Sydney Synod greenlights a five-year focus on raising church attendance – and disciples

“In yesterday’s afternoon session, Synod approved a motion encouraging parishes in the Diocese to focus on increasing church attendance by 5 per cent each year until 2030.

This grew from a report prepared in response to attendance decline in diocesan churches between 2013 and 2023, and a motion at last year’s Synod expressing repentance for where ‘we have fallen short in not giving sufficient priority, attention, reflection and resources to seeing the lost throughout the Diocese of Sydney saved by Jesus’. …”

– Judy Adamson has this report at SydneyAnglicans.net.

The missing 70%

From The Pastor’s Heart this week –

“Reaching the 70% of the population who are significantly underrepresented in our churches.

We’re talking about everyday Australians — people who’ve gone straight into the workforce rather than university. That includes hairdressers, plumbers, builders, business owners, factory workers, truck drivers, IT staff, and media creatives — as well as many in marginalised communities.

Within this group, there’s huge diversity:

Yet while this group represents the majority of Australians, they make up only a small minority in our churches. Why is that? And how can we do better?

We discuss why this group is missing from many of our congregations, the cultural and learning barriers they face, and how we can shape ministry, training, and preaching to better reach them with the good news of Jesus.”

– Watch or listen here. Challenging and important to consider.

Evangelism – A Priority in Your Parish? — Neil Prott

From our archives:

“There is nothing more wonderful we can do for anyone than introduce them to Jesus Christ.

However, this is not reflected in the programme of many parishes today.

No doubt there are numerous reasons for the current state of affairs. Our analysis should take in the Scriptural factors as well as the obvious ones. …”

– The late Neil Prott wrote this article for ACL News back in 1989.

(We gave thanks for Neil when he was called home in April 2022.)

Evangelism and the Local Church

From AP, the Australian Presbyterian journal, Mark Powell speaks with Dave Jensen –

“Dave Jensen talks about his amazing conversion to faith in Jesus as well as why he is passionate about seeing others come to faith in Jesus.

Dave’s ministry now is helping local churches be equipped to share the Gospel with others.”

– Watch here.

Reaching Out in Difficult Situations

“Timothy has been given a tough assignment — he has been designated to supervise the churches in the regions of Ephesus. He is to proclaim the gospel positively; he is to correct the damage done by the false teachers; and he is to lay down patterns of proper congregational life. …”

– From our archives – a 1988 talk given by Bishop Dudley Foord.

Double Vision

“What should we be asking God to do in Australia over the next ten-to-twenty years?

A few weeks back TGCA got together about forty people to give the better part of a day to thinking and praying about that question. We asked what, if anything, we might be able to achieve by working together that would not be possible apart. It was a stimulating day and the ideas that have begun to emerge are, I believe, exciting.

I want to share one of them with you here. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Rory Shiner shares an ‘ambitious but modest’ idea which emerged from the meeting.

Should you share the gospel with your Catholic friends?

“It is a question that seems to arise time and again and year after year: How should Protestants relate to Roman Catholics? Are Catholics faithful brothers and sisters in the Lord? Are they misguided members of an alternative denomination? Are they followers of an entirely different faith that preaches an entirely different gospel? How should we relate to our Catholic friends and family members? And,, if given the opportunity to speak about what matters most, what should we tell them?

Leonardo De Chirico lives and ministers in a unique context …”

– Tim Challies reviews Leonardo De Chirico book Tell Your Catholic Friend.

“De Chirico’s book is meant to equip Protestants to speak truth to their Catholic friends, and I believe it does so effectively. It will give readers confidence in their knowledge of Catholic doctrine and practical instruction in how to speak truth in a way that faithfully represents Scripture.“

Related:

What’s the Deal with Catholic Experience and Sacraments? – the latest video from Certainty4Eternity –

Witness when the Vibe shifts

“Have you heard the vibe has shifted? Whether you call it a quiet revival, the surprising rebirth in belief in God, or something more modest, it appears there is a new sense of openness towards Christianity.

Christians may have felt increasingly sidelined in the recent past, but now, at least in some circles, we are being given a hearing where we weren’t before. Something of this phenomenon has been reflected in my own local experience. There has been a steady trickle of young people who are seeking answers to big questions and are willing to listen to what their Christian friends have to say. Perhaps you have seen the same in your own context.

That raises the question, how should we conduct ourselves when we feel we are finally given a hearing? …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Pat O’Keefe, a member of the team at St. Mark’s Northbridge, points us to the encouraging example of the Apostle Paul’s witness.

