The One Thing

Young men are trickling back into churches, but are they here to stay — and are we ready for them? Steve McAlpine joins to unpack the subtle but significant shifts in cultural currents and what churches must rethink to disciple a new kind of Christian convert.

Key points:

• Why Google searches for “Bible” and “Christianity” are spiking — and what it might mean.

• The end of nominalism and the rise of “full-fat” faith.

• What young men are really looking for when they show up at church.

• Why Sunday attendance and midweek group aren’t enough.

• The critical role of Christian households in modeling a different life.

• Why tone, not just truth, matters more than ever.

Stephen McAlpine worked as a National Communicator for City Bible Forum, and was also pastoring a church in Perth. He has degrees in journalism and theology and enjoys combining the two through writing and blogging, especially on matters of church planting and cultural negotiation for Christians in the increasingly complex West.

TOOL BOX:

Disruptive Witness by Alan Noble

You Are Not Your Own by Alan Noble

First Things – journal of religion and public life

“Full Fat Faith” article by James Marriott (The Times, UK)

Wes Huff – Christian apologist (his YouTube channel)

Questioning Christianity by Dan Paterson

Stephen's Substack  – a great place to start working through a platform for cultural commentary and analysis

CREDITS:

This episode was brought to you by Trellis

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Support Reach Australia's online library

AI is knocking at the church door. Do we let it in? We debate that topic today with Emma Wilkins and Paul Matthews as they wrestle with how pastors and gospel workers can engage with AI.

AI is knocking at the church door. Do we let it in? We debate that topic right here today, hear arguments from both Emma Wilkins and Paul Matthews as they wrestle with how pastors and gospel workers can engage with AI.

Highlights:

• Healthy debate on AI’s benefits and risks
• Concerns about replacing human creativity and relationships
• AI as a tool for translation, accessibility, and teaching
• The importance of pastoral transparency and trust
• Calling churches to keep teaching what it means to be human

Paul Matthews is a teacher, AI tech founder and consultant. He is a regular keynote speaker for education conferences, Ed Tech festivals, and spoke at TEDxHobart in 2024.

Emma Wilkins is Tasmanian journalist and freelance writer. Emma is also an Associate for the Centre for Public Christianity, and serves on the AFES (Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students) board of directors. She attends Crossroads Presbyterian Church.

TOOL BOX:

Five Lies of the AI World by Paul Matthews

Made in Our Image by Stephen Driscoll

TOT Ep 398 on Sunflower AI technology

Articles on managing AI change and discipleship

Paul’s TEDx talk

CREDITS:

This episode was brought to you by Stanton Dahl

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Support Reach Australia's online library

Ministry wives carry unseen pressures and influence. It’s the role no one defines but everyone watches. Cathie Heard talks about what ministry wives are really carrying, and why support can’t wait.

We cover:

• The ambiguity of a pastor’s wife’s role and the hidden pressures it creates
• What gospel coaching really is (and what it’s not)
• The strange tension of being influential but unseen
• What churches risk by ignoring this group
• How coaching helps women ask better questions — of themselves and others

TOOL BOX:

Wives Network - Reach Australia

Church Planting Podcast

CREDITS:

This episode was brought to you by Trellis

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Support Reach Australia's online library

If your preaching only speaks to Christians, you're missing half the room. Al Stewart lays out why preaching to both believers and unbelievers is not optional. It is essential for any church that wants to grow through gospel impact. This is a sharp call to lift your preaching game, build a culture of invitation, and make every sermon count for eternity.

What’s discussed:
• Why preaching should always assume two audiences
• How to critique worldviews without alienating people
• Preaching Psalm 1 to Christians and non-Christians
• How to handle historical books like Chronicles
• The importance of trust for invitation culture
• Practical tips for preparation and next steps
• What small groups can learn from this model

TOOL BOX:

This week we recommend you find your own passage and think about how you’ll apply it to two different audiences

For a great example check out: Preaching by Tim Keller

CREDITS:

This episode was brought to you by EA Insurance

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Support Reach Australia's online library

Churches often revolve around couples and families, but what message does that send to the growing number of single Christians? This episode unpacks the hidden assumptions behind “couples bias” and what it means to build churches where singles aren’t just welcomed, but necessary. We cover:

• Why the nuclear family isn’t the centre of church life

• How singleness points to eternity, just like marriage

• What pastors miss when they overlook single adults

• Easy fixes that do more harm than good

• How married people can be better friends to singles

• The challenge to name all the single people in your church
  

Rev. Dr Danielle (Dani) Treweek is a theological researcher, author, and speaker with a focus on singleness, sexuality, and worldview formation. She leads the Single Minded ministry and serves as Sydney Anglican Diocesan Research Officer. She writes for Christianity Today, ABC Religion & Ethics, and The Gospel Coalition Australia.

