JourneyOnline
Young adult leader within the Uniting Church, Michelle Donaldson describes how the church has shaped who she is as an adult.
There have been a few times when I can pinpoint a moment when my life has changed. Joining the Oxley Uniting Church youth group in 2008 was one of those moments.
This introduction to the church provoked a passion for youth ministry that has shaped who I am as a young adult. Over the years that I’ve been involved in a Uniting Church youth group, I have been moulded into someone who is a confident leader and a confident mentor, gradually becoming the kind of person I looked up to when I first started 12 years ago.
I never could have envisioned that friends inviting me along all those years ago could have developed into the passion I have for the church today.
The Uniting Church is continuously working to improve relationships with women. The Women in Leadership initiative is just one way this is being done and is a major project for 2020. Providing up and coming women leaders with opportunities to be mentored by established women and men is invaluable to the life of the church.
As a young woman who has always had strong female mentors in her life, I applaud the initiative to actively develop more women to have the skills and knowledge to become strong leaders and mentors themselves.
As I continue my journey of becoming a confident woman in leadership and in faith, I look to Ruth.
One of the key messages I take from Ruth is to remain humble and to keep working as God blesses you; not to let blessings go to your head, to keep working and push ahead.
I am fortunate to find myself blessed with many opportunities to grow in my faith and in leadership within the church, and am excited to continue to work for God’s mission.
Michelle Donaldson
Michelle Donaldson is a young adult leader within the Uniting Church. Find out more about International Women’s Day.
