The One Thing

We want to connect with our communities, so we can connect them with Jesus. But how do you go about understanding what our community looks like, what makes it tick, what questions its members are asking?

In the final show of 2018, Derek and Scott look back on the 37 episodes that have come before and choose three each that gave them the most practical ‘one thing’ lessons to learn from.

‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’ – you might have the best plans in place, but if they don’t take into consideration your ministry’s culture, you could find yourself fighting an uphill battle.

Evangelistic Courses should be at the heart of our plans to mobilise our church on mission. Not just running them, but how we make them accessible so that people feel comfortable in inviting their friends.

There have been a multitude of books written on the topic of sharing your faith, but does personal evangelism taken on a new look in the 21st century? What are the cultural challenges to preaching the Gospel now that we are post-Post-Modernism? Scott Sanders speaks with Dr. Sam Chan, author of Evangelism in a Skeptical World, to see what are the essentials when approaching a generation who no longer even consider God a question worth considering.

SHOW NOTES

Evangelism in a Skeptical World: How to Make the Unbelievable News about Jesus More Believable, by Dr. Sam Chan

Two Ways To Live

The Bridge To Life 

Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Sceptical, by Tim Keller

A Doubter’s Guide To Jesus, John Dickson

One To One Bible Reading, by David Helm

The Bigger Questions podcast with Rob Martin from City Bible Forum

Australia has an increasing Asian population, a reality that many traditionally Anglo-Saxon churches are having to deal with. Should ministry to the many facets of Asian culture be left to Asian churches, or are there helpful cross-cultural ministries that ethnically different churches can plant?

Scott Sanders speaks to Australian evangelist, lecturer and A.B.C., Sam Chan, to work out sensible ways of making contact with the cultures around you.

SHOW NOTES

Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally, by David J. Hesselgrave

Planting Churches Cross-Culturally: A Guide for Home and Foreign Missions, by David J. Hesselgrave

Leading Multicultural Teams, by Richard and Evelyn Hibbert

The Multiply14 Conference – Multicultural Ministry, at Geneva Push Resources

It’s very easy to celebrate the big milestones in the Christian life - you start a new ministry, a new congregation, a new church … it expands to 50, a hundred, two hundred people. And there doesn’t seem to be anything you can’t do in God’s name. But what about the other side of the coin? What about when ministry dreams are dashed, when churches close, when people turn their back on the Gospel? God is still in control - we know that - but how do we make sense of the tough times … see them rightly? Live with them in a way that still brings glory to God?

Derek Hanna and Scott Sanders talk to Dave McDonald, the National Director of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, is a pastor, preacher and evangelist who has seen the heights and the depths of ministry … and come through the other side with sound advice to offer.

SHOW NOTES

Hope Beyond Cure, by Dave McDonald

More Than A Carpenter, by Josh McDowell

While we need to reach the cities with the Gospel, this can’t be at the expense of those 3 million Australians in regional and rural areas. And if we’re going to engage with them well and wisely, then we want to understand how evangelism differs for those who don’t live in highly urbanised areas.

Does community work differently in the country? Do we need to present ourselves differently? What goes into good communication in a country context, so the Gospel can shine the brightest? Join Scott and Derek as they plumb the depths of this complex issue with Bruce Bennet from Orange Evangelical Church.

SHOW NOTES

How To Reach and Plant in Regional and Rural Australia, with Ross Pethybridge from Dalby Presbyterian Church and Bruce Bennett from Orange Evangelical Church

If Sundays are a key place where non-Christians come for the first time to experience Christian community, and Sundays are meant to be a time for Christians to enjoy singing the truths of the Gospel together, how do you build a healthy, engaging, music ministry from a small pool of people that isn’t cringeworthy. In short, how do you handle music on the small scale?

Derek and Scott talk to gifted Christian musician and Magnification Pastor Trevor Hodge to find out the shortcuts to great worship music.

SHOW NOTES

The Establishing a Music Ministry in Your Church Plant webinar with Phil Percival from Emu Music, at Geneva Push Resources

Trevor Hodge’s Magnify Network 

Then Sings My Soul, by Phil Percival

Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God, by Bob Kauflin

Worship by the Book, by Don Carson

Songs of the Saints: Enriching our singing by learning from the songs of scripture, by Mike Raiter and Rob Smith

Today’s episode of THE ONE THING is aimed at helping you discover THE ONE THING to keep in mind when you set out to make graphics and all those other things that go into good communications. To help us with making the right decisions, we’ve invited Rachael Vant, who leads the communication and marketing team at EV Church on New South Wales’ Central Coast.

SHOW NOTES

14 sites for inspiring sermon series artwork by Steve Kryger from CommunicateJesus.com

A graphic gem for church planters, from Geneva Push Resources -

The Communications and IT course provided by Church In A Box -

Communications workshop from the Multiply18 Conference, with Gus McCowatt, Rachel Vant and Andy Hobbs -

Sam Jensen’s graphic design services at Virtual Church Assistant