Back

Explore every episode of the podcast The Pastor's Heart with Dominic Steele

Dive into the complete episode list for The Pastor's Heart with Dominic Steele. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

Rows per page:

1–50 of 470

TitlePub. DateDuration
Confronting the big attendance drop - with Toby Neal, Dave Jensen and Geoff Bates 03 Sep 202400:39:32

What should the church pastor / staff team / church council or bishop do about the big drop in attendance?
 
A new report (bit.ly/AttendancePatterns) shows Adult Attendance in churches in Sydney is down 7% or 14% against population (over a decade). 

Adult attendance declined at approximately two-thirds of Sydney Anglican comparable church centers, and only one-third of church centers recorded an increase in attendance.

The big problem is newcomers.  We just are not reaching them.  Newcomers are down to 5.4%.

And with fewer new people joining churches, the churches that are growing are primarily growing at the expense of churches that are declining.

A noticeable decline in attendance was recorded in 2018-2019, especially in the most rapidly secularising areas of our region. 

The issues are not just external. We have internal issues. There are denominational and congregational factors at play. There are key church health characteristics that show internal health factors are lower in those regions - factors relating to congregational character and leadership. 

Geoff Bates pastors Life church in Sydney’s North West and chairs the committee that produced the Attendance Patterns Review report. 

Toby Neal pastors Vine Church in inner Sydney, which has seen remarkable growth.

Dave Jensen works at assisting churches to grow in their evangelistic temperature through Evangelism and New Churches. 

Host Dominic Steele also served on the committee that produced the report.



ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

The terrible scourge of Female Genital Mutilation and what Christians are doing about it - with Bishop Mwita Akiri27 Aug 202400:34:35

Plus how the Tanzanian Church has been built through the labors and prayers  of Australian Christians, and why prosperity gospel preachers are as wicked as witch doctors!

We are joined by Bishop Mwita Akiri from Tarime in rural Tanzania, Judith Calf who served as a missionary in theological education in Tanzania for 20 years, and Tim Swan who leads the Anglican Aid Ministry here in Australia.

To support Anglican Aid projects in Tanzania: https://anglicanaid.org.au/locations/tanzania/

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Ministry families and adopting and foster care - with Sarah and Mat Yeo and Matthew Wilcoxen25 Jun 202400:29:57

How do you balance the instability and chaos of external ministry with adding a foster child or adopted child to a ministry family?

What are the implications of taking children in crisis into the ministry home?

What motivates ministry families to become foster parents or to adopt?

How do older children and the church respond?

Sarah and Mat Yeo serve at Hurstville Grove Anglican Church in Sydney

Matt Wilcoxen pastors St John’s Darlinghurst in inner Sydney.

To purchase ‘The Forgetful Prince’: https://youthworksmedia.net/products/the-forgetful-prince


ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Deconstructing the Queen’s Funeral - with David Peterson, Rachel Ciano and Chris Braga20 Sep 202200:30:04
Billions watched on as the funeral of Queen Elizabeth was broadcast around the world yesterday. What can we learn about today's funerals from this event though? What worked? What didn’t work? Is there anything our guests would have done differently? 


Joining us is David Peterson, former Principal of Oak Hill Theological College in London who is now lecturing as an adjunct faculty member at Sydney’s Moore Theological College, Rachel Ciano, who lectures in Christian History at Sydney Missionary and Bible College and Chris Braga, the Senior Pastor of Grace West Anglican Church at Glenmore Park in Sydney’s West. 


http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/queens-funeral-review

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

The cracks widen in Brisbane in the Australian Anglican Church - with Peter Judge Mears12 Sep 202200:27:52
‘When they go low, we go high.’ - That’s what Michelle Obama said. 


The former American first lady’s comments came to mind as I listened to Sydney Archbishop Kanishka Raffel give his first presidential address to the Sydney Synod since being elected during Covid. 


Archbishop Raffel’s ‘Do you see the crowds’ address at Oran Park was mission driven and gospel focused, particularly asking how to reach the new housing estates where 30 new churches are needed to reach the hundreds of thousands of people who are moving into the Greenfields areas to the west of Sydney. There was no mention of Brisbane. 


It was a stunning contrast to the address South East Queensland Archbishop Phillip Aspinall gave. It was a hand grenade presentation, attacking evangelicals and Sydney Anglicans, which has so far led to the resignations of two of his ministers and the splitting of two Brisbane congregations.


The second minister to resign in Brisbane is Peter Judge Mears.  


St Johns Wishart Rector Peter Judge Mears is our guest on The Pastor’s Heart. St John’s Wishart spent Sunday processing the news and the invitation to join the new Southside Anglican Church. This church is the second congregation of the new Diocese of the Southern Cross, created as a lifeboat to support orthodox Christians forced out by revisionist Bishops.


ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Sydney’s One Special Evangelist John Chapman - with Baden Stace06 Sep 202200:39:10
In the second half of the 20th century, one man dominated gospel advocacy in Sydney. John Chapman. 

John Chapman was director of Evangelism for the Sydney Anglican Church, and played a significant role in shaping attitudes to preaching, evangelism and a series of controversies. 

Baden Stace, the senior minister of St Stephen’s Normanhurst, has recently published a work showcasing the impact of John Chapman, but it also gives a window into issues evangelicals in Sydney face in the later part of the 20th century. He covers topics such as the controversies about preaching, the place of evangelism in church life, social justice, and what role each of us plays in the evangelistic process. 

