The One Thing

Kids' ministry burns out leaders faster than most church roles, and the trend is spiking. Sandy Galea shares her real-life struggle as a children's ministry director, as well as her observations as someone who oversees many people who work in this area. Why does it happen?The mismatch of expectations and the actual job description of a kids' ministerThe mismatch of the resources needed (especially time) and the actual resources needed to run a ministryThe danger of not seeing kids' ministry as a legitimate ministry and career for those who work in itThe importance of discipling the discipler of kids in your ministrySandy Galea is the direction of Kidswise, a ministry that seeks to support local churches in the discipleship of kids.TOOLBOX:The Surprising Grief in Kids' Ministry (TGC Article)Slower Deeper WiserTOT 190 Burnout Part 1TOT 191 Burnout Part 2TOT 192 Burnout Part 3TOT 193 Burnout Part 4Kidswise Equip (live online training) For: parents, volunteers, kids ministry directorsKidswise Academy (individual or group training options) For: parents, volunteers, kids ministry directors, ministry team leadersKidswise Masterclass (10 classes over 10 months) how to lead a kids ministry that grows in depth and reach without burning out .Kidswise Consult For: individual or staff team - kids ministry directors, staff teams.CREDITS:This episode was brought to you by Kidswise MasterclassThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Perceptions shape a ministry’s effectiveness. For kids ministry, we’re exploring Bible-based views to reinforce it and tackling harmful misconceptions.What are some of the ministry pressures that kids ministry faces?How pressures effect the perception and effectiveness of kids ministryHow it should be seen through a biblical lensDecisions that leaders can make that will help or sabotage the perception of kids ministrySandy Galea is the direction of Kidswise, a ministry that seeks to support local churches in the discipleship of kids.TOOLBOX:Growing an Effective Kids Ministry (Seminar)Missional Kids Ministry (Interview)Kidswise Equip (live online training)  For: parents, volunteers, kids ministry directorsKidswise Academy (individual or group training options) For: parents, volunteers, kids ministry directors, ministry team leadersKidswise Masterclass  (10 classes over 10 months) how to lead a kids ministry that grows in depth and reach without burning out .Kidswise Consult  For: individual or staff team - kids ministry directors, staff teams.CREDITS:This episode was brought to you by Kidswise AcademyThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Raising issues with your leader or your team can be tough—too many ideas may overwhelm, confuse or burden them unnecessarily, or it might intimidate you. Russ Smidt from MTS created a tool to help you present problems to your leader or team effectively.What's the issue? How do you get this down to a sentenceWhat's the options? why are options important?What's your recommendation?What's the concrete next step?How do you get the issue down to a sentence?Why are the options important?Why does it need to be a paper and not merely a conversation?The potential dangersWho needs to be one who writes itWhat is the difference between this and coaching tools?Russ is the Director of Training with the Ministry Training StrategyTOOLBOX:The Ministry Training StrategyReach Australia CoachingExample Work Paper (to come)CREDITS:This episode was brought to you by ChurchSuiteThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

As Christians, we want everyone to understand our message about God, but language barriers can hinder fellowship. Sunflower, an AI tool, helps churches bridge this gap by enabling non-native English speakers to follow services and conferences with ease.Chuhoa Liu is one of the co-founders of Sunflower.What does it do?How fast is it?What do you need to set it up?Dealing with theological and specialist termsTOOL BOX:Sunflowerai websiteThe Culture Map by Erin MeyerCREDITS:This episode was brought to you by the VCAThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Lighthouse Church, located on the mid-central coast of NSW, has significantly increased its mission effectiveness.A key measure of this success is the ratio of individuals professing faith as a percentage of average weekly attendance.In just three years, Lighthouse has doubled this figure, rising from 4% to 8%.What are they measuring?What are they focussed on?How do they manage distractions?How are they keeping their church fired up for evangelism?Jeremy Kidd has done an apprenticeship at Lighthouse Church. He's currently the mission pastor as he continues theological study.TOOL BOX:Lighthouse ChurchTOT 394 Social Media for Church Teams Who Don’t Like Social Media (Liz Fong)TOT 395 Gaps and Missed Opportunities: Mission Planning Fails (Dave Jensen)TOT 396 Mapping out Mission: How to Plan your Church’s Mission Calendar (Dave Jensen)Mission ebookCREDITS:This episode was brought to you by the Leadership Development ProgramThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Building an effective church mission calendar is like conducting an orchestra—it requires careful coordination, intentional rhythm, and a deep understanding of both the individual instruments and the overall symphony of church life. The calendar is not just a logistical tool, but a strategic roadmap that keeps the main thing of mission the main thing.There are important points and principles you need to keep in mind, including:Starting with the end in mindIdentifying your two pathways and "conversions"What needs to be the priority?How to learn from others around youThe importance of term 4 (and what to do in the other terms)When you know you have mission heatDave Jensen is the Assistant Director of ⁠Evangelism and New Churches⁠ (ENC), with a specific focus on the ‘E’ of ENC: Evangelism. His aim is to assist churches in their endeavours to see lost people find life and hope in Jesus.TOOL BOX:Now, Where, How diagramNow, Where, How toolMission calendar exampleMission ebookReach Australia National ConferenceCREDITS:This episode was brought to you by EA InsuranceThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

