The Pastor's Heart with Dominic Steele

There are understandings/interpretations of the Bible that conflict with the conclusions of modern, empirical research - where science and the Bible are thought to be giving competing explanations of the same event or concept.One way of reading the Bible leads to the conclusion that the Earth is 6000 years old while your local science department will tell you it is more like 4.5 billion years old.  Were human beings created in an instant from dust, or over billions of years through a gradual, meandering evolutionary process?  Was there a moment in our historical timeline at the curse of God on the sin of Adam and Eve when the physical nature of our universe changed?  Were there no volcanoes or earthquakes or floods or bushfires before the curse, or has the universe operated on the same physical principles since its creation, as the conclusions of mainstream geology and astronomy suggest?Dr Lewis Jones is an astrophysicist from North Carolina, who moved to Sydney to do post doctoral research.  Lewis is now director of the Simeon Network, the postgraduate and academic arm of the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students. The Church Cothechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Anglican AidAnglican Aid - To find out more about how to support Anglican Aid. Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

In a bold move, a meeting of movement leaders from across Australian Reformed Evangelicalism has resolved to work together to see their numbers double over twenty years, through seeing sinners saved.Leaders gathered for a mini summit organised by The Gospel Coalition Australia at Sydney’s Moore Theological College last week.Gospel Coalition Australia Chair Rory Shiner says given the unparalleled theological and missional unity between the different organisations there’s a significant window of opportunity to work productively together for God’s glory.They agreed to work towards an effective target of growing five percent per year through conversion growth. The Gospel Coalition’s Rory Shiner and Sarah Kuswadi, Reach Australia’s Andrew Heard and Queensland Theological College Principal Gary Millar came straight from the Summit to our The Pastor’s Heart studio to discuss the outcomes of the day and plans for the future. The Church Cothechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Anglican AidAnglican Aid - To find out more about how to support Anglican Aid. Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

Andrew Heard says ministries cannot be other than outcome-focused in their work - the question is will those outcomes be good or bad? Conscious or unconscious? Specific or vague?  He addresses critics who confuse having Biblical goals with adopting secular business practices.Andrew Heard leads the Reach Australia movement, and pastors the influential EV Church on the Central Coast. • All Christians are goal-driven whether consciously or unconsciously• Critique often conflate goals with the methods used to pursue them (which is a separate question).• Paul in 1 Corinthians demonstrates strategic thinking while maintaining gospel integrity• "Wise master builder" suggests skill and thoughtfulness in ministry, not just faithfulness• Personal, transformational ministry requires organisation.• Opposition to large churches and attempting to grow churches creates an impossible task for reaching the world. We need to own the fact that we either need much bigger churches or many more churches, or both.The Church Cothechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Anglican AidAnglican Aid - To find out more about how to support Anglican Aid. Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

An apology and correction in regards to our episode of Tuesday 10 June 2025.The Church Cothechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

How can we create gatherings that are both warm and deep? How can we avoid gatherings that are superficial or dry. How do we embed gospel culture in our church gatherings.How do we emphasize grace, forgiveness and a welcoming atmosphere?And how to encourage authenticity and emotional intelligence in gathering leaders. Plus how do we evaluate.A Pastor’s Heart episode to watch with your staff team.   Toby Neal is Senior pastor at Vine Church in Sydney.  And Liv Chapman Leggett leads the gatherings aspect of the ministry at Vine Church.The Church Cothechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Anglican AidAnglican Aid - To find out more about how to support Anglican Aid. Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

What happens when churches move beyond "pious passivity" to strategic intentionality in reaching the lost? Richard Coekin—founding pastor of Dundonald Church in London and pioneer of REACH UK—joins Dominic Steele to unpack the revolutionary approach transforming churches across Australia and the United Kingdom.Following on from Reach UK and Reach Australia in May, Richard candidly shares his journey from skepticism about "Pentagon language" and structured frameworks to embracing these tools as valuable expressions of pastoral care and evangelistic intentionality. "If you don't aim at anything, nothing will happen," he explains, challenging the notion that strategic thinking somehow diminishes reliance on God's sovereignty.We look at the biblical foundations for strategic ministry, with Richard pointing to Acts 6 as a model where the apostles prioritized preaching and prayer, built ministry teams for delegation, and ensured the church's practical needs were met. Plus we discuss measuring spiritual fruit. Whether you're skeptical of strategic approaches to ministry or already embracing them, this conversation offers fresh insights on leading churches that are both faithful to Scripture and effective in mission. The Church Cothechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Anglican AidAnglican Aid - To find out more about how to support Anglican Aid. Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