Link to purchase: https://bit.ly/3TFzSe1



ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

How do we make church accessible to all - with Louise Gosbell30 Aug 202200:32:53
How can we as church leaders develop and implement plans to care for people affected by disability - so that they can hear the gospel clearly and engage in Christian fellowship. 

What are the theological foundations for disability ministry? 

How do we in our hearts/attitudes welcome or distance those with disability? 

What language should we use?  

How do we include people on the autism spectrum? What are the complexities welcoming people with mental health challenges? 

Louise Gosbell is Principal of Mary Andrew’s College in Sydney and has worked with the Sydney Anglican Social Issues Committee to produce a set of guidelines to help churches. 

Download the Guidelines: https://bit.ly/3R1VgZ8


ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

False teaching revisionists caused the Australian Church schism - with Foley Beach, Glenn Davies, Richard Condie and Jennifer Hercott18 Aug 202200:31:43

Gafcon Australia Chair Richard Condie has responded to revisionist critics, labeling them as false teachers who have rejected Biblical and Anglican doctrine, and are responsible for the current Australian church schism. 

Gafcon has formed an Anglican lifeboat for faithful Christians, the ‘Diocese of the Southern Cross’ announced at the big GAFCON Australasia Conference, this week in Canberra.

It will be a new ‘safe place for gospel ministry’ for ministers and churches who can’t work under bishops who are false teachers. 

Bishop Condie has rejected the Primate of Australia’s statement that the new Southern Cross Diocese is not Anglican. 

Bishop Condie says the Anglican Communion and the Anglican Church in Australia is broken.

Bishop Condie has called on the revisionist bishops to return to biblical orthodoxy, and says if they repented, he would be the first to vote for the closing down of the Diocese of the Southern Cross. 

At the Australian General Synod in May, only ten of Australia’s Bishops affirmed that marriage in God’s sight is only between a man and a woman. 

The Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel said in response the national church is in a precarious position. 

Revisionist Archbishop of Brisbane Phillip Aspinall, further provoked tensions in his Presidential address, with a blistering attack on evangelicals, described by one of his minister’s as hurtful, hypocritical and hateful. 

Guests on this week’s The Pastor’s Heart: 

  • Richard Condie, Bishop of Tasmania and Chair of Gafcon Australia
  • Glenn Davies, Bishop of the new Anglican Southern Cross Diocese and Former Archbishop of Sydney
  • Foley Beach, Primate of the Anglican Church in North America, and Chair of the Gafcon Primate’s Council
  • Jennifer Hercott, Member of Gafcon Australia Board and registrar of the Diocese of Central Queensland

Download ‘The Line in the Sand’ https://bit.ly/3pvzssM

http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/false-teaching-revisionists-caused-the-australian-church-schism

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

A new Anglican diocese, bishop and church in Australia - with Peter Palmer 15 Aug 202200:22:18

In Australia, there are now two expressions of Anglicanism.

The first congregation of the new Diocese of the Southern Cross started at Beenleigh in Brisbane last  Sunday and the Diocese’s first bishop Glenn Davies will be appointed on Thursday.

Other congregations are expected to join in the next few months.

The spilt in the Australian Anglican Church follows the failure of the Bishops of the National Church to support the denomination’s traditional teaching that marriage is between a man and woman.

It follows similar splits in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Brazil.

Peter Palmer was the minister of St George’s Anglican Church in Brisbane until serving under Brisbane Archbishop Phillip Aspinal became untenable. He had served the Bush Church Aid society for 16 years, having been involved in indigenous ministries in Wyndem WA, church and mining ministry in Coober Pedy, SA and FIFO chaplaincy to mines.

Now, Peter will pastor the new Southern Cross Anglican Church of Beenleigh and Logan.

Peter says his decision to leave the South East Queensland diocese, where he had pastored St George’s Beenleigh for six and a half years, was provoked by the national bishops’ failure to endorse biblical marriage and Archbishop Aspinall’s presidential address at the synod in Brisbane.

Archbishop Aspinall’s address was described by one of his ministers as ‘hurtful, hypocritical and hateful’.  https://bit.ly/3dAVHuJ

#gafaus22 #gafcon22

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Repentance is what's needed - Peter Jensen on Lambeth09 Aug 202200:32:27

The Anglican Communion is broken and needs to repent.

Provinces of the Anglican Communion are now free to develop their own teaching on sexuality, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

There will be no contending for the faith (cf Jude 1:3) or withdrawing fellowship from the sexually immoral.

Archbishop Justin Welby arranged the Lambeth Conference so that delegates didn’t get to vote on the most contentious issue of the day - sexuality.

Rather he wrote to delegates announcing that Lambeth 1:10 still applied, but there would be no consequences for ignoring it.

Former Archbishop of Sydney and former General Secretary of Gafcon Peter Jensen joins us to review the confusion in global Anglicanism in the wake of Lambeth22.

Gafcon’s letter to the churches: https://bit.ly/3BWUKad
Communique from the Global South: https://bit.ly/3p64FSV
Media Release from the Global South: https://bit.ly/3JUZoYh

http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/peter-jensen-on-lambeth22

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Pastoral care for the Christian with gender incongruence or attraction to the same sex - with Sam Allberry 02 Aug 202200:44:17

How do you best assist a church member who discloses that they are experiencing gender incongruence? 

