The Pastor's Heart with Dominic Steele

The unity of the Australian Anglican Church is hanging by a thread. Bishop of Tasmania Richard Condie, Dean of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, and Jennifer Hercott from St Lukes Church in Emerald in Queensland all serve on the Board of GAFCON Australia, a group within the Anglican denomination - who are committed to upholding biblical and historic Christian faith, within AnglicanismIn 2019 the Wangaratta Diocese in Victoria voted to go ahead with blessing same sex unions.  That decision was followed by a vote in the Diocese of Newcastle in New South Wales.The issue was expected to come to a head at the Australian General Synod in June 2020. But COVID put everything on hold, delaying the gathering till June this year. In the meantime different groups have offered opinions. On the one hand, the Australian Anglican Church’s House of Bishops and Board of Assessors have affirmed the historic and biblical teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman. Whereas what’s called the Appellate Tribunal has given a majority opinion is that blessing same sex unions are acceptable. Now, Wangaratta has moved forward.  Their former bishop John Parkes has officiated at the blessing of a same sex relationship. This issue that has previously split the Anglican Church in the United States, in Canada and in New Zealand, with whole new denominations being formed. 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

This week we are talking the changing face of world mission with John Lovell, CMS General Secretary, and former missionary turned Vice Principal of Sydney's Moore Theological College, Simon Gillham. John and Simon outline how Covid-19 has reshaped the roles and experiences of missionaries this year, particularly the 30% of CMS missionaries who are serving in secure locations. They discuss new opportunities and long-lasting improvements in technology focusing on how missionaries have been able to invest in their communities and how their mental health has been supported. We discuss 'gospel poverty' and the differing needs across Europe, Africa and South-East Asia.John and Simon also celebrate how God is continuing to raise up workers for the harvest, and that they continue to see new candidates for mission, despite drops in candidates in other spheres of Christian leadership. They also give us a peek behind the scenes as to what to expect from future CMS Summer School conferences and the rigorous process for becoming a missionary [Hint - not everyone is automatically accepted].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

MINISTRY TIP: I think the most important thing that I have been taught in the whole area of Communicating Christ, was to know what you are aiming for, and be focused on getting there.What we are looking for is repentance and faith.  To get repentance you preach Jesus is Lord, to get faith you preach Jesus is saviour.So I am asking 'Did I preach that clearly?  Did I make that clear?'That's the question for the staff meeting as we review the Christmas or Easter service.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

January is the key time of the year for welcoming newcomers to church in the southern hemisphere.  In the northern hemisphere it’s August/September.But how do we best follow up new people who are moving into the district and looking to join a church? Someone visits your church, but what’s next.  What sort of ‘visitor pipeline’ should you have?What kind of system can be devised that is most effective for welcoming the largest numbers of people over a year? - while making sure that everyone doesn’t get exhausted?Should you visit? phone? email? text? or nothing?Where is too much effort just that.  Too much effort?  How do you grab the ‘low hanging fruit’?What mistakes can we avoid?  Where should we ignore the American advice here as just being too cultural?Someone has visited our church and we have invested lots of effort in them, and it’s all come to naught.  Someone else visits, we do almost nothing, and they end up joining.  What’s with that?  Dave Allen is from Hunter Church in Newcastle and Andy Hobbs from Salt Church in Wollongong.  Both have great advice for us in this area. 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

We speak to Dan Paterson as he processes the growing terrible scandal involving his former mentor and boss, the late International Apologist Ravi Zacharias.Dan is the former head of Ravi Zacharias ministries for Australia.Mr Zacharias died in May 2020.A preliminary report into complaints against Mr Zacharias has found significant, credible evidence that Mr. Zacharias engaged in sexual misconduct over the course of many years. “Some of that misconduct is consistent with and corroborative of that which is reported in the news recently, and some of the conduct we have uncovered is more serious.” the report stated.http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/ravi-zacharias-abuseThe 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 is a biblical theology of place?Matthew Sleeman is a lecturer in New Testament at Oak Hill Theological College in London.Matthew has two PhD's on the place of PLACE. Matthew says place is more than point on a map.  Place contributes to making us who we are.  And we contribute to making the place what it is.  We are shaped by our places and we paint ourselves onto places. Places are locations for ministries, discipleship and living for Jesus. (Recorded prior to COVID travel and social distancing restrictions)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

For many singles, Christmas and January is a very difficult and challenging time of year. A time to be endured rather than a time to be enjoyed. It’s Christmas.  But it’s also January when many of the structured church life things are in recess. But there are things that as church leaders we can do to be a blessing to our single friendsDr Dani Treweek has just completed her PhD on Singleness and joins us on The Pastor’s Heart.http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/lovingsingles-christmas-januaryThe 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

Telling the difference between domestic violence and dysfunctional relationship? - with Magdalena LiemFor us as senior pastors one of the things most important to get right is when someone comes to report domestic violence. We often meet these issues when we are not expecting to.  There’s often high emotion and high stakes. How do we pastor the victim well, and also the person accused of being responsible?  And is there any potential way back?Experienced Counsellor Magdalena Liem from Newroads Counselling is with me. Magdalena used to work in Christian Pastoral Ministry in church and on campuses, but for twenty years she’s been involved in counselling. And part of what she does is training counsellors in the domestic violence space. Magdalena is with us for a ‘crash course’ on how to handle these issues.http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/domestic-violence-or-dysfunctional-relationshipThe 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

The dominant topic in church staff room meetings in New South Wales today is, what to do this Sunday about singing?  Should we sing without masks or not?The NSW Government is saying, while singing is permitted, masks are recommended for the congregation, whether or not the congregation is inside or outside. The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Antony Fisher has written to Catholics saying they can sing without masks. Sydney Anglican Archbishop Glenn Davies has been more circumspect. See his letter here: https://j.mp/3gsfHgbBut, Decisions are clearly left to local church leaders to work out how best to apply the guidelines. Different churches are expected to make different decisions. We workshop the issues with the senior minister of St Michael’s Cathedral Wollongong Sandy Grant and the pastor of Tom Melbourne from the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. Village Church Annandale's Place of Worship COVID safe planVillage Church Annandale's Restaurant and Cafe COVID safe planThe 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

It seems virtually overnight Christians and Christian leaders have gone from the ‘good guys’ in the society to the ‘bad guys.’  The speed of change has blindsided us. The new religion of sexual identity and sexual freedom is on the ascendancy.  It’s proclaimed as the locus of deep and lasting meaning, where the truly authentic life is.But secularism is not neutral.  We used to work on the assumption that public square would be a neutral venue where ideas could be discussed freely.   We prepared for an open market.  We didn’t realise that there would be huge tariffs. There are two competing narratives in the west, locked in a death grip.  And what happens to the ‘Western Ship’ as society loses its moorings from the Christian Gospel and drifts into unchartered waters.  What will a post Christian existence look like?  Full of fear and empty of human kindness. Is there any light in this darkness. Stephen McAlpine argues yes, in his book to be released in the new year, ‘Being the bad guys.’http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/being-the-bad-guysPurchase copies at: https://bit.ly/beingthebadguysThe 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