The Pastor's Heart

'The Pastor's Heart' is a series of deep end interviews with senior Australian Christian leaders every Tuesday at 2pm on Facebook live and then available via Podcast.

Lessons, Bruises & Wins: 15 years of Vine Church with Toby Neal

Oct 20

Oct 20 Lessons, Bruises & Wins: 15 years of Vine Church with Toby Neal

They said a Bible-believing church would never grow in Sydney's secular heartland.

But 15 years after planting Vine Church in Surry Hills with just 12 adults, Toby Neal leads a church community of 380, with over 160 professions of faith.

Yet the journey has been anything but smooth — hostile media coverage, a controversial merger and a church that suddenly stopped growing.

Senior Pastor & planter Toby Neal says the most confronting discovery was that he himself had become the barrier to further growth — so what went wrong and how did he need to change?

Are We Sending Missionaries Where They’re Needed Most? — Tim Silberman

Oct 13

Oct 13 Are We Sending Missionaries Where They’re Needed Most? — Tim Silberman

We often make mission decisions around personal connections, available opportunities, language skills or where churches already have established partnerships. But Tim Silberman says we need to take a harder, more objective look at gospel need.

Operation Christmas Child: What to ask before packing a box — with David Painter

Oct 6

Oct 6 Operation Christmas Child: What to ask before packing a box — with David Painter

Before your church packs another Christmas shoebox, pause to ask: who is our generosity really helping?

After more than twenty years serving with the Church Missionary Society in Cambodia, David Painter has challenging questions about Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child—and the way Western Christians support overseas mission.

Authority Imbalances, Complaints and Christian Leadership – with Jenni Woodhouse

Sep 29

Sep 29 Authority Imbalances, Complaints and Christian Leadership – with Jenni Woodhouse

What happens when someone has been hurt in a Christian organisation, and the person they need to complain about has authority over them?

Does Christian conflict resolution sometimes assume an equality that simply isn’t there? What changes when the other person is your senior pastor, CEO, bishop or ministry boss — someone who holds not only organisational authority, but perhaps pastoral and spiritual authority as well?

Abuse in Christian Marriage – with Darby Strickland

Sep 22

Sep 22 Abuse in Christian Marriage – with Darby Strickland

How might we better (as pastors) better come alongside victims of domestic abuse?

Counsellor and author Darby Strickland joins us to discuss domestic abuse, the entitlement that drives it, and the patterns of control that can be hidden beneath an appearance of Christian respectability.

Building conflict capable ministry teams – with Tim Dyer

Sep 15

Sep 15 Building conflict capable ministry teams – with Tim Dyer

Why do some church teams emerge from disagreement stronger, while others fracture, divide or quietly drift apart?

Tim Dyer has spent years helping churches and ministry leaders navigate conflict. He says church teams can be simultaneously conflict-prone/averse and process-poor, which can lead to a “high fire danger rating”.

Twice as Vulnerable: What Every Pastor Needs to Know – with Bec Baines

Sep 9

Sep 9 Twice as Vulnerable: What Every Pastor Needs to Know – with Bec Baines

Consent, Bodies and Belonging: Ministering to Young People with Disability.

Accessibility Ministry Advisor at Sydney Anglican Youthworks Bec Baines speaks about consent, capacity, bodies and belonging, and how to disciple young people with intellectual disability.

20% attendance growth in three years – Craig Roberts

Sep 1

Sep 1 20% attendance growth in three years – Craig Roberts

Craig Roberts, CEO of Anglican Youthworks and chair of the committee behind the new Sydney Anglican attendance report, says there’s much to thank God for, but there’s also some challenging numbers, as Sydney Anglicans pursue the ambitious goal of 5% annual attendance growth through people coming to faith in Jesus.

Challenging functional idols in ministry from the ten commandments - Phillip Jensen

Aug 25

Aug 25 Challenging functional idols in ministry from the ten commandments - Phillip Jensen

What's the functional idol in your own ministry? Career? Family? The platform? The numbers? Are we preaching law as legalism dressed up as discipleship, or grace so loose it asks nothing of anyone?

In this episode, we examine the application of the ten commandments to pastoral leadership today.

‘Dick Lucas’ mind was blown apart’ – with Andrew Atherstone

Aug 18

Aug 18 ‘Dick Lucas’ mind was blown apart’ – with Andrew Atherstone

We are with Dr Andrew Atherstone (Wycliffe Hall Oxford) and this time we trace how a Sydney rector's insistence on Bible teaching and the local congregation, over and above inherited Anglican structure made such an impact on the UK evangelical scene.

