Rank #1: 'Evangelism and a skeptical world' with Sam Chan
his new book 'Evangelism in a Skeptical World.'
Sam and host Dominic Steele have both been thinking about the same issues
for a long time. There's lots of areas of agreement, and some areas where
they disagree.
Mar 20 2018
35mins
Rank #2: "Engaging with Atheists" with Scotland's David Robertson
http://www.stpeters-dundee.org.uk He is also the associate director of the
Solas Centre for Public Christianity http://www.solas-cpc.org
David is in Sydney to speak at Katoomba Christian Convention and for a
holiday.
He does a lot of writing – in newspapers, magazines, on the net and also
books. He’s the author of Awakening (the life of Robert Murray McCheyne);
The Dawkins Letters, Quench (cafe evangelism) and Magnificent Obsession.
His latest book is called Engaging With Atheists.
He’s interested in history, politics, theology, music, sport, art etc.
David’s a ‘big picture’ person who likes to look at things in a wide
context – especially the growth, decline and renewal of the church in the
West….
His nickname ‘wee flea’ comes from a series of interactions He had on the
Richard Dawkins website. Robertson was banned from his site under his own
name and Dawkins called him, Alaister McGarth and John Lennox ‘fleas living
of a dogs back’.
Robertson promptly started reposting under the name ‘the wee flea’, and
Dawkins, not being aware of Scottish church history or the nickname of my
denomination (the wee frees), let it go by for a few weeks…until he was
outed…and banned again!
Apr 17 2018
31mins
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Rank #3: Donald Guthrie on Resilient Ministry
May 08 2018
31mins
Rank #4: Phillip Jensen on 'How COVID19 changes evangelism?'
This week on The Pastor's Heart we talk big COVID changes: individualism and community, autonomy and submission, free press & censorship, materialism, wealth and its assumptions and the seriousness of life.
Plus the massive advantages for ministry and evangelism in a society which has much more time on our hands and is much more aware of the reality of death.
Plus we ask Phillip how Christian leaders can honour Jesus, loving the flock and reach the lost in the Corona season.
More at: http://www.thepastorsheart.net
Mar 31 2020
22mins
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Rank #5: Fine tuning your growth groups with Peter Mayrick
Do you sometimes wonder how effective your growth groups are in growing disciples? Want to know how to measure the effectiveness of your growth group ministry?
Peter Mayrick talks to us to gather insight on changing growth group ministry to focus more on outcomes rather than just input. As church leaders how can we be confident with the answer to the question "are people growing in Jesus?"
Subscribe to our Podcast here and take the Pastor's Heart with you! https://www.thepastorsheart.net/footer
ABOUT THIS WEEK'S GUEST, PETER MAYRICK
After a career in Senior Business Management, Peter joined Moore College's Centre for Ministry Development in 2012 to support and coach Pastors as they lead churches in Christ's mission. Read more about CMD at https://cmd.moore.edu.au/
Apr 30 2019
30mins
Rank #6: A senior pastor facing terminal brain cancer - with Greg Peisley
‘I was hoping for another plan, but I’ll take God’s plan. I am comforted by the truth that it’s not out of control, but he’s using it for good,’ says Pitt Town Community Anglican Church Senior Minister Greg Peisley.
Greg was preaching on Sunday morning when the church family at Pitt Town realised something wasn’t right, and encouraged him to go straight to hospital at Westmead.
The following Monday night Greg, his wife Sue, his adult daughter, sons and son’s wives got the news that it’s Glioblastoma (GBM), a stage four malignant cancer, wild type.
Greg says his brain cancer is terminal with a medium expected lifespan of 15-18 months. With only five percent getting past two years.
Greg opens up about the journey he, his family and his church family are on…. and the conversations he’s been having with his Heavenly Father.
Sep 20 2019
29mins
Rank #7: 'How to preach Easter well?' with Simon Manchester
choose an Easter passage? What does preparation look like? What's the goal
of aGood Friday or Easter Sunday talk? How much are you looking for guests
and how much for regular members?
