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.
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.”
Being prepared
American astronaut Butch Wilmore who, along with fellow astronaut Suni Williams, had an unexpectedly long stay on the International Space Station, was ready for a question in a press conference in space. (The two returned safely to Earth last week.)
Related: 1 Peter 3:15.
Videos from Nexus25 available
Thanks to the team at Nexus25, the videos of the talks from Monday’s conference are now available for your edification.
Talks by Dave Jensen, Dominic Steele, Chris Braga and Phil Colgan.
– See them here. Very helpful and challenging for ministry teams, small groups and individuals.
Old Preaching
“The greatest challenge in writing about preaching with older people is the sheer diversity of older people, their needs and backgrounds. So, this blog provides some thoughts, you will need wisdom to apply them to your context. As preaching requires both exegetical content and public speaking skills, I will start with the question of content and finish with some quick public speaking with older people tips.
The greatest content danger for sermons for older people is assumption. …”
– At The Expository Preaching Trust, Aged Care Chaplain Ben Roland shares some help and encouragement.
Encouragement from Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6
Paul writes:
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison – that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
Walk in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
– ESV.
A pod for God
“Before Steve Jobs at Apple invented the iPod, podcasts were called radio shows. As someone who made radio shows for 30 years, perhaps I am not the best person to review podcasts. But then again, maybe I am. Because the basic rules haven’t changed much.
Rule number one is to say something interesting. Rule number two is to be listenable. Sounds simple, right? But not every podcast follows these rules, as just about anyone with a microphone and an internet connection can now be a podcaster. …”
– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Russell Powell introduces a new podcast he has discovered.
The Evangelism and New Churches podcasts page
has links to the Fire Up podcast and all the previous episodes on Apple or Spotify.
Preaching Workshop 3-5 June 2025 — Expository Preaching Trust
At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook shares details of the Preaching Workshop coming up on 3-5 June at Drummoyne.
A valuable resource for preachers.
A first glance at the pastor’s heart – 2 Corinthians 1:1–22
Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson speaks from 2 Corinthians 1:1–22 at the start of the College academic year.
Southern Cross magazine February – March 2025
The latest issue of Southern Cross magazine (February – March 2025) is now available in churches.
If you miss out on getting a printed copy, a digital version is available from sydneyanglicans.net.
• Ministry to bubs and preschoolers
• Welcoming
• Positive masculinity
• Outreach in your suburb
• SRE teachers
PLUS: news, views, reviews and more
Equipped to serve
Archie Poulos interviews Dave Morgan – at the Moore College website.
“Archie Poulos, Head of Ministry and Director for the Centre for Ministry Development at Moore Theological College, interviews Dave Morgan, Team Leader of Athletes in Action in the South Island of New Zealand, about his ministry journey since graduating from Moore College in 2005.
Dave talks a little bit about his experience of studying at Moore, having not previously completed a university degree; he explains how his training at Moore equipped him for serving at the University of New England in Armidale; he recalls what it was like to minister to the people of Christchurch in the aftermath of the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes; and he tells us about his current role and why he’s passionate about working with athletes.”
‘Your Word’ — updated arrangement from Emu Music
First published in 2017, “Your Word”, a beautiful song about Scripture, has just been re-released in a new arrangement for Emu Music’s 25th anniversary.
In an e-mail to supporters, they explain what the song is about –
“Your Word was written to fill the gap in congregational music of songs about the Bible, not just from the Bible.
So what does the Bible say about itself? We opened up the Psalms and spent time reading and reflecting on Psalms 19 and 119. We hoped to capture David’s delight in and dependence on God’s law, particularly in the passages quoted below.*
The chorus centres on the well-known verse from Psalm 119: ‘Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path’.
The bridge of the song took a different direction as we began to explore the implications of a perfect, powerful, timeless, enduring word for us today.
As the Bible comes under attack in our society, we want to affirm that it’s not just ink on paper or old stories, but that it is life-giving, powerful, and the greatest love story ever told. Ultimately, God’s word is not only the creating Word (his breath into dust creating man) but the Creator Word (Jesus!).
We hope and pray that this song helps you and your churches to delight in God’s word, but more than that, to love and obey the one to whom it testifies. For a Sunday service, we think it works really well as a pre-Bible reading song!”
* The Bible passages mentioned are –
Psalm 19:7-11, Psalm 119:89-92, John 1:1-3, 14.
Watch a recording of Your Word here.
Audio tracks and sheet music are available to purchase from their website.
A song which could be a real blessing to your church!
Godliness vs Effectiveness — the Both/And Dilemma
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Godliness vs Effectiveness
Theology vs Pragmatics
People centered vs Organisationally minded
Leading from the front vs Serving others
Courage to take a stand vs Quick to submit
Others know I am one of them vs I am set apart to lead
I lead patiently vs I lead with a sense of urgencyMost Christians at some point do start to wonder if they are the real deal. What God asks of us is so far reaching, so all encompassing, that when we come up short, we start to ask ourselves “Am I an imposter?” “Should I really be a leader?” and perhaps/Am even a Christian at all?’”
Expository Preaching Trust Activities 2025
The Expository Preaching Trust has published some details of its planned activities for 2025, including events at Armidale Anglican Cathedral as well as meetings at Sutherland, Abbotsford, Wahroonga, and Drummoyne.
Much encouragement for preachers.
See all the details at their website.
Why I Left the Church of Rome
“I grew up in a devout Roman Catholic family and attended private Catholic schools for both my primary (St John’s Riverstone) and secondary education (Oakhill College, Castle Hill) both in the Western Suburbs of Sydney, NSW. While nothing is perfect, I really enjoyed my upbringing and even aspired to becoming a De La Salle brother, which is kind of like a ‘teaching monk’.
All that changed though when I received a sporting scholarship to the United States to play tennis on the college circuit. In the providence of God, I ended up in a Missouri Synod Lutheran University in Southern California, formerly called ‘Christ College Irvine’ but is now Concordia University. My world was about to be turned upside down. …”
– At AP, Presbyterian minister Mark Powell shares the wonderful news he heard, and how it changed his life.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…