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Nathan Hutchinson: Welcome to To This Point: conversations with students about how God brought them to Sydney's Moore Theological College. I'm your host, Nathan, and today we're talking with. Stephen Bailey: Stephen Bailey. Nathan Hutchinson: Hey Stephen!

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How you going today? Stephen Bailey: I'm great, thanks, Nathan. How are you? Nathan Hutchinson: Yeah, very good.

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It's lovely to have you here. Well, on this podcast we cover three main questions. Where have you come from? Uh, what's brought you here?

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And where are you going? So how about we start with that first one? Uh, what was your upbringing like? What was your family, um, growing up like?

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Stephen Bailey: Yeah, so, uh, my parents, uh, were both Christians and, uh, there was them and my sister and I all living together in West Weam. Uh, my dad was a teacher at the high school in West Weam. His plan was eventually to get us all to the coast at Newcastle. Mm-hmm.

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And so he took a job teaching on Norfolk Island. So when you go teaching on Norfolk Island, you are only allowed to stay for it. Seven number of years and then you get priority transfer back to the mainland. So we had three years on Norfolk Island, uh, which was a great time to be a kid, uh, on Norfolk Island.

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No crime, uh, no sort of big rules. Everybody just lives free and easy. It was great. There's cows everywhere, which means there's cow pats everywhere, which is really fun to.

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You know, throw dry ones at people as they drive past. Uh, but we had a great time there. And then dad got transferred back to Newcastle. Uh, when we finished on Norfolk and then I grew up through high school and university in Newcastle in particular, uh, in Valentine, uh, in the suburb on Lake Macquarie.

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Mm-hmm. Gonna Warner's Bay High School. We attended Belmont Baptist Church while we were there while I was in high school, which was a great time. Uh, I had some great, um.

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Youth pastors there, Peter Cosgrove and Jonathan Bradford too in particular, that were really helpful, informative for me, uh, growing up as a young teenage boy. So, yeah, that's my, that's my childhood anyway. Nathan Hutchinson: Oh, right. So you talked about, uh, like a bit of moving around before starting high school and then you're back, um, on the mainland for high school.

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Stephen Bailey: Yep. Nathan Hutchinson: Uh, you mentioned that you went to, uh, church during that time, but like, uh, was that your parents' initiative? What was following Jesus like, uh, in your household? Stephen Bailey: Yes.

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Um, mom and dad, both very strong Christians, uh, they would take us along to church. Uh, we went to the Uniting Church at West Bylong. Uh, when we got to Norfolk Island, uh, I found church there quite difficult and, uh. Really didn't like going to church, uh, for different reasons.

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Uh, but when we came back to the mainland, mom and dad really worked hard to find a place where we as a family could fit well. Uh, and for my sister and I to be able to join in, in. Kids and youth ministry so that we would continue to learn about the Bible, about Jesus. Uh, and so that's how we ended up at Belmont Baptist.

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Mom and Dad really just wanted us to be able to have that opportunity and that chance to learn and grow, which I would say we, we did really well for a big chunk of our time at that church. Yeah. Nathan Hutchinson: Wonderful. Mm. Right.

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So youth group and, um, the cho choice to go to that church was, um, a big part of your own personal, uh, growth during high school. Yeah, that's great. Yeah. So with kind of those, um, convictions around following Jesus, growing as a teenager, what did that mean for when you finished high school?

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What, what path did you decide to take, you know, post schooling? Stephen Bailey: Yeah. So all the way through high school, uh, my hope and plan was to become a. A composer. Yeah.

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I wanted to write music. I loved writing music for, for anything and everything. Uh, so I wanted to get into either film, music, or writing for Broadway musicals. Wow.

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That would've been great fun. Mm-hmm. But I also realised that. You've gotta get discovered early doing that sort of thing.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Stephen Bailey: So I needed a backup plan and because I loved music, my dad was a teacher, I'm like, I reckon I could do that too. I'll do music teaching, I'll, I'll get a music teaching degree.

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And so went to the University of Newcastle, uh, to get a Bachelor of teaching Bachelor of Music with the plan that I would get a job somewhere. Uh, teaching music, but in my free time, I'd use that time to write music. Wow. And if anybody out there is a teacher, they know that free time is a myth.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Right. Stephen Bailey: And you don't actually get that when you're teaching. So not a lot of writing happened. I do.

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I did get to write a little bit at different times and even still, but, uh, I did really enjoy getting into music teaching. That was, that was a highlight. Yeah. Nathan Hutchinson: Oh yeah.

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Right. So, uh, post school, you're going into, um, music teaching. Um, so in the context of, you know, working, um, full-time and living your life that way, how did your, um, convictions about ministry? Obviously you've ended up at college.

