about
Training, teaching, and evangelising in Ryde
Hello! I'm Jay, married to Bec, and I'm a ministry apprentice at Captivate Presbyterian Church for 2025-2026.
I first received the gospel when I was 15, and the knowledge of grace and forgiveness given to me in Christ led me to identify as a Christian, but I hadn’t changed the way I lived. I thought that it was a free pass to continue to live in sin, and do what I like, because Christ already died for me. There is truth in that my sins are forgiven, but Christ calls me to live another way, which I hadn’t responded to yet.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
As I called myself a Christian, people would start asking me where I went to church, so I started going to church and to youth group against my parent’s wishes. As I became regular at church a lot of things that I saw didn’t make sense to me - Why is this person that I just met so nice to me? Why does the youth minister give up so much of their time to meet up with us? And over time I continued to see God’s people showing me and others around them unconditional love, a love that is only found in Christ first, then extended to the world through God’s people. It was through faithful people at church that I realised that Christ didn’t just die for my sins and finish his work on the cross 2000 years ago, but he was still at work through his people today. He is not only my saviour, but he is also the Lord of my life.
For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's
The only hope I have in life and in death, is that I do not belong to myself, but to God and to Christ. With this in mind I’ve realised I have to continually repent of the sin in my life and live for Jesus first, speaking the truth of his gospel, that others might receive it like I have. I’ve continued to consider how I can be serving God with my time now here on earth, which has meant being increasingly more and more generous with my time in serving God and his church. This year I’ve quit my job in tech consulting to work full time at Captivate Presbyterian Church as a ministry apprentice.
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.
Let me know if you have any prayer points, questions, or if you’d like a coffee!
jay@captivatechurch.org