How do we show compassion and care with people where you disagree with the choices they might be making? How do we lead others in the church to do the same? 

What advice do you have about seeking to provide an environment that does not exacerbate a person’s distress. 

How do we rid our churches of any bullying, ridicule, mistreatment, and abuse of gender non-conforming people. 

How do we differentiate between compassion for the person, including an understanding of the distress of their situation or condition, and agreeing with, celebrating, or validating any treatment protocol for transition. 

Sam Allberry is a pastor, apologist and author.  His latest book is ‘What God has to say about our bodies.’ (https://bit.ly/3OFp5wF)

http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/gender-incongruence-allberry

(Dominic Steele chairs the Sydney Anglican Council of Living Faith, which seeks to minister to Christians experiencing attraction to the same sex or gender incongruence http://www.livingfaith.online).


ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Helping Grandparents win grandchildren to Christ with Ian Barnett 26 Jul 202200:29:25

Being a grandparent is such a blessing, however, comes with a great responsibility!

How can Christian grandparents be more intentional about their faith and leave a lasting legacy of faith in their grandkids and peers?

How do we, as pastors, minister to those older than us? How might we encourage them and teach them how they can minister to their grandkids, whether or not their kids are Christian?

Ian Barnett is the former senior pastor of Figtree Anglican Church in Wollongong, and is the founder of the Australian National Grandparent Conference happening in September.  (https://ngmlegacy.com.au/)

Julia Baird on Grandmothers - https://bit.ly/3PVZKQ8

http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/grandparents

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Getting masculinity right - with Al Stewart 19 Jul 202200:35:28

There is widespread confusion about what it is to be a man. 

Across history, there has been and still is a widespread confusion about what it is to be a man and how to be masculine in a non-dominating way. 

Masculinity is fundamentally about how men use their power. When it is done in a healthy way, masculinity will serve and bless those it reaches. 

Al Stewart says we should value masculinity when it is rightly understood. A truly masculine man makes the people around him feel safe. Things become more stable because he’s around.

Al has a new book out this week, The Manual: Getting Masculinity Right. 

To purchase The Manual: https://bit.ly/mmmasculinity

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Acting like men? - with Phillip Jensen, Craig Hamilton, Adrian Russell and Robin Kinstead 18 Jun 202400:32:21

What is it to be #likeaman?

There are not many places in the New Testament where men are spoken to specifically.

Today we are thinking about being a Christian man.

In the ESV and NASB the translation of 1 Corinthians 16:13 has ‘Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong’. (ESV)

But what does that mean?

Dominic Steele put that question to panelists at the recent Men Meeting the challenge conference:

Adrian Russell, senior minister of Northmead Anglican Church.

Craig Hamilton, senior minister at Pitt town.

Robin Kinstead, senior minister of Figtree Anglican.

And Phillip Jensen who heads up Two Ways Ministries. 


ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Sharpening our evangelistic preaching - with Ross Ciano12 Jul 202200:34:14

As we proclaim God to others, we don’t always get it perfect! So then, how do we proclaim Him as we ought? How might we rectify the mistakes we make and improve our evangelistic preaching? 
Each talk we do is different, meaning that our preparation should be too. We ask Ross for the best approach various kinds of evangelistic talks and be creative when presenting sin?

Ross Ciano is senior minister of Sydney’s Marrickville Road Anglican Church and brings us thoughts on this today!


ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

The trans culture wars vs lovingly pastoring gender incongruent church members - with Rob Smith06 Jul 202200:34:42

Sydney Missionary and Bible College Doctrine Lecturer Rob Smith submits his PhD this week on ‘Identity and Embodiment’ asking ‘How significant is our embodiment to our identity? How significant are our bodies to our gender identity? 

There’s a new Matt Walsh Daily Wire documentary ‘What is a woman?’ that is causing a stir across the world. 

We ask Rob ‘What is a woman?’ and for his review of the new Matt Walsh documentary. 

Plus how do we best care pastorally for the gender incongruent church member. 

Dominic Steele chairs the Sydney Anglican pastoral ministry Living Faith.  Rob is a member of the Living Faith Council. 

Living Faith’s ‘Developing Discipleship in Identity and Gender’ with Sam allberry and Rob Smith is scheduled for Tuesday 2 August 2022. Register at http://www.livingfaith.online

Links: 

Rob Smith’s new book How Should We Think About Gender and Identity? (Questions for Restless Minds) https://bit.ly/3NNrR2a

Recommended books: 

  • Joyce, Helen. Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality. London: Oneworld Publications, 2021. 
  • Shrier, Abigail. Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, 2020.
  • Sprinkle, Preston. Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church & What the Bible Has to Say. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2021.
  • Smith, Robert S. How Should We Think about Gender and Identity? Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2022.
  • Walker, Andrew T. God and the Transgender Debate: What Does the Bible Actually Say About Gender Identity? The Good Book Company, 2022.

Recommended articles:

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

MINISTRY TIP: The Pastor and Social Media with Dominic Steele05 Jul 202200:12:52

Our regular episode is running 24 hours late as Dominic Steele is in COVID isolation.  

In place Dominic has a series of hints on how we as pastors can best conduct ourselves on social media. 

