What does it look like to prepare for gospel ministry without leaving your local church or community?

In this episode of the Aspire Podcast, Jeremy Kidd shares his journey into ministry through a ministry apprenticeship (MTS) while studying theology from a coastal context on the Central Coast. Jeremy reflects on his conviction for evangelism, the value of hands-on ministry training, and why he believes apprenticeships are essential for anyone considering paid gospel ministry.

We talk about discerning a call to ministry, choosing Bible college, studying part-time while serving in church, and how character, competence, and conviction are formed best in the pressure cooker of real ministry. Jeremy also unpacks why coastal and regional contexts are strategic places for mission—and how God is powerfully at work beyond the city.

Whether you’re exploring Bible college, wondering about a ministry apprenticeship, or asking what your next step might be, this conversation will help you think clearly, prayerfully, and realistically about serving Jesus long-term.

This is a series of episodes on students at bible college. Hear their stories, their longings, and their questions. 

Why do you need a rich theological education to pursue Christian ministry? Why should you come back and study further if you are already in ministry or on the mission field? Is a ministry apprenticeship  the only way? What is it like doing bible college as a family?

This is a series of episodes on students at bible college. Hear their stories, their longings, and their questions. 

We are also now live on Youtube!

How can I overcome financial fears about the costs of moving to or studying at bible college? Is it worth the cost?

This is a series of episodes on students at bible college. Hear their stories, their longings, and their questions. 

This is our first video episode!

If this episode was helpful, we would love to invite you to consider giving us a review on Spotify Podcasts. This helps others find out about this podcast. Our goal is to hit 50 reviews by November 30!

What type of formation should you hope to get from bible college? What does it mean for your study to be 'rigorous'? Is rigorous intellectual formation the only goal of bible college?

This is a series of episodes on students at bible college. Hear their stories, their longings, and their questions. 

If this episode was helpful, we would love to invite you to consider giving us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. This helps others find out about this podcast. Our goal is to hit 50 reviews by November 30!

How can you take the next step in your ministry journey? What is bible college really like? How can you move past discouragement when struggling to find examples to model yourself on?

A series of episodes on students at bible college. Hear their stories, their longings, and their questions. 

If this episode was helpful, we would love to invite you to consider giving us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. This helps others find out about this podcast. Our goal is to hit 50 reviews by November 30!

Malcolm and Leanne Reid share their remarkable journey of nearly a decade serving in Vietnam, reflecting on the joy and cost of following God into a revival in Vietnam. From being involved in theological education at Hanoi Bible College to navigating persecution in their students church planting, their story is one of faith, perseverance, and deep trust in God’s sovereignty.

They speak candidly about raising children on the mission field, winning their kids’ hearts for global mission, and the power of building genuine relationships in a cross-cultural context. Along the way, Malcolm and Leanne unpack why Vietnam captured their hearts, the growing need for Bible teachers across the world, and what it looks like to say “yes” to global need.

Malcolm and Leanne are currently 'Missionaries in Residence' at SMBC.

Ed Grudier shares the story of how God led him to West Asia and opened his eyes to the urgent need of the unreached. Along the way, he discovered that prayer is not just preparation for mission—it is the very work itself. In this conversation, Ed tells powerful stories from years on the field, highlighting both the challenges and the surprising ways God moves when His people depend on Him. His reflections will stir your heart for prayer, renew your vision for the nations, and remind you that no place is beyond the reach of the gospel.

Ed is the Director of the Centre for Cross-Cultural Mission and Head of Missions at Sydney Missionary and Bible College (SMBC). He recently released a book called "Lifting God High from the Lowest Valley: a 30 day devotional guide through grief ".

If this episode was helpful, we would love to invite you to consider giving us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. This helps others find out about this podcast. Our goal is to hit 50 reviews by November 30!

Dr Tim Silberman reflects on his journey as a missions lecturer and explores one of the most pressing questions for anyone considering gospel ministry: should we serve where we “fit,” or where the “need” is greatest? Drawing on years of experience training gospel workers, Tim unpacks critical considerations for cross-cultural and distant mission. His story is marked by wisdom, humility, and a deep conviction that God is sovereignly at work in both the sending and the going.

Tim is part of the SMBC Centre for Cross-Cultural Mission. He recently released a book, Engaging Neighbours and Nations: Factors Shaping Local Church Patterns of Involvement in Mission.

If this episode was helpful, we would love to invite you to consider giving us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. This helps others find out about this podcast. Our goal is to hit 50 reviews by November 30!

Dick shares his remarkable story of seeing thousands of unreached people come to faith in Ethiopia. His story is marked by profound humility, but also the extraordinary power of God to bring thousands of churches into existence. He recently travelled back to Ethiopia, in early 2025 (at the age of 93!), to preach to a convention of 40,000 people. Dick was given a traditional gift to honour and respect his ministry. Dick shares incredible lessons and stories from the perspective of someone who has seen God do far more than what he ever dreamed or imagined of.

If this episode was helpful, we would love to invite you to consider giving us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. This helps others find out about this podcast. Our goal is to hit 50 reviews by November 30!

Duncan Robinson is the senior pastor of Northgate Church in Belrose, Sydney. Duncan was the host of HOPE 103.2’s breakfast show for several years.  Duncan recently released a new book called Full Phoenix Rising: Real Time Grace at the Speed of Jesus.

If this episode was helpful, we would love to invite you to consider giving us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. This helps others find out about this podcast. Our goal is to hit 50 reviews by November 30!