The One Thing

Subscribe to know more about the One Thing on the platform you are listening to us on.

First impressions matter, and churches often underestimate how much. Peter Blanch and Scott Sanders discuss how small changes can make a big impact in helping people feel seen, valued, and truly at home. The theological foundation for welcoming Mistakes from not even thinking about it to overvaluing the newcomer Mistakes of not thinking about what a new person needs to connect to church Mistakes of not thinking about the whole experience of welcoming Welcoming has an important 2 way relationship with the rest of the church ecosystem, especially with the mission team Thinking through the building and how it works Thinking through the team and what you need TOOL BOX Secret shopper checklist Gospel Growth and Christian Community ebook Reach Australia Digital (Helping you with branding and website) Community and Integration Workshop Part 1 Community and Integration Workshop Part 2 CREDITS: This episode was brought to you by Kidswise The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠ To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠. For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Are you suffering from death by meetings? Meetings can be soul-crushing or life-changing. Have you stopped to think about how to make yours truly effective so we can be using our resources effectively for the gospel? Scott Sanders and Derek Hanna talk about: Simple tools for making sure meetings work The importance of drama in meetings The importance of meaning and context in meetings Why you need to identify different types of meetings Which meetings need more discipline? Which meetings are more important? Which meetings do you need to be in (and not be in)?  TOOLBOX: Death by Meeting by Patrick M. Lencioni Getting Your Meeting Rhythms Down | Ep 15 Refresh Your Staff Meetings (Part 1) | Ep 166 Refresh Your Staff Meetings (Part 2) | Ep 167  CREDITS: This episode was brought to you by the Reach Australia Leadership Development Program The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠ To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠ For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. 

At the start of the year, many of us may realise we spent the previous year caught in a cycle of constant activity—just doing, without much reflection or planning, and barely surviving. How can we break free from this endless seven-day grind? What's the cycle of survival from Sunday to Sunday and why is it so dangerous? Why is it rooted in selfishness and being unloving? Who is responsible when a team is stuck in a seven day cycle? How does long term thinking and delegation help not just break but force us out of the cycle? Some of the obstacles we need to address in developing leaders to get us out of the seven day cycle TOOL BOX: Reach Australia National Conference Leadership Pipeline ebook Team Development Program Covey's Quadrant CREDITS: This episode was brought to you by Virtual Church Assist The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠ To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠. For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Your calendar is not just the place where you put tasks to do and meetings to be had. It's about aligning your time with your values and integrity. Scott Sanders and Peter Blanch explore how to do this effectively: The importance of reflection and how to do it Your calendar will reflect your convictions, but you may not be aware you are living them out Where to put the harder things you do in your calendar and where to put the things you enjoy Where the Reach Australia framework fits in here: Especially the ideas of clarify the big thing and then break it down This is not merely an individual thing but a team thing. How is your team working on the calendar? TOOLBOX: The Reach Australia Framework ebook Getting Things Done by David Allen Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey Slow Productivity by Cal Newport What's Best Next by Mat Perman CREDITS: This episode was brought to you by the Ministry Training Strategy The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠ To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠. For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Gary Millar dives into holding tension in the Christian life, embracing differences, and leaning into Christlike living. It’s about being missionally effective and reflecting Jesus in our character. It's challenging, yes, but necessary—because calling each other to godliness is the truest form of leadership. Gary's new book Both And And is out now — a book that’s part wake-up call, part guide for Christian leaders to walk the talk. Your personality? Important. But it doesn't exempt you from living under God’s rules. Leadership? It's about godliness first, not charisma or loopholes. TOOLBOX: Both And Ministry By Gary Millar CREDITS: This episode was brought to you by MTS The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠ To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠. For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

There are some key phrases that leaders can use that create great gospel culture in your team. While they aren't always easy to say, they are an essential part of leadership. Why are they important: Leaders don't know everything Leaders aren't better at everything, it's important to be able to learn from others Leaders don't have all the answers, collaboration in a team is important Leaders sometimes get it wrong 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:31 The Importance of Team Building 01:05 Personal Team Experiences 02:19 Four Powerful Phrases Overview 05:08 Phrase 1: I Don't Know 09:45 Phrase 2: You're Better at This Than I Am 12:56 Phrase 3: Do You Think? 15:55 Phrase 4: I'm Sorry 18:01 Applying the Four Phrases 21:07 Conclusion and Homework 21:57 Toolbox and Resources TOOL BOX: Wisdom in Leadership by Craig Hamilton (Chapter 37) 357 Inheriting and Building Teams (Ray Galea) 316 How do I Create a Culture of Trust in my Team CREDITS: This episode was brought to you by the Leadership Development Program The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠ To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠. For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Think Charles Dickens, but real life. For Steve McAlpine’s mother, Christmas wasn’t always merry: abandoned in foster care, kidnapped by her birth mother, left by her husband—then reconciled. Over 80 years, her extraordinary journey, shaped by the gospel, turned Christmas into something truly transformative. Steve has a background in journalism and three decades experience pastoring and planting churches. He has spent most of his life in Western Australia, but is originally from Northern Ireland, emigrating, as so many did, back in the 1970s.  TOOL BOXHave a Merry Christmas!!  CREDITS The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠ To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠. For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

We continue our dive into the crucial role of emotional intelligence (EQ) in church leadership, specifically focusing on team dynamics with Pete Stedman from Norwest Anglican Church in Sydney. What happens if you neglect EQ in a team A framework for understanding EQ How to foster a positive team culture that values EQ How to equip church leaders to build strong, emotionally healthy teams TOOL BOX: Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Bradbury and Greaves I Told Me So by Gregg Elshof 242 What I Have Learnt In Leadership with Pete Stedman The NorWest Way 380 Why EQ is the Edge Every Leader Needs Part 1 (Pete Stedman) CREDITS: This episode was brought to you by Youthworks The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠ To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠. For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

While IQ is important, emotional intelligence (EQ) is crucial as pastors navigate the complexities, compromises, and conflicts inherent in church life.  Pete Stedman from Norwest Anglican Church, Sydney shares how EQ shapes his leadership style, transforms team dynamics, and helps him navigate the challenges of ministry. EQ for navigating team dynamics, managing conflict and fostering compromise Viewing team members as individuals, not resources Slowing down, emotional check-ins and seeking feedback. How to develop emotional intelligence TOOL BOX: Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Bradbury and Greaves  I Told Me So by Gregg Elshof 242 What I Have Learnt In Leadership with Pete Stedman 357 Inheriting and Building Teams with Ray Galea CREDITS: This episode was brought to you by Youthworks The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠ To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠. For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.