TOOL BOX:

The Meaning of Singleness by Danielle Treweek

Single Ever After by Danielle Treweek

Dani’s website with further resources

No Greater Love by Rebecca McLaughlin

CREDITS:

This episode was brought to you by Youthworks

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Support Reach Australia's online library

City life changes the way small groups work. Jess Ngo from Scots Presbyterian Church Sydney shares what she’s learned leading groups in the CBD — where people move in and out quickly, apartments are small, and the community is incredibly multicultural.

She talks about why they meet at the church building, how they keep studies short and sharp, and why raising up new leaders every year is so important.

Jess shares how they’ve adapted — meeting at the church building, keeping studies tight, and raising leaders every year — and why it matters to shape groups for your own context.

Jess is a pastoral assistant of Scots Presbyterian Church in the middle of the Sydney CBD.

TOOLBOX:

• Ep 418 Measuring small group health with Richard Sweatman
• Ep 419 Are small groups a strategy with Silas Thiem
• Leading Small Groups that Thrive by Hartwig, Davis and Sniff
• Scots Hub Leadership Description

CREDITS:

This episode was brought to you by ChurchSuite

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Support Reach Australia's online library

Where do small groups come from and why does it matter? Silas Thiem explores the origins of small groups in focussing on Sydney churches, highlighting how cultural shifts and para-church movements helped shape their development. It’s a reminder that small groups weren’t always about structured Bible study—they started as spaces for connection. This episode asks whether they’re still the right tool for the job, or if it's time to rethink how they function in the life of the church.

Silas Thiem is the equipping minister at St Alban's Lindfield in the North Shore of Sydney.

TOOLBOX:

• "The Origins of the Home Group in Sydney Anglican Churches, from Unfamiliar to Indispensable" Lucas, Vol 3 no. 4 Dec 2024, p 152-186. Lucas is the journal of the Evangelical History Association.
• Ep 418 Measuring small group health with Richard Sweatman

CREDITS:

This episode was brought to you by Trellis

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Support Reach Australia's online library

How do you actually measure whether small groups are actually working? Richard Sweatman from Hunter Bible Church joins us to unpack what matters most – from clarifying purpose, to tracking attendance trends, to assessing leader health, group dynamics, and individual growth. He shares practical tips as well as pitfalls to avoid when appointing leaders or multiplying groups.

TOOLBOX:

• Example survey for measuring group health

• Leading Small Groups That Thrive by Ryan T. Hartwig, Courtney W. Davis and Jason A. Sniff

• Richard’s Review of Leading Small Groups That Thrive

• Unmissable Church by Richard Sweatman and Antony Barraclough

• Being a Small Group Leader by Richard Sweatman

• Writing a Small Group Study by Richard Sweatman

CREDITS:

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Support Reach Australia's online library

This episode was brought to you by Youthworks

Across Australia, church buildings sit underused or sold off—while church planters struggle to find space to gather. These buildings, raised by past generations, could potentially be a lifeline for thriving plants.

In this episode, we explore questions of stewardship, the identity challenges facing struggling churches, and practical models—from rentals to mergers—that could keep these spaces serving gospel purposes for decades to come.

TOOLBOX:

Contact: [email protected] 

How can your church be involved in church planting

CREDITS:

This episode was brought to you by Exdia

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Support Reach Australia's online library

Who needs to be in the room? How to choose the right voices for strategic conversations, spot unproductive meetings, avoid groupthink, and build trust-filled, high-functioning teams.

Key Points:

• Symptoms of the “wrong people” in a meeting: conflict, stagnation, or too much agreement
• Why character, teachability, and team culture matter more than titles
• How to navigate shifting roles with humility and clarity
• Practical frameworks (like Myers-Briggs types or Thinking Hats) to build balanced teams
• The danger of filling rooms with people who think just like you

TOOL BOX:

Ep 404 Three dysfunctional types of teams and how to fix them

Ep 383 You're better at this than me and other phrases build-teams

Ep 357 Inheriting and building teams (Ray Galea)

Ep 387 How to run a meeting 

CREDITS:

This episode was brought to you by Quizworx

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Support Reach Australia's online library