Executive Team
Dave Mears (Senior Minister)
What do you get up to in the week?
I lead the staff team and oversee all the ministry that goes on at Christ Church. If you come along on a Sunday, more often than not, you’ll hear me preaching at the service that day.
Family, kids, pets?
I am married to Amanda and have four sons.
Likes and dislikes about Gladesville and Putney?
As a third generation local I love our part of Sydney! The river, the closeness to the city, the abundance of sporting fields, the wonderful people… it's a great place to live. It's also exciting to see so many new people move into our area. Dislikes: Peak hour traffic and the fact that we shouldn’t eat fish from the river!
Two-sentence testimony
I grew up in a Christian family and so had the great blessing of being told about Jesus from an early age. As a teenager I tested whether I could really believe what I had heard. The more I tested it the more convinced I became that Jesus really did rise from the dead and that I really needed the forgiveness that he brings.
Jeremy King (Executive Minister)
What do you get up to in the week?
I spend my time helping us as a team to plan, coordinate and execute so we do the best we can to build fruitful disciples.
Family, kids, pets?
We have a rabbit called Tobi, but I'm a little bit afraid of him and his vicious bite. He does however really like my wife and most of the time my 3 kids.
Likes and dislikes about Gladesville and Putney?
Likes: The people! And my wife and kids live in Gladesville.
Dislikes: It's a long way to the Stelvio Pass
Two-sentence testimony
As a good Asian student I studied hard so I could go to uni, get a good job, own a sweet car and be comfortable. At some point in high school I wondered if there might be more to life, because after all I would still die. Thankfully my parents showed me that in Jesus there is lot's more to life!
Assistant MInisters
Mike Allen (Minister for Magnification and Ministry)
What do you get up to in the week?
I’ve got a great job, recruiting, training and encouraging our church to serve God with their lives. I ensure that our Sunday meetings are as good as they can be.
Family, kids, pets?
Michelle and I married in 2001, and we now have four kids and one cat. We’d love more, but how many cats do you actually need?
Likes and dislikes about Gladesville and Putney?
Michelle and I have lived in a number of different parts of Sydney, and we have loved each one - there is so much to explore and appreciate. But the single best thing is the encouragement that we receive from partnering with God’s people.
Two-sentence testimony
As a kid I went to church, but it wasn’t until my time at university that I fully came to appreciate God’s love for me in Jesus.
Mandy Curley (Minister for Membership)
What do you get up to in the week?
My role is to help us as a church to welcome and integrate people into the life of our church, and to look after one another at every point along the way. I also help to develop leadership pathways for the women in our church, to help ensure that they are equipped and freed up to serve well.
Family, kids, pets?
My brother and niece have moved to Gladesville with me, and much to Emma’s dismay, we have no pets.
Likes and dislikes about Gladesville and Putney?
You’ve taken the girl out of the inner west, but I’m loving exploring the river and parks and getting that spectacular view of the city whenever I head south. Loving discovering yummy places to eat GF food and drink good coffee. Also looking forward to new running routes. Not loving not knowing where anything is yet!
Two-sentence testimony
I knew nothing about Jesus until hearing about him at Beach Mission from a very young age. I came to understand that these people on team were very different to me, because they knew and trusted a great big God who had given his son so that we could have forgiveness and life in his name. At age 11 I prayed and admitted I was a sinner, thanked God for sending Jesus to forgive me, and asked him to make him lord of my life. The rest of my life has been allowing the spirit to keep working in me to make that happen!
SEB LANE (Minister for Maturity)
What do you get up to in the week?
In my role I assist Dave with the Sunday preaching, oversee our Growth Group network and help prepare our termly Teaching materials. I’m also Focus Leader for our 9:30 congregation and I provide some support to a few of our demographic ministry teams.
Family, kids, pets?
I am married to Jess and have two sons- Archie and Jack. We also have seven fish in a backyard pond.
Likes and dislikes about Gladesville and Putney?
We love the cafes and the parks nearby and being close to the city. We like following the Love Gladesville Facebook group but sometimes hear more than we want to know about organised crime and luxury car theft in the area!
Two-sentence testimony
I was raised knowing Jesus as my Lord and Saviour by faithful Christian parents. By God’s grace I haven’t walked away from trusting Jesus for the forgiveness I desperately need and the salvation he alone can give.
Braydon Lucas (Minister for Mission)
What do you get up to in the week?
Outside of serving here at Christ Church, I love to play soccer, go to the beach, eat out at cafes or restaurants and read fantasy fiction. If I could do all those things in a week I would be cheering!
Family, kids, pets?
In our family is my wife, Merryn, and myself. No kids, but we do have one dependent - our dog Clive the greyhound!
Likes and dislikes about Gladesville and Putney?
I’m still getting to know the area, but it looks like there are lots of parks, which will be great for Clive, and a good soccer culture, which I think I will get around! Dislikes? It is too far from the coast for my liking.
Two-sentence testimony
If you had to graph my Christian life it would look more like a line of best fit graph rather than a graph with exaggerated peaks and troughs. I have always known God's grace - his death in my place - so, God has slowly been working to mature me in my trust of Him.
Children and Youth
JOSH GOSCOMBE (CHILDREN'S AND FAMILIES MINISTER)
What do you get up to in the week?
I oversee everything that happens at Christ Church for kids aged 0-12, with the aim of growing them to know and love Jesus. I spend a lot of time in our weekly children’s programs, I develop resources to support and equip leaders and parents, and on a Sunday morning you’ll probably see me up the front leading our church family time.
Family, kids, pets?
