Indigenous Australians and the Christian Gospel - with Michael Duckett 

As we approach ‘Aboriginal Sunday’ (19 January) we focus on the progress of the gospel among the indigenous in Australia.

What are the cultural changes and what openness to Jesus Christ among Indigenous Australians? 

Where are we seeing growth? What are the roadblocks and opportunities for the growth of the gospel among the indigenous communities? How much has to do with the soil.  How much has to do with things that we can change? 

Michael Duckett leads the Anglican Indigenous Ministry at Macarthur/Campbelltown in the far south west of Sydney and Chairs the Sydney Anglican Indigenous Ministry Committee.

Aboriginal Sunday
In 1938 the aboriginal leader William Cooper called on the churches of Australia to mark what he called ‘Aborigines Sunday’ on the Sunday before Australia Day. He ‘requested sermons be preached on this day dealing with the Aboriginal people and their need of the gospel and response to it and we ask that special prayer be invoked for all missionary and other effort for the uplift of the dark people.’

The Church Co
thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor

Support the show

We speak to Alistair Begg about pastors, suffering, humility and surviving long term in ministry.

Alistair Begg is in Australia speaking at the Church Missionary Society conference in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. 

Alistair has served the people of Cleveland Ohio for 42 years at Parkside Church and has a global impact through the influential Truth for Life Ministry. 

We go backstage with Alistair to discuss:

• His teaching on 1 Peter, focusing on suffering, perseverance, trials, humility and standing firm in God’s grace.
• Reflections on 40+ years of pastoral ministry and lessons learned along the way.
• Insights into global mission and the long-term commitment of missionaries.
• His upcoming transition after more than four decades of leadership.
• The impact of Australia on his ministry in the US, including his close friendship with former Moore College Principal John Woodhouse.
• Insights into preparing for life after pastoral leadership as he approaches his final months as senior pastor.

The Church Co
thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor

Support the show

How should we guide our congregations in thinking ethically about engagement in Bitcoin? 

What is Bitcoin? 

How do we as Christian leaders assess the morality of bitcoin? 

Proponents say that it’s design fosters transparency and fairness and promotes economic justice.

Critics highlight its speculative risks and potential for illegal use. 

Jeffri Chiam is on the team at St Mary’s Cathedral in Kuala Lumpur.  In 2024 he completed a final year research project into Bitcoin. 

The Church Co
thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor

Support the show

Most of us evangelical pastors, theological colleges, indeed the whole of evangelicalism - we have a blind spot when it comes to Roman Catholicism in our theology, missiology and practice. 
 
Where do we as Evangelicals make mistakes in our engagement with the Roman Catholic world? 

What can we change?  What should we change?

How do we best see our Roman Catholic friends come to a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ? 

Leonardo De Chirico has been at the forefront of theological education of evangelicals in this space internationally for over a decade. 

Leonardo is a church planter, pastor in Rome, and Director of the Reformanda Initiative. 

Rachel Ciano is the Dean of Academic Development at Mary Andrew's College, Sydney. 

The Church Co
thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor

Support the show

It is difficult times in the Church of England.

Having previously publicly betrayed his ordination and consecration vows - the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby - has now resigned over his handling of a safeguarding matter, following the release of the Makin report.

The Church of England is tearing itself apart over sexuality.

There are more apostate bishops than faithful bishops in the English House of Bishops.

And there is now a massive group within the Church of England called The Alliance,  representing 42% of the denomination’s attendance,  basically pleading to the house of bishops to repent.

William Taylor has served since 1998 as the senior pastor of St Helen’s London. Taylor is paralleling the difficult times faced by Evangelicals today to those faced by the Apostle Paul at the time of writing the pastorals. 

The Church Co
thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor

Support the show

Church Leaders have welcomed the report of the trial of cashless gambling which recommends that ‘account based gambling’ be introduced in New South Wales by 2028. 

There are bigger problems with gambling in Sydney and New South Wales than pretty much anywhere in the world (outside Las Vegas). 

But the Clubs and Hotels industry is running a narrative attempting to discredit the trial, calling it a three million dollar waste of money. 

Senior Minister of Sydney’s Wesley Mission Stu Cameron was the church representative on the inquiry panel and says while the outcome is welcome, it’s now up to the government, ‘the devil will be in the details’ and we need to keep the pressure on.

Gamble Aware Helpline (within Australia) 1800 858 858

The Church Co
thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor

Support the show

Is the church losing its global mission focus?

The number of overseas missionaries being sent out is down on ten years ago. 

Church and mission leaders have encouraged Christians to respond to the need for mission locally, especially as church decline accelerates.

Yet there’s a growing concern that global mission involvement is being neglected in many local churches.

Sydney Missionary and Bible College Lecturer Tim Silberman has just completed a study on practices and perspectives on mission among evangelical churches in Australia.

Tim says for mission to prosper, churches need to have strong relationships with overseas mission partners, and this will help the gospel globally and our local mission work. 

The Church Co
thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor

Support the show

How do we encourage our staff teams and members to be more intentional in Jesus’ mission of making disciples?

Disciple making is entering into relationships to help people trust and follow Jesus - the whole journey from conversion through maturing and multiplication. 

There’s a formal teaching component. But there’s so much more.

Peter Mayrick, from Partners in Ministry, says he wants us to be more intentional.

The Church Co
thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor

Support the show

Planning Christmas Preaching.

What we are nervous about? What we want to get right? What has worked best? What hasn’t? 

And how do we leverage the cultural moment? 

Nigel Fortescue is senior pastor of Christ Church St Ives on Sydney’s North Shore. 

Pete Stedman leads the ministry at Norwest Anglican Church in the North West of Sydney. 

The Church Co
thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor

Support the show

How do we proactively serve Jesus in retirement? How might we motivate our older church members to prioritise the work of the gospel? 

Mike Raiter said on The Pastor’s Heart a little while back that retirement needs rethinking to avoid the sin of the sluggard. 

Mike Raiter said downing tools at 65 and spending 20 or 30 years resting is a 19th century concept and is not Christian. 

But what is the alternative? 

Ying Yee is lead English Pastor of Chinese Christian Church Milsons Point in Sydney. 

Carmel Vincent serves as training and events coordinator at the Ministry Training Strategy. 

And Ian Carmichael was CEO of Sydney’s Matthias Media. 

The Church Co
thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches. 

Advertise on The Pastor's Heart
To advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsor

Support the show