The importance of a special relationship in a crisis
From The Australian Church Record, an encouraging and enlightening contribution by Robin Sydserff of The Proclamation Trust –
“At the celebration of Dick Lucas’ 100th birthday on 14 September 2025, the overseas contribution was a series of recorded video messages from past and present Christian leaders in Australia, testifying to a special relationship. The relationship, first between conservative evangelicals in the Church of England and Sydney Anglicans, has enlarged over the last fifty years and more to embrace a much wider constituency.
In a special relationship there are times when strong things need to be said. ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend’ (Prov 27:6). …”
– What is the crisis? Who are the friends? How have they been a blessing to each other? Do take the time to read it all.
First published in the ACR’s Easter 2026 Journal.
Image from an interview with Robin Sydserff and David Cook on The Pastor’s Heart, August 2025.
From corrective to culture setting with Richard Coekin
From The Pastor’s Heart –
“The Reach Australia movement has matured into something broader: from a corrective voice into one of the most significant culture-shaping forces in Australian evangelicalism.
Reach Australia has often been heard as a corrective: a push for clearer pathways, better systems, output thinking and more intentional leadership in local churches.
Richard Coekin says that, as an outsider, last week’s conference felt less like the corrective it may have seemed in the past and more like a mature, holistic vision for church leadership: with preaching, spiritual transformation, gospel culture, prayerful dependence and pastoral warmth much more clearly front and centre, while still committed to principled pragmatism and organising churches to reach the lost.
Richard Coekin, former senior pastor of Dundonald Church in London and now leader of Reach UK, reflects on his fortnight at both the Reach UK conference in London and the Reach Australia conference, attended by 1450 leaders on the NSW Central Coast.
We discuss the maturing of Reach Australia and what UK evangelical churches might learn from Australia at this moment.”
Moore College 100 Ministry Stories — Rob Llewellyn
In the latest of their 100 Ministry Stories, Moore College has this short profile of Rob Llewellyn, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral Darwin.
It’s also a great reminder to pray for gospel ministry in the Top End, including that of Nungalinya College.
A senior pastor’s tears — and a gospel culture to reach a nation
A ‘Friday special’ from The Pastor’s Heart –
“Richard Leadbeater is the senior pastor of the influential Dundonald Church in London. He came to Australia for the Reach Australia Conference — 1450 pastors and leaders from across Australia, the UK, the US, South Africa and New Zealand — and left deeply moved.
Richard says he found himself in tears four times during the week.
In a The Pastor’s Heart Friday special, Dominic Steele presses into Richard’s pastor’s heart, exploring each of those moments.
We also talk about the joy and privileges of ministry — and why Richard is concerned that we can talk so much about how hard ministry is that we forget to commend the deep joy of being spent in the service of Christ.”
– Watch here.
Christ’s victory amidst discouragement, criticism, suffering and sin
From The Pastor’s Heart this week –
“Christ’s victory amidst discouragement, criticism, exhaustion, disappointment and sin.
We preach Christ’s victory as pastors. But we battle discouragement, criticism, exhaustion, disappointment and sin.
What does the victory of Christ actually mean for pastors whose ministries feel painfully ordinary? What does it mean for leaders carrying the slow weight of imperfect churches, spiritual warfare, unanswered prayers and years of costly ministry?
We speak with Phil Colgan and Adam Ch’ng how suffering shapes faithful ministry, and why Christ’s victory does not remove weakness — but gives hope, endurance and courage.
We explore sanctification, spiritual battle, pastoral perseverance and the future glory.
Phil Colgan is senior minister of St George North Anglican on the Central Coast;
Adam Ch’ng is senior minister of Cross and Crown Melbourne.They are speaking to around 1300 pastors and leaders at the Reach Australia National Conference on the Central Coast of New South Wales.”
– Watch here.
Preach the gospel to yourself
Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant writes in his Minister’s letter to the Cathedral congregations –
“Dear Friends, Jerry Bridges was an excellent Christian author from the United States, long involved with the Navigators, who died a decade ago this year.
You would benefit from reading any of his books if you can find them, from his 1976 classic, The Pursuit of Holiness, onwards through Transforming Grace: Living Confidently in God’s Unfailing Love, The Discipline of Grace, and The Joy of Fearing God.
He wrote thoughtfully, and very much for the ordinary Christian in the pews.
In a number of his books, he talks about the importance of a believer preaching the gospel to yourself every day. …”
Photo: Jerry Bridges, courtesy Nav Press.
Expository Preaching Trust expands
“The work of the Expository Preaching Trust is expanding.
As well as Preaching clubs, workshops and conferences, we now have 50 preachers being mentored by 16 experienced preachers.
The Trust began in 2012 and we are now in need of extra help.
From 1 July Michael Leong will join us for one day per week to be the Trust’s Operations Associate. …
Michael holds the degrees of Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Theology from Moore.
As well as mentoring and speaking at the Trust’s conferences, Michael will oversee the promotion of our website and events and coordinate the implementation of the calendar. …”
– Read more at the Expository Preaching Trust.