1. You are not a private Christian you are a leader.  Set an example for the believers in speech, conduct, in love, in faith and in purity 1 Timothy 4:12

2. Shine like stars in a crooked and depraved medium Philippans 2:15

3. Be aware that unbelievers and believers are lurking/watching your posts and comments. Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders. Colossians 4:5

4. Face to face is best. 1 Thessalonians 3:6

5. Have generally outsider focused material on your website and facebook page.  Internal communication and internal Christian debates in Facebook groups. 
 
6. Beware of the expectations and dangers of the medium you are operating in. 

7. Recognise that while you may be a public Christian other people are not. 

http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/would-jesus-like-me

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

How do we deal with anxiety in the Christian life - with Paul Grimmond. 27 Jun 202200:34:16

‘Do not be anxious about anything’ says the Apostle Paul.  But Paul Grimmond says saying that to an anxious person is a bit like telling an ice-cream not to melt in summer. Unproductive and pointless. So, how do we think and speak biblically about anxiety to others while taking on board other factors in a person's life?

How might we see anxiety as a gift? What does the interplay between mind and body look like? How does sin contribute to anxiety? Is there a place for counseling? How does self talk impact one's anxiety?

Paul Grimmond’s new book ‘When the noise won’t stop: A Christian guide to dealing with anxiety’.

To purchase a copy: https://bit.ly/3y2FULL



ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

The problem with ‘You be You’ - with Brian Rosner 20 Jun 202200:35:38

‘You be you.’ It’s the catch cry of a generation. But Brian Rosner says it’s also the new definition of sin.

Many people today believe that there’s only one place to look to find yourself and that’s inward.

Personal identity has become a ‘Do it yourself Project’. 

This strategy of identity formation is sometimes called Expressive Individualism. 

The view that you are who you feel yourself to be on the inside, and that acting in accordance with this identity is living authentically. 

The Principal of Melbourne’s Ridley Theological College Brian Rosner has super helpful critique in his new book, ‘How to find yourself: Why looking inwards is not the answer.’

Dr Rosner joins us this week on The Pastor’s Heart.

To purchase: https://bit.ly/3xHOAXu


ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

We need to get better at networking - with Archie Poulos14 Jun 202200:32:37

Archie Poulos has spent the last few years working on a PHD analysing the 10 key roles of a minister, and how we are going at each of them. He’s spoken to 312 clery across sydney and analysed their responses. 

One key weakness Archie identifies in Christian leaders have is a failure to partner together. He says if we don’t learn to network and work together, our organisations won’t stand the test of time. 

We discuss key ministry opportunities and how partnering together can help ensure more long term success, including youth and helping people transfer between Churches when they move. 


Archie challenges us to consider how we can work together for the good of the gospel rather than reverting to ‘subtribes’.


Archie Poulos is the co-director of the Center for Ministry Development at Sydney’s Moore Theological College and he brings light to these questions in this interview.

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Clarity, Truth, Sufficient and Efficient - with Mark Thompson 06 Jun 202200:31:08

Principal of Sydney’s Moore Theological College Mark Thompson has a new book ‘The doctrine of Scripture: An introduction’. 

Thompson talks about how we can start with Jesus in forming a view of scripture today. 


He addresses questions such as what is Jesus’ view of scripture, how clarity and simplicity relate, how we move from the speech of God to the written word of God, how the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture plays out in the different stages of biblical revelation and how speech-act theory impact the issues of the inseparability of Word and Spirit, and the efficacy of Scripture. Finally, we ask him if he can give us a sixty second answer on canon formation.


To purchase Mark Thompsons book and read more of his thoughts on this topic, see this link: https://bit.ly/3zllAXW

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Making key staff appointments with Bruce Clarke and Pete Stedman31 May 202200:38:04

How do you find the right key person to join your ministry team? To figure this out, you may ask questions such as:

  • What is the person’s heart for God and the gospel? 
  • What is the person’s relationship with authority? 
  • How do we recruit to a vision and strategy?
  • What are the pitfalls of interviews? 
  • What are the first questions to ask referees? 
  • Who else to involve in the process?

St Matthew’s Manly’s Senior Minister Bruce Clarke says there’s Character, Conviction and Competency, but also Chemistry, Culture and Calling. 

Norwest Anglican’s Pete Stedman says different churches require different capacities, and different roles within a church require different capacities. 

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Humility, ambition and leadership - with Paul Harrington 23 May 202200:27:09

Ambitions are a good thing! But how can we be ambitious about the right thing and have ones that magnify Jesus, not ourselves? How can we have ambitions driven by humility? 

Paul Harrington leads Trinity network of churches in Adelaide, South Australia. Having planted three new churches this year, they have grown to a network of 14 churches! 

Paul gave the main evening talks at last week’s Reach Australia Conference, tackling head on the failures of Christian leaders.  

Paul asks what we can learn from the mistakes of Mark Driscoll, Brian Houston, Ravi Zacharius, Carl Lentz and Steve Timmis? 

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

A perilous moment - with Kanishka Raffel, Richard Condie and Jennifer Hercott15 May 202200:32:33

‘A perilous moment.’  - That’s how the Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel described the situation that the Anglican Church of Australia is in - after an important vote failed to win support of the nation’s bishops at the denomination’s National Synod. 

After being delayed twice due to COVID, the leaders of the Australian Anglican Church gathered for the first time since the marriage plebiscite.

There were two statements and three motions to be debated that would have given the church clarity going forward. 

But whereas it was clear that there was 60% support for orthodox teaching in the Synod, the critical motion was blocked by the House of Bishops. 

