What’s really going on in the faith lives of young Australians?

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“We explore the findings of the Your Story Research Report — a significant national study that listens to the voices of more than 400 young people as they reflect on their spiritual journeys.

We find out who and what has, and is, shaping young people’s faith from their childhood, though to adolescence, to right now.

There are insights into the eight “faith journeys” —from Embracing to Reconstructing to Disengaging— highlighting the importance of relationships, trust, and belonging in shaping faith over time.

Plus advice for churches, families, and schools on how to nurture young people in ways that are both personal and sustainable.

Graham Stanton is Director of the Centre for Children’s and Youth Ministry. He lectures in Practical Theology at Melbourne’s Ridley College.”

– Watch or listen here.

In Praise of Mothers

From Phillip Jensen:

“Motherhood and apple pie is no longer the foundation of Western civilisation. Apple pie is still pretty important, but motherhood has now been challenged. Peter and I had the privilege of the same mother, whom we loved and admired, and remember with great fondness. Yet the kind of family life in which we were raised has undergone considerable change during our lifetime. Mother’s Day brings us to reconsider family life.”

– Phillip and Peter Jensen discuss mothers and family life in the latest Two Ways News podcast.

Praying for the Australian Federal Election

As Australians cast their ballots tomorrow, continue to pray for those in authority, those who aspire to be, and for our nation.

These words from 1 Timothy 2:1-4 are relevant:

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – ESV.

Remembering Anzac Day — What is it we’re remembering?

From Phillip Jensen:

“For Australians, Anzac Day is the great national day. But what is it we’re remembering? And should we celebrate Anzac Day? In particular, should Christians be remembering or celebrating a military battle of the First World War? Does Anzac Day glorify war? Is it an alternative religion for Australians?

I hope you will enjoy our discussion as Peter and I try and grapple with the history and purpose of Anzac Day observances.”

– Listen to the latest Two Ways News podcast with Peter and Phillip Jensen.

Could it be revival? The surprising UK youth culture shift towards Jesus – with Glen Scrivener

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“For decades, the trend across Western countries seemed one-way: away from faith in Jesus Christ. But could the tide be turning?

Evangelist and author Glen Scrivener outlines signs of a ‘quiet revival’ emerging, particularly among young people in the United Kingdom (and how things are different in Australia).

Drawing on new research from the UK Bible Society and reflecting on wider cultural shifts, Glen discusses why the story of secularisation may not be as inevitable as once thought — and why a surprising number of young adults are returning to church.

We also reflect on influences like Jordan Peterson, the role of community in a hyper-individualistic culture, and the opportunities — and challenges — now facing churches in both the UK and Australia.

Is this the beginning of a new movement towards Christ?”

– Fascinating. Watch or listen here.

Book review: ‘Scrolling Ourselves to Death’

“While I was going through Bible College, my ministry supervisor encouraged me to read Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business (Penguin, 1985). It quickly became a personal favourite, and I’ve lost count as to how many people I have recommended it to.

Even before the invention of the internet it was a brilliant analysis as to how media ecologies—to use a phrase coined by Postman—were changing the way we thought through and debated issues. …”

– At AP, the Australian Presbyterian online journal, Mark Powell reviews Scrolling Ourselves to Death – a 21st century successor to Neil Postman’s work.

Related:

Podcast: Are We Scrolling Ourselves to Death? (Brett McCracken and Ivan Mesa) – Crossway.

Australian Church Record Journal — Easter 2025

The latest issue of The Australian Church Record Journal is now available for you to download –

“Dear friends,

At Easter, we’re reminded of the central task of preaching the gospel—God’s message about Jesus for his glory and our salvation. But this isn’t just a seasonal call; as Paul charged Timothy, preaching is an ongoing task, in season and out (2 Tim 4:2).

In this edition of the ACR, we focus on the preaching task with:

• Survey results from Sydney Anglican rectors on Sunday preaching frequency
• Reflections by Charles Cleworth on the survey and the biblical call to preach
• Nathan Walter on the necessity of expository preaching
• James Russell’s essay on John Stott’s influence on Sydney preaching
• An interview with Alistair Begg on his preaching ministry
• Historical insights on J. C. Ryle by Andrew Atherstone
• The continuation of a discussion between Andrew Heard and Lionel Windsor
• A thought-provoking piece by Seumas Macdonald on a theology of church decline
• Plus, book reviews, interviews with Dave Jensen and Jeanette Chin, and more.

We hope this edition encourages and equips you to keep preaching the word faithfully.

God bless,
Mike Leite
Editorial Director, ACR.”

– Download your copy – and do share the link with others.

King’s Birthday Conference 2025

Two Ways Ministries’ 2025 King’s Birthday Conference is coming up at Moore College on Monday 9th June.

“From Feminism to motherhood, from animal rights to toxic masculinity, from racism to euthanasia, Australia is in an ethical turmoil on many issues. Christians often feel in the crossfire of these culture wars. Do Christian ethics apply to non-Christians?

This year at the King’s Birthday Conference, Phillip Jensen is going to look at how becoming a Christian takes us back to the universal morality of Creation.”

– See the details, and register.

The Pope and how we are right with God — Rachel Ciano and Leonardo de Chirico

From The Pastor’s Heart – a special programme:

“The death of Pope Francis marks a pivotal moment for Roman Catholics.