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How did that fit into that? How did that start to grow, um, in your time teaching? Stephen Bailey: God clearly had a plan for us for a long time there, right? Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm.

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Stephen Bailey: When I finished my teaching degree, I got offered a position at Narrabri teaching at Narborough High School. I already had some connections with Narborough High School. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm. Stephen Bailey: Um, through going and doing music workshops there through the university, but also friends from Beach Mission lived in Narrabri.

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So like, yeah, I could, I could go teach in Narrabri. Uh, and I got to Narrabri and my friends from Beach Mission went to one church in town and I said to them, should I come to church with you? And they said, no, don't come to our church. There's nobody your age at our church.

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You need to go to the Anglican Church now. I'd never been to an Anglican church before. We were, we went to Uniting Church growing up and then the Baptist Church when we came back to the mainland. So I didn't know what to expect with an Anglican church.

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I was like, I mean, it's just another church. Don't we all believe the same thing? Anyway, I, I rocked up there and, uh, my very first Sunday morning rocked up, uh, met. Three or four young guys who then became very, very, very good friends of mine.

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Mm. Um, but there was this older lady there, her name is Pat Hearn, and I love this old lady. She's so wonderful. She came up to me the first day and goes, you are the new music teacher, aren't you? And I said, yes I am.

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She said, great. I'm on piano next week. Bring your instrument. You're playing with me.

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Wow. Okay. And I'm went, okay. And I never went back.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm. Stephen Bailey: And the church family in Narrabri, so. Welcomed me and became my brothers and sisters that I never looked back from, from not going to this church. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm.

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Stephen Bailey: These young guys, ones in particular, Daniel Wood and Richard Riley and James Stewart really took me under their wing and discipled me a lot. In my first few years there. I, I mean, I was following Christ, but I also. Was following a lot of other things.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm. Stephen Bailey: And they were really good at discipling me, spending time with me one-on-one, reading the Bible. Wow. Praying and just getting me to, to rediscover grace.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm. Stephen Bailey: Uh. Their work within my, probably first five or six years in Narrabri was really formative. Mm. Now at that stage, there was no chance of me ever going into ministry.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Right. Yeah. Stephen Bailey: My thinking was I'm a music teacher. Mm. I'm gonna teach in Narrabri for a number of years.

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Uh, then I'll, you know, try and get a job back at Newcastle, uh, teaching in a school there, get involved in some music stuff again, but. No chance of ministry. Um, I got married to Haley in Narrabri. That then meant I was staying in Narrabri for a bit longer, which was great.

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I mean, for a, a big period of time. I loved teaching at high school and just getting involved in church, in ministry as a lay person helping out with, with music, with kids ministry. Uh, lots of different things. Uh, but then COVID happened.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Hmm. Stephen Bailey: And COVID was a rough time to be a teacher in a country town. Nathan Hutchinson: Yeah, I'm sure. Stephen Bailey: Uh, because everything had to go online and 50% of our kids didn't have access to, I. Online.

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Mm-hmm. Didn't have online access. And so we had to work out ways to get them work, to monitor the work and to essentially teach them without them face to face, but without a screen to help us. Mm. So that was really hard.

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That's Nathan Hutchinson: a challenge. Stephen Bailey: Uh, at that same time I was promoted to head teacher admin, which put a lot of extra pressure on me during COVID because attendance and all the extra requirements the department put on schools and was really difficult. Hmm.

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Post COVID. I kept trying to work too hard and took on further responsibilities. I, I look back at it now and my vicar put it to me at one point. He goes, you gotta remember, you are not Jesus.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Right? Yeah. Stephen Bailey: And that really hit me hard. Um, but I didn't slow down and I hit burnout really badly.

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Mm-hmm. And had to have a couple of months off. And the vicar there, Bernard Gat, who is a wonderful, wonderful man, uh, a simple man, but a wonderful man mm-hmm. In his words.

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Mm-hmm. Um, he, um, spent lots of time with me, uh, reading the Bible and just encouraging me and getting me to come back to grace and go. You are working.

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It almost felt like I was working for approval. Nathan Hutchinson: Yeah. Stephen Bailey: From those around me, uh, from my church, from God, I'm working hard for approval. Uh.

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Not relying on Christ and God's strength. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm. Stephen Bailey: And he, he's put to me, you need to have a break. Mm. You know, you, you've, you've run yourself down, have a break for a year.

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I've been thinking about putting on a, on a kids and youth worker. Nathan Hutchinson: Yeah. Right. Stephen Bailey: Come and have this opportunity for a year to do that, and then work out what you wanna do after that.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm. Stephen Bailey: And Haley and I talked about it and we went, yeah, sure. We'll give that a go. Mm, thank you.

