We are moving into a post - post-modern world  But what does that look like and mean for truth - and us as pastors - as we attempt to communicate with our churches? Our church members have unconsciously adopted some of the presuppositions of our society in the way we process texts and information. We are living in a fake news world on social media with a parallel loss of confidence in institutions and authorities. Prince Harry says, ‘Whatever the cause, my memory is my memory, it does what it does, gathers and curates as it sees fit, and there’s just as much truth in what I remember and ..read more

What is permissible and not permissible under new conversion practice laws in New South Wales - with Neil Foster, Matt Aroney and Michael Stead Sydney Anglican Bishop Michael Stead, who chairs Freedom for Faith, describes the new laws  as the least worst that he has seen in Australia. Associate Professor of Law at Newcastle University and author of the Law and Religion blog Neil Foster says the law is unnecessary, but better than has been implemented in other parts of Australia. Professor Foster supports moves to ban oppressive or violent practices that are designed to change someone’s ..read more

The Pastor’s Heart - A word to our heart from Dominic Steele In a Pastor’s Heart special, Dominic Steele speaks to our hearts today as we engage in the battle of the Christian life.  We get a call today to perseverance and resilience.  Dominic addresses, not just pastors, but young and old; healthy and unfit; wealthy and poor; busy and quiet; husbands, singles, divorcees and widowers; fertile and infertile, straight or experiencing same sex attraction; or struggling in addictions.  Calling out to God: God what are you doing?  Why am I stuck in this?  What is going o ..read more

We explore the delicate dynamics of faith, family, and identity in the world of church leadership. As pastors most of all we want our kids to love Jesus.  And yet Barnabas Piper says so often pastors kids are messed up.  What are the unique experiences, joys and challenges of being pastors kids? And how can we better parent as pastors? There are issues of awareness, assumptions and expectations.  Plus confusion about identity.  This episode isn't just about the challenges; it's also a treasure trove of wisdom for Pastor's kids themselves. Whether you're feeling the we ..read more

How do we speak to children about sin? How can we help youth understand themselves as sinful and in indeed of forgiveness? What to make theologically of the sense of entitlement in youth culture? Plus how do we think theologically about the important issue of vibe in youth and children's ministry and in regards to how kids engage with church. And what can we learn from Sunday School history that will help with practice today? The new book ‘Identity, Church Culture and Discipleship in Youth and Children’s Ministry - Australian Evangelical Perspectives on Youth Ministry’ is being launched th ..read more

The old saying is ‘A rising tide lifts all boats.’  But could the spark of story telling, and celebrating faith increase evangelism in churches and on university campuses everywhere? National Director of the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students Richard Chin is emphasising the importance of prayer, through what he calls a 'two-for-two' model, and asks churches to join him in consistent branding in a nationwide push to introduce people to Jesus. We discuss practical steps to integrate evangelism into the church's DNA, champion the role of head, heart, and hand in fostering a cons ..read more

“It’s like they got the exegesis spot on, then closed their eyes, fired an arrow randomly into the air, opened their eyes to see where it landed and said, ‘That looks like a good place to do application!’” - Theological College lecturer on student sermon application. But are those of us who have graduated from theological college much better? For after all the students are just imitating what we have modelled. Dean of Students at Sydney’s Moore Theological College Paul Grimmond has just completed a doctor of ministry project on improving application in evangelical preaching. Support the sho ..read more

Andrew Leslie is encouraging us to first take a step back from practical concerns and reflect on the beauty and wisdom of the bible’s teaching about manhood and womanhood. In much contemporary debate about gender we focus on practical questions about what different people can do.   However the head of Moore Theological College’s Doctrine Department says the picture of gender in the beginning is not an arbitrary divine imposition that comes with its own set of arbitrary rules and instructions. Rather, the man and the woman together – and only together – irreducibly different and yet one in ..read more

Stephen McAlpine says the real question is “Does the future have a church?” The statistics are not our friend. We have been talking on The Pastor’s Heart about dropping church attendance. Stephen McAlpine is writing about the more widespread phenomenon. He says some countries like the US are coming off a high base and in those places there is fat and cultural cachet to play with, whereas the level of religious commitment in the UK has dropped so dramatically that it is possible to imagine a time when Christianity will be a thing of the past. In Australia the proportion of people self ident ..read more

Social media is changing again. In an increasingly digital age, our collective consciousness is captured by infinite scrolling, short-form videos, and internet personalities. A church's social media presence has gone from an optional nicety to a key lever for engaging newcomers to church.  How can pastors and ministry teams best capture the opportunities that can come with social media? How can a church's resources be best assigned to this new space? What if our gifts and skills don't line up? Hannah Thiem and Liz Fong discuss best practice and minimum dose for churches and pastors on soc ..read more