
Reach Australia Podcast
Interviews from church leaders across the country, plus talks and workshops from Reach Australia's National Conference.
Also check out our shorter podcast The One Thing – designed to give you one solid, practical tip for gospel-centred ministry, every week.
Reach Australia is a network of churches - working together to seeing thousands of healthy, evangelistic, multiplying churches across Australia.
Latest episodes

Jul 2, 2025 • 24min
31.11 Leading the Team on Mission (Phil Colgan)
Evangelistic urgency must start with the leader. Phil Colgan argues that church leaders must personally bleed for the lost if they want to see their churches grow in evangelism. It's not merely about strategy and vision. Culture flows from the top, and that includes zeal.Churches that burn for the lost are led by pastors who bleed evangelism—personally, visibly, and relentlessly.Phil Colgan is the Senior Minister at St George North Anglican Church in Sydney.YouTube VersionCREDITS:The Reach Australia Podcast is brought to you by Reach AustraliaTo pray for Reach Australia, join our WhatsApp GroupFor ideas or questions please email resources@reachaustralia.com.auSupport Reach Australia's online library

Jun 25, 2025 • 38min
31.10 Mission for the glory of God (Des Smith)
The ultimate goal of salvation, and therefore mission, is that people would glorify God for his mercy. Des says mission flows from two deep convictions: first, a grief that people are robbing God of the glory he deserves; second, a longing for them to see, enjoy, and share in that glory forever. His challenge to Christian leaders is this: don’t let strategy be your fuel. Let your fire for mission be driven by the glory of God and keep that fire burning by fixing your eyes on Jesus, the radiance of God's glory.Des was the Senior Pastor at Trinity Church Adelaide and is now helping to plant Trinity Church Lockleys, where he now serves.YouTube VersionCREDITS:The Reach Australia Podcast is brought to you by Reach AustraliaTo pray for Reach Australia, join our WhatsApp GroupFor ideas or questions please email resources@reachaustralia.com.auSupport Reach Australia's online library

Jun 18, 2025 • 22min
31.9 The soil is not as terrible as you thought (Rory Shiner)
Churches are in decline and it would seem that we are the "bad guys" but Rory Shiner is looking at the bright side of the missional environment we are in.Rory Shiner is senior pastor of Providence City Church in Perth, and the Chair of the The Gospel Coalition Australia Council.Missional ToolsYouTube Video versionCREDITS:The Reach Australia Podcast is brought to you by Reach AustraliaTo pray for Reach Australia, join our WhatsApp GroupFor ideas or questions please email resources@reachaustralia.com.auSupport Reach Australia's online library

Jun 12, 2025 • 1h 1min
31.6 Multisite in practice (Paul and Sue Harrington)
Paul and Sue Harrington join us to reflect on decades of ministry in South Australia and the journey of leading the Trinity Network in South Australia. From one church in the city to a growing network across suburbs and regions, they share what’s shaped their vision, what they’ve learned along the way, and how they’ve seen God at work through it all. The network is currently made up of fourteen churches and they are praying to see more churches planted in the next few years.It’s a conversation about planting, perseverance, partnership—and the privilege of watching the gospel grow.CREDITS:The Reach Australia Podcast is brought to you by Reach AustraliaTo pray for Reach Australia, join our WhatsApp GroupFor ideas or questions please email resources@reachaustralia.com.auSupport Reach Australia's online library

Jun 11, 2025 • 58min
31.8 Multisite Q & A (Wade Burnett and Paul Harrington)
Wade and Paul tackle questions from church leaders about the complexities of multisite, leadership, governance, and culture.Questions include:Can two struggling churches merge into something healthy and growing?How do you choose the right leader for a multisite context, especially in more matrix-style leadership models?How can a church without a strong planting culture begin to develop one?What are the challenges and implications of changing a church’s governing structure?CREDITS:The Reach Australia Podcast is brought to you by Reach AustraliaTo pray for Reach Australia, join our WhatsApp GroupFor ideas or questions please email resources@reachaustralia.com.auSupport Reach Australia's online library

Jun 11, 2025 • 53min
31.7 Multisite details (Wade Burnett and Paul Harrington)
Wade Burnett and Paul Harrington take a deep dive into how different church models function in practice. From questions of centralisation to the importance of local context, they unpack the strengths, tensions, and trade-offs that come with different approaches.CREDITS:The Reach Australia Podcast is brought to you by Reach AustraliaTo pray for Reach Australia, join our WhatsApp GroupFor ideas or questions please email resources@reachaustralia.com.auSupport Reach Australia's online library

Jun 11, 2025 • 1h 4min
31.5 Multisite churches workshop part 1 (Wade Burnett)
Wade Burnett shares what the current multisite landscape looks like in the United States. He reflects on how things have changed over time, the questions churches are now asking, and some of the strengths and challenges that have emerged along the way.Wade explores what Australian church leaders might take from it all.Wade Burnett is the Executive Pastor of McClean Bible Church.CREDITS:The Reach Australia Podcast is brought to you by Reach AustraliaTo pray for Reach Australia, join our WhatsApp GroupFor ideas or questions please email resources@reachaustralia.com.auSupport Reach Australia's online library

Jun 4, 2025 • 1h 29min
31.4 Loving God: Warmth and depth in the gathering
A practical workshop on crafting gatherings so that unbelievers experience the gospel of God's grace in a rich, meaningful and life-transforming way.This seminar is for pastors, meeting leaders, song leaders, and those who plan services, to help you make every part of your gatherings an impactful moment for the believer and the unbeliever.---Liv Chapman Leggett is the Director of Magnification at Vine Church in Surry Hills, having previously worked at St Ebbe's in Oxford. She is also a Senior Ministry Consultant at Emu Music, and spends her time creating resources for their global training events, working on albums, and supporting their partners.Toby Neal is the founding pastor of Vine Church (Surry Hills, Sydney) and has a passion for seeing people connected to the life, love, and freedom Jesus offers.Sides from the workshopCREDITS:The Reach Australia Podcast is brought to you by Reach AustraliaTo pray for Reach Australia, join our WhatsApp GroupFor ideas or questions please email resources@reachaustralia.com.auSupport Reach Australia's online library

May 29, 2025 • 45min
31.3 Implications of the cross (Andrew Heard)
In the last talk of this three talk series, Andrew Heard digs into the implications of the cross.CREDITS:The Reach Australia Podcast is brought to you by Reach AustraliaTo pray for Reach Australia, join our WhatsApp GroupFor ideas or questions please email resources@reachaustralia.com.auSupport Reach Australia's online library

May 29, 2025 • 52min
31.2 Penal substitutionary atonement (Andrew Heard)
In this second talk Andrew Heard resolves the problem he set up in the first talk and reminds us of the great glory of the cross of Jesus.CREDITS:The Reach Australia Podcast is brought to you by Reach AustraliaTo pray for Reach Australia, join our WhatsApp GroupFor ideas or questions please email resources@reachaustralia.com.auSupport Reach Australia's online library