Mar 06 2018
29mins
Rank #8: Peter Jensen on Billy Graham
listening to Billy Graham speak in 1959.
On hearing of Dr Graham's death, Peter Jensen relived that afternoon with
Dominic Steele on The Pastor's Heart.
Feb 22 2018
31mins
Rank #9: Raising up apprentices, training and mentoring with Evan McFarlane
Paul's Anglican at Carlingford, Sydney. Excitingly in one of the
congregations that Evan pastors, 80% of members are involved in 1:1
discipleship. From this group there has been a steady flow of young men
and women putting themselves forward for Christian Ministry.
Feb 06 2018
29mins
Rank #10: How to make preaching easier with Steve Cree
How can we preach better? How can we work together to do this? It's through collaboration.
Steve Cree leads the ministry team at Queensland’s influential Living Church (formerly known as Creek Road Presbyterian).
Steve’s taken a significantly innovative approach, helping pastors work in collaboration with pastors of other churches to better teach and pastor their flocks.
Steve says, by working together, we can serve our people better.
Apr 23 2019
33mins
Rank #11: Evangelical Assumpta Venkatachalam's complex journey on the reality TV show 'Christians like us'
Ten so-called Christians from across the theological and denominational spectrum came together for a week in a reality TV program called ‘Christians like Us,’ screened in Australia on SBS.
One of those housemates, Assumpta Venkatachalam shares her story of a week inside the house, where they navigated topics including women in ministry, homosexuality, child sex abuse, speaking to atheists, biblical authority, sex before marriage, abortion, and the future of Christianity.
Assumpta is joined by Russell Powell, CEO of Anglican Media Sydney, who originally suggested her to the program’s producers.
Check out this article by Assumpta.
Apr 16 2019
35mins
Rank #12: The restart & strategic change - with Adam Lowe & Gary Koo.
The road forward . Four scenarios and three questions for every church leadership team.
Churches are starting to plan for a post shutdown world. The Australian Prime Minister has announced a three stage road map, of gatherings of
- stage one = 10 people,
- stage two = 20 people,
- and stage three = 100 people.
But significantly stage three could run for a very long time.
Adam Lowe is senior pastor of St Barts Toowoomba, as well as being a psychologist who has focused on organisations. Gary Koo is the Bishop leading the Sydney Anglican Church’s Covid-19 Diocesan Taskforce.
Adam outlines four key scenarios facing churches and a series of three questions that churches need to address. Link here. See also an article on strategic change by Adam Lowe here.
Gary Koo says there are key lessons we have learned:
- We’ve had more people engage with our church services than when we met physically
- Online church has provided opportunities for those with chronic health issues to attend more regularly
- Online fellowship has been helpful for those who find it difficult to initiate conversation
- Older members have adapted better than may have been expected.
- It has provided opportunities for inter-generational encouragement
- Socially disadvantaged areas have been impacted disproportionately
- Smaller churches have been impacted disproportionately
- People value church connection possibly more than we realised
- There is competition for our people’s time that stops them from engaging
- A lot of church life involves doing what isn’t ‘essential’
- Churches dependent on rental income have been hit hard.
- There is a disparity between the mental resilience of our senior ministers and our assistant ministers. What is the cause of this?
- People may not have access to a reliable pathway to access mental health
resources - Multiply redundant communication is necessary for messaging
- Pastoral care has been undertaken in a more intentional way than before.
- People have valued ministers making personal contact with them
May 12 2020
30mins
Rank #13: In COVID19 what should we aim for? - with Tim Clemens & Dave Miers
What should we be aiming for now? What does a win look like?
Most of us have been doing Church online while socially distancing for a month - but aside from getting a video service online at the right time, how do we measure success right now?
Is it likes on Facebook? Online “attendance”? Reach? Number of people engaging in Bible study groups?
