Are we post Christian or post Secular? – with Mark McCrindle
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“The new McCrindle report ‘An undercurrent of faith’ says:
- Those turning to Christian faith are not who we might expect – it’s especially older people, the recently widowed and recently separated or divorced.
- The move is most on away from Christian identity in outer suburbia and regional areas.
- Australians are still turning to Christianity in large numbers, despite a decline in Christian affiliation.
- While 85,000 15-24 year olds have moved towards Christianity in the last five years, that’s dramatically down on a decade ago.
Founder and Principal of McCrindle research, Mark McCrindle, says his report shows a new search for purpose and meaning and asks is ‘Australia Post Christian or are we now Post Secular?’
Plus we compare the findings of the national McCrindle report with the recent Sydney Anglican report on Church attendance.”
The Problem of Sextortion: A Message for Parents and Pastors of Teenage Boys and Young Men
A special edition of Albert Mohler’s The Briefing:
“It’s a special edition of The Briefing for the parents of teenage boys and young men. Not only parents, but the pastors and youth pastors and those who are directly concerned with teenage boys and young men. And this is going to be material I wouldn’t discuss in the way I’m going to discuss it today, in the normal edition of The Briefing.
This is a privileged conversation, but it’s an urgent conversation for the parents of teenage boys and young men, and others ministering to them and who love them, and it’s that love and concern for them that leads to this special edition today. It’s about the problem of sextortion. …”
– Watch, listen, or read the transcript here.
Using Artificial Intelligence
“The [British] Prime Minister said recently that ‘Artificial Intelligence will drive incredible change in our country’ and that he wants to ‘turbocharge’ the industry and make Britain a world leader in this area.
Growth in this arena has really taken off and caught the public imagination in the last few years, and naturally that has led many Christians to be curious and ask questions about it.
So I decided to dig into AI, and did a bit of training…”
– At Church Society’s blog, Lee Gatiss looks at AI.
The seed that will bear fruit has been planted
“At the turning point in John’s Gospel, Jesus makes a seemingly obscure reference to his death. As we get ready to celebrate Easter, let’s take a moment now to explore a powerful yet often overlooked verse to see in a fresh way what Jesus endured and the life he has won for us.
The moment comes in John 12, when some Greeks visit Jesus shortly after his triumphal entry to Jerusalem. …”
– Callan Pritchard writes at The Australian Church Record in the lead up to Easter.
Marshall Ballantine-Jones: Pastors helping parents to talk to teens on social media, the internet and porn
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“The addictive nature of social media, the mental health impact on teens, distorted identity and comparison, the way the attention economy undermines discipleship.
Parents (and pastors) so often feel out of their depth.
Marshall Ballantine-Jones created the Digihelp school curriculum addressing sexualised media, and the Resist Recovery Program.”
– Watch or listen here – with links.
Pastoral Care that Commends the Gospel, with Sarah Condie
A Gospel Coalition Australia podcast with Jonathan Holt:
“One key part of the ministry we share as the body of Christ is the pastoral care we extend one another. In this episode we are joined by Sarah Condie to talk about how our pastoral care might commend the good news of Jesus.
How do we fulfill the many one-another verses in the New Testament, especially when we often feel burdened with our own concerns, or very aware of our own limitations.
Sarah works with her husband Keith, for Anglican Deaconess Ministries, at the Mental Health and Pastoral Care Institute.”
– Most encouraging. Photo: Keith and Sarah Condie.
Thoughts on Preaching on Good Friday
“The Easter season should be the high point on our church calendars- what an absolute privilege to focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus, the very heart of the gospel message.
Most of our practice during the easter season, would be a lead up to Easter for perhaps 1-2 weeks, then Good Friday, on to Easter (Resurrection) Sunday.
Regarding our preaching specifically on Good Friday, Ive been thinking of a few things, I’d like to share. …”
– Jim Mobbs writes at The Expository Preaching Trust.
Daylight Saving in NSW ends Sunday 6th April 2025
In NSW, Daylight saving ends at 3:00am Australian Eastern Standard Time on Sunday 6 April 2025.
What and Who are Humans?
From Phillip Jensen:
“As we look at Genesis 1, we come to a great climax in the creation of humans in God’s Image.
More bottles of ink have been spilled over this phrase than possibly any phrase in the Bible. What is the image of God? In what way are we in the image of God? What are humans and who are we?
The questions go on and on. Yet this teaching of Genesis 1 has stood the test of time in identifying God’s universal identity and value of humans.”
– Listen to the latest Two Ways News podcast with Phillip and Peter Jensen.
Taking the gospel to communities consumed by the here and now
“When I’m at the beach, a phrase I often hear is, ‘Where else would you rather be?’
For a lot of people, living by the beach is their idea of paradise. There is a strong secular hedonism that is pervasive in the culture around suburban coastal contexts. Gripped by lifestyle and materialism, you get a clear idea of where people’s hearts are, and what their idea of heaven might be …”
– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Rich Wenden has some suggestions on connecting with “communities consumed by the here and now”.
And all the people said… [inaudible mumble]
“I probably said it at church today about 15 times. You might have said it slightly less. It’s a ‘religious’ word. You find it translated in English Bibles 50 times, each time in connection with worship. What am I talking about? It’s the little word: ‘Amen’. …
Nothing saps the spirits like reaching the end of a prayer and getting a whimper of an ‘Amen’. …”
– Simon Arscott at Gentle Reformation reminds us what “Amen” is for. (Link via Tim Challies.)
Talks from the Bathurst Diocese 2025 Conference
Videos of the talks from the Diocese of Bathurst 2025 Conference – held last weekend – are now available for your encouragement and edification.
And food for your prayers too.
Complementarian: Church Society Podcast S16E09
From Church Society:
“Ros Clarke, Kirsten Birkett and Lee Gatiss discuss complementarian theology and practice in the Church of England today.”
– Listen here.
Chris Braga: ‘I believed therefore I spoke’
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“That’s what the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:13. And yet it’s a verse hardly referred to in the last few decades in discussions over who is responsible for evangelism.
Chris Braga of Grace West Anglican Church Sydney told the Nexus Conference in Sydney that 2 Corinthians 4:13 shows that there’s a spiritual reflex that internal faith (in the death and resurrection of Jesus) will challenge fear and lead to speech.
Not because we’re commanded, but because we can’t help ourselves.
Chris Braga says implications are that proclamation is for every Christian, one’s Christian faith is always public and a command is not needed to link faith to speech.”
The Goodness of God — Two Ways News
From Phillip Jensen:
“‘Good’ is such a strange word. We all know what we mean by it, but it is so difficult to define. So when God declares his creation to be ‘good, very good’ what is he saying? Is the world itself good or simply pleasing? And if it is good, what is it good for?
In this week’s Two Ways News, Peter and I venture into the meaning of God calling the world good and the implications that has for living in this world and the next.”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…