Commending & Contending

Mid-Season Recap and Reflection (with something new from one guest)

We're just on halfway through season two and it's time to pause and consider where we've come. This episode includes some flashbacks to guests we've met in the first half of this year, plus some of the interview with Helen that didn't fit in her original episode.

Growing Character in Future Leaders

This is part two of our conversation with Clare and James from MTS. We talk more about how important it is to work on character with emerging leaders.

The Whole Church Raising Up Apprentice Pastors

Clare and James, who are both from the Ministry Training Strategy organisation chat with us about how our whole church is part of God's work of raising up pastors and leaders for his people.

Loving Admin Hannah Vella on Valuing Safe Ministry

Administration, in our churches, is an amazing space to show love. This is true especially in the area of Safe Ministry Compliance. As we adjust to a world where Safe Ministry admin is always a part of our service, how do we make sure we are loving, and remembering the reason why this matters.
Hannah recommended two articles:
Strategically Doing Less
What the Resurrection Means for us, by Rory Shiner

Being equipped by equipping others, with Jesse Morrison

Being ready to contribute in church community is a significant part of how we can grow in our own faith. In this episode we talk with Jesse Morrison about how that's working at the church he is part of.

Women and men, contending side by side, with Kara Hartley

Kara shares with us some of the encouragements and also the dangers as we seek to contend together in our churches, where women and men serve together in the cause of the gospel.
Kara also speaks to those who've lost confidence in how they could meet and read the Bible with another person.

Never Too Old, Rod Bayley and the Call to Plant Churches

Rod Bayley has a story to share about how he came to offer to lead the church plant coming from the church where he was senior pastor. Rod also gives us a window into the Illawarra Network of The Gospel Coalition Australia. As a 'network of networks', The Gospel Coalition Australia encourages local leaders to support one another in our calling to commend and contend for the gospel of Jesus.

Getting ready to have conversations about Jesus, with Helen Bell

We chat this episode with Helen Bell about how to be better prepared for conversations about Jesus. How do we help them come up and how can we be prepared to say something that will spark interest and more conversation?
Also, Helen explains how Taylor Swift is getting us ready for heaven.

Cultivating Curiosity, with Archie Poulos

Archie shares with us the power of taking a stance of curiosity when we engage with books and writers outside our Christian circle. He invites us to consider how we might learn from the wisdom that God has scattered generously amongst all people.
Archie recommends some interesting books, which challenged him to think about how we might be ready to commend and contend for the gospel, as the church.
 
Archie Poulos lives and works in Sydney,

Our Extraordinary God, at work in us ordinary people

We're back for Season 2, joined in this first episode by Anne Eckermann, who share the story of Grace Conference, run for women in Adelaide. She takes us into the remarkable story of how God's extraordinary provision has helped ordinary disciples run this significant event.
 
Anne Eckermann lives and works in Adeliade, with her family. She has a passion for seeing women equipped with God's word to grow and influence others witht he saving news of Jesus Christ.