Ridley Women

For several years, a group of academic women have been collaborating on various initiatives to inspire and support women in Christian ministry. Working under the support of Ridley College, the network has developed initiatives that encourage and equip women in their Christian ministry. There are three main initiatives the network has undertaken including:

Evangelical Women in Academia Conference
Women’s Preaching Network
Women’s Writing Group Network

In addition to the conferences, regular ongoing activities focus on building up preaching and writing skills through lively, interactive group sessions and networks.

The committee spearheading these initiatives includes Jill Firth, Anthea McCall and Diane Hockridge, who each contribute their skills and experience.

Whilst the sessions are mostly based in Melbourne, we encourage women from across the country and beyond to participate. Virtual attendance and recordings of sessions are available for some activities. The sessions are also recorded with links to relevant resources.

The initiatives are supported by many female volunteers. To be involved, please email the College, info@ridley.edu.au.

Please note that the networks have been created as initiatives to support women, therefore only women may participate/become members of the various networks.

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Women's Writing Network The Women’s Preaching Network Evangelical Women in Academia Network

Women's Writing Network

The Ridley Women's Writing Groups Network is open to any Christian women students, graduates, or others who are committed to improving their writing skills with the goal of the publication in popular or academic forums. The goal of the Network is to encourage women's writing for publication. We are currently running regular face-to-face and virtual writing groups.

Writing groups may include sessions of silent writing (Shut Up and Write), training in writing skills, discussion of writing, or peer review of participant's writing. Once each semester, we meet at Ridley for a meal, a Shut Up and Write session and conversation about our writing.
We also have a virtual writing group.

Campus writing group meetings are postponed until further notice. However, our virtual writing group is continuing to meet monthly via Zoom.

The Women’s Preaching Network

The Women’s Preaching Network is an initiative of the Ridley College Preaching Conference Committee. The Women’s Preaching Network has two aims:

To identify, train, support, and provide opportunities for new and potential women preachers.
To encourage, extend, and resource regular and experienced women preachers in Melbourne.

We hope that, over time, the network will provide women preachers with:

role-modelling
opportunities
education, training and resources
collegiality and encouragement.

The Women’s Preaching Network is an initiative of the Ridley College Preaching Conference Committee.

Women's Preaching Network Events for 2022

Monday 21 March
Monday 25 July
Monday 10 October

Evangelical Women in Academia Network

The Evangelical Women In Academia network connects, inspires and develops female theological students, lecturers, tutors, and ministry practitioners in the church and world.
We hold a conference in Melbourne, Australia annually in which women from across the world gather.

2021 Evangelical Women in Academia conference | Persuasion
Date: 6-7 August 2021
Time: Friday Evening (7 pm- 9 pm) - Saturday (9 am - 5 pm)
Location: Online with local in-person and virtual hubs
Speakers: Brooke Prentis, Lucy Peppiatt, Justine Toh

The Evangelical Women in Academia Conference welcomes women scholars, students, and professional and ministry practitioners to reflect on how God persuades us, persuasive trends in our world, and how we persuade others. Join us as we reflect on how God persuades us, persuasive trends in our world, and how we persuade others.

Friday night at Ridley will include presentations and discussion on persuasion through live performance and art. The Saturday program will be at Ridley, in hubs, and online.

There will be keynote sessions from Lucy Peppiatt, Justine Toh, and Brooke Prentis, and panel conversations based on the elective papers.

30 elective papers from Australian and New Zealand women scholars in the evangelical tradition and selected panels will be available for viewing online before the conference.

For more information and to register click here.

Join the Facebook Evangelical Women in Academia Network

Join the Facebook Women's Preaching Network

Join the Facebook Women's Writing Network

Grounded in the Body, in Time and Place, in Scripture: Papers by Australian Women Scholars in Evangelical Tradition.

Our book Grounded in the Body, in Time and Place, in Scripture now available for purchase! Please visit the book website, www.groundedbook.com.au for more information on where to purchase it from.

Ridley Women

Ridley Women Resources

Making technology a tool for a truly good life

Reflections from the other half

Responding to Domestic and Family Violence Launch

Women Biblical Scholars Interview: Jill Firth

BOOK LAUNCH - NOW AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE

Grounded in the Body, in Time and Place, in Scripture: Papers by Australian Women Scholars in Evangelical Tradition.

Edited by Jill Firth and Denise Cooper-Clarke