The synod voted by houses - laity, clergy and bishops. 
In the laity the numbers were 63 to 47 in favour
In the clergy the numbers were 70 to 39 in favour 
In the house of bishops it was lost by 10 in support to 12 votes against, with two abstentions. 

Today on The Pastor’s Heart we are speaking first to the Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel and then to the the Gafcon Australia Bishop RIchard Condie of Tasmania and Rev Jennifer Hercott from Queensland.  



ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Strategies to increase the retention of the children of members - with Al James11 Jun 202400:28:07

There are three different ways that the adult population of churches can grow:

  1. Adults being saved. 
  2. Christians transferring from another congregation within your denomination of switching from another denomination. 
  3. Children of members growing up in the church and taking on their parents faith for themselves.

Most evangelical churches - even growing churches - are underperforming in the first and third ways.

In the Sydney Anglican Church parents report that an average of only 65% of their children who grew up in church are currently professing Christ. That number hasn’t changed in ten years - despite a targeted effort to increase it to 70%.

The second way is people switching from another church within your denomination, or transferring from another denomination.

Sydney Anglican Youthworks Consultant Al James says key focuses are deep discipleship, deep connection and authentic discussions at home with parents about faith. 

To watch Al James' Seminar on helping young people stick with Jesus, click this link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/b8d6fc0e

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

How to support and guide the kids ministry in your church - with Bruce Linton10 May 202200:33:24

How do we prioritise kids ministry? What to look for in appointing a kids minister?  How do you support your kids minister to prevent burnout and work towards longevity? 

How to create a kids ministry that fits with the overall ministry philosophy and direction of the church? 

Advice on dealing with parent complaints and helping parents to value kids ministry and the time put in by kids ministers.

Bruce Linton is the Children’s and Youth Director at the Church Missionary Society NSW. 



ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Processing disappointment in ministry - with Hans Kristensen03 May 202200:34:39

Disappointment is a difficult topic to deal with in ministry. As humans, we tend to make mistakes and sometimes, disappointment can come at nobody's fault at all. 

So, how do we process the disappointment in ministry then? Personally process as leaders and processing with our people?

What about when the church plant fails? Hans Kristensen planted the Resolved Church in Newtown, and six years later closed it down. 

Naturally, failure comes with any attempt at anything! But how do we know when to call time? And what part does ego play in all of this? 

Hans Kristensen is now the senior pastor of Marsfield Community Church in Sydney. Before that he was founding pastor of Resolved Newtown in Sydney and is bringing a wise word on dealing with disappointment. 

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Navigating change management in church - with Raj Gupta 25 Apr 202200:34:26

How to navigate change management in church? 

Change within the church is ongoing and unavoidable. This is to strengthen the church and continually make it a better and more spiritually helpful place for its members to worship God and grow in their faith. However, war stories of ‘church change resistance,’ where well meaning ministers have tried to pursue these changes have sadly led to the disruption of relationships. 

Speaking on the topic of change and its aftermath is Raj Gupta. He is the senior minister of St Paul’s in Carlingford in Sydney and a director with Moore College’s Center for Ministry Development and has insights for churches based on John Kotter’s Change Management Framework

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Weakness is good for you - with Matt Fuller19 Apr 202200:36:03

Matt Fuller, the Senior Minister of Christ Church Mayfair in the centre of London, speaks on why weakness is good for us. 

He describes standing up in front of his church, telling them he couldn’t cope with being told to take time off by his elders.

Matt describes a conversation with his senior elders when he was in trouble and was confronted by his senior elder about time off and burnt out. 

Matt puts it down to overwork, a complex season around his mother’s death and the extra difficulties of managing the church and staff team during COVID. 

At the time he was angry and when he stopped working, the depression sunk in and he just wanted to quit. 

Matt says his vulnerability has helped the church to be more honest with each other. 


Jon Kwan who has been our excellent associate for over nine years is heading to be a senior minister. Village Church Annandale is now looking for a new assistant minister to head up maturity and mission. 


For more information go to: http://www.villagechurch.sydney/assistant 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/thepastorsheart)


ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Best practice Mother’s Day - with Phillip Jensen and Kate Stace12 Apr 202200:29:41

Mothers Day is a day of both celebration and sorrow for some. 

In today's episode, we think theologically, historically and pragmatically with Kate Stace and Phillip Jensenon on how to make Mothers Day excellent at church and how to serve the church family well for maximum mission impact! 

Since Mothers Day is emotionally complex for a number of members inside and out of the church, we also talk on how to care personally for these people who struggle through this day.

Kate Stace is part of the team at Vine Church in Surry Hills in Sydney and Phillip Jensen is the former Dean of St Andrew’s Cathedral. 

https://phillipjensen.com/resources/the-mothers-of-mothers-day/

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/thepastorsheart)

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

How to publicly apologise | Bruce Burgess on the apologies of Will Smith and Brian Houston05 Apr 202200:40:30

Noticed the influx of memes after the Oscars? You then, no doubt, are probably aware of the fiasco that took place that night.

Actor Will Smith has apologised for his actions at the Oscars and former Hillsong Global Pastor Brian Houston has apologised to his church.

It makes one think then - what makes a good apology, and how can we apologise well?

Bruce Burgess from Peacewise speaks to us today on the seven things that make up a good apology.

In this week’s The Pastor’s Heart we analyse the apologies of Australian Cricket Captain Steve Smith, plus the apologies of Will Smith and Brian Houston in order to consider what is the best practices for our own apologies.

