The Pastor's Heart with Dominic Steele

Christianity in Australia is in decline. The narrative is we had a few golden years at the start, where 96% of the population identified as Christian, but that has been on a gradual decline for decades.  But if that’s the case:  - Why does Christianity in Australia go up, not down, after Darwin?  - In Australia, why does it go up after WWII?  - If the Church was so strong in the middle ages, why w...

Adam Lowe from St Bart’s Toowoomba has surveyed his church’s online audience.  Of those surveyed he’s broken them down into four categories. 62% are dislocated - physically unable to attend in person church 9.5% are missional - online is a safe way to explore a relationship with God 19% are convenience - those who live nearby but find it easier or prefer to attend online 9.5% are incidental - thos...

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 Anglicanism In 2019 the Wangarat...

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 ne...

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?' Th...

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 effec...

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 misconduc...

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 lo...

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 friends Dr Dani Treweek has just completed her PhD on Singleness an...

Telling the difference between domestic violence and dysfunctional relationship? - with Magdalena Liem For 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...

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 th...

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 assump...

“ Victorian State Government pushes to ban Christian practices with threat of 10 years in prison ” - a headline that should have every Christian leader pause.  This week on the Pastor’s Heart, we’re discussing upcoming legislation that is being pushed in Victoria. The Change of Suppression (Conversion)  Practices Prohibition Bill 2020 has consequences of 10 years imprisonment for anyone engaging i...

This week on The Pastor’s Heart, Dominic interviews evangelist Sam Chan about his latest book: How To Talk About Jesus (Without Being That Guy). Written for the everyday Christian, How To Talk About Jesus provides practical ways anyone can share Jesus in a way which is relevant to today.  Dominic and Sam will explore the narratives people believe and how Jesus speaks into them, where our society i...

Teens of today are less likely to grow up in a religious family or attend Church, and yet we are still seeing vibrant protestant youth ministries across many cities.  This week, Youthworks College Dean of Women Ruth Lukabyo joins us to discuss a pioneering model of youth ministry including peer groups, ministry collaboration and cultivating ministry leadership for young people. Ruth’s new book ‘Fr...

We talk winning our workmates & neighbours to Jesus. Plus leading our homes and and the battle against porn. At last weekend’s Men Meeting the Challenge Conference , Dominic Steele led a panel discussion of leaders in the Australian men’s ministry space, canvassing how we can win our workmates and neighbours to Jesus.  David Robertson is an Evangelist & Pastor from Scotland and now with Th...

The report has just been released into abuse at The Crowded House , an evangelical church in Sheffield in the UK.   It’s a 98 page report exploring the spiritual abuse allegations that were levelled at the senior pastor Steve Timmis, author of the influential church leadership manual Total Church , and who was at the time the CEO of the global church planting movement Acts 29 The key question the...

Did you watch the Social Dilemma and consider throwing your phone (and the apps installed!) out the window. This week's we are thinking through the pastoral opportunities and dangers of social media. Marshall Ballantine Jones joins Dominic Steele to discuss the impact of social media use on pastor's, particularly with regards to encouraging self promotion and narcissistic tendencies. In...

Today we explore the journey Tertullian to Thomas Jefferson or how the issues of Religious Liberty and Freedom of Conscience don’t actually spring out of the Enlightenment but from the pages of the New Testament. Dr Sarah Irving Stonebraker has caused quite a splash this week with her Richard Johnston Lecture on Thursday night. Sarah is a Senior Lecturer in Modern European History, and teaches in...

We are discussing the logistics of Christmas in COVID, with Pete Steadman and Stuart Crawshaw.  With limitations around singing, gathering and social distancing in place, today we are discussing the most effective way to connect with our communities and share the gospel. Carols, Gingerbread, Wreath Making and even Christmas services typically rely on large groups of people coming together and feel...

On today’s special episode of the Pastor’s Heart, we’re discussing issues surrounding religious freedom and church gatherings on the way out of COVID. There’s been an important court ruling on this in Washington DC, where Capitol Hill Baptist Church have won their legal challenge against imposed limits on congregational gatherings. Here in Australia, the New South Wales Government continue to limi...

As general secretary of GAFCON , Nigeria’s Archbishop of Jos Ben Kwashi is one of the world’s most influential Anglican leaders.  With GAFCON representing two thirds of the world’s Anglicans, Archbishop Kwashi has been described as the most influential person in the Anglican Communion.  Nine days ago rumours started to circulate on social media that he’d been diagnosed with Colon Cancer.  Archbish...

Queensland University’s Dean of Law Patrick Parkinson says we are facing a fall of Rome moment in Western Societies.  Christendom is over.  We need to not put our trust in princes in the way that American evangelicals have disastrously done so. He says the signs of erosion are clear in the fundamental pillars of society. Freedoms of speech, religion, association and conscience have all impacted. ...

It sounds so simple. And yet it’s clear from the statistics (National Church Life) that people in some congregations are reporting much growth in faith, while people in others are reporting not much at all. And isn’t it what we all want: For the sheep that God has given us the task of being under shepherds for - to report that they have grown significantly in faith this year? Tom Harricks and Roge...

It's a spiritual temperature check as we take the pulse on the relationship between church involvement in local missions and support for overseas missions.  Many Churches are under renewed pressure this year, but Sydney Missionary & Bible College lecturer Tim Silberman says his PhD resesarch indicates turning our eyes outwards to global mission actually helps grow local evanglism as well....