Keynote Speaker
Jess Sheely
Jess serves Jesus in Sydney’s CBD as an Assistant Pastor at Scots Church Sydney. She loves seeing her church family grow in maturity in Christ and sending many of them to other major cities worldwide, more equipped to love Jesus and love others.
Jess studied at Moore Theological College and completed a ministry apprenticeship at Hunter Bible Church in Newcastle. At Scots, she oversees the Bible study network and Exploring Jesus courses. She has a particular love for the Old Testament—seeing how it provides a deep foundation for understanding the Lord Jesus and assurance of God’s ongoing faithfulness.
Jess is married to Alex, who is studying at Sydney Missionary & Bible College, and enjoys catching up with friends over a long run or a good craft project.
Choose from one of our inspiring electives. Please note, some electives have a limited number of seats available due to room restrictions. Register early so you don’t miss out!
Biblical Theology: How to Read the Old Testament
Meagan Bartlett
Many people struggle to see the relevance of reading the Old Testament today, but if we want to know Jesus better, then we need to know the Old Testament! Jesus read it, quoted it and fulfilled it.
This elective will equip you to understand the whole Bible, by showing why reading the Old Testament is not just important but is also for our good and is an absolute joy and comfort. It will help us to better understand how God reveals his good purposes in and through Jesus Christ – right from Creation and through to the New Creation.
We will see how the Old Testament is integrated and unified with the New Testament and ultimately all about Jesus, and hopefully, you will be inspired and equipped to read the Old Testament more!
Meagan serves on the ministry team at Lane Cove and Mowbray Anglican Church on Sydney’s north shore and is thankful to God for ten years of ministering there! She enjoys meeting with women to read the Bible, overseeing the connect and kids ministries and loves that every day brings new opportunities to point people to Jesus. On her day off, she loves spending time with her five nieces and nephews, watching the cricket or reading the next book for her book club!
Joy in an Age of Grumbling
Katie Marquez
We live in an age of complaining and grumbling. When things don’t go our way, often our first thought is to grumble. The ancient Israelites weren’t so different to us. It’s so easy to grumble about our exhaustion, our never-ending to-do list, the challenges of parenting, even our churches. Yet in the midst of all this grumbling, we are called to rejoice. How do we find joy in the grumbling and groaning culture in which we live? We will explore what things can steal our joy, and how we can find joy in the Lord when we feel weighed down by the demands and difficulties of life.
Katie is a ministry wife and mother of four, based in North Epping in Sydney. She is actively involved in ministry to women at her church, and plenty of ministry at home with her four daughters. She is thankful for the blessing of having known Jesus since she was a young child, and the way God’s goodness has shaped her over the years. Katie is (very slowly) studying a Masters of Theological Studies at SMBC, and doing some high school teaching on the side.
Topic: TBC
Anna Boxwell
Watch this space
Following Faithfully: What Christian Leaders Need from Us
Kate Baron
We live in a culture that often resists authority, and sadly, this attitude can creep into the way we relate to our church leaders. Like the Israelites grumbling against Moses in the wilderness, we can find ourselves criticising rather than encouraging those God has called to lead. In this elective, we will reflect on those patterns in Scripture and explore what it means to follow faithfully—not with passive silence, but with loving, active participation in God’s good design for leadership in His church.
Kate is a married to Tim and with their two daughters they attend New Life Presbyterian Church in Ngunnawal. Kate loves serving her church family in many ways, especially in kids’ ministry, Bible Studies and meeting one-to-one with women. She loves seeing people of all ages grasp the truths of God’s Word. Kate and her family are also passionate about foster care, which they have been doing since 2019. On the side, she does some casual primary teaching and when she has spare time she enjoys a long walk, catching up with friends and a good board game.
