The Shock Absorber

MINI-SERIES: Part 2 of our sneak peek of Berea as Stu continues the first tutorial from the Berea Internship. Churches may share the same faith, but their theology, strategy, and practice often differ. They begin by using the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience) as a diagnostic tool to assess how churches develop their ministry frameworks. What does it truly mean t...

MINI-SERIES: Get a taster for what Berea is like as Stu runs the first tutorial from the Berea Internship. As Saturday Night Live celebrates its 50th anniversary, the guys explore how institutions evolve, questioning how ideas can be institutionalised while still remaining relevant over time. Stu then starts up the Berea tutorial with a deep dive into ministry frameworks, beginning with Berea’s sp...

MINI-SERIES: The PRACTICE of in-house ministry training with Joel, Tim and Stu. As the next Federal election approaches, political leaders in Australia have started appearing on podcasts to connect with voters in a more direct and unfiltered way. But how does this approach compare to political campaigning in the United States? They explore the differences between the Australian and US election str...

MINI-SERIES: Tim, Joel and Stu use Berea as a way of investigating the strategy of in-house ministry training. This episode begins with the launch of Tim’s book, The Child in God's Church, which explores theologically integrating children into the life of the church. Rather than seeing young people as a future project or a problem to solve, the discussion emphasises that they are already part of t...

MINI-SERIES: Tim, Joel and Stu chat Theology-Strategy-Practice for internal ministry training, based off Soul Revival's which is called Berea. They explore why teaching how to think—rather than what to think—is essential for Christian discipleship. They begin by unpacking Apple’s controversial Crush ad for the iPad Pro, which sparked backlash for its destruction of cultural artefacts. The discussi...

MINI-SERIES: Theology-Strategy-Practice for ministry teams. Stu, Tim and Joel look at the practice element of ministry teams. They explore how friendship fuels the heart of ministry. They kick things off by reflecting on Wes Huff’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience and the cultural shift toward appreciating Christianity’s influence on the West. Is this a Bob Dylan or a Jesus Christ Superstar...

MINI-SERIES: Theology-Strategy-Practice for ministry teams - this time it's strategy behind church ministry teams. The guys delve into Soul Revival's Strategy of ministry teams. Starting with cultural artefacts, debating the depiction of AI in fiction versus reality and sharing stories about our favorite libraries, setting the stage for a discussion on deeper societal reflections. Next, they explo...

MINI-SERIES: Theology-Strategy-Practice for ministry teams, kicking things off by diving deep into the theology behind church ministry teams. Drawing from Ephesians 4 and Acts 6 , Joel, Tim and Stu explore the Biblical foundation that shapes our understanding of ministry teams and the essential role of pastors as leaders who raise up others — both paid and unpaid — to serve and love the church com...

MINI-SERIES: Young People in the Church [PRACTICE] In this episode, Joel and Tim dive into the critical importance of practice in youth and children’s ministry, exploring its role within Soul Revival's Theology-Strategy-Practice framework. They discuss how churches can be an essential pillar of stability for young people, providing relationships and networks that foster genuine community. They unp...

MINI-SERIES: Young People in the Church [STRATEGY] In this episode of The Shock Absorber Podcast, Joel, Stu, and Tim explore the critical importance of strategy in youth and children’s ministry as part of our Theology-Strategy-Practice framework. Strategy isn’t optional—it’s essential for creating meaningful, lasting ministry impact. Without it, churches risk creating transient, hollow experiences...

MINI-SERIES: Young People in the Church Tim, Stu, and Joel are back with a brand-new mini-series, exploring Soul Revival’s framework of Theology, Strategy, and Practice. This series kicks off with a sneak peek into Tim’s upcoming book, The Child in God’s Church. Using it as a launchpad, the team dives into the theology of children and young people, reflecting on why God designed our growth and dev...

What began as a quick dive into a cultural artefact evolved into a full episode exploration. Stu, Tim, and Joel examine the result of the 2024 U.S. election and the shifting dynamics of political ideas and class across the globe. They discuss how new media is poised to play an even more significant role in shaping election outcomes and public opinion. Together, they reflect on a Christian perspect...