This week on The Pastor’s Heart, we speak with Tim Clemens and Dave Miers about what a Church should be aiming for and how they can measure success during Covid-19. All ministries cost a certain amount of resources, so this week we discuss how to track effectiveness, when our traditional measures are much harder to gauge.
We’ll discuss how we can be seeking to grow God’s kingdom, setting goals for where our ministries will be when restrictions are reduced, measuring weekly successes and how to decide which ministries to continue to invest in. We also discuss what to aim for specifically in terms of mission and maturity.
Apr 21 2020
36mins
Rank #14: Leading your church in the COVID-19 crisis - with the pastor, doctor & bishop
Leading your church in the corona era with Pastor Eugene Hor, Bishop Gary Koo and Dr Irmgard Pascoe
- How to give spiritual leadership in a highly anxious season?
- How to lead from the word of God?
- What does calm leadership look like?
- How can we lead when other church leaders around us are making different calls?
- Why do different contexts lead to different decisions?
- How to see this season as a blessing from God - that might lead to missional benefits?
- How to act not in selfishness, but in love and care for our neighbours?
- Navigating the finances of the church?
Dr Irmgard Pascoe is a general practitioner with an interest in immunology and public health, Bishop Gary Koo is leading the Sydney Anglican Churches response to COVID-19 and Pastor Eugene Hor leads the English ministry at GracePoint Presbyterian Burwood.
See Dominic Steele's message to his congregation on COVID-19 at http://www.villagechurch.sydney/corona
Mar 16 2020
31mins
Rank #15: 15 mistakes a senior pastor makes | Craig Hamilton
It’s a confronting conversation this week - especially for senior pastors - as we discuss the top 15 mistakes senior leaders make, with Craig Hamilton from Glenmore Park Anglican Church.
Craig will challenge us to redefine success, develop and consider a leadership pipeline and assess the ways we use our time. It will be a challenging - potentially painful - discussion, but it’s one every Christian leader should reflect on. Our leadership impacts the lives and salvation of thousands, so it is key we do that to the best of our ability.
Some of the key areas areas we will discuss are:
Attracting and retaining a strong team
Setting a strong and positive Church culture and developing systems and opportunities for development
Training and investing in leaders
Responding to crisis
Delegating and trusting your team
Craig is the author of Wisdom in Leadership. He has a new book coming out later this year and has given us a sneak peek.
I am expecting to find the conversation helpful for reflecting on individual leadership strengths and weaknesses, and hope you will too.
Check it at http://www.thepastorsheart.net
Craig is the author of Wisdom in Leadership from Matthias Media.
Mar 10 2020
38mins
Rank #16: Abuse, the Acts29 crisis & Steve Timmis with Mez McConnell and Matthew Spandler Davidson
‘Church in Hard places’ co-founders Mez McConnell and Matthew Spandler Davidson are in Sydney to present a key elective on Friday on 'Abuse in the Church' at the Acts29 conference for Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Ahead of the conference they are leading ‘Church in Hardplaces’ bootcamps.
Mez and Matthew talk to Dominic Steele about the transitioning of Steve Timmis out of Acts 29 this week, under a cloud of claims of Spiritual Abuse.
To purchase Mez's new book, Creaking on the stairs, Finding Faith in God through Childhood Abuse.
*****
Update: Read Dominic Steele's report on the opening night of the Acts29 Australian conference here.
Feb 19 2020
34mins
Rank #17: Abortion impacts one in six evangelical couples says Claire Smith
There are women in all our lives and churches who have had an abortion. Men, women and children who have been touched by abortion - in our workplaces, churches and families.
Senior pastors need to stop turning a blind eye to this subject and talk much much more about abortion in church.
New Testament scholar and former nurse Dr Claire Smith says we are currently not meeting this pastoral and evangelistic need.
Dr Smith has many suggestions on how to regularly teach pastorally and faithfully on abortion, potentially save many lives in your church.
Plus we talk mistakes made in counselling on abortion at seventeen and eighteen weeks and the fallout and pastoral response needed in a post abortion situation.
