The Pastor's Heart with Dominic Steele

A prophetic word from the most senior evangelical leader in Australia’s Uniting Church, Stu Cameron. Stu has published two short essays over the last week, the first diagnoses the problems in his denomination, saying: We’ve failed the great commission; Stifled entrepreneurial leadership; and most significantly, Have lost confidence in the gospel.The second essay suggests a five fold solution: 1. Confess, Repent, Pray; 2. Obsess about Disciple-Making; 3. Release Property Joyfully; 4. Learn Humbly; and 5. Blow it all Up.Stu Cameron is the new senior pastor of the influential Wesley Central Mission in Sydney, which has an extensive ministry, involving 200 centers and 2000 staff.http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/recovering-great-commission-and-gospelThe 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 raise the evangelistic temperature in our church culture plus improve the intentional planning for evangelism in each of our churches? Dan Paterson heads up the new Aussie evangelistic apologetic ministry ‘Questioning Christianity’, based in Brisbane. Dan’s the former Australian team leader for Ravi Zacharias ministries. Dan has prepared an ‘evangelism game plan’ to help churches work on both the strategy and tactics of their evangelism plans. http://bit.ly/QCGameplanPlus how can we create a meaningful space for people with questions and doubts to exist in the church community.http://thepastorsheart.net/podcast/evangelism-gameplanThe 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

Ministers have a crucial role as a source of guidance and authority in the church environment - but we also need coaching, guidance and support. So how do we make sure that as spiritual leaders we are doing effective ministry? What heart issues and skills should we be focussing on to encourage sustainable and innovative service?This week we’re speaking to an expert on the topic of ministry training, Peter Mayrick. As the co-director of the Centre for Ministry Development at Moore College, his key area of responsibility is supporting pastors and churches. Peter shares his wealth of experience with us as we discuss what’s helpful for coaching those who will shoulder the most responsibility for the health and growth of a church.http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/coaching-peter-mayrickThe 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

Unless you define what it means to be part of your Church, people will create their own definition, which will likely look very different to your own. A factor in the growth and retention of people in any organisation is defining what it means to be a part of that organisation. This week on The Pastor’s Heart, Tim Clemens and Stuart Starr join us to discuss what the optimum length, content, style and ethos of a membership course should be in order to achieve the best results. Grace City’s Onboard Package: http://bit.ly/gracecityonboardhttp://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/membership-courseThe 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

David Jones says there are key pastoral reasons for teaching Deuteronomy For more than 50 years David Jones has served in pastoral ministry in Wales, London and the Australian states of Tasmania and Queensland. David has recently retired as the Senior Pastor at Ann Street Presbyterian Church in Brisbane. Before moving to Brisbane in 2014, David was involved in the Vision 100 network in Hobart, Tasmania that has resulted in the establishment of new congregations in the Presbyterian and Christian Reformed denominations. David joins Dominic Steele to share his pastor’s heart, and lessons learned over the years, how he’s tackling the major Old Testament book, Deuteronomy. http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/heart-of-deuteronomyThe 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

What makes an effective evangelistic campaign? What messages will engage non Christian audiences with the truth of the gospel? This week we speak with three key evangelists about the best way to reach the lost. We discuss positive evangelism, maximising mission opportunities, integrating online and offline campaigns, and ideas for a large scale campaign. Dave Jensen is on the team at EV Church on the NSW Central Coast, Karl Faase is the CEO of Olive Tree Media, which produces programs for Christian media and local church use internationally. David Robertson is with the Sydney Anglican Church’s ‘Evangelism and New Churches.’ 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