In it to win it—or quit now? with Andrew Atherstone

Aug 11

Aug 11 In it to win it—or quit now? with Andrew Atherstone

For evangelical Christians in the Church of England, the question of whether to stay, resist, or leave is a live crisis.

Church historian Dr. Andrew Atherstone (Wycliffe Hall, Oxford) to look back at six decades of evangelical oral history—and what it teaches us about our current crossroads.

The joys, privileges and rewards of Christian ministry — with Matt Fuller

Aug 4

Aug 4 The joys, privileges and rewards of Christian ministry — with Matt Fuller

We often speak about the pressures and heartbreaks of pastoral ministry. But we speak far less about its joys, privileges and eternal rewards.

Matt Fuller, Senior Minister of Christ Church Mayfair, joins us to discuss his new book, The Joyful Pastor (Despite Everything).

Confusion over the Religious Question on the Australian Census

Aug 3

Aug 3 Confusion over the Religious Question on the Australian Census

How not to be misled filling in the Religious Question on the Australian Census.

A secular advocacy campaign is targeting Australians who have a loose connection with faith— telling some they should mark “No religion.”

It’s online quiz looks like Census guidance.

But here’s the problem. It misleadingly substitutes its own test for the question being asked by the Bureau of Statistics.

Social researcher Mark McCrindle says the Bureau is not trying to measure active engagement but rather affiliation.

Darrell Bock on Engaging Aussie Culture

Jul 30

Jul 30 Darrell Bock on Engaging Aussie Culture

In this special ‘pop up’ episode of The Pastor’s Heart we talk with New Testament Professor Darrell Bock about how best might Christians might engage culturally to reach Australians for Jesus.

Darrell Bock answers EVERY question on Luke's Gospel

Jul 28

Jul 28 Darrell Bock answers EVERY question on Luke's Gospel

Leading New Testament scholar Darrell Bock gives a rapid fire exploration of Luke and Acts, addressing 30 rapid fire questions (in 30 minutes) focusing on every current controversy in Lukan studies.

How to preach sermons that change lives — with Richard Coekin

Jul 21

Jul 21 How to preach sermons that change lives — with Richard Coekin

Do our sermons actually land in the lives of the people in front of us?

Do they help anxious believers, tired parents, proud leaders, compromised Christians or sceptical guests to hear, trust and obey the living Word of God?

Church attenders do better — with Valerie Ling

Jul 14

Jul 14 Church attenders do better — with Valerie Ling

New global research associated with Harvard University suggests that people who regularly attend church tend to do better in life than people who do not.

But if churches are helping people flourish, what is happening to the pastors who lead them?

Pastoral heartbreak: young adults leaving evangelicalism for Orthodoxy and Catholicism and what to do about it - John Diacos

Jul 7

Jul 7 Pastoral heartbreak: young adults leaving evangelicalism for Orthodoxy and Catholicism and what to do about it - John Diacos

On the surface, some are drawn by beauty, history, liturgy, mystery, masculinity, discipline and Orthodoxy’s claim to be the original church.

But John Diacos says beneath many of the surface attractions lies something much more spiritually dangerous.

How Katoomba shaped a generation of Sydney Evangelicals - Phillip Jensen, David Cook & Al Stewart

Jul 1

Jul 1 How Katoomba shaped a generation of Sydney Evangelicals - Phillip Jensen, David Cook & Al Stewart

For a generation of Sydney evangelicals, the Katoomba Christian Conventions weren’t just events in the calendar - they shaped church programs across the city.

In the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, thousands gathered under the circus tent and then later in packed auditoriums to hear the Bible taught, sing with conviction and be raised up for ministry.

But how did Katoomba become such an influence in Sydney evangelicalism? What decisions shaped its extraordinary impact? And what lessons are there for today.

Why do young people leave the church, and what do we need to change to help them stay? Ruth Lukabyo

Jun 23

Jun 23 Why do young people leave the church, and what do we need to change to help them stay? Ruth Lukabyo

Dean of Students at Youthworks College Ruth Lukabyo explores why young people disengage, how inherited faith becomes owned faith and what churches can do to better navigate the critical transitions from childhood to adulthood.