Who We Are

Who We Are

Why we are here

Meaningful engagement with our world with the message of Jesus is at the heart of our mission. We are particularly committed to helping Prahran understand and experience what it means to belong to God and his people.

Because we think the message about Jesus is not only true, but also powerful and beautiful, we think it’s good news for all. Therefore, since we are convinced something is good for those we love it would be wrong not to try to convince them of that reality, although always with great respect, compassion and conviction.

Our story

Our story is part of a bigger story about a relationship between God and his people through the person of Jesus.  The church are those people who for the last 2000 years have responded to this message about Jesus and shared this hope across the globe.

From our first days, St Matt’s has been seeking to share our hope with Prahran and the city of Melbourne. We have had both times of great influence and growth as well as great decline, but as culture changes we are convinced that Jesus is no less relevant.

We believe that God has placed us here at this particular time for a purpose. Inner Melbourne is experiencing urban revitalization and a place once considered unfit for living is now a highly desirable location. Prahran is reflective of our city as a whole; dense, diverse and missionally challenging. We have seen huge potential for city ministry through St Matt’s over the past few years, and are excited and prayerful as we anticipate what God might do here through his people in the years to come.

The gospel

 

Our values

PERSONAL GROWTH 

We want to help each other grow as worshippers of God through Jesus. We also want to see more worshippers join us as we proclaim Jesus and share our hope.

A LIFE FOR OTHERS 

Many people are hurting: physically, emotionally, psychologically, and socially. The church is a place where healing can be found, because the church is a place that knows and introduces people to Jesus, the healer. We want to help those who are hurting in our midst (at church, and through Gospel Communities and Hope Prahran).

MEANINGFUL WORK

Work can look very different from one person to the next and we want to help people understand the value of work as service that loves others (either a few people a lot, i.e., a mother, or a lot of people a little, i.e., a road engineer), helps to bring order to our city, and is patterned after our God. 

LIFE TOGETHER

We believe that Gospel truth is most transformative in the context of community. This is why we are so committed to helping people get established not only in Jesus but also in Christian community.

As Christian community grows, more congregations and Gospel communities need to be planted both locally in Prahran and all over this city. It will take a network of Gospel-centred churches working together to help Melbourne know and worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit – and all the while we need to be praying for spiritual renewal. 

  • we want to learn from the bible as God’s authoritative word
  • we seek to prayerfully depend on God for everything we need 
  • we try and make much of the beauty truth and power of Jesus the Christ our Lord 
  • we believe truth and grace is most transformative in gospel centred community 
  • we commit to sharing life and the gospel as an extended family on mission 
  • we seek to be a compassionate community who loves justice and mercy 
  • we equip and train for the whole of life because our work and vocation matters
  • we want to generously serve others with our time talents and money 
  • we love faithul communication where timeless truth is timely told.
  • we try to engage honestly with doubt and unbelief
  • we love strangers and want to generously include them in our life together 
  • we partner with other communities and movements to build a better city that knows Jesus

Pastoral team

SHANE ROGERSON – Lead Pastor

 

Shane's is the Vicar of St Matts, but he prefers to be called Shane and describes his role as leading and pastoring. He does this through preaching, praying, training and keeping things on purpose. He's passionate about engaging with the bigger questions of life and helping people grasp the reality of God and the grace of Jesus. He is married to Alison who by far 'his better and younger half' keeps him smiling and in line, she also helps him muster their 4 kids and whoeverelse is living with them at the time.  In his spare time he is the Director of church planting company, and an Army Chaplain.  Shane was a wannabe rugby player who would have been really good back in the day if it wasn't for his lack of speed, strength, stamina and skills. 

HELEN JACOBS – Children and Families

I grew up and studied in New Zealand and came to Melbourne to a research position at Melbourne Uni in 1991.  I met my husband, Bruce, at St Jude's in Carlton, and we have 2 teenage children, Anna and Sam. As far as I can remember I have always believed that Jesus loves me and died to save me, and was diligently taught scripture by my parents until I left home to go to university. I recognise a time of significant spiritual maturing through being welcomed into a church community in Wellington in my mid 20’s.  This growth continued through serving and working at St Jude's and then at St Matt’s.  

My 2 general roles at St Matt’s involve running playgroups and running Kids' Church during our Sunday morning services.  

Running the 2 playgroups each week involves welcoming mums, dads, nannies and grandmas (and the children in their care) from our local community and from our St Matt’s community to play, chat, build relationships, share morning tea, be creative and sing together at the end.  We try to love every member of playgroup as Jesus would, and openly invite them to join us at our Sunday gatherings, especially our Easter and Christmas family services. I am passionate about introducing everyone at playgroup to warm, welcoming and accepting relationships with members of St Matt’s community, and making playgroup a place where anyone who is interested in knowing God better can do this.  

My role with Kid's Church is to recruit, train and manage our leaders, and to enable all of the kids of St Matt’s to learn from the bible about who God is, and about God's love, forgiveness and plan for us. I want the kids of St Matt’s to love learning about our amazing God, both at Kid's Church and at home, and I want to see them growing and wanting to serve Him.

God is showing me that he is actively involved in my life through answered prayer. He encourages me as I learn to trust in his guidance and wisdom in more and more aspects of my life.

I enjoy the great outdoors: kayaking; camping; bushwalking with Bruce, and we love it when our kids decide to come too!  I enjoy keeping fit by cycling beach road most Saturday mornings, and I love it when I have time to read.

REMY CHADWICK - Creative Ministries Director 

Remy's role is to help facilitate our praise of God creatively, especially as we gather together corporately each Sunday. He leads our music and is a gifted communicator. He is a trained actor working in theatre and the arts, who thinks clowns are highly underrated. He's older than he looks! 