There’s a special Sunday at church where we are inviting friends. Dave Jensen says we should  remembering that visitors don’t ‘listen’ so much as ‘feel’, so putting thought into your pre and post church (welcoming, morning tea, vibe) will pay dividends - in addition to using warm welcoming language in service leading, kids spot and sermon. “If you’re visiting this morning, we’re so glad you’re here! We hope you enjoy your time with us this morning” - seems so obvious, yet often we can forget even a basic specific welcome to newcomers. Have your best people on welcome / car park/ and looking out for those after church chats. I want to see this evangelistic gathering as a first step, or first date with God… and if that’s the case… everything shouldn’t work towards ‘decision moment today’ but rather everything should work towards ‘a second date’, a second opportunity to communicate Christ.Which is why we advertise a course early in the meeting, we play a video promo for Introducing God, and we make big efforts to interview someone who as an adult has come into relationship with God, through the course. Then the ‘purchase proposition’ or ‘application point of the meeting or sermon - is to do the course, rather than ‘commit now.’ We as a second less significant choice, say, ‘If you think ‘Yes, I’d like do do that course, but I’d like to make the step tonight to trust Jesus, well you can do that …’. So I don’t try to as the main thing persuade people to make a decision on the first date.Work against an insider mindset. What I mean by this is that those who speak from the platform should not behave as if everyone knows them and agrees with them - but rather they should introduce themselves… and speak and explain things as if their own non Christian friend is present and listening. This should happen anyway, in that if you behave as if there are outsiders there, that will communicate to your membership that it is safe to bring outsiders. So have everyone introduce themselves - bible readers, prayers, song leaders etc. So for example, in the public praying, Pray as if there are unbelievers present and pray prayers that they can agree with. Pray the prayers of the whole community - floods, COVID, bushfires, droughts, good government, rather than the specific prayers of Christians. Don’t pray about the conversion therapy legislation in Victoria. You also want to think about what happens with the financial collection and communion. We don’t do financial collections anyway so it doesn’t impact us - we do it all electronically - basically for this reason.And we won’t do communion on days when we are expecting large numbers of guests.In terms of response cards - we have worked really hard at switching our church to electronic cards. But, I have found that electronic feedback cards don’t work for guests. At our Gingerbread nights last year we asked for feedback cards and the first night we went with QR codes pointing to a web link and got a tiny response. The response on the subsequent nights from physical cards was much much higher. We find that we can train the Christians to use the electronic QR codes for submitting questions or registering for things, but not many of the first time guests.This is the most important of all. ‘Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should.’ Paul in Colossians asks for prayer that he might proclaim it clearly, buThe 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

What does Monica Cook think we as pastors get wrong as we talk to people about sex? How can we as pastors do a better job at helping people in regards to sex at the start of a marriage relationship? What basic things does Monica want pre-marital couples to know? How do you frame sex in a healthy way?  How do pastors help to normalise that within a healthy marriage there may be moments of sexual dysfunction?What help and hope is there for those who have been sexually abused as children?What are specific issues for women navigating the flood of porn in our society? For further reading Monica recommends:Ferree, Marnie C, No stones, Women redeemed from Sexual AddictionSchermer Sellers, Tina, Sex, God and the Conservative Church: Erasing Shame from Sexual Intimacy Johnston Sue, Created for Connection: The ‘hold me tight’ guide for Christian CouplesYam, Renee, Sex Awakened: Creating healthy sexual intimacy in marriage https://www.acsh.com.au/our-practitioners/monica-cookhttp://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/monica-talking-about-sexThe 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

We are talking about different personality traits on staff teams especially  as they impact ministry team leaders.  It’s wonderful that we are all different and have our particular personality quirks. But having some self-awareness about what we are like, and how others can be very different, is very important to help us work and relate to others in helpful and loving ways. Rory Shiner is senior pastor of Providence Church in Perth and John Forsyth is Vicar of St Judes in inner Melbourne.http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/personality-traitsThe 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

This week we are taking a deep dive into building sustainable ministries - starting with assessing, equipping and empowering team leaders.We discuss how to assess if someone is ready to be a team leader, how to develop a leadership pipeline, and how to ensure someone takes a high level of responsibility.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