Commending & Contending

Before we jump into the action - the call to pray an d work towards doubling - we would be wise to take a breath and pause over the preamble to the statement.
 
We are joined in this episode by Board of Directors member, Anne Eckermann, who will help us pay attention to the anchoring truths expressed by the preamble. Here is that preamble:
We acknowledge God works out all things according to the counsel of his will and in his mercy saves his people through the faithful preaching of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
Go back and listen to the previous episode introducing the Doubling Vision.
 
Read the article at our website all about it. 

We return for the new year, in the wake of some exciting developments at The Gospel Coalition Australia and among Australian Christian leaders.
In TGCA we have established a Board of Directors to enact our vision and mission, with new directors joining some of the existing Council members. In this episode we are joined by Bill Salier, the Chair of TGCA and also chair of the the Board of Directors.
We also had the Doubling Vision statement developed and published. We chat with Bill about how this Doubling Vision came about and what might be possible if we pray and work together toward this goal, across Australia.
 
Visit our website for the paper from Andrew Heard presented at the Leader's Summit.
Read Rory Shiner's article about this Prayer for Australia, for a Doubling of ministries.
 

This is part two of our series looking at The Gospel Coalition Australia foundation documents - particularly when we ask ourselves the question: what is gospel ministry in Australia?
In this episode we consider the importance of effective evangelism in our ministry. We hear from past guests on this topic, including:
Richard Chin (episode 40)
David Shaw (episode 53)
Jess Fields (episode 56)
Helen Bell (episode 23)
Tori Walker (episode 15)
And here's part one of the series: Weekly Gatherings

Josh Allan joins us in the episode of Commending and Contending to talk about film making, and especially a project he's working on right now. We talk about the collaborative nature of the work of making a movie and how artists can balance the art and the message of a movie.
 
You can find out more about Josh's project at: faithdoubtfilm.com.au

We are joined in this episode by Murray Lean, a long serving TGCA Council member, who is also active in his local TGCA Network in South East Queensland. Murray shares with us how he has sought to serve the people of God in his retirement.
We also tap into Murray's wisdom and experience to hear about some places he has ministered and his thoughts on mentoring younger pastors.
An article from Murray, from a few years ago:
Pastoral Ministry and the Call to Die 

When we compare the demographic of the local area with who is with us at church, we might discover that Everyday People are under represented amongst God's people. Andrew Beddoe, who works at the Vocational Bible College, joins us for thsi chat about why it might be that we see the discrepancy and how we might respond to it.
Vocational Bible College
Addressing the 'Everyday People' Leadership Gap

In this episode we are joined by Jess Fields who works for the main Religious Education provider in the city of Canberra. Jess shares the joys and challenges of bringing the good news of Jesus to students in ACT public schools.

The Gospel Coalition Australia Website has plenty of great articles, but it has other resources too. Joseph Hewitt serves as the Reviews Editor for TGCA and brings to our conversation a recent book review by Mikey Lynch. I have an episode of one of our new podcasts, TGCA Music, to talk about.
A Chronicle of Melbourne Revivalism seeking principles for today
You can email: joseph.hewitt@thegospelcoalition.org.au
King of Grace by Tenielle Neda on TGCA Music podcast

You've probably wondered about how God's Holy Spirit at work in you fits together with how much you are doing, you own agency, as you grow and change.
We rest in Jesus' promise that the Spirit is present and active to cause us to grow and bear fruit, and yet we also know that we are to work out our own salvation.
How should we think about all of this? Candice Bergamin joins us to talk about her post-graduate study and what she's learning about this topic.

It's kind of obvious to say, but the apostles had a pretty good handle on what it takes for disciples to commend the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. David Shaw joins us in this episode to focus our attention on Peter's first letter and the themes we find there.
Peter's teaching is wonderfully helpful in shaping how we understand who we are, and what it might look like to live out our calling, and be a blessing.
Here are some of David's articles from the website:
God's elect, resident aliens in Babylon
Bless, for to this you were called