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And we, we did that for the first year and just loved it. Nathan Hutchinson: Oh, amazing. Stephen Bailey: We loved being able to get into, into ministry, um, particularly working with kids and youth, um, being able to transfer those skills from high school and put them into that ministry context. Nathan Hutchinson: Hmm.

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Stephen Bailey: Uh, after the first year, he put to us, do you wanna do another year? Nathan Hutchinson: Mm. Stephen Bailey: We'll bump up the, what you're doing a little bit more. Yeah.

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But you need to start thinking about Bible college. Yeah. And, um, Haley and I just laughed and shook our heads. Like, sh no way, mate.

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We are not doing Bible college at that stage. I was 37. Mm-hmm. I was like, I'm past my date for that.

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There's no chance. He goes, Hm. No, you should be thinking about it anyway. Over the year.

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Um, I was thinking about a lot. I, I think Haley probably was just thinking no. Mm. Um, but I went to an, an event with the senior youth kids Nathan Hutchinson: mm-hmm.

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Stephen Bailey: Where the bishop. From Armadale, rod Swell was speaking. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm. Stephen Bailey: And in the question time, somebody asked the question, um, why should I go to Bible college?

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Nathan Hutchinson: Mm. Stephen Bailey: And he just did the, a very wise thing and said, well, what about this? Let's rephrase the question to why shouldn't you go to Bible college? Mm. You know, there's lots of reasons why that that could stop you from going.

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Mm. But are there actually reasons that are stopping you from going? Or can you go and I came away from that thinking, well, what are my reasons for not wanting to go? It's in Sydney. I hate Sydney.

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I don't want to go to Sydney. Um, I have a family. Moving them would be really difficult. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm.

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Stephen Bailey: Um, but. Are they really reasons that should stop me? Mm. Or should we give it a go? And Haley and I then were just talking and praying a lot.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Mm mm Stephen Bailey: And we went, you know what? Let's go. And even if we go and spend three years learning and growing

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Nathan Hutchinson: Mm mm-hmm. Stephen Bailey: And then come out and go, well, maybe full-time ministry's not for us. Mm-hmm. Three years deep in God's word is not three years wasted.

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Mm. And so. We agreed, yes, let's go to college. Uh, we, we agreed on more. We're like, we want to go to Moore College.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm. Stephen Bailey: We like the idea of the community there. Nathan Hutchinson: Yeah. Stephen Bailey: We like the, the level of, of academia that's going on there.

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Mm-hmm. Um, let's, let's go to more. Let's wait another year. Uh, our, our decision around coming them was purely, uh, family reasons.

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Yeah. Uh, for our kids, uh, if we do three years at Moore, we'll come out and leave. I will go into high school, right? Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm.

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Stephen Bailey: Less changing of schools for him would be helpful. Um, would. Now we are here. Loving it.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Yeah. Wonderful. Stephen Bailey: Yeah. Having our brains stretched and our hearts wrenched, and it's, it's been great.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Yeah. Lovely. Oh, well thank you for that. It's so encouraging.

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Um, I would love to know more about that. So now that you are at college and you had all these expectations, you say your heart's being stretched and your mind's being blown. Um, yeah. Tell us a bit more about your time now that you're at college.

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Um, how are you finding it? What's been surprising? What's been encouraging? Stephen Bailey: I reckon, uh, at the moment.

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I am loving it and thriving with it. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm. Stephen Bailey: I think my first three months were really difficult. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm.

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Stephen Bailey: I think changing town, particularly from a small town to living in the inner city. Nathan Hutchinson: Yeah. Stephen Bailey: Uh, changing just life role, like going from working in ministry and doing some part-time teaching Nathan Hutchinson: mm-hmm.

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Stephen Bailey: To full-time study, uh, a new church as well. All these new things were, were really intense for our family. And then on top of that, I hadn't quite clicked with the all the extra things that college offers you. Yep.

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You don't have to do all of those. You can pick and choose a bit. Um, so that just wore me down a little bit in the first few months, but then get to term two and, and things just became a lot smoother. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm.

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Stephen Bailey: Uh, we are feeling more settled and comfortable living in Newtown. We're absolutely loving our church out at Mortdale. Thumbs up to Crosslight. Mortdale.

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We love you there. Nathan Hutchinson: Lovely. Stephen Bailey: Um, we are loving our study here, being part of the community. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm.

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Stephen Bailey: Um, study's not always easy. Mm-hmm. Like there's a few subjects that I find particularly difficult. Loving languages.

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Languages is fun. Um, but yeah, it's, it's. It's stretching me and challenging me and helping me to learn more about the Bible that I'd never really considered before. Mm-hmm.

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Yeah. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm. Yeah. Thank you for reflecting on your experience with us. Um, now you came into college, uh, uncertain about what was gonna happen on the other side.

