The One Thing

What is the best age to plant a church?  In this episode, Gus McCowatt chats with Tim Baldwin to explore the realities of church planting at different stages of life. Having planted in both his early 30s and again in his late 40s, Tim offers a rare perspective on the key differences of both "young man" and "old man" church planting. How marriage and family dynamics shape church planting at differe...

Most people looking for a church start with a Google search. But if someone searched for a church in your area, would they find yours? You might not even know what SEO stands for, but it plays a significant role in helping people discover your church. In this episode, Pete Hughes sits down with search engine optimisation (SEO) specialist Aaron Taylor to unpack simple, practical ways churches can i...

Tim Dyer joins Gus McCowatt to about what we do when tension surface in a ministry team, and how leaders can respond. They discuss: Why our assumptions about other people can fuel conflict How poor behaviour can do more damage than the disagreement itself Why relational repair needs to come before resolving the issue How teams can get better at handling disagreement What happens when conflict goes...

How do we know if people in our churches are truly growing? In this episode, Paul Grimmond joins Gus McCowatt to explore what it means to pursue pastoral transformation in the messiness of life. What to guard against to not become pastorally passive Why information alone doesn’t transform us How to pastor people through the complexity of real life How to cultivate a culture of godliness in your ch...

Al Stewart shares 28 of the craziest, most counterintuitive lessons he has learnt from his time in ministry. There are gems of wisdom for all stages of ministry life. You won't hear this stuff in a textbook! Sadly, this is Scott’s final episode on The One Thing whilst being Executive Director before he moves to the US! Al Stewart has worked with FIEC, City Bible Forum, Geneva Push and Katoomba...

A senior minister has an enormous influence on whether their team is healthy. After more than 40 years of ministry leadership, Al Stewart has learnt a few things the hard way. In this episode, Scott Sanders sits down with Al to unpack the lessons, mistakes and wisdom that only come from decades of leading people. They talk about the tensions every ministry leader navigates: caring for people while...

New churches reach new people. So why is planting still such hard work? Scott Sanders catches up with Al Stewart to look back on 15 years of Geneva Push and Reach Australia: wins, mistakes and pushback. Why denominations can get in the way of planting The challenges of planting in established ministry contexts Why new churches are often better placed to reach new people What we’ve learned about su...

We finally tackle all the awkward small group questions we’ve been avoiding.  In the final episode of this three-part series, Scott Sanders and Richard Sweatman, discuss the topics about small groups they avoided in the first two episodes. We explore:  Unhealthy groups Low participation Finding enough leaders Whether AI has a place in writing Bible study material Knowing when pastoral care needs t...

Healthy small groups don’t happen by accident. Your small groups are only as strong as the leaders you’re raising. So how do you find the right people, prepare them well, and keep helping them grow once they’re leading? In part two of this three-part series, Scott Sanders talks with Richard Sweatman, author and assistant pastor at Hunter Bible Church in Newcastle, about how churches can identify,...

What if the most important decisions about your small groups are the ones you've never stopped to think about? In this episode, Scott Sanders chats with Richard Sweatman, author and assistant pastor at Hunter Bible Church in Newcastle, to unpack the hidden decisions that shape every small groups ministry. Whether you've inherited responsibility for small groups or you're rethinking how they fit in...

If the preaching is faithful, why doesn't the conversation continue after the service? Tony Payne joins Scott Sanders to explore why every Christian is called to speak God's Word to one another. Discover how simple, everyday conversations can become one of God's primary ways of growing disciples and building a healthy church. Tony is an author, and the Director of the Centre for Christ...

If your church is expecting 18-year-olds to connect the same way 32-year-olds do, you’ll lose them before they ever put down roots. In this episode, Scott Sanders is joined by Ray Copland and Holly Stewart from EV Church to unpack why young adults need a different approach to church life. Along with practical ideas to keep these young adults connected.  The importance of community for this age gro...

If your church is waiting until every seat is full before adding another service, are you waiting too long? In this episode, Derek Hanna talks with Ben Mansfield and Petrina Enchelmaier from Southside Presbyterian, Brisbane about why they started planning a second Sunday service  four years before they needed one. They share: The convictions behind the decision How they led their church through ch...

