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Media Release
Tuesday 6 July 2010

Fresh Face for Five Dock

As part of a significant revamp of the Anglican Church at Five Dock, Matt Steele, 34, has just been appointed minister.
 
He has been given the job of developing a cutting-edge ministry for the many twenty and thirty-somethings moving into the suburb.
 
“We want to develop a church community where the young adults moving into the inner west will find a spiritual home,” he said. “They will have ‘buy in’ to shape the ministry and plenty of opportunity to use their gifts.”
 
Matt has previous experience developing contemporary-style ministry to the people of the Inner West as youth minister at Darling Street parish (St Thomas’, Rozelle, and St Mary’s, Balmain).
 
“We don’t want to jettison the history of Christianity. We want to be connected to what has gone before but in a 21st century way. The music, for example, will be contemporary.”
 
Matt is currently speaking to people in the area interested in the initiative and is looking at starting the new congregation at the beginning of next year.
 
Officially assistant minister in the parish of Christ Church Inner West (which also includes St Oswald’s, Haberfield and St John’s, Ashfield), he will have particular responsibility for the two existing congregations at St Alban’s, Five Dock, and has moved in nearby the church.
 
“We want to be here in Five Dock for a while. Our son, Jackson, is starting at the local school and we want to grow the relationships with local families,” he says.
 
On top of Matt’s appointment, the interiors of the St Alban’s building are also in the process of being modernised.
 
In the past year alone, St Alban’s has seen the introduction of a Sunday morning children’s program and crÈche, as well as a youth group on Friday nights.
 
“There is a buzz now for children’s ministry,” says Matt. “The vision is that St Alban’s can become a place for people in every stage of life.”
 
Matt and wife Clare are also celebrating the birth of their son Cooper in January. They have two other children Jackson (5) and Rory (2).
 
He is a graduate of Sydney Bible and Missionary College, Croydon and is completing a Master of Arts in Theology at Moore Theological College, Newtown.
 
For further information and images please contact:
Fiona Smartt, Christ Church Inner West, fiona@cciw.org.au, 9713 7830