For more information on Peacewise Training, whether in person or online, see https://peacewise.org.au/

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Gary Millar on Brian Houston | Keith Condie on The Pastor’s Marriage 28 Mar 202200:37:46

Power and authority are very dangerous. The recent fall of Brian Houston solidifies this statement and brings significant lessons for Christian leaders everywhere! On the matter, The Chair of the Australian Gospel Coalition Gary Millar brings light to the topic.

Dr Millar notes that Brian Houston’s actions and the poor response of leaders in his theological space, are telling reminders that power, authority and positions of authority carry with them great risks.

Adulation, respect and relentless encouragement are very dangerous things and that leaders need to be accountable to those around us.

Dr Millar stressed that we need to keep coming back to the scriptures, returning to the pastoral epistles and reflect carefully on what God asks of those who are in leadership.

Co-Director/Founder of the Mental Health & Pastoral Care Institute at Mary Andrews College, Keith Condie, says there’s a series of steps that pastors need to take to safeguard actions and protect marriages. 





Keith and Sarah’s marriage course: http://www.buildingmarriage.com.au

The ‘Press On’ course for our own wellbeing that Keith mentions is here https://www.mentalhealthinstitute.org.au/shop/press-on

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

"Honour the Lord, Take a stand" - Michael Youssef on contemporary challenges of sexuality22 Mar 202200:34:58

‘Stand for Christ.  Stand for the truth.  And let the chips fall where they may.’

Senior Pastor of Atlanta’s Church of the Apostles, Dr Michael Youssef, has a prophetic call to share with evangelical pastors today. It is to not give up trust in the scriptures in the face of contemporary challenges on sexuality.


Dr Youssef tells the story of leading his church to depart the US Episcopal Church when the denomination moved against biblical teaching on sexuality, and the way God has blessed them since. 

In light of all this, Dr Youssef quotes 1 Samuel saying, ‘Those who honour me I will honour.’ 

Speaking in terms of the Sydney Anglican Church, Dr Youssef says, ‘I know this diocese, I love this diocese, and I know that God will continue to bless this Diocese even more… when you take a stand.’


Dr Youseff says, ‘Everyone I know who honoured the Lord and took a stand, God blessed that.’

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

How to navigate a messy pastoral transition - with Hugh Isaacs15 Mar 202200:32:50

For 15 years Hugh Isaacs has been at the centre of messy pastoral transitions, as an ‘emergency responder’ to churches going through a transition crisis. Today, he he joins us to give us insight into the process. 

After initially helping members deal with their grief, there are five key steps Isaacs tells that need to be worked through for the best outcome. However, Isaacs warns of the land mines that come off at any moment though this process.

(i) After the grief, the church must come to terms with the church's history. How to review the past as a step to the future? 

(ii) Examination of the leadership (the lay elected leadership) and the way they and the staff work together.

(iii) Defining denominational connections. How does the church understand and relate to its denomination?

(iv) Clarifying identity and direction. Defining the church’s place in its community and its mission.

(v) Working through commitment to new clergy leadership and the future. Preparing to welcome the new minister.

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Effective Leadership and Ministry Blindspots - with Valerie Ling and Sarah Hindle 08 Mar 202200:35:00

Senior leaders long to be effective leaders, but we may not be as good as they hope to be. In the church, the demands on the senior pastor has increasingly become more complex. The expectation to be excellent in leadership, managerial, and administrative on top of preaching, teaching and pastoral care is one of immense pressure!

Under this kind of stress, we might suffer cyclical patterns of burnout, unhealthy coping modes, or psychological patterns we are unaware of. When under this cloud of stress, one may resort to detaching by excessive use of screens, alcohol, drugs, pornography, running to control, micromanaging situations, overwork, reassurance seeking or over-researching. These traps aren’t that hard to fall into.

Valerie Ling and Sarah Hindle, from Sydney’s Center for Effective Serving, say among leaders self awareness an emotional awareness is critical (https://effectiveserving.com.au/)

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

What morality should we teach artificial intelligence? - with Stephen Driscoll04 Jun 202400:26:28

A new massive ethical question has risen up with the advent of artificial intelligence.

How will people decide what kind of morality to give to their artificial intelligence creations?

There will need to be a morality.  But what should it be?

The market is already making different choices.

Elon Musk has said he wants the AI behind X (formerly Twitter) to be morally flexible.   He wants his AI to appeal to all people: left and right, authoritarian and democratic, kind and brutal.

Stephen Driscoll is the author of ‘Made in our Image - God, artificial intelligence and you’.

To order online: http://matthiasmedia.com.au/products/made-in-our-image

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Australian Anglicans and Sexuality - with David Bennett27 Feb 202200:40:22

Australian Anglican Evangelicals are praying that the Australian national Bishops meeting (in March) and the General Synod (8-16 May) will affirm the Bible’s teaching on marriage, sexuality and chastity.

The General Synod  will consider three motions and two propositions affirming the Bible’s teaching on marriage and chastity

Relations across the church have been further strained by Archbishop of Perth’s decision to deacon a man who is in a civil partnership with another man; and a second man who has been living in a defacto relationship with a woman for a number of years before being married in December 2021.  

There were public objections to the ordinations, both before and during the service on Thursday. After a four minute break in the livestream broadcast, Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy overruled the objections and the service proceeded. (Full service here). 