What happens after someone says “yes” to Jesus? Your evangelism course is not enough. It is not the finish line - it’s where discipleship begins.  In this episode, Scott Sanders is joined by Adrian Haynes, Mission Pastor at EV Church, to explore why purpose-built follow-up for new Christians is essential. Adrian shares why churches shouldn’t be surprised by the messiness of new faith and why faith...

Why do some Christians give joyfully while others give reluctantly? Most of us know generosity is good. Yet many Christians still approach giving reluctantly, defensively, or simply as another bill to pay. Tish Maier talks with Des Smith about why that gap exists and how churches can help people move towards joyful, gospel-shaped generosity. They discuss gratitude, sacrifice, stewardship, and prac...

Your church may find it easier to avoid talking about money altogether. But Jesus didn’t. In this episode, Tish sits down with Des Smith, Senior Pastor of Trinity Church Lockleys Adelaide and author of The Cheerful Giver , to explore how churches can move beyond awkward fundraising conversations and cultivate a genuine culture of generosity. Des shares why generosity is far more than a budget issu...

At Kellyville Anglican in Sydney, newcomers sit down with the senior pastor. Pete Hughes talks with Dave Kuen about "Newish", a conversation designed to help newcomers understand the church, ask questions, and take their next step. Dave explains how it fits into Kellyville's wider welcoming pathway, the importance of newcomer triage, and why he believes this is something worth person...

Is your church doing annual reviews right, or at all?  In this episode, Scott Sanders and Jo Gibbs explore how annual reviews can move beyond corporate box-ticking to become a vital tool for encouraging, developing, and stewarding gospel workers well. We unpack how simple, structured conversations help teams pause, give thanks, reflect honestly, and plan intentionally for the year ahead. Why ongoi...

If someone in your suburb wanted to find a church this Sunday… could they actually find yours? In this episode, Pete Hughes chats with Phill Morrow, from ChristLife Presbyterian in West Toowoomba, about how to ensure your church is findable. Sometimes it’s the simple things that actually really make a difference: clear websites, signage, Google listings and welcoming spaces are all key aspects chu...

Church buildings and meeting spaces communicate long before anyone hears the sermon. A confusing entrance, poor signage, or awkward gathering areas create unnecessary barriers, while thoughtful spaces can help people feel more relaxed, welcomed, and ready to connect. In this episode: Why physical space matters for ministry and hospitality Common mistakes churches make with arrival, signage, and fl...

In this episode, Derek Hanna is joined by Paul Young (planter of Providence Church Bayswater, Perth) to think about how church teams reflect on Sundays, and whether those debrief conversations are actually helping the church grow in mission, or just recycling obvious feedback. They explore how different churches approach Sunday debriefs, what often goes wrong when they drift into planning or post-...

Church life can get messy quickly. In this episode, Scott Sanders chats with Chris Rooleht about why having a simple serve chart can help bring clarity to ministry, showing who’s doing what, where responsibilities sit, and where people might be carrying too much. They discuss how serve charts can help churches care for people well, identify gaps in ministry, and plan for the future. In this episod...

Most staff meetings feel like a drain. Too long, unclear, and full of talk that changes nothing. But what if your weekly meeting could actually strengthen your team, sharpen your culture, and leave people encouraged?  In this episode, Andrew Mitchell (Executive Pastor at EV Church on NSW's Central Coast) joins Pete Hughes to unpack why great staff meetings are one of the most overlooked leader...

The Point Community Church in Port Macquarie, NSW was growing at 10% a year, but barely anyone was actually becoming a Christian. When they benchmarked themselves against other churches, the gap was stark: other churches were seeing 5–7x more non-Christians come through their evangelistic courses. So they asked hard questions about what was actually happening, and made a series of deliberate chang...

If you stepped away for a month, would your church stall? The hero complex in ministry rarely announces itself. It feels like diligence. Responsibility. Sacrifice. But underneath can sit something more dangerous — the quiet belief that everything depends on us. In this episode, we explore: What the hero complex really is and why it shows up in gospel ministry The warning signs, from micromanaging...