'A failure to plan is a plan to fail' – an adage that rings especially true when planning for mission. In this episode, Dave Jensen explores common pitfalls churches encounter when planning for mission.Why having a plan helps you with reactivity and commitmentThe importance of the right goals guiding the planKnowing you really need two mission plansA plan to create and keep 'mission heat'When and how to ask for help for a mission planDave Jensen is the Assistant Director of Evangelism and New Churches (ENC), with a specific focus on the ‘E’ of ENC: Evangelism. His aim is to assist churches in their endeavours to see lost people find life and hope in Jesus. CHAPTERS:01:00 The Importance of Mission Planning03:48 Understanding Goals in Mission08:09 Maintaining Mission Heat for Christians12:09 Common Mistakes in Mission Planning18:09 Evaluating Mission Effectiveness24:04 Key Takeaway: Keep the Main Thing the Main ThingTOOL BOX:Now, Where, How diagramNow, Where, How toolMission Calendar ExampleMission ebookReach Australia National ConferenceCREDITS:This episode was brought to you by CompassionThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Lots of gospel workers intentionally don't use social media (often for wise reasons!). But lots of churches in our network are seeing more people through their doors and engaging with the gospel through their social media presence.Liz Fong is in charge of marketing at Reach Australia and runs the social media pages. She regularly has gospel workers asking what they should post on their church's accounts - and often they don't even use the platforms themselves! This episode is for church teams who want to work out what their 'minimum effective dose' on social media could look like.Liz shares her thoughts on:What platforms to use to maximise time and minimise effortThe easiest and most effective content to post How often to postWhy it's worth having doing, even for people who aren't personally a fan of social mediaTOOL BOX:Ten Churches on Social Media: A Glimpse into their Church CommunitiesTOT 271 Crossbeam: Connect, illustrate, and educate content.CPA 24 Social Media, Newsletters and CommunicationLiz's suggestions of churches that do well on socials:Liz's suggestions of churches that do well on socials:Vine ChurchInstagram: (@vinesydney)Facebook: Vine Church MBM Church:Instagram: (@mbmchurch)Youth Instagram: (@mbmyouth)TikTok: (@mbmchurch)Facebook: Multicultural Bible MinistryLighthouse ChurchInstagram: (@lighthousechurch_cc)Youth Instagram: (@lighthouseyouth_cc)Kids Instagram: (@lighthousekids_cc)Plus Reach Australia’s socials:FacebookInstagramTikTokLinkedInCREDITS:This episode was brought to you by Safe Ministry CheckThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Healthy churches need teams with capable and skilled leaders. Like any ministry skill, leading a team takes growth and development. Dave Moore is the Executive Pastor from Hunter Bible Church, Newcastle and is responsible for overseeing over 550 volunteers. Do your teams not "work" because you don't have have trained leaders? Are volunteer team leaders the way Australian Christianity is transformed? The changes that need to happen to move from a team member to a leader  Including the shift of from "doing" ministry to "seeing" ministry How should staff hand on responsibility to non-staff leaders? The importance of delegation and love in leadershipDave's just released a new book for team leaders called The Team Leader’s Handbook. It's got practical guidance for building and leading teams that serve Jesus together.TOOL BOX:Team Leaders HandbookEp 343 The Great Name Tag DebateThe Leadership Pipeline ebookReach Australia National ConferenceCREDITS:This episode was brought to you by YouthworksThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Term 2 isn’t just Term 1 on repeat - it brings new opportunities and challenges. It’s easy to lose focus and drift, both personally and in ministry, without being intentional. Taking time to reflect and adjust now can help set up the rest of the year well.In this episode, we’ll explore ways to stay engaged and focused, including:Keeping the main thing the main thing: making disciplesTaking a moment to pause and reflect on how things are goingInvesting in leaders—it's never too early to recruit and develop themKeeping a heart for mission by continuing to invite others inSupporting small group leaders as they help others go deeper in God's WordHelping newcomers from Term 1 feel rooted in communityThinking ahead about new staff - starting conversations early gives you time to be thoughtful in the processJoin us as we chat through these ideas and share ways to stay intentional in Term 2!TOOL BOX:Leadership Pipeline ebookMinistry Framework ebookNB both these ebooks are FREE!Reach Australia National ConferenceCREDITS:This episode was brought to you by the Ministry Training StrategyThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.