of God Loves God Loves People Loves grapes Loves stationary Loves boardgames Loves teaching and leading young people Loves reading Loves friends Loves good food Loves my church Loves studying Loves worshipping a great God Instagram says: Daughter, youth pastor, Chaplain (PCW), student, friend, dreamer, follower of Christ, born to make a difference Twitter says: Jesus. Community. Laughing. Boardgames. Youth Pastor. Bachelor of Ministry Student. But is this who I really am? Or is t...

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...

Well we are in 2015 now. How did that happen?!? I don't know about you, but i realised i was an adult and not as young as i thought i was this last year when i realised that there were kids in high school born in the 2000s, The kids transitioning into primary school for 2015 were all born in 2010. And i have actually be out of high school for 4 whole years now! 2014 was an incredibly big year for me.  The 1st of Feb marks one year since I arrived here in Naracoorte. What a year! Golly gosh, where do i even start?! These  last 12 months have been such an adventure and challenge  for me as I stepped out in faith and moved to Nadacoorte  to  work as the youth pastor and work in the lives of the young people in this region. When I'm real honest I would say that this last year has been the toughest year if my life. But I wouldn't change it. I have learnt so much. I think I moved here thinking I knew everything and that I was going to be able to change the wor...

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...

So I've been in Naracoorte for 2 months already! It's been a pretty crazy 2 months. In the time I've lived in 2 houses, got another part time job, and been to the mechanics 3 times. But let me explain more about what I've been up too.  So on February 1st I packed my belongings in mums car and set off on my own for the 4 hour drive. When I arrived I had no idea what was gonna happen. It was pretty scary driving away from home because this was home, family, friends and familiar environments but I felt called and I was excited but probably more nervous at that point. 400kms later I arrived at Naracoorte at about 3pm and drove straight to the Ministers house- I didn't even know where I was going to live that night or long term.  Youth group was at 7pm that night. Nothing like being thrown straight into it! It was a welcome party night and was heaps of fun hanging out and meeting youth and leaders too. That night I got attacked with streamers, water guns, perman...