About St Jude's

Bowral

Our locality provides opportunities to enjoy some of the festivals and attractions of this beautiful area. St Jude's is part of the Bradman Walk and is only minutes from Bradman Museum. The annual Tulip Time Festival in September/October sees many visit the Highlands and local gardens and St Jude's also opens the grounds in conjunction with this.

Bowral and the surrounding areas offer much for tourists and visitors to enjoy and a wonderful lifestyle for those resident to the community. This includes many antique stores and book shops, and a developing coffee culture. St Jude's enjoys a close contact with the community and seeks to serve to those in the Highlands.

The congregation is involved in running a broad range of ministries for all ages. See our "Ministries" link to find out where you can be involved. In keeping with the Evangelical tradition, St Jude's supports sharing the gospel with the world and accordingly links itself with several mission organisations and individuals.

This both enriches our experience and provides a focus beyond our own community.

Our Message

St Jude's Bowral is a community of Christian people who worship Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Through his death and resurrection rebellious and autonomous human beings are brought into a right relationship with God.

Through the gift of the Holy Spirit we are united in love for one another and seek to share the good gews of Jesus with the community around us.

The Bible tells of God's great drama and is available for all to read. The Bible says: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself." (2 Corinthians 5:19)

We invite you to join us and discover more about Jesus.

Rector:

Rev. Stephen Fifer

BA (Hons), Dip Ed, BTh (Hons) Dip A., MA (Hons)

 

Phone: 02 4862 2019
Email: stephen.fifer@bowralanglican.org.au

Stephen was born in Calcutta , India and migrated to Australia in 1951, where his family eventually settled in Sydney . At Macquarie University he trained as a high school teacher, specialising in Ancient History. Stephen and Sharen, were married in 1973 and lived in Tamworth for ten years and where their two children were born. In 1983 Stephen began studies at Moore Theological College and after completing his training for ministry he was assistant minister at All Saints' Figtree (4 years) and Rector of St Phillip's Caringbah (15 years). In May 2006, Stephen was inducted as Rector of St Jude's.

Stephen writes: “Full-time ministry can be exhausting, but I am never sorry that I followed God's leading to serve His church. I still wonder at the grace that God has shown to me and the way He led me to himself through the local fellowship of His people. The local church is the most important group in the community because God has entrusted His eternal gospel to us and called us to grow in love for one another and for the world. It is exciting to be part of God's church. Would you like to join us?”

Senior Assistant Minister:

Matthew grew up in Western Sydney, attending The Kings School, Parramatta. He remains eternally grateful for the local Anglican Church he attended in his final year of high school, where he discovered God’s great deal offered in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He continued attending that church for 20 years.

After school, Matthew went into the insurance industry, working for brokers. Wanting to use his Economics degree and believing he would have more time for Christian ministry, Matthew completed a Diploma of Education, then taught Social Sciences in 2 Sydney High Schools for 8 years, where he also ran the school’s Inter School Christian Fellowship.

Matthew was accepted into Moore Theological College, where by the grace of God he complete 4 years of training for a Bachelor of Divinity, and the following year completed his Diploma of Ministry. Since college, Matthew married a beautiful girl, Cathy, and they now have three young children – Jonathan, Luke and Ellen.

He has had the privilege of serving in the Sydney parishes of Willoughby, Blacktown, and the Lower Mountains. Matthew’s main interests include developing strategies for when his two little boys rumble him, finding ways to make his little baby girl smile at him, enjoying the perfect cup of coffee, and hoping that the Eels win next week (although each week he says it’s time to find another team!) Matthew’s main ministry focus is with the 9.45am congregation at St Judes.

Rev. Matthew Brooks-Lloyd
Senior Assistant Minister
Phone: 02 4857 4023

Mobile: 0404 329 096

E-mail: matthew@bowralanglican.org.au

 

Children’s Ministries Coordinator:

Mrs Carmen Williams

 

Phone: 0418 235 496
E-mail: carmen@bowralanglican.org.au

Carmen grew up in Sydney and completed a Bachelor of Teaching and Bachelor of Education degree at UTS. Whilst doing so she was involved in teaching primary aged Sunday School classes. After completing her studies, Carmen worked as an au pair in Switzerland for 12 months before returning to Australia to begin her teaching career.

Her teaching experiences were extremely varied. It was during this time she married her husband Jon and after 9 years working in primary schools, she left the teaching profession to take up her new occupation – mother to two beautiful girls. Jon and Carmen have previously lived wherever Jon’s work took them but in 2009 they made the decision to settle in Bowral and make it their home.

Carmen’s role at St Jude’s is to oversee the running of our Kid’s @ Church program and continue to build this vital ministry to our 0-11yr olds. She aims to equip and facilitate our volunteer teachers to ensure we teach the children in our community God’s word clearly, accurately, engagingly as well as applicably and that we pray for the Spirit’s work in their lives.

Youth Minister:

Larry Mullan

 

Larry Mullan spent his childhood in Marrickville, his teenage and young adult years in Rockdale and five years of his married life in Greenacre. Larry is married to Caroline and they have a baby on the way (May 2011). He is currently enrolled at Anglican Youth Works in the Advanced Diploma of Theology and is ever thankful for the training they provide.

Before his appointment at Bowral St Jude’s he was employed by Greenacre Anglican as their Youth and Children’s Minister. Larry say’s; “I came to know and trust Jesus when I set out to do the exact opposite. A girl that I liked (Caroline) was caught up in all this Jesus, church, Christian, mumbo jumbo and I decided to enlighten her by proving that her faith was unnecessary and naïve.

