Commending & Contending

Pastoral Care that commends the gospel, with Sarah Condie

One key part of the ministry we share as the body of Christ is the pastoral care we extend one another. In this episode we are joined by Sarah Condie to talk about how our pastoral care might commend the good news of Jesus.

How are our Bible Colleges going? David Starling reflects on two decades in Theological Education

Council Member, David Starling has served for two decades in Theological Education. He is well placed to reflect on the changes over time and current state of play. How are our Bible Colleges going?

Being Anxious, For Nothing: Nicky Chiswell on bringing our real self to God's real self

Anxiety is a real and very common experience for many Christians. How do we understand our anxious feeling and where is God in that distress. Nicky Chiswell helps us take a look at what anxiety is and how our faith in God interacts with our experience. We talk about how to remind ourselves of God's loving presence and also consider how to care for someone who is struggling with anxiety.
Find at more about Nicky and her own exploration of trusting God in anxiety at her website, NickyChiswell.com
Read more at the TGCA wesbite on this topic

What did we learn from the MEET JESUS campaign? with Richard Chin

In our last episode for 2024, we are joined by Council member and AFES Director, Richard Chin, to hear his reflections on the Meet Jesus project which spread across university campuses and local churches all over Australia.
Richard shares many encouraging stories and talks about how raising the spiritual temperature of our our outward-looking prayers can be a powerful way to lean on God's saving activity in our midst, and beyond into the world.

Treasures From the Cutting Room Floor: Kara, Tim and Naomi

We're almost at the end of the year and the end of Season Two of Commending and Contending. For this episode I went back through clips that ended up not being included in the episodes they were recorded for. Whether it was an extra bit of the conversation, or part of the chat we had to prepare, there is so much more encouragement in my conversations with guests that I wanted to share with you.

Mining Town Ministry; Glen McDonald And The Opportunities in Roxby Downs

Come with me, in this episode to the isolated town of Roxby Downs in northern South Australia. We'll get to hear from local pastor, Glen McDonald about the unique features of this mining town and how the local church looks for ways to connect people to the saving work of Jesus. There may be a surprise in how this regional town is learning from the ways of the big capital cities.

My Two Cents Worth On the Frilled Lizard and the Future of TGCA

Over the past month the team at TGCA have been praying for one hundred new supporters who commit to giving one hundred dollars a month, to sustain the valuable work which has grown over the past decade.
Join me, your host Jonathan Holt, as I dive into a recent article by Council Chair, Rory Shiner and a much older, and every early article which tells some of the origin story for the TGCA.
 
The Frill-Neck Lizard and the Future of TGC Australia
 
Introducing TGCA

The Ministry of Cheering-On, with Amy Stopher

It's a good thing when we are commending and contending for Jesus ourselves, but there is an important ministry of cheering-on others who do this around us. Amy Stopher is our guest on this episode and she shared some of the way she takes us this ministry of cheering on and also tells us who is her cheer squad.

Pilgrims On A Journey: Commending Christ in the Arts

Christina and Peirce Baehr (and their little baby) join us this episode to talk about Pilgrim Hill, which is both a hostel for travellers, and place for Christians in the arts to work and meet and create.
 
Christina and Peirce something of their own journey and how they see the gospel of Jesus commended in the space they have created to host backpackers and also the arts festival they run.
 
See more about them and their labour for the Lord:
www.pilgrimhill.com.au
www.pilgrimartists.com
www.pilgrimhill.org

EPIC Bible Reading, with a link to the Meet Jesus project

In this episode Simon Camilleri joins us to talk about epicly big Bible readings, where a whole book of the Bible is read in one sitting. Simon explains why this can help our understanding and how he plans to do this in connection with the Meet Jesus project.
 
Find our details about the plans for the epic reading of John's gospel.
Kid's Guide Books
Two of Simon's Epic Bible Reading Articles at the TGCA website, here and here.