How can you build a church building, so you don’t quit in the 12 months after the project is finished.
This is a discussion for pastors. But also for parish council and committees of management.
Andrew Robson has taken a lead roll in three major church building projects, two at EV Church, on the Central Coast of NSW, and is currently taking the lead at St Paul's Anglican Carlingford’s major rebuild.
When I rang him to line up this interview, he was standing over a pit of previously undiscovered asbestos.
We will be asking him about what he’s learned? What he wouldn’t do again?
But what are your questions about any aspect of building a new church building* Vision and ministry principles relating to building design,* Ministry philosophy of church buildings and space,* The value of aesthetics,* How much to spend on big ticket items like sound/AV, lighting, furniture?* How to resolve differences of opinion and make compromises?

Multisite is here. 

There’s the start of a trend in Australia for larger churches to switch strategies from planting daughter churches to becoming a multisite network of a man campus and a series of campuses.

Often when we hear the word 'multi-site' we think American mega churches which sound more like mercenary organisations than a loving caring Jesus honouring community.

But there are a number of churches in Australia quietly rolling out multi site ministry models, within traditional denominations

It’s hard because we go into ministry because we like doing the ministry. 

But if things are to grow, we need to step back and empower and encourage others in these roles.

This is true in kids ministry, but it’s true across the church. 

I think this is one of the major factors that is hampering the growth of our churches. 

We are talking this Tuesday with Sandy Galea, from MBM Rooty Hill in Sydney’s West and Kidswise about how to grow ministry teams.

Andrew Beddoe is asking about evangelical churches: Where are the tradies? Where are the factory workers? Retail workers? Those on social welfare benefits?

What does it take to have fruitful ministry over the long haul? 

Our guest is Dean of Students at Sydney’s Moore Theological College Paul Grimmond.  Paul has battled with anxiety all his adult life, and has been quite open about this.  He wrote recently “‘Don’t be anxious about anything,’ Is that all God’s got to say?”

Paul says ‘it’s difficult to differentiate between the anxiety that is a result of the fallenness of the world and the unhealthy anxiety that is a part of my sinful response to this broken world. Am I feeling anxious because I have a body that chemically over-reacts to threats, or am I feeling anxious because I have let sin take control? That’s not always an easy question to answer. 

Paul shares shares his story with Dominic Steele and looks at what the bible has to say. 

David Robertson is minister of St Peters Free Church in Dundee Scotland. http://www.stpeters-dundee.org.uk He is also the associate director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity http://www.solas-cpc.org

David is in Sydney to speak at Katoomba Christian Convention and for a holiday.

He does a lot of writing – in newspapers, magazines, on the net and also books. He’s the author of Awakening (the life of Robert Murray McCheyne); The Dawkins Letters, Quench (cafe evangelism) and Magnificent Obsession. His latest book is called Engaging With Atheists.

He’s interested in history, politics, theology, music, sport, art etc. David’s a ‘big picture’ person who likes to look at things in a wide context – especially the growth, decline and renewal of the church in the West….

His nickname ‘wee flea’ comes from a series of interactions He had on the Richard Dawkins website. Robertson was banned from his site under his own name and Dawkins called him, Alaister McGarth and John Lennox ‘fleas living of a dogs back’.

Robertson promptly started reposting under the name ‘the wee flea’, and Dawkins, not being aware of Scottish church history or the nickname of my denomination (the wee frees), let it go by for a few weeks…until he was outed…and banned again!

There's been a lot of talk recently about the impact of 'Guilt and Shame' on our understanding of ourselves and where we stand with God. Dan Wu has been studying these issues in depth and joins us live on 'The Pastor's Heart'