 

SARAH CREEK - Care Ministry Co-Ordinator 

Sarah is invloved in our care ministry - Hope Prahan - which exists to give relief and recovery to  those who are battling at the moment. We believe God is a God of justice and mercy - and we hope we can be a signpost to and foretaste of his coming Kingdom of love. Sarah is completing her training through Ridley Melbourne and is also involved in care ministry amongst the elderly. She is married to Sam who is clearly punching above his weight and a very wise man for marrying her. 

LYNN CUPIDO - Administrative Co-Ordinator 

Lynn probably wouldnt like this photo becasue she loves to serve behind the scenes. She is helps us stay organised and communicate well as a church. She loves quiet places and helping other women to grow in their faith. She can't stand typos and spelling errrors, but is humble and puts up with a lot!

 

SAM CREEK - Ridley Student 

Sam's main role is to train to be a church leader. He is a student at our partner training college - Ridley Melbourne - and previously worked as an engineer. Sam hopes to be ordained as an Anglican leader who will shepherd a flock out in country Victoria one day. He married Sarah, which apart from following Jesus, is the wisest thing he has ever done. 

Core beliefs

As a church, we are evangelical, reformed and Anglican. We believe in the historic teachings of the Christian church and affirm both the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. As an Anglican church, we also affirm the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion  and the theology expressed in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. We also affirm the Jerusalem Declaration and are affiliated with the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. 

 

Below is a summary of some of our key beliefs:

1. ABOUT THE BIBLE

We believe that the Bible (both Old and New Testaments) is God’s word: divinely inspired and infallible. The Bible is the supreme authority for all matters of faith and conduct. At the heart of the Bible is a story of God’s love for his creation and his active involvement in pursuing the people he has made. We believe the Bible is sufficient for knowing God and for equipping us with everything we need for life and godliness (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3-21).

2. ABOUT GOD

We believe that there is one living and true God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, eternally existing in loving relationship. God is not created nor made. God is. He is the creator of heaven and earth and rules over all things. He is sovereign in creation, redemption and judgment. We can only know God because he has revealed himself to us. God is worthy of all glory, honour and praise (Deuteronomy 6:4; Revelation 4:11; John 14:10-11, 15:26, 17:1-3).

3. ABOUT HUMANITY

We believe that men and women are created in the image of God to govern and care for the world that God made. They have a unique relationship with God and were designed to live in worship of him. However, human beings arrogantly asserted their independence from God and opened the door for Evil. Since the Fall, human beings have been universally sinful and guilty before God and affirm this daily. They are, deservingly, under the wrath and condemnation of God because of their sin and because of his holiness. Human beings suppress the truth about God, such that they cannot recognise their problem. They are dead in sin, unable to save themselves (Genesis 1:26-28; Romans 3:9-18; Ephesians 2:1-3).

4. ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

We believe that Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God: fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. In becoming human, he experienced the full range of human emotions, temptations and desires and yet was without sin. Through his death on the cross and rising to new life, he accomplished what we could not do ourselves, freeing us from the guilt, penalty and power of sin. He is our representative and substitute. In dying he paid the penalty for sin, and in his bodily resurrection he was vindicated by God as the Lord of a renewed world. He has ascended to the Father’s side where he reigns as Lord of the universe. What is true of the Messiah is true of his people: we share in his sufferings, his death, his resurrection and his ascension. He intercedes and advocates for his people. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead (Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1-2; Colossians 1:15-20; 1 Peter 2:24; I Corinthians 15:20-28; Acts 1:9-10; Acts 17:30-31; 1 Peter 4:5).

5. ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that no one can turn to God in repentance and faith without the Spirit enabling that person to do so. He is, therefore, “the Lord, the giver of life”, making the death and resurrection of Jesus effective for every believer. He dwells within all believers and works in them. His presence marks out God’s people and is a deposit guaranteeing the future inheritance we have in Christ. The Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son, but acts to direct glory to Jesus Christ. He leads God’s people into all truth by enabling them to understand Scripture and convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. The ongoing work of the Spirit is to sanctify the believer by transforming them into the image of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to the church and produces fruit in the life of the individual believer (John 14:26; John 16:7-15; Romans 8:9-11; Galatians 5:16-25; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11).

6. ABOUT THE CHURCH

We believe that there is one, universal Church built on the teaching of the Apostles. It is the body of Christ, with Christ himself as its head. It is not a human creation but God building his kingdom, visible here on earth. The Church consists of all true believers from all generations and denominations. Those who are saved are automatically members of this Church. The Church exists for two main purposes: to grow upwards and outwards. The Church grows upwards as believers meet together under God’s word, encouraging and directing one another towards maturity in Christ Jesus. The Church grows outwards as it declares the gospel of the risen Lord Jesus and as the Spirit works to bring people from death to life. The local church (like St Matt’s) is a visible manifestation of the body of Christ. Christians are called not simply to believe, but to belong to a local church where they can help the body grow upwards and outwards (Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:19-22, 4:14-16; Titus 1:5-11).

7. ABOUT THE FUTURE

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth, visibly and personally, to judge humanity and to establish the new creation – the new heavens and the new earth. We believe in the bodily resurrection from the dead of all people: some to eternal life and the new creation, and others to punishment and damnation. For those who belong to Christ, that day will be a day of great celebration and rejoicing as God himself wipes every tear away and removes all pain. God will dwell with his people for all eternity: visibly, personally, intimately. Sin, Satan and evil will have no place in God’s new world – it will be a place of perfect relationships (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10, Revelation 21-22).