Is 5% Enough?

“There seems to be a change in the cultural atmosphere in much of the West.  It may be that people are more open to the Gospel.  The question is, how should we take advantage of that?  How do we use this cultural moment to bring the gospel to those who are lost?  We always need to humbly remember that ‘many are the plans in the heart of a man, but it is the Lord’s purpose that stands’ (Proverbs 19:21).

This year’s General Assembly of the NSW Presbyterians accepted a motion I put forward to reflect on how we do evangelism.  The Assembly ask the Mission Committee to evaluate the status of evangelism within the Presbyterian church of NSW and to report back to the 2026 GA with recommendations which will help the whole church work together to bring the Gospel to all the people of NSW.

The Assembly also heard a call for the Presbyterian church to double in 20 years.  Providentially the Gospel Coalition recently held a summit where the same doubling in 20 years was agreed.  They declared that this could be done by seeing 5% conversion growth in each church over a period of 20 years.

The Pastor’s Heart, a fascinating and helpful podcast presented by Dominic Steele, has recently had three podcasts focusing on this numerical target …”

– At AP, the online Presbyterian journal, David Robertson reckons we should ‘go for glory’.

Growing by five percent conversion growth — how might this work?

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“What change would a leader and church need to make for a congregation, denomination or movement to grow by five percent annual conversion growth?

The Gospel Coalition pulled together a mini summit of evangelical movement leaders from across Australia in June.

That gathering set an aspirational goal of doubling the number of evangelicals over twenty years.

They said a key way to do it is by pursuing a target of seeing five percent of the average attendance saved each year.

David Jensen leads the Evangelism part of the Department of Evangelism and New Churches in the Sydney Anglican Church.

Chris Braga is senior pastor of Grace West Church at Glenmore Park in Western Sydney.”

– Watch or listen here.

Sermons from Chappo for your edification

Thanks to Moore Theological College, audio recordings of dozens of sermons by John Chapman (1930 – 2012) are available for your encouragement and edification.

If you are looking for a model of faithful evangelistic exposition, these will be a wonderful help.

The full collection can be found at this link.

Photo: Matthias Media.

I’ve seen more professions of faith in the past two years than the previous eight combined.

“I’ve been preaching evangelistically for 10 years now. I’ve preached at more than 100 different events and conferences. One thing strikingly obvious has been the increase of professions of faith of young adult men to gospel proclamation. As the word is preached, more and more young adults are becoming Christians or showing interest.

I would say that I’ve seen more young adults respond with professions of faith in the past two years than in the previous eight combined. …”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, here’s some real encouragement from Dave Jensen.

Image: Dave Jensen speaking at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London, August 2024.

A Surprising Power

“With the current geo-political upheavals many fear what the future holds. The uncertainty today is exacerbated by the angry divisions within societies. Vindictiveness has replaced respectful and serious conversation. And we can feel utterly powerless when it comes to talking about our faith.

In Perelandra or Voyage to Venus, the second in CS Lewis’ science-fiction trilogy, Ransom, the main character, feels powerless in confronting an evil force at work on the untainted planet Venus. The crafty subtle evil power reflects the temptations in Genesis chapter 3. Despite being a learned scholar in philology, Ransom constantly finds himself defeated in his arguments. What can he do?

This raises an important question for us, for today people have little knowledge of the Jesus of the Gospels. …”

– John Mason writes with encouragement in this week’s Word on Wednesday at Anglican Connection.

The Quiet Power of a Courageous Word

“Sometimes it is the simplest of matters that bear the greatest fruit. A simple deed, a simple gift, a simple word can make all the difference. They can even begin a cascade that changes lives and changes the world.

Charlotte Elliot, a satirist and skeptic, had become bedridden and embittered. One day a pastor from Geneva, Switzerland, passed through her town and was asked to meet with her. …”

– Tim Challies shares this encouraging story of how the Lord brings people to trust in Jesus.

Undated public domain  photo of Charlotte Elliot (1789-1871).

Four Keys to Understanding Catholic Worldview

Here’s the latest podcast from Certainty for Eternity’s Mark Gilbert & Rayne Orange:

“In this episode of Certainty for Eternity, Rayne and Mark start to look at how Catholics and Protestants see the world differently. Not just in small rituals, but in their entire worldview. From how we understand belonging, authority, and truth, to how we experience Jesus – this conversation helps you make sense of Catholic theology and how to connect meaningfully with Catholic friends and family.”

– Watch here.

Next Page →