Joy Hooker 

2004-2008 - Multiple hats

 

Our craft business, Hooker’s Needlework, was closed in 2004, but our third business, Magnetic Supplies NZ continued to grow and was eventually sold as a going concern in 2010.

 

My 2 days a week of paid employment at Hamilton Elim Church grew to 29 hours per week paid plus extra

voluntary work.  These 29 hours included 5 hours paid per week as Principal of Equip Ministry Training, a

Bible School run by the church on a Tuesday night.  When I took it over in September 2006 there were 12

people attending.  I changed the emphasis of the programme, approached experienced teachers, upgraded

the advertising, and attendance immediately jumped to 50 people (in a church of 250 regular attendees). 

Between 25 and 50 people completed each term for the 2 years I was Principal. (See Evidence for

employment references.)

 

From 2002 to 2006, my husband and I ran a weekly Life Group meeting in our home as part of a small

connect group initiative run by Hamilton Elim Church.  I was the primary Bible teacher and programme

organiser and we had approximately 20 people attending.  We stopped running this group when I became

Principal of Equip.

 

In 2007 I also began study towards a Bachelor of Applied Theology via distance with Carey Baptist College

in Auckland.  I completed 6 papers each year during 2007 and 2008 – four of these were work-based learning

papers with my role as Principal of Equip Ministry Training as the primary placement.

 

Key events

Being approached to take up the position as Principal of Equip Ministry Training in September 2006

challenged me in many respects.  While I was an able organiser with an ability to teach, I had no formal

theological training.  A pastor friend of mine suggested I look at completing a theological degree.  Having

never been involved in a formal tertiary environment, I had no idea what this involved.  After receiving further

advice, doing my own research and making a fact-finding trip to Auckland, I enrolled at Carey Baptist College

as a distance student.

 

Key influencers

Jock Brunskill, National Director of WEC Aotearoa, Hamilton

Jock was an Elder at Hamilton Elim Church and a lecturer at Equip Ministry Training.  He is an extremely good communicator and lecturer, and was one of my mentors as I learnt the art of lecturing.  He also helped me think through the wider issues involved in running a quality Bible School.

 

Stewart McClelland, Senior Pastor, Belfast Elim Church, Christchurch

Stewart was the one who suggested I embark on my Bachelor’s degree.  He has been, and continues to be, a huge encourager as I have gone on to further my education and develop training resources and materials for the Elim movement.

 

Tim Bulkeley, Old Testament Lecturer (now retired), Carey Baptist College

Tim became a personal friend and mentor throughout my studies at both Bachelor and Masters level.  He was the most “online” of my lecturers during 2007-2008, and genuinely interested in providing quality resources for distance students at Carey.  His proactive approach to distance learning continues to inspire and inform my own approach to distance and flexible learning.

 

Key learning acquired

Time and energy management became crucial, particularly during 2007 and 2008 when I was working 29 hours a week (plus extra voluntary hours), managing a home business, studying, and running a household.

 

My approach to Equip Ministry Training tended to be learner-centred.  Rather than asking “what are we going to teach,” I asked “what do the participants want to learn?”  In addition, I actively sourced lecturers who were passionate about their chosen subject area.  Being a student myself, I was also able to see things from a learner’s perspective - and as Principal I was able to manage the programme in such a way that catered for the participants needs.  For instance, active participation was encouraged via discussion and 5 minute presentations, quality resources were supplied, and a good supper provided between the two evening lectures.

 

Equip Ministry Training provided my own initiation into a formal teaching environment.  I learnt what worked and what didn’t, by trying it own in my own lecturing.  I DVD’d my lectures and critiqued them myself.  I asked selected participants for feedback on how I could improve.  I learnt how to vary my teaching methods.  I watched other lecturers and learnt from them – both what to do and what not to do.

 

I also utilised what I was taught at Carey and brought it into Equip.  For instance, I completed a biblical paper at Carey on the letter to the Romans.  I wanted to teach the same material at Equip.  So I contacted the New Testament lecturer at Carey (George Wieland), and asked him if I could utilise some of his material.  He readily gave permission, so I wrote my own notes, emailed them to him for approval, and then taught Romans at Equip.  I did the same with several other topics.  In this way I learnt to utilise material provided by others, evaluate it and reshape it for my own context at Equip.