Well thank God that He had other plans. It was the completeness of sins forgiven that I fell in love with, I became convinced that the only way to dwell in the presence of a Holy God was to have Him remove what no person can remove, regardless of how religious or good they are”.

As the Youth Minister, Larry leads a youth group called LIVEWIRE on Friday evenings and a service called LIVE on Sunday evenings.

Phone: 0405849856
E-mail: larry@bowralanglican.org.au

Assistant Minister Part Time

Rev Dr. Victor Roberts

Phone: 02 4861 1032
Email: vic@bowralanglican.org.au

The Rev. Dr Vic Roberts joined St Jude's at the end of January 2009 as an Assistant Minister in a part-time capacity. His main responsibilities are to assist as required at the 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. services; to develop a ministry with the retired men of the Parish and to strengthen the pastoral care ministry to the members of the 10:00 a.m. congregation. Vic and his wife Delle have been married for fifty years and have served together as a team in ministry throughout those years.

Vic has had wide experience in parish ministry both in Australia and England. Included in his parish ministry experience in the Diocese of Sydney have been the Parishes of St Clement's Mosman and St Mark's Darling Point. He also served for nearly a decade as the Archdeacon of Wollongong and Camden. Vic's experience early on in his ministry as the General Secretary of the South American Missionary Society (now incorporated into the Church Missionary Society) strengthened his world-wide gospel vision.

More recently his thirteen years as the National Secretary of the Bush Church Aid Society of Australia gave him a deep insight into the church and community in the more isolated and remote parts of Australia, including ministry among the indigenous people of Australia.

Parish Administrator:

Jeannine Garrard:

Email: office@bowralanglican.org.au

Jeannine Garrard has recently commenced working in the role of Parish Secretary at St Jude's. She brings to the position a number of years' experience in church administration and children's programs including teaching Sunday school, leading Playgroup and youth group. Jeannine is married to Stuart and has two daughters Meredith and Alison.

On graduation from Teachers' College as an Infants/Primary teacher, Jeannine married Stuart and moved from Sydney to Bathurst where she commenced working life as a Preschool teacher. The pleasure of working with young children saw Jeannine later complete a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) degree, and to work for nearly 30 years as a teacher, pre-school Director, and Administrator of Children’s Services in the Upper Hunter area of NSW.

During the years in the Hunter Region, Jeannine and her husband raised their two daughters. Meredith is married to David who is an Anglican minister. Alison and her husband Matthew have just welcomed their second daughter, and Jeannine and Stuart enjoy “being grand-parents” to their 2 grand-daughters.

Jeannine feels blessed to be living and serving Jesus in this area. She finds her role challenging and varied, but is pleased to be able to serve and assist others in their roles of serving, teaching, equipping and caring.

Organist and Director of Classical Music Program

Dr. Allan Beavis

Phone: 02 4857 4021
Email: organist@bowralanglican.org.au

The Parish is supported financially by the freewill gifts, tithes and offerings of its parishioners and friends. It also receives income from the rental of its Parish hall, a residence, the grounds and the church building.

The Parish runs a fete in November of each year. The proceeds of this are directed to the financial support of missions. From time to time the Parish has been fortunate to have been the beneficiary of bequests that have enabled the Parish to undertake repairs and maintenance to property as well as to provide for ministry.

One tenth of all bequests, unless otherwise directed, go toward the financial support of missions. From this income the Parish pays two full time and two part time ministers and a part time office secretary, all outgoings including PAYG, property maintenance and a substantial contribution to the Sydney Diocese.

In accordance with Diocesan requirements, the Church Wardens are accountable for the Parish finances and present audited financial statements to the Annual General Meeting of Parishioners, held about March of each year. The Parish is registered for GST.

Recent enhancements and an upgrade to the church's pipe organ have been undertaken by the St Jude's Music Association Inc. which is a separate legal entity and has tax deductible status for donations toward the organ fund.

The church is planning for a major redevelopment of its buildings and facilities. A separate fund has been established for this purpose which is operated under its own trust deed and ABN. The fund has been granted Donor Gift Recipient status by the Australian Taxation Office.

Where To Find Us

The Church and Church Hall are in Bendooley Street, Bowral. You will find the Church Office at the front of the Church Hall, bordering Bendooley Street,and near the car-park. The Office is open Monday to Friday.

The office is staffed by volunteers on Mondays and Fridays.

There is an answering machine when the office staff is not present.  Messages will be checked and some-one will contact you as soon as is possible,  or within a few days.

The postal address is:

St Jude's Church Office
34 Bendooley Street
Bowral NSW 2576

Tel: 02 4857 4021
Fax 02 4861 6448

Email: office@bowralanglican.org.au

Directions

From Sydney take the M5 (Hume Highway) in the direction of Goulburn. About 70 km south of Liverpool, take the exit to Mittagong and Bowral, (the old Hume Highway).

In Mittagong, at the 'Mittagong and District War Memorial', the road divides. Take the left hand road towards Bowral.

When approaching the township of Bowral, keep to the left lane. At the first roundabout, turn left into Merrigang Street, then at the next roundabout, turn right into Bendooley Street. The church is in the third block from here on the left hand side.

The entrance to the car-park is at the southern end of the property, opposite Banyette Street.