The Homogeneous Unit Principle suggests that outreach is most effective when carried out in the context of a discrete group defined by similarity in cultural background.

But David Williams says the mission world's view today is that it's bad in practice and theory.

Religious Freedom is being increasingly marginalised in Australia and across the western world. There’s freedom for worship, freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of conscience.

Australia’s Morrison government was moving to protect religious freedoms. But all this was put on hold by last year’s pandemic.

Freedom for Faith’s Chair Professor Patrick Parkinson (https://freedomforfaith.org.au/) talks with Dominic Steele about his hopes for bipartisan legislation.

In reconciliation week we turn our attention to Colonial Australia and a new book out from John Harris, ‘Judging the Macquaries’ - with Peter Adam

The Black Lives Matter movement is bringing the characters of powerful people in colonial times into sharp focus, particularly their attitudes and actions towards slavery and indigenous peoples.

Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie are among those being scrutinised and reassessed. John Harris paints a more spiritually positive picture of Governor Lachlan Macquarie than had previously been understood.

The Former Principal of Ridley Theological College Melbourne Peter Adam is one of the foremost voices in this space in Australian Christianity and he is delighted with Harris’ new work.

The Archbishop elect of the Sydney Anglican Church Kanishka Raffel joins Dominic Steele on The Pastor’s Heart.

We talk Kanishka’s heart plus the big challenges of strategy, culture, the national church, and the gospel.

We’re taking going deeper at Reach Australia with Queensland Theological College Principal Gary Millar.

Plus the big problems facing Queensland Presbyterians and the College he leads.

It is crucial strategic moment for the work of the Gospel in Sydney. There is limited time to act as the city of Sydney undergoes massive infrastructural changes.

The phenomenal population changes demand a reimagining and redistribution of Church assets, ministry resources and people. The growth will be tremendous, and so will be the responsibility.

In the next 50 years, the current Western Region alone will have a population two and half times that of the South Sydney Region or the Northern Region.

Today on the Pastor’s Heart we speak to Bishop Peter Lin and Ross Jones, the CEO of the Anglican Church Growth Corporation, about the strategic opportunity and risk of not grasping the moment.

Peter Lin’s presidential address notes are here: http://bit.ly/strategicmoment

An important prophetic word from the most senior evangelical leader of Australia’s Uniting Church, Stu Cameron.

Stu has published two short essays over the last week, the first diagnoses the problems in his denomination, saying: We’ve failed the great commission; Stifled entrepreneurial leadership; and most significantly, Have lost confidence in the gospel. (http://bit.ly/stucameron-uc01)

The second essay suggests a five fold solution: 1. Confess, Repent, Pray; 2. Obsess about Disciple-Making; 3. Release Property Joyfully; 4. Learn Humbly; and 5. Blow it all Up. (http://bit.ly/stucameron-uc2)

How can we raise the evangelistic temperature in our church culture plus improve the intentional planning for evangelism in each of our churches?

Dan Paterson heads up the new Aussie evangelistic apologetic ministry ‘Questioning Christianity’, based in Brisbane. Dan’s the former Australian team leader for Ravi Zacharias ministries.

Dan has prepared an ‘evangelism game plan’ to help churches work on both the strategy and tactics of their evangelism plans. http://bit.ly/QCGameplan

Ministers have a crucial role as a source of guidance and authority in the church environment - but we also need coaching, guidance and support.

So how do we make sure that as spiritual leaders we are doing effective ministry? What heart issues and skills should we be focussing on to encourage sustainable and innovative service?

This week we’re speaking to an expert on the topic of ministry training, Peter Mayrick. As the co-director of the Centre for Ministry Development at Moore College, his key area of responsibility is supporting pastors and churches. Peter shares his wealth of experience with us as we discuss what’s helpful for coaching those who will shoulder the most responsibility for the health and growth of a church.

Unless you define what it means to be part of your Church, people will create their own definition, which will likely look very different to your own. A factor in the growth and retention of people in any organisation is defining what it means to be a part of that organisation.

This week on The Pastor’s Heart, Tim Clemens and Stuart Starr join us to discuss what the optimum length, content, style and ethos of a membership course should be in order to achieve the best results.

For more than 50 years David Jones has served in Wales, London, Tasmania and Queensland.

David shares his pastor’s heart, and lessons learned over the years, how he’s tackling the major Old Testament book, Deuteronomy.

What makes an effective evangelistic campaign? What messages will engage non Christian audiences with the truth of the gospel? This week we speak with three key evangelists about the best way to reach the lost.

We discuss positive evangelism, maximising mission opportunities, integrating online and offline campaigns, and ideas for a large scale campaign.

David Jensen is on the team at EV Church on the NSW Central Coast, Karl Faase is the CEO of Olive Tree Media, which produces programs for Christian media and local church use internationally. David Robertson is with the Sydney Anglican Church’s ‘Evangelism and New Churches.’

What does Monica Cook think we as pastors get wrong as we talk to people about sex?

How can we as pastors do a better job at helping people in regards to sex at the start of a marriage relationship?

What basic things does Monica want pre-marital couples to know? How do you frame sex in a healthy way?

We are talking about different personality traits on staff teams especially as they impact ministry team leaders.

It’s wonderful that we are all different and have our particular personality quirks.

But having some self-awareness about what we are like, and how others can be very different, is very important to help us work and relate to others in helpful and loving ways.

This week we are taking a deep dive into building sustainable ministries - starting with assessing, equipping and empowering team leaders.

We discuss how to assess if someone is ready to be a team leader, how to develop a leadership pipeline, and how to ensure someone takes a high level of responsibility.

Will the new Gospel Coalition campaign help or harm the cause of Christ in Australia?

Bill Salier and Akos Balough from The Gospel Coalition are promoting it.

Dominic Steele thinks it will do more harm than good and urged The Gospel Coalition to go back to the drawing board.

www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/helporharm

An explosive petition has brought to light a tidal wave of sexual abuse at Australian schools at the hands of young men.

The idea to create the now-viral online petition came after former Kambala School student raised the issue with friends via an Instagram poll.

72 per cent of 300 of her friends said they or someone they are close to had experienced sexual assault from a student from an all-boys school in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

You can view the petition online at: https://www.teachusconsent.com/

The stories in the petition are profoundly confronting and disturbing.

We explore the part played by pornography, a heart of sin, the role of parents, peer group, broader youth culture, compulsivity, messaging to boys and girls and the role faith plays.

Don’t let Easter creep up on you. We’re wanting to our member’s attention on Jesus’ death and resurrection and and hold out the word of life to a needy world.

We’re talking how to engage the neighbourhood, deliberate welcoming, leading hearts to love Jesus and what does and doesn’t work in follow up.

Paul Webb is the Senior Minister at Chester Hill Anglican Church, Elliot Temple is responsible for Mission at Christ Church St Ives and Andrew Levy is the Director of Mission at Christ Church Gladesville.