Sue Godbaz
TSCF Graduate
In 1979, I didn’t know that I was the sort of person that people in TSCF were praying for.
On my first afternoon on the Lincoln campus, the orientation table was staffed by Jenny Sommerville. She was a friend of my sister and her Mum had taught me French. She had just completed her Bachelor of Horticultural Science, and I was on day one of mine! She invited me along to the CF group that week. I only said ‘yes’ so as not to offend her but was actually intending not to do any church stuff now I’d left home.
Many of the Lincoln CF-ers became enduring friends. I attended a weekly cell group and in God’s goodness, it was the perfect group for me. There was one week when I realised that they took the Bible super seriously. Being a stubborn woman, I had to be honest and said, “I know the Bible is a big deal to you guys, but it’s over 2000 years old, therefore redundant and I don’t take it like you guys do”. Bill Adam, the leader, paused and quietly said, “That’s ok and we’re just glad that you are a part of our group”.
Over the last 40 years I’ve been involved in a number of churches as work or marriage moved me round New Zealand. These solid local churches have been fantastic at practicing corporate worship and giving a real sense of manaakitanga in small home fellowships. Though much of my spiritual formation has come from the local church, and I am very grateful to my loving parents (who both died tragically before their time) and sisters who have given a stability that I now realise is not that common, I need to say that TSCF has taught me so much that would not have come with any clarity from elsewhere.
I feel I owe my life to TSCF in that this was the first real presentation of Jesus to me that got through. It has shown me the relevance of our Lord in every aspect of daily life. TSCF has hugely influenced the course of my life choices through:
• Social Work Internship Scheme (SWIS): taught me tolerance of those different to me.
• Teaching me that we severely limit God’s work on earth if we over-admire or mimic our favourite Christian ‘heroes’.
• The overnight Hui at various Marae where the disenfranchising of Māori has been explained by Māori Christians.
• Clearly teaching me to major on the major points of the gospel in church life and wider fellowship. • Showing me a huge range of inspiring biblically literate role models and setting a high view of Scripture in my core.
• The sex talks at TSCF conferences were the only ones that ever came from any Christian entity!
• Canvas magazine has been a great resource for me as a grad.
In the meantime, God has led me to give to TSCF financially and through intercessory prayer. About ten years ago TSCF supported Rick Foxley to approach graduates to consider leaving a legacy to TSCF. The idea sat on my back burner, then in 2014, when I was revising my will, I felt God’s invitation to remember TSCF. It became abundantly clear that a legacy is a complete matter of joy to me. It fills me with thankfulness, that even when I shuffle off this mortal coil, that our Lord can still be using me, outside of the construct of time for the good of student mission. The core TSCF values of influencing our culture in New Zealand through students and grads that live an undivided life, for student lead mission on campus, for biblical literacy, for servant leaders in society who become independent thinkers and not parrots of their Christian gurus.
Maybe you, dear reader, might wish to join me and put a legacy to TSCF in your will?
By remembering TSCF in your Will you will help future generations continue the task of reaching students for Christ. If you would like to learn more about leaving a gift to TSCF in your will, please click here