This comes on top of the Bishop of Wangaratta’s support for the blessing of the marriage of two men in Albury Anglican Church on 2 January 2022.

David Bennett is a former Sydney gay activist, now a Christian, and a member of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s College of Evangelists. 

David is completing his PhD on the relationship between desire and same sex attraction at Oxford. 

David reviews the proposed motions before General Synod, talks about potential ways forward for the Australian Church and his reaction to the Perth ordinations. 

Links:
David’s book: A war of loves
Draft: Motions for General Synod



ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Future Mission In Sydney - with Sydney Archbishop Kanishka Raffel20 Feb 202200:27:56

Future mission in Sydney and the National Anglican Church in Australia faces a few challenges which Sydney Anglican Archbishop Kanishka Raffel spells out in this episode. 

We speak on some of the issues Archbishop Raffel might have brought forward in his first Presidential address, had the 'Synod in the Greenfields' not been postponed due to the Omicron outbreak, as it was scheduled for this Saturday 26 February 2022.

Not only this, Archbishop Raffel speaks frankly about the Greenfields challenge, indigenous issues, multiculturalism, the national church and the current religious freedom debate. 

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Exvangelicals: Who are they and how do we love them? - with Jeri Jones Sparks14 Feb 202200:26:46

‘Exvangelicals’. What’s that, you may be asking? It’s a word we hadn’t heard of a few years ago, however, we are increasingly seeing people's self-identity as being part of this loose group or social movement, mostly consisting of Millennials or Gen Z’s. 

An ‘Exvangelical’ are people who were once members of evangelical churches but have now been through a process, which they would call ‘deconstruction.’ 

Jeri Jones Sparks speaks today on the matter. She is the outreach pastor at St James Croydon and has a number of friends who describe themselves as ‘Exvangelicals’.



ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

The loneliest generation are the under 25s - with Patrick Parkinson08 Feb 202200:28:41

Recent studies show nearly one in four people are profoundly lonely. In fact, the loneliest generation of all is the under 25 age group. The most serious problem is not transient loneliness, but that 7 to 8 percent of the population have been really lonely for at least eight years. 

In response to these statistics, Professor Patrick Parkinson is heading up the new Christian think tank Publica (http://www.publica.org.au) which launches this Thursday night. Publica has been researching the most socially connected generation in history, who are also the loneliest. 


To read more on Publica, see:

https://publica.org.au/loneliness/

https://publica.org.au

http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/loneliness-patrick-parkinson

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

A Small Step Forward For Religious Freedom In Australia - with Michael Stead06 Feb 202200:19:08

Religious Freedom will be debated in the Australian Parliament this week. 

Two parliamentary reports were released late on Friday afternoon and over the weekend the MP’s and Senators have spent time reading over them. 

Thankfully, the reports show the Coalition and Labor Party are broadly in support of introducing improved protections for people of Faith.

The report's recommendations are set to go to the party rooms on Tuesday morning, and the House of Representatives as early as Tuesday afternoon. 

Anglican Bishop Michael Stead is the new chair of Freedom for Faith.

 

To read the Government reports, see the following links:

https://bit.ly/JointReligiousFreedom

https://bit.ly/SenateReligiousFreedom





Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

‘Red Light Ministry Conversations’ - discerning who should enter professional ministry - with Rowan Kemp and Paul Grimmond01 Feb 202200:33:37

How to have the hard conversation with someone about why they shouldn’t go into professional Christian ministry?

It’s fantastic to see Christians enthusiastic and willing to serve in a professional Christian Ministry. But it might not be appropriate for anyone. 

How does one decide to raise a red flag with someone who probably isn’t a good fit for this role of ministry? How do you follow through with a conversation? Who should have this conversation? What if you are the one in the wrong? 

Today, we discuss how to discern between issues of character, convictions, competency and capacity. We speak frankly about a range of issues such as lack of humility, mental health and pornography that influence the discerning of whether someone should enter professional Christian ministry. 

Shedding light on this topic today is Paul Grimmond, Dean of Students at Moore Theological College who previously served in ministry at the University of New South Wales, and Rowan Kemp, who leads the ministry team with the Evangelical Union at Sydney University.

http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/red-light-conversations


ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Performance & Conflict Management and Servant Leadership - with Vikki Napier24 Jan 202200:36:28

We address the big HR questions faced by senior pastors in leading our ministry teams?

How can we do performance management best among our varied team members? 

What is the difference between conflict and bullying and abuse?  

Is it possible for a senior minister to be too conflict averse and not give needed ‘tough love’? Conversely where do senior ministers get this wrong? 

What difference does it make if one is an ‘office holder’ vs a ‘fair work employee’?

What does Jesus’ teaching on servant leadership mean for staff management? 

Vikki Napier is the Sydney Anglican Human Resources Parish Partner.  She advises senior pastors and parish councils on how to manage clergy and other ministry staff.

https://www.sds.asn.au/parish-hr-resources

http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/human-resources-napier

 


ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Our complex world and preaching topically - with Sam Chan17 Jan 202200:39:17

 Australian Evangelist Sam Chan, who works with City Bible Forum, joins us to talk about connecting with our complex world through topical preaching.

There are many things to consider when preaching to various people groups that may impact the way we preach. Different cultural groups may think differently on an axis of hierarchy-equality and freedom-control. Sam leads us through how being aware of these factors and having a high cultural, emotional and informational intelligence will impact our preaching for the better.

