Parish Governance
Direction, stewardship and accountability at St Jude's
What Governance Means Here
Governance is one of those concepts subject to a myriad of definitions and interpretations. In the context of the Sydney Diocese, of which St Jude's is a part, the concept of governance encompasses:
the processes, activities and relationships intended to ensure that direction and control is exercised and maintained in our parish, and that our parish has the capability to be effectively led and properly run in a manner which enables the pursuit of the purposes of the parish.
A core concept is stewardship, meaning the ethical practice of responsibly managing, protecting, and caring for resources entrusted to your care.
The Statement On Diocesan Governance
The Statement on Diocesan Governance for the Sydney Diocese states that governance:
- is essential to the furtherance of the purposes and priorities of the Diocese, through the pursuit of the purposes of each parish and organisation within the Diocese
- requires Christian leaders who are committed to the pursuit of those purposes in conformity to the doctrine of the Diocese
- is based on the roles and responsibilities being clearly documented and understood
- requires practices and procedures that enable the pursuit of purposes effectively and openly
- benefits from healthy communication, collaboration, and coordination between parishes and organisations within the Diocese.
A full outline of the Diocesan governance framework within which St Jude's undertakes its activities is set out in the Sydney Diocese Governance Framework.
How Governance Works At St Jude's
At St Jude's, the functions of governance at the Parish level are exercised through three Parish Wardens and a Parish Council.
Governance for our Parish is separate to the daily operations of the Parish, and involves our Wardens and Parish Council in:
- setting long-term strategic directions for our Parish
- understanding risks for our Parish and establishing risk parameters
- putting policies in place to guide Parish operations in an efficient, effective, safe manner in line with risk parameters
- establishing budgets and plans for the financial sustainability of our Parish
- oversighting operations and results in line with established goals and policies.
Communicating With Our Parish
Engagement with our Parish community is an important aspect of governance, and the methods we use include a published monthly Newsletter and a formal Annual General Meeting.
Maintaining an appropriate culture across all aspects of our Parish activities is also a key component of good governance.
Behavioural requirements for Clergy and Churchworkers, including volunteer leaders, are set out in our Code of Conduct, Faithfulness in Service.
Safe Ministry, Privacy And Parish Documents
Jesus values the emotional, spiritual and physical safety of all people, and protects those who are vulnerable. That is why at St Jude's we uphold policies of the Sydney Anglican Diocese intended to create safe environments for ministry, as well as recognising and preventing abuse. More detailed information on Safe Ministry, how to seek advice on any concerns you may have, and how to make a formal report, is set out on our Safety at St Jude's page.
We care about your privacy, and so records kept to enable effective ministry to you are treated with care.
You can read our Privacy Policy here.Privacy Policy link required
Other key governance documents, including our AGM Minutes, can be found here.Documents link required
Get In Touch With Us
Traditional Building:
Sunday 8:00am
Sunday 10:00am
Sunday 4:00pm
Auditorium:
Sunday 9:00am
Sunday 5:00pm
St Jude’s Anglican Church
38 Bendooley St,
Bowral NSW 2576
Office Hours:
Monday to Friday 9-12pm
ABN: 47 044 202 152