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Uh, do you know where you're about? Uh, after having had a year of college, um, you know, have you moved in any direction? What do you think about, uh, what life looks like out, uh, on the other end of, uh, your studies and ministry? Stephen Bailey: Yeah.

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So we are really keen to get back out into the country. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm. Stephen Bailey: Uh, we are enjoying our time in the city, but we are also aware that this is a, a period, you know, there's a time to everything and our time for Sydney is coming to an end in a year and a bit. Yeah.

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We are pretty certain of that. Um. So we keen to head back out to the country, um, particularly go back to the Armidale Diocese Nathan Hutchinson: Mm.

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Stephen Bailey: Um, and work there. Uh, what that looks like, I don't know. Mm-hmm. Um, we sort of open to a few things, whether that's, uh, working as an associate mm-hmm.

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Under somebody in one of the larger centres. Or whether that means doing that for a while, but then going to a, a smaller town. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm. Stephen Bailey: Uh, or whether that means doing chaplaincy work.

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There's a number of, um, Anglican schools in the district. So, uh, we are sort of open to, to where God's gonna lead us and where God's gonna take us. Um, we are really confident in, in the Bishop out there and his leadership and his skills there. Mm-hmm.

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Um, and so trusting that God will work. Through him and leading directors to where he wants us. So, but we are keen to get back outta the country. There's such a need in the country.

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Nathan Hutchinson: Mm. Stephen Bailey: For people to hear about Jesus. Um, and for those that know Jesus to be being built up. Nathan Hutchinson: Yeah.

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Stephen Bailey: Um, we'd love to see more people from the country coming and getting trained and equipped. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm. Stephen Bailey: Um, someone was telling us from Narrabri, we are the first people to come to college. The, the church has sent for about, uh, 25 years, 30 years, and they're like, before that, that was sending somebody every three or four.

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And so we are keen to try and see that happen a bit more. Um, 'cause there's lots of young men and women out there that would really benefit from. From some sort of formalised theological education and then being able to use that to serve the Lord, uh, in that rural setting. Nathan Hutchinson: Hmm.

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Wonderful. And, um, well thank you so much for sharing, uh, all of those different things. Uh, finally, how can we be praying for you, uh, in this season of life as you continue on with college? Stephen Bailey: Uh, pray for us as a family.

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We, Haley and I. Think very hard and carefully about how we are, um, discipling and parenting our kids. Uh, the patterns that we've gotten into, uh, are positive Nathan Hutchinson: mm-hmm.

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Stephen Bailey: But can be easily broken because of all the things that life throws at us. So pray that we can be consistent in our, in our Bible reading and our prayer time with our kids. Um. They frequently surprise us and encourage us in many different ways.

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And uh, so just want to thank God so much for the gift of kids and the great blessing. They are so pray. Pray for us as a family. Mm-hmm.

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Um, also pray for us as we make a few decisions around our future. Um. We wanna be godly in the decisions we make, and we know that a lot of the decisions that we've got to make coming up, uh, either way are good. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm.

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Stephen Bailey: There's not a wrong decision. Nathan Hutchinson: Mm-hmm. Stephen Bailey: We wanna be making our decisions for the right reason. Yeah.

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And not for selfish reasons. Um, so pray for us as we make a few decisions around a few things. Nathan Hutchinson: Yep. Yeah.

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Wonderful. Well, how about I pray for you now. Let's pray.

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Uh, loving Heavenly Father, we pray for, uh, our brother Stephen. We thank you so much for the way, uh, that you've worked in his life to bring him to this point. Uh, we pray for his family. We thank you for the gift of children.

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We pray for his marriage, uh, with Haley, that together they would disciple, uh, their little ones. Uh, well in your name, we pray that you'll help them to keep up good habits of reading the Bible and yet discipling their children well. We pray for their future and as they make decisions about where to go once they leave college, we ask that you would give them wisdom and help them to make godly choices about the future, knowing that you'll be with. Them.

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We thank you for Stephen's story, the encouragement it is, uh, to so many people that so many brothers and sisters came alongside him, throughout his story to read the Bible with him to pray. We thank you for the service of your people, uh, in leading so many, uh, of us in leading Stephen to this point where he can take on the call, uh, to serve your people, and we pray for him in the rest of his studies. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Stephen Bailey: Amen. James Squire: You've been listening to To This Point, a podcast from Societas, the student magazine of Sydney's Moore Theological College. To find out more about the College and to listen to past episodes, head to moore.edu.au. That's moore.edu.au.

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This podcast was edited and produced with assistance from the Communications Team at Moore Theological College, and our music was provided by Moore College graduate Zaneta Neal. Disciples proclaiming Christ.