In the final episode of their mini-series on meals, Joel, Tim and Jai discuss the implementation of meals at each Soul Revival gathering. Firstly, they explore the industrialisation of food production and increase in the number of scientifically backed meal replacements and productivity drinks. Drawing from their experience in church ministry, they discuss how a strong strategy with a flexible pra...

Tim, Stu and Joel get together to discuss Soul Revival's strategy behind having meals at every Soul Revival gathering. After reminiscing on some food memories, namely finger food and meals at Soul Revival when it was a youth community, they get into the "how" of meals. They explore what it means to spend meaningful time together—by preparing and sharing meals, which feels counter-cultural in today...

In this episode of the Shock Absorber, Stu, Tim, and Joel delve into the theology behind incorporating meals into all Soul Revival gatherings. They explore the practical and spiritual significance of sharing meals, grounded in the spiritual calling that we are called to be living sacrifices, expressing unity in Christ and serving one another. What begins with a discussion on the Hindenburg (05:23)...

Stu and Joel are back to discuss where the Shock Absorber will be heading in the next few months (00:00). As the 2024 Presidential Race heats up (02:46), they take a look at the candidates embracing new media in the lead up to the vote. Then, Stu shares insights from his recent overseas trip, offering a fresh perspective on global issues (30:38). They shift gears to explore what’s next for the Sho...

In this episode of the Shock Absorber, the guys dive into a range of topics that related to church planting given Joey (Ryde gathering) and Jai (Yarrawarrah and Cronulla gatherings) were on the episode. They start with a number of cultural artefacts—including a discussion on the new Extremely Large Telescope in Chile, a documentary on WWE’s Mr. McMahon, and the biography of John Paton (01:04). The...

In this episode of the Shock Absorber podcast, Tim and Joel they explore key cultural and spiritual issues affecting the modern world. We begin by discussing how sub-cultures that used to be characterised by rebelliousness and aggressiveness are becoming less tribal (01:28). Next, inspired by Jonathan Haidt's post, they delve into the hypocrisy of tech CEOs changes how we are thinking about techno...

Tim and Joel dive into the world of football, ministry, and evangelical thought! They start with wide-ranging discussion on football, from the history of Adidas and Puma, World Cup Finals, the Danubian effect on football's development as well as the unique ownership structures of German clubs. They then chat about Tim’s Book Club, where they are exploring Children’s Ministry and the Spiritual Chil...

In this episode of the Shock Absorber podcast, Tim, Joel and Fi explore the role of church traditions in clarifying what we believe, particularly through the lens of confirmation and youth camp experiences. They dive into how these traditions help young people, especially those in Years 9 and 10, as they navigate a time of self-determination and begin to count the cost of their faith journey. As w...

In the latest episode of the Shock Absorber podcast, Tim shares exciting news as he joins the Soul Revival staff full-time! He opens up about his new role and what he's most looking forward to as he embarks on this new chapter. Tim also reflects on his departure from Youthworks by discussing his "9 Points on the Future of Youth and Children's Ministry." He shares his insights on how the future of...

In a shorter episode of the Shock Absorber podcast, Stu and Joel dive into a range of insightful questions about how Soul Revival approaches ministry. They explore the dynamics of different congregation sizes, discuss the language used to describe them, and the importance of targeting your base effectively before expanding. They also chat about Stu's 13 years of church planting experience, reflect...

Join Stu, Tim, and Joel as they dive into the Christian moments that stood out at the 2024 Olympic Games. They also tackle some intriguing questions Stu has about Soul Revival's approach to church planting, youth ministry and growth. Hear about the rationale behind Soul Revival's decision to start a Friday night gathering and how they're crafting a natural path for young people at church. Plus, th...

In Part 5 of our Resilient Disciples series, Stu, Tim and Joel dive into the Last Supper death work showcased at the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony and explore how Christians can respond with both sorrow and love in the face of God being mocked. They also unpack how being a resilient disciple involves living counter-culturally and partnering with God in His mission to make more disciples. As...

Tim and Joel look at the fourth practice of Resilient Faith from Faith for Exiles which leads them on a discussion of how we can encourage Christians to be disciples in all aspects of their life, including their vocation. Have we handled the discussion well? Are we helping people bridge the divide between the sacred and the secular? Younger generations are becoming more ambitious because of the cu...