Helping New Mums With the Loss of Identity | Sarah Condie | ADM Conversations

What happens in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life can shape their future for years to come. In this episode of ADM Conversations, Jeanie Schwarz speaks with Sarah Condie, former Co-Director of the Mental Health and Pastoral Care Institute, about why this critical period, from conception to a child’s second birthday, deserves greater attention from parents, churches, and communities. Drawing on her experience as a mother, pastor, and mental health advocate, Sarah shares practical insights into fostering healthy attachment, supporting new parents, building resilience, strengthening marriages, and recognising the signs of postnatal depression. She also explains how churches can play a vital role in helping families feel connected, supported, and equipped during one of life's most significant transitions. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, church leader, or someone who cares about helping children flourish, this conversation offers encouragement, wisdom, and practical ideas for giving children the best possible start in life. ADM is a Christian organisation based in Sydney, Australia, that equips and empowers women through theological education, community, compassionate ministry and public gospel witness, helping women bring the love of Jesus to a hurting world. Find out more: https://www.deaconessministries.org.au

What does good pastoral care actually look like — and whose job is it? Sarah Condie, former Co-Director of the ADM Mental Health Institute joins Jeanie Schwarz to explore how ordinary Christians can care well for one another through listening, kindness, prayer and simply being present. They discuss why pastoral care isn’t about fixing people, how small acts of care can help people feel seen and included, and how we can bring the hope of Christ to those going through difficult times. Sarah draws on 30 years of experience in mental health and wellbeing and her work with ADM’s Mental Health & Pastoral Care Institute. ADM is a Christian organisation based in Sydney, Australia, that equips and empowers women through theological education, community, compassionate ministry and public gospel witness, helping women bring the love of Jesus to a hurting world. Find out more: https://www.deaconessministries.org.au

What does it mean to engage with the Bible as a truly “living and active” Word?In this talk, Dr Kamina Wüst challenges us to consider whether our approaches to Scripture can sometimes become overly focused on extracting information and instruction. Drawing on poetry, biblical wisdom literature, teaching experience and personal stories, she explores how the Bible can also shape us through imagination, emotion, experience and creative engagement.Kamina encourages Bible teachers, ministry leaders and theological educators to retain careful exegesis while expanding the ways we read, teach and communicate Scripture — allowing the Bible not simply to be something we work on, but something that works on us.Dr Kamina Wüst is an Old Testament scholar, author and theological educator who teaches Biblical Studies and Hebrew across several Australian theological colleges.This talk was presented at the 2026 Mary Andrews Academic Conference.ADM is a Christian organisation based in Sydney, Australia, that equips and empowers women through theological education, community, compassionate ministry and public gospel witness, helping women bring the love of Jesus to a hurting world. Find out more: https://www.deaconessministries.org.auOUR SOCIALS: ADMTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@deaconessministries/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@anglicandeaconessministries/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/anglicandeaconessministries/Instagram - https://instagram.com/anglican_deaconess_ministries/OUR SOCIALS: MARY ANDREWS COLLEGEFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/MaryAndrewsCollege/Instagram - https://instagram.com/maryandrewscollege/

In this episode of ADM Conversations, Mary Andrews College Dean of Education Becki Philips speaks with Old Testament scholar Dr Kamina Wüst about her unexpected journey into theological study, the barriers women can face in pursuing further study, and why learning theology can shape far more than a career.Kamina also shares how burnout led her to step away from ministry-adjacent work for several years, how encouragement from others helped her return to academic study, and why she believes theological education is “for everyone.”They also explore Kamina’s specialist work on the Song of Songs — including why she thinks Solomon is key to understanding the book, what the Song reveals about women’s voices and experiences, and why this often-overlooked part of Scripture deserves more attention.If you’ve ever wondered whether Bible college might be for you, this conversation is an encouraging place to start.ADM is a Christian organisation based in Sydney, Australia, that equips and empowers women through theological education, community, compassionate ministry and public gospel witness, helping women bring the love of Jesus to a hurting world. Find out more: https://www.deaconessministries.org.au

Who was Mary Magdalene, and what do the Gospels actually tell us about her?In the 2026 ADM Public Lecture, historian and theologian Jennifer Powell McNutt takes a fresh look at Mary Magdalene — stripping away centuries of assumptions, legends and popular portrayals to return to the biblical text.Drawing particularly on John 20, Jennifer explores Mary’s place in Jesus’ ministry, her presence at the cross and burial, her encounter with the risen Christ, and her role as a witness to the resurrection. She also considers how interpretations of Mary Magdalene have changed throughout church history — from the “penitent prostitute” tradition to modern conspiracy theories and alternative gospels. At the centre of the lecture is a simple but striking question: what does Mary Magdalene’s story reveal to us about Jesus?Jennifer argues that Mary’s significance is ultimately not about elevating Mary for her own sake, but about seeing more clearly the identity and work of the risen Christ — “Saviour, Messiah, but King and Lord.” The lecture is followed by a conversation with Laurel Moffatt, Principle of Mary Andrews College exploring how Christians can read Scripture and church history well, why women such as Mary Magdalene have sometimes been overlooked, and what Jennifer’s research has taught her about following Christ. Her final reflection focuses on Mary’s life becoming centred on Jesus: staying near him, receiving his teaching and giving her resources to his ministry.Jennifer Powell McNutt is a professor of theology and history of Christianity at Wheaton College. Her work explores the Reformation, women in church history, and the relationship between theology, Scripture and the life of the church. Buy and review Jennifer Powell McNutt’s book, The Mary We Forgot, on AmazonADM is a Christian organisation based in Sydney, Australia, that equips and empowers women through theological education, community, compassionate ministry and public gospel witness, helping women bring the love of Jesus to a hurting world. Find out more: https://www.deaconessministries.org.auOUR SOCIALS: ADMTikTok YouTube FacebookInstagram OUR SOCIALS: MARY ANDREWS COLLEGEFacebookInstagram