I am married to Larissa, and we have two young kids, Zion and Anastasia.
Likes and dislikes about Gladesville and Putney?
I love all the playgrounds in the area, we seem to spend a lot of time at them these days! I’m also struck by how friendly people are. I don’t like the amount of Eels fans though… (go the Panthers!!)
Two-sentence testimony
I grew up trusting and following Jesus, but as a teenager in a small country town it was a seriously unpopular way of doing life. I had to decide whether to stick with Jesus or ditch him for an easier life. But God reminded me to look at life from an eternal perspective. I realised that eternal life with him is far better than anything I’ll ever experience in this short life!
Ruth Colvin (Children's Ministry Event Manager)
What do you get up to in the week?
I spend a day a week helping smooth out the running of kids groups with Sarah. Occasionally I also help smooth things out in the office as well, when Cindy or Helen are away.
Family, kids, pets?
I’m married to Dan with 2 kids and a whippet called Cody. But our kids seem to keep adding animals to the family!
Likes and dislikes about Gladesville and Putney?
Likes: Call me old fashioned, but I really like the comfy suburbia here. It's a bit of a village atmosphere I think which is nice. Dislikes: Building dust and traffic - does anyone like it??
Two-sentence testimony
Jesus found me at a Christian youth camp when I was 12. He’s had to put up with a lot, but Jesus has never got sick of me in all these years.
Simeon Cumberland (Youth Minister)
What do you get up to in the week?
I’ve just started, but already I think I have the best job in the world. I get to spend time amongst the youth and young adults at Christ Church together working out how to live for Jesus in these last days, and encouraging them to take the Gospel to a dying world.
Family, kids, pets? 10 years ago I somehow convinced the most beautiful girl I knew to take a chance and marry me. Today we have 3 wonderful kids who fill our house with fun and noise.
Likes and dislikes about Gladesville and Putney?
Likes: We are loving the parks and green spaces as well as being close to the river!
Dislikes: Putney’s narrow streets are not fun.
Testimony: Growing up I longed to be great at something. Whether it was sport or music, I wanted to be acknowledged as truly exceptional. Behind it all, I was searching for validation. I needed to know that I mattered. But as grew up, the greatness I sought eluded me, life grew increasingly messy, my dreams and expectations fizzled and I became increasingly frustrated. I was unable to find validation in the ways I sought it.
It was at this moment that God brought two known realities to the forefront of my life. 1 - I was an extremely selfish person. 2 - Jesus died to save selfish people. One night on a summer youth camp in the Blue Mountains, the reality of God's undeserved love overwhelmed me. Despite my sin and selfishness, I am truly loved, truly forgiven and truly validated.
Admin Staff
Ali Shannon (Director of Communications)
What do you get up to in the week?
You will see me in the office on Tuesdays and Fridays working on all things communications! My role is to help Christ Church to effectively use the tools that are available to us so that we can display the gospel of Jesus as broadly as possible.
Family, kids, pets?
In 2019 I married Matt. I don’t think we can still call ourselves newlyweds?
Likes and dislikes about Gladesville and Putney?
I’m still getting to know the area, but so far so good! There seems to be a real energy and liveliness in the community, which I love!
Two-sentence testimony
I am thankful to God that from a young age my parents faithfully taught me about the grace and forgiveness offered by Jesus. I knew that there had to be a reason for living – and Jesus’ death and resurrection showed me what life is really all about.
Emily Yan (Ministry Executive)
What do you get up to in the week?
I’m in the church office maintaining our members’ database and the church website, coordinating events as well as helping to prepare our services on Sunday.
Family, kids, pets?
I’m married to Kin, have two boys and a pet cat.
Likes and dislikes about Gladesville and Putney?
Likes: Being close to water and near the city. I love that our area has a few bush walking tracks and parks.
Dislikes: I'm sad that many small businesses have closed, it's especially inconvenient as the banks have moved away!
Two-sentence testimony
I used to think God was distant and I had to be really good to be accepted by Him. When I came to Sydney for University, God revealed to me that I am saved by His Grace. He gave me a new life and because He loves me, and I can love others too.
WE'RE HIRING - MINISTRY EXECUTIVE
Do you…
- like to get things in order and make things happen
- love Jesus
- want to be part of a great team and see the church grow
This could be what you’re looking for!
We’re looking for a Ministry Executive - a key position in the team at Christ Church Gladesville. It’s central to the good organization of our ministries and an important interface to our members and the community.
You’ll be in a team with the Executive Minister, the Director of Communications and our Graphic Designer, working together to support the broader Ministry team. We’re all on a mission “To glorify God by making fruitful disciples of Christ in ever increasing numbers”.
We’ve got a detailed description we can send you, but here’s a quick snapshot of how you could be working in the team.
- Getting things in place for Sunday services to be excellent – eg PowerPoint slides, teams rostered, links for live streaming on YouTube.
- Recording details for the people we’re serving – eg new kids in programs and at church, new members to our ministries, creating registration forms for events
- Getting tools ready to welcome people at our gatherings – eg keeping our database up to date and check in systems ready
- Managing our assets well – eg engaging potential hirers of our buildings
- Helping people in key events – eg helping members with the admin for wedding bookings and funerals
- Maintaining a great operating environment for the team – eg managing supplies and cleaners, greeting visitors and guests to the office
- Giving us the data to figure out if we are being a fruitful church – eg keeping statistics and producing reporting
This is a 20.5 hour, 4 days a week role in a fun and supportive team.
Interested? Then we'd love to hear from you! Applications close 31st May 2023.
Email jeremy.king@christchurch.org.au to express interest and get a detailed role description!