Live from the sidelines at the Reach Australia Conference on the Central Coast of New South Wales, we sit down with Wade Burnett from McLean Bible Church in Washington DC and Derek Hanna, Reach Australia’s church planting and multisite specialist, for a fresh look at the multisite church model.Multisite was a buzz seven years ago. Today, with thousands of campuses launched in the United States—and many hard lessons learned—the mood is more measured. What’s changed? What’s endured? And what can church leaders here learn today from the American experience?We explore the personnel, strategic, and pastoral complexities of multisite ministry. From varied governance models to launch strategies, leadership fit to congregational model — And how to decide whether we should launch a new campus, reassess a current model, or weigh multisite against church planting.The Church Cothechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Anglican AidAnglican Aid - To find out more about how to support Anglican Aid. Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

This week on The Pastor’s Heart, we’re live from the Reach Australia conference at Erina on the Central Coast of New South Wales. It’s an inspiring gathering, with 1,300 church leaders from across Australia and beyond, including New Zealand, South Africa, America, and the United Kingdom, coming together for encouragement and equipping to better Reach Australia.Paul Harrington has led the Trinity Network of Churches in Adelaide for 33 years, guiding it from a single congregation of 800 to a thriving network of 13 churches with over 2,600 members. Sue Harrington is a Reach Australia board member, has been deeply involved in supporting pastors’ wives, families, and women in ministry and runs a consultancy business.Together, we discuss the lessons learned along the way, the emotional and practical challenges of planting daughter churches, and the role of humility and servant-hearted leadership. We explore the cost and recovery after sending, the evolving nature of church leadership, and the often overlooked but critical support needed for ministry households.The Church Cothechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Anglican AidAnglican Aid - To find out more about how to support Anglican Aid. Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

It is 1700 years since the council of Nicaea and the publication of the Nicene Creed - but what are we to make of it?It was the twentieth of May in the year 325 that the Council of Nicaea first met. Pope Francis said ‘The Nicene Creed is a powerful sign of unity among Christians.’The 17 hundredth anniversary of the Council of Nicaea - is being used - by the Roman Catholic Church to push the idea that ‘All Christians are Nicene Christians.’However the difficulty is that while we say the same words, Roman Catholics and Protestants mean vastly different things, and any unity is a fake unity at best. Leonardo de Chirico is pastor of the Church Breccia di Roma and director of the Reformanda Initiative.Rachel Ciano lectures in Christianity and History at Sydney Missionary and Bible College. She is a faculty member at the Rome scholars and leaders network, hosted by The Reformanda Initiative.The book ‘The Nicene Creed’ is available from Matthias Media.The Church Cothechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Anglican AidAnglican Aid - To find out more about how to support Anglican Aid. Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

We explore the findings of the Your Story Research Report — a significant national study that listens to the voices of more than 400 young people as they reflect on their spiritual journeys.We find out who and what has, and is, shaping young people’s faith from their childhood, though to adolescence, to right now.There are insights into the eight “faith journeys” —from Embracing to Reconstructing to Disengaging— highlighting the importance of relationships, trust, and belonging in shaping faith over time. Plus advice for churches, families, and schools on how to nurture young people in ways that are both personal and sustainable.Graham Stanton is Director of the Centre for Children’s and Youth Ministry. He lectures in Practical Theology at Melbourne’s Ridley College.Download the Your Story Research Project: https://www.convergeoceania.com/yourstoryThe Church Cothechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Anglican AidAnglican Aid - To find out more about how to support Anglican Aid. Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show