Plus, Sam responds to Phillip Jensen’s response to his critique of the gospel outline Two Ways to Live. He then explores the differences between topical preaching in the evangelistic context and systematic teaching in the context of educating our church family.

Sam Chan has a new book out, co-authored with Malcom Gill, called ‘Topical Preaching In a Complex World’ you can find through this link if you wish to learn more on this topic.
https://j.mp/3Gz3MJW

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Supporting Ministry Trainees in 2022 - with Charles Gajus and James Warren14 Jan 202200:32:10

As the new year begins, there are many ministry trainees who are starting new positions!

In this episode, we talk about how we can broaden these new ministry trainees - how to best develop a Christlike character, a deep conviction about God and His word and the ability to teach the word of God, and the ability needed to lead and grow a ministry.  We also discuss onboarding trainees as well as what our overall goals are for our ministry trainees.

Charles Gajus, a ministry trainer at Campus Bible Study at the University of New South Wales, and James Warren, the senior pastor at Engadine Anglican Church in Sydney’s south talk us through these topics.

http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/ministry-trainees 

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

BEST OF: The Vulnerable Pastor - with Peter Adam04 Jan 202200:29:56

What should a Christian leader do when their role is to care for people, and they don’t want to interact with people? What impact does depression have on preaching? What kind of friendships should ministry leaders have? What about suffering in the leaders life? What would you say to a leader who is walking through the tough of depression for the first time? 

We ask Peter Adam the hard questions about friendship, mental health, avoiding burn-out and investing in senior ministers. Peter will speak openly about his own experience - one which is mirrored by a surprisingly large number of others. 

Peter Adam is vicar emeritus at St. Jude’s Carlton, formerly principal of Ridley College Melbourne, and vicar of St. Jude’s. 

He mentors 28 young pastors, has written extensively on how God speaks into our lives and is a founding member of the Council of The Gospel Coalition Australia.

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Getting high quality preaching from trainee ministers - with Toby Neal 28 May 202400:29:56

How can a senior minister best train junior preachers (student ministers and assistant ministers) in preaching?

There’s a tension we all feel: we want to be a training church raising up the next generation of leaders and yet we also want to make sure that the quality of what happens in our gatherings is high.

We don’t want a Sunday morning ‘plane crash in the pulpit’, where people at church that day think‘I wish I had stayed home today’ or ‘I wish I had gone to St Bloggs down the road.’

Toby Neal is at Vine Church in Surry Hills in Sydney.  Toby says there’s been days when he sat at the back of the church, head in hands thinking, “Oh dear - I hope we don’t have anyone new here today!”

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

Preserving preaching Christ - with Michael Stead27 Dec 202100:29:58

The whole concept of a tolerant society is being spun around.

Sydney Anglican Bishop Michael Stead says there are moves afoot to block Christians from being able to say that ‘Christ is the only way to heaven.’

It’s also being claimed by Equality Australia that to say ‘marriage is between a man and woman’ is an offensive statement. 

Bishop Stead says he wants to protect moderately expressed statements of religious belief.  

There are two parallel parliamentary inquiries into religious freedom taking place this summer, due to report back in February. 

Then the Federal Government is expected to take revised draft Religious Freedom legislation back to the parliament in March, to fulfil a previous election promise. 

Sydney Bishop Michael Stead, who chairs the Anglican Church of Sydney’s Religious Freedom Reference Group, has just submitted substantial submission to the inquiry on behalf of that group.

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

BEST OF: Making the most of January - with Andy Hobbs and Dave Allen20 Dec 202100:35:50

January is the key time of the year for welcoming newcomers in the southern hemisphere.  In the northern hemisphere it’s August/September.

But how do we best follow up new people who are moving into the district and looking to join a church?
Someone visits your church, but what’s next.  What sort of ‘visitor pipeline’ should you have?

What kind of system can be devised that is most effective for welcoming the largest numbers of people over a year? - while making sure that everyone doesn’t get exhausted?

Should you visit? phone? email? text? or nothing?

Where is too much effort just that.  Too much effort?  

How do you grab the ‘low hanging fruit’?

What mistakes can we avoid?  Where should we ignore the American advice here as just being too cultural?

Someone has visited our church and we have invested lots of effort in them, and it’s all come to naught.  Someone else visits, we do almost nothing, and they end up joining.  What’s with that?  

Dave Allen is from Hunter Church in Newcastle and Andy Hobbs from Salt Church in Wollongong.  Both have great advice for us in this area.

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

What is worth measuring in church life - with Mike Hastie?13 Dec 202100:33:26

It’s time to review what’s happened this year and have robust informed conversations about what we will do next year?  What won’t we do again?  How we will do things differently? And why? 

To make realistic decisions, we need to know what’s helpful to measure?  And what isn’t? 

Not everything that’s measurable matters. And not everything that matters is measurable.

Mike Hastie has been serving on the team at Newtown Erskineville Anglican Church, and is about to become the senior pastor of Toongabbie Anglican Church. 

Mike’s the founder of a project called Growing Healthier Churches which is all about helping us pastor better by measuring and tracking. 

ChurchSuite Taster Days in Australia
Churchsuite is a Church Management Platform. Check us out at a Taster Day - Sydney October 21,22; Brisbane October 24; Canberra October 27; Melbourne October 28; Perth October 30. 

The Church Co
http://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor


Support the show

© My Podcast Data