The One Thing

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.

The podcast dives into the vital assessment of church health across Australia, unveiling positive trends in attendance and mission effectiveness. It highlights the transformative impact of new church plants in attracting diverse individuals. There's a call for innovative strategies to boost small group participation, as current engagement remains lower than hoped. Emphasizing data-driven decisions, the discussion encourages using measurable metrics over anecdotal evidence to enhance ministry effectiveness and achieve long-term goals.

In the middle of Sydney’s Muslim Ramadan street party—where food trucks line the streets and thousands celebrate—there’s a surprising presence: The Peace Tent. A Christian outreach, this space invites seekers to discover the peace of Jesus in the heart of the festival. If you want to grow in confidence sharing Jesus across cultures, this episode is for you.TOOLBOX:Connecting Muslims: A Guide to Communicating Effectively by Fouad MasriTelling the Gospel Through Story by Christine DillonWhere to Start with Islam by Samuel GreenReaching Australian Muslims with Samuel Green (Reach Australia Podcast)Faraj has more coming in a future episode in the Reach Australia PodcastCREDITS: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.

What does good welcoming look like in church? Instead of just talking about it, we follow Nathan Brewer as he leads the welcoming team at Kellyville Anglican Church — seeing firsthand how Kellyville Anglican works to foster a genuinely warm and inviting church environment.TOOL BOXYouTube Version of the EpisodeScreenshots of Kellyville Connect Card and where it appears in the serviceSecret shopper checklistGospel Growth and Christian Community ebookReach Australia Digital (Helping you with branding and website)Community and Integration Workshop Part 1Community and Integration Workshop Part 2CREDITS:The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