After some beautiful worship, led by ladies from Albany Baptist, Jude carried on the worship with her Cello before captivating us with her story. One that has taken her from Neath, all over the world and back to South Wales.
A Welsh girl through and through, Jude spent her early childhood in Neath. She started 
to learn the Cello at the age of 8, and at the age of 12 she auditioned for Cheetams School of music and won a scholarship. This was Jude’s dream. It was amazing to be part of a school where she could develop as a cellist. That is where her passion for chamber music started. At the age of 16 Jude was the Principal cellist for the National Orchestra of Great Britain. At 18 she auditioned for music school in London and spent 5 years at the Royal Academy. David Strange, her incredible teacher, brought the best out of her.
Where was God in all this? Jude had a solid Christian upbringing. Jesus was the centre of her home and she was baptised at 16.
“God really touched me one Sunday evening
my heart was racing and I said yes to Jesus”
While in London she found herself at All Souls, Langham Place. At a student meeting she realised people were praying as if God would answer. Jude believed in God, she knew he was the Saviour of the world, but didn’t know what that looked like. John Stott was still preaching there at the time. For the first time she understood how the word of God could be applied to her life.
Jude was reading book of Acts. “I want to know You more, day by day, to know the power of Jesus in my life”. She didn’t realise at the time that this was the Holy Spirit working in her.
Jude met Will and they were married in 1989. Will had just come back from the
States where he had had an amazing encounter with God. Will gave Jude the book The Hot Line by Peter Lawrence. The holy spirit can speak to us, empower us, give us words of knowledge. She was loving Church but craving more.
John and Eleanor Mumford, founders of Vineyard in the UK were in Putney. Will encouraged Jude to go along with him.
“It was amazing, we saw such freedom in people. I couldn’t lift my hands in worship before. That night was significant. I saw and felt something I hadn’t felt before”
Bruce Collins was very influential to Will and Jude. In their first year of marriage they worked with him and his team. He led with courage and they are very thankful to him. During this time, Jude was a member of a string quartet, travelling the world. It wasn’t what she thought it would be and she resigned. That was hard – it was like a marriage and the breakup affected all 4 people. This change in circumstances opened up huge possibility. What was God saying? How does he speak through his word?
Now in Bristol, Will went through selection for the Anglican Church. Jude found herself a house wife. She visited over 60 schools to try and get a job teaching cello without joy. She was given a piano. God told her, “I’m going to teach you to learn to love Me and learn to worship.” The first 2 years were hard. She spent a lot of time on her own. After the first year God told her to lay the cello down. “The Cello is my identity. I didn’t play it again for 10 years”. During that time, her love for it diminished.
Jude started to cultivate a heart for worship and a love of Jesus, but never in a public place. She came to know Him.
Proverbs 3 5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight
“The first thing He wanted was my heart”
Now a vicar’s wife! (“Hilarious – I am a bit of a rebel really.”) Will’s first job was in Birmingham at St. John’s Harborne, with John and Annie Hughes. A Prophetic word came to them that in November Will would be asked to apply for a job in Sussex.
This came true and what followed was a journey of listening to God – growing and growing. They spent 10 years in Horsham leading a very eclectic church. It attracted lots of artists and musicians. Asking the Lord what He wanted them to do. He said,
“Use the people you have to communicate the gospel”
The space project, headed up by Hugo Ellis, was started. “This was an amazing season
including plays and concerts”. Jude and Will had 3 children during this time
In 2006, they felt a stirring of the Spirit. They went away together to pray for 4 days. When reading the first 8 chapters of Joshua they felt Him talking about coming into the promised land. God was telling them to move to a capital city. Was it London? They went to London, but that didn’t do it for them.
At a meeting Bruce Collins said, “You are thinking about moving, why don’t you come to
Wales?” Was this the Lord calling Jude back to Wales? That would be remarkable after leaving at the age 12. Jude thought it would be like having a chocolate cake!
The following morning, after reading the bible together, Will said he had just remembered that their friend Betty had invited them round on Saturday morning as she was going to make a cake for them. When they arrived, they were presented with a chocolate cake. Now they knew it was the Holy Spirit.
The God-incidences continued. The following week they received a letter addressed to St.
John’s in Canton – but they were in Horsham! While on retreat, they talked to a fisherman in Canada who said he wanted to go to Cardiff. Maybe the capital city was Cardiff.
Will applied for jobs with the Anglican Church but nothing opened up. Had they heard God right. They sought counsel from friends who would have the courage to tell them what they wouldn’t want to hear.
God said, “Will you come no matter what?”. They had 3 kids, a house and a salary. Life was good. God said “Will you trust me. Will you go?”. So they came!
They had lots of friends in Cardiff. They felt they were being called to Roath so started to walk the streets and got really excited. A house came up for sale. They didn’t have much money. The house was in the right area and was the right size, but needed a lot of work.
Then the Lord told Jude He wanted her to start using her cello to bring His presence into the lives of families.
Little Notes Cardiff has between 80 and 170 children in classes each week. “He has put the cello in my hand for a reason. I want His voice to be heard and have been given the possibility of releasing His presence and truth.”
Over the last 2 years Jude and Will have started a missional community. They are having an adventure with Jesus. They are gathering people who are looking to find something in Jesus. People who have questions. Who is He? What does the bible say? They are all, “Slightly mad but ordinary people”.
Jude’s story continues. They heard the Lord telling them to knock on the door of the Anglican Church once more. There was a redundant Anglican Church at end the end of their street.
Last June, Will and Jude told their story to Bishop June. She broke down and asked “What do you want?” Their reply: “We want access to this church to bring Jesus’ glory to the life of the community we are in.”
Bishop June asked Will if he wanted to come back into Anglican Church. (Hadn’t actually left). He will be licensed in January. They got the keys to the building in September 2018. On July 7 th 2019 a dream told them there would be significant healing. They opened up the church and 42 people came.
“We are so thankful for what God is doing. It is His story, not our story. God is writing His story within each of us. As we allow Him in, we want our story to be released into the atmosphere so others hear it. We are all called to play our part as one church. There is one church in Cardiff. You were born into a family known by courage. Your one courageous act could steal one heart to know Jesus. You are a unique daughter. I call you to open your hearts to that thing that he is calling you by name to do. You are salt “.
We could have listened to Jude all night. Thank you to the ladies at Albany Road Baptist Church for hosting us and providing some delicious cakes.
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