“It is a risk worth taking so we can train up gospel workers to go out in the harvest field. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So it’s worth looking for people who are worth watching and training and training them up.”
Natalie Plaege is an MTS Trainer from Salt Church Wollongong, where her husband Michael is Lead Pastor. She is currently training apprentice Laura, and loves how MTS apprenticeships give people the chance to get equipped for life and ministry in an environment that allows giving it a go and making mistakes.
The best first step
Natalie was first introduced to MTS through her now husband Michael. When they met, he was already planning to do MTS, so a future in ministry seemed likely even before they got married. Michael did go on to do an apprenticeship at UNSW and then they both went to college. While at Moore College Natalie did a one-year Bible & Missions Course.
“I’ve always valued the MTS program, it’s really good training. It’s a great stepping ground to see if you want to do ministry and to learn to fail before you go into ministry” Natalie says.
Natalie saw this value in action through friends who didn’t do MTS and jumped straight to Bible College and full-time ministry. She explains, “I think we’ve also seen friends of ours who we did college with who didn’t do MTS before they went to college and then they’ve come out and made the mistakes that we would have made in MTS. This really showed me the importance of doing it.”
Joy in mutual encouragement
Natalie has been in church ministry for 22 years and along the way has been often involved in the leading of ministry and equipping of people – particularly women. It has cultivated both skill and passion in her!
As a trainer, Natalie takes real joy in training women through MTS. She sees it as a two-way street where she gets encouraged and grows in her own conviction, character and competency too.
She shares, “I enjoy catching up with and training women. I love chatting, I love having coffee, I love meeting up with women one-to-one and [when I first began as a trainer], I felt I was qualified enough theologically, and with the ministry experience to be able to be useful in training women through MTS. Plus it is of benefit to me too!”
The multiple hats of a trainer
In 2024 Natalie is training Apprentice Laura, who is in her first year of an apprenticeship. Laura’s husband Adam started MTS in 2023, and after his experience, she was eager to do it herself!
Natalie describes Laura as, “someone with a heart for ministry who has always been willing to serve.”
It was exciting to see this grow into a conviction for vocational ministry, and a great answer to prayer as there was a need for more women with the capacity to meet with other women one-to-one.
Salt Church is an FIEC (Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches) church ministering to the people of Wollongong. They run several Sunday services for around 300 people from the littlest kids to most experienced Seniors.
Natalie and Laura are involved in ministry across these services in some of the same teams and some different things too!
They meet fortnightly, which Natalie finds is the best rhythm for her and Laura this year. Natalie shares, “We read the Bible and have a general chat about her areas of ministry, what her concerns are, how she’s growing and any issues that come up with that. Then we look at the next two weeks ministry-wise and talk through that. Once a month we also do an MTS training paper from the MTS curriculum, and the other fortnight read a relevant book, currently Trellis and the Vine.”
Natalie also sees Laura throughout the week at church, they do kids ministry together and Laura is involved in leading the Sunday gathering regularly.
Natalie works to cultivate openness with her apprentices so they can always approach her, and she and Laura often have conversations on the fly so she is constantly supported. Part of training Laura also involves Natalie giving feedback on her work, like when she leads the gathering or does a talk in the kid’s program.
Working on Laura’s fundraising, which is required to make up a portion of her salary, is also something Natalie supports her with.
Equip for the harvest
Particularly for women considering MTS, Natalie is eager to see the option taken up!
Natalie shares, “It’s a great tool just for equipping you, for ministry, for life and for simply being involved in ministry in church! So even if you don’t end up going to college and getting theologically trained, it’s still worthwhile.
From Natalie’s experience, training does come with risks, as those you train or identify as potential apprentices don’t always stay at your church. Often they move on to different ministry opportunities, or after MTS leave to go to Bible College. However, there is still great joy in multiplying gospel workers!
Natalie says, “It is a risk worth taking so we can train up gospel workers to go out in the harvest field. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So it’s worth looking for people who are worth watching and training and training them up.”