The most dangerous meeting in your church? Rethinking the Annual General Meeting!
From The Pastor’s Heart this week –
“For many pastors, the AGM is something to be survived — not led.
A governance headache. A compliance exercise.
And for some, the meeting where old tensions resurface and trust quietly erodes.
But what if we’ve misunderstood the AGM?
What if, instead of just doing compliance, we aimed to build confidence?
What if the AGM could be a leadership moment — one that strengthens, not damages, your church?
Jo Gibbs (Reach Australia) and Dave Moore (Hunter Bible Church) on how to plan and lead an excellent church AGM.
• Why good AGM preparation is actually pastoral care
• How to move from enduring the AGM to envisioning it
• Why ‘no surprises’ is kindness, not bureaucracy
• What faithful impact and financial reporting really look like
• And what a genuinely Jesus-honouring AGM would feel like.”
Bondi and Antisemitism
From Phillip Jensen:
“Before we start our 2026 Two Ways News series on 1 Corinthians, we need to have an important discussion on Bondi and antisemitism. This is something that neither of us imagined would happen.
Not all our listeners will agree