St Stephen’s Anglican Willoughby

I have been richly blessed by the church family God has put around me at Cornerstone this past decade. Having grown from an apathetic teen to someone convicted by God’s word and Spirit, I am fully convinced that God not only exists, but he loves and cares for me. I know him. At Cornerstone, I’ve been trained to disciple others by opening God’s word and sharing my hope with them, as others have done for me.

But now it’s time for something new. Having been so blessed, it’s my privilege to now be trained for full-time ministry. For me, this means a two-year apprenticeship in Sydney at St Stephen’s, Willoughby, followed by four years at Bible College.

Why do an apprenticeship? To be set up for Christian ministry, I need training. Theological training, yes, but that alone won’t get me very far in ministry. Here are two key things I’ll be learning during my apprenticeship:
First, I’ll gain practical experience in ministry: leading Bible studies and 121s, preaching, leading in youth ministry, and joining in with staff team meetings – getting to know the runnings of the church.
Second, I’ll be leaving Cornerstone – the church I love immensely and have been shaped by for eleven years. At St Stephen’s, I’ll face many different ways of doing ministry and I’ll be forced to reexamine why I do what I do. I want to be shaped by what the Bible says, not just by a church (good though it may be).

Prayer Points

• Please pray that as I begin this next chapter I will be humble, trusting God to accomplish his plans in the way he chooses — even when they’re not my plans.
• Pray for new gospel-centred friendships as I move away from my deep network of connections in Christchurch.
• Pray that I would find avenues to share the gospel with people who haven’t heard it before.
• Pray for all the logistical hurdles I still need to jump over in my move to Sydney
• If you’re not on my prayer list, please contact me at [email protected] and I’ll make sure to get you on it.