Random Thoughts about Preaching and Being Preached To
Canadian Christian writer and blogger Tim Challies has put together some “random thoughts” on preaching and being preached to –
“There are few matters more foundational to pastoral ministry than preaching, and few matters more common to the Christian experience than being preached to. Most pastors will preach thousands of sermons over the span of their ministry, and most congregants will listen to thousands of sermons over the span of their lifetime. This means we should think about preaching often and well!
In this article, I’ve simply collected some random thoughts on the subject and have alternated them so that half are for the ones preaching the sermons and the other half are for the ones listening to them. …”
Here are extracts from the first four –
“In my experience, sermons tend to grow in quality more by subtraction than by addition. Often, one of the best things a preacher can do to improve his sermon is to strip away 20 or 25% of his content as a final step in the preparation process. …
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Being obviously attentive as you listen to a sermon can be a great gift to the preacher. The preacher gains more than you may think from your looks of appreciation (or disgust), your attentive eyes (or tired ones), and your quiet amens (or groans). …
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The appropriate length, style, and format of a sermon can change over time and between contexts. We should expect that sermons preached at an Anglican Church in Sydney, a Baptist Church in Topeka, and a Dutch Reformed church in Cape Town will differ in many ways. … The challenge of any preacher is to preach the sermons that are suited to his congregation and not some other.
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It is good to listen to a sermon with an open Bible … the preacher assumes you will have an open Bible so you can follow along with him. This is difficult to do when you did not bring one or will not open it. …”
– Be encouraged to take the time to read and ponder them.
Preaching to Meet the Need
At The Expository Preaching Trust, Bob Thomas remembers the preaching of Graham Miller (pictured) as an example to consider and follow –
“Dr Graham Miller, friend and mentor of many young ministers in his day, and now in Glory, told a group of us once that he never had queues of people lining up at the Manse door to seek counselling or ask questions – and he attributed this to the fact that he was answering their questions in his preaching.
Those of us who sat under his preaching could testify that it was profoundly simple and simply profound, firmly tied to the passage of Scripture he was expounding in careful detail as he preached serially through a book of the Bible, and that it did indeed do what he claimed it did – answered peoples’ questions along the way and to their satisfaction. …”
Photo: Banner of Truth.
(Some of Graham Miller’s audio messages, recorded in 1959, can be found here.)
Fish Must Fish
Campbell Markham at Scots’ Church in Fremantle reminds us of the Great Commission –
“Jesus makes disciples who make disciples (Matthew 4:18–22).
Cruise liner or battleship? Rest home or fort? Resort or gymnasium? What is the Christian Church supposed to be?
Though our forebears rest rejoicing in heaven as the Church Triumphant, we yet labour and fight on earth for Christ as the Church Militant.
Jesus stamped this fact on his church – permanently, deeply – when he called his first followers whilst simultaneously calling them to call other followers to him. …”
– Read it all at AP, the Australian Presbyterian online journal.
Nikhil’s youth leaders persistence made all the difference
Encouraging testimony from Nikhil Kurien, Assistant minister at Narellan, via SydneyAnglicans.net –
“My parents migrated to Australia the year before I was born, and were part of an Indian Reformed denomination. In Sydney, Anglicanism was the closest, so my parents from an early stage went to Anglican churches.
I grew up with all of the benefits of being in church, hearing Bible stories, knowing Scripture, but feeling bored by it. I had all of the precious truths in front of me but never appreciated what I had.
The turning point for me was late high school. …”
– Read here.
You can find this, and other encouraging testimonies, in the March-April 2026 Southern Cross magazine. Photo: SydneyAnglicans.net.
Moore Matters Autumn 2026
The Autumn 2026 issue of Moore College’s Moore Matters is now on their website – and printed copies will be in many churches.
Celebrating the college’s 170th birthday, this is a terrific issue – not just about history, but a number of encouraging stories about what the Lord is doing today in Sydney, and further afield.
Satan wants you alone this Sunday
“A war is raging in your church. I’m not alluding to drama among the deacons or complaints by a few congregants. I’m talking about a battle that is not ‘against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places’ (Ephesians 6:12). Satan wars against our faith, but God promises to hold us fast. And one of the ways he sustains us is through the church’s weekly assembly.
When most of us think of going to church, we don’t consider what is happening behind the scenes. …”
– Feel like skipping church this week? At Desiring God Garrett Kell encourages us to make the gathering a priority.
2026 Moore College Graduation – Occasional Address – Revd Dr Graham Cole
From Moore Theological College –
“At Moore College Graduation 2026, Rev Graham Cole encouraged graduates to consider their ambitions in ministry.
From Philippians, he pointed to Paul’s desire to see the gospel advance in every circumstance, and to the deep, lasting joy found in Christ, secure, unshaken, and not dependent on situation.
If we belong to Jesus, we are citizens of heaven, called to live lives worthy of the gospel.”
– Watch here.
Why I returned to the Middle East
“As I stepped onto the plane, it was noticeably empty. It seemed many regular travelers had decided to stay back that day. Probably because I was heading to the Middle East.
I’ve lived in this region for almost two years, having moved here for the opportunity to serve in evangelism and discipleship among university students. …”
–At The Gospel Coalition, an unnamed believer shares his or her reasons for going back.
“ My reflections aren’t only relevant to those living in this region or serving in cross-cultural ministry.”
Image courtesy adsbexchange.com showing air traffic, 29 March 2026.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…