What does this transition mean for the future of Catholicism and how should Protestants respond?

… Francis’s final public act—granting indulgences during Easter—epitomises the theological chasm between Catholic and Protestant understandings of salvation.

His distinctive Marian devotion and frequent requests for prayers further highlight fundamental differences in how salvation is understood. …

Leonardo di Chirico is pastor of the Church Brecca di Roma and director of the Reformanda Initiative.

Rachel Ciano lectures in Christianity and History at Sydney Missionary and Bible College, and is part of the faculty at the Rome Scholars and Leaders Network, hosted by The Reformanda Initiative.”

– Watch or listen here.

The meaning of “sex” – in the UK and Australia

“A high profile decision from the UK Supreme Court this week, For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16 (16 April 2025) (‘FWS’), holds that the word ‘sex’ as used in the UK anti-discrimination legislation the Equality Act 2010 (UK) (‘the EA 2010’), means biological sex, and that the term does not change its meaning in relation to those who have obtained a gender recognition certificate (‘GRC’) under the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (UK) (‘the GRA 2004’).

In the circumstances of this case, this meant that where a ‘quota’ had been established for certain governance roles requiring 50% of non-executive members to be women, that quota could not be met by including those with an ‘acquired gender’ of female due to their holding a GRC.

But the ramifications of the decision go far beyond the specific quota legislation. …”

– Associate Professor in Law Neil Foster writes at Law and Religion Australia.

The Failure of Resurrection Apologetics What exactly do we believe in?

From Phillip Jensen:

“In this episode of Two Ways News, we’re looking at the resurrection both from a historical and a theological point of view.

History and argumentation have great merit, and yet a defective presupposition that leaves us unsatisfied. Yet prophetic history not only satisfies our knowledge of historical events but also explains their meaning and purpose. Jesus said that without Moses and the prophets, people will not believe even if someone rises from the dead. This has been demonstrated over the centuries and in our age today. …”

– Peter and Phillip Jensen discuss the meaning of the Resurrection.

Where is Jesus now? And what is he doing?

“At Easter Christians all over the world repeat the joyous affirmation of faith: ‘Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.’ But then comes the question: ‘OK, he is risen. So where is he then? And it’s not just the question of an inquisitive child, it should be a question for every adult and for every Christian too.

The Apostles’ Creed tells us:

On the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

So, Jesus is in heaven. But where is that and what does it mean that he ‘ascended’? It’s not just non-Christians who regard this as somewhat fanciful; many Christians struggle with this idea too. …”

– David Robertson writes at AP, the Presbyterian online journal.

Classics for Easter: Handel — I Know That My Redeemer Liveth

“The composer Georg Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was born in Germany but settled in London in 1712, where he spent the bulk of his career, becoming a naturalised British subject in 1727. At that time he was mainly composing Italian operas but by the late 1730s their popularity was declining and he was turning to English choral works. In 1738 he completed Saul from a libretto sent to him by English landowner and patron of the arts Charles Jennens.

In July 1741 Jennens sent him a new libretto for an oratorio, drawn from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter, with a few small alterations.…”

– At The Conservative Woman, Margaret Ashworth shares her love for ‘I Know That My Redeemer Liveth’.

Photo: Performance of The Messiah at Sydney Town Hall, 2023.

A hymn for Easter Day 1775

Two hundred and fifty years ago, John Newton wrote this hymn for Easter Day 1775 –

Glorious things of thee are spoken – See the details at JohnNewton.org.

For more, see this article by Marylynn Rouse, CEO of The John Newton Project:

“The River Ouse meanders peacefully behind the church of St Peter and St Paul in Olney, Buckinghamshire. It bids a pleasant walk along its river banks as swans glide gracefully by while a watchful heron keeps an eye on a troop of Canada geese on the opposite side of the bank. This tranquil scene was the refuge of the local minister, newly ordained, who fled there in a state of panic.

Before coming to Olney the Reverend John Newton had published six sermons. He had just preached from the last one! A friend explained many years later, ‘he thought he had told them his whole stock, and was considerably depressed.’

Newton himself recalled: ‘I was walking one afternoon by the side of the River Ouse. I asked myself, How long has this river run? Many hundred years before I was born, and will certainly run many years after I am gone. Who supplies the fountain from whence this river comes? God. Is not the fund for my sermons equally inexhaustible?—the word of God. Yes, surely. I have never been afraid of running out since that time.’…”

– Published at Evangelicals Now (requires a free subscription).

Images with thanks to Marylynn Rouse.

A Light on the Hill

“I love a good biography. It’s always fascinating and often inspiring to read the account of a life of special significance. Yet for all the biographies I’ve read, A Light on the Hill may be the first whose subject was not a person but a church. It surprised me what a blessing it was to read about that church and to see how God has seen fit to bless, preserve, and use it for so many years.

In late 1867, Celestia Anne Ferris, a young member of E Street Baptist Church in Washington, called her friends together to pray for the establishment of a church on Capitol Hill. Only a few people were present that evening and their specific prayers were not recorded, but it did not take long for God to begin to answer them. …”

– Tim Challies reviews a book about Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

Photo: The U.S. Capitol in Washington.

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