Watch online or subscribe to The Pastor’s Heart:
http://www.thepastorsheart/podcast/abortion-clairesmith
Pregnancy Support and post-abortion counselling
- Real Choices Australia: www.realchoices.org.au
- Zoe Support: www.zoesupport.com.au
- Embryo Donation Network: www.embryodonation.org.au
- Priceless Life Centre (Qld): www.pricelesslifecentre.org.au
- Karinya House (ACT): www.karinyahouse.asn.au
- Brave Foundation (teen pregnancies and help for carers/schools/health professionals): www.bravefoundation.org.au
- Diamond Women’s Support (Sydney): https://diamondwomensupport.com/services/
- Hope House (Western Sydney): http://www.hopehouse.com.au
- Rachel’s Vineyard retreats (Roman Catholic): https://www.rachelsvineyard.org/weekend/sites.aspx?c=Australia
Resources for pastoral care
- Denise Cooper-Clark: http://www.ethos.org.au/online-resources/engage-mail/unspoken-grief-pastoral-care-around-abortion
- ERLC on counselling men affected: https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/how-we-can-speak-to-men-in-the-abortion-conversation
- ERLC on speaking to women about abortion: https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/why-our-hearts-matter-when-talking-about-abortion
- Andrew Cameron on abortion ethics (2004): https://sydneyanglicans.net/blogs/indepth/1721a
‘Pro-life’ Resources
- Australian Christian Lobby: https://www.acl.org.au
- Evangelicals for Life—Peter Barnes http://evangelicalsforlife.com
- March for the Babies (Vic): http://marchforthebabies.org
- Women’s Forum Australia (secular): http://www.womensforumaustralia.org
Feb 18 2020
38mins
Rank #18: Abuse in the marriages of ministry leaders - Jenni Woodhouse
Trigger Warning - this post discusses abusive relationships
This week on the Pastor’s Heart, we address the complex issue of domestic abuse within the relationships of ministry leaders.
While all abuse is wrong, there are added complexities in ministry relationships. Often a ministry job is entwined with a ministry families house, income stream, city and community for a ministry family. With that much at stake, wives can feel a pressure not to raise concerns.
The dynamics of these relationships then get worse, leaving friends, family and congregation completely unaware and the victim even more isolated.
Jenni Woodhouse serves as pastoral care coordinator for the Church Missionary Society NSW & ACT, but previously was chaplain for the Sydney Anglican Church’s Professional Standards Unit.
We will ask her how to spot relationships like this, how they come to exist within ministry families and strategies to assist impacted families.
There are details of immediate crisis support here.
Jenni and Dominic talk further about difficult personalities here and domestic violence here.
A sermon by Dominic addressing Domestic Violence is here.
The Sydney Anglican Church’s Domestic Violence Policy is downloadable here.
Jan 14 2020
36mins
Rank #19: BEST OF: Teams give better gospel outcomes - Rhett Harris
In this Christmas / New Year week we bring you a reheat from one of our earliest episodes.
It’s the discussion where EV Church’s Rhett Harris initially rocked me by saying ‘Rosters are contrary to the gospel.’
The thesis that Rhett put forward has led me to implement a complete restructuring of the ministry practice at our church.
I hope that you find it as revolutionary and thought provoking as we did.
Dec 30 2019
28mins
Rank #20: Complex staff relationships & Mental health issues in Christian ministry with Greg Powell
On the Pastor’s Heart we speak to Greg Powell, clinical psychologist focusing on helping Church and mission organisations work well together. Greg consults on complex leadership breakdown and helps team increase in effectiveness.
As our society and Churches focus on mental health, Greg has a lot to say about how ministry leaders can maintain their own mental health and support their congregations. Greg will share tools for coping with the emotional demands of Church leadership, the emotions involved in saying goodbye to a parish and strategies to support the growing number of young adults with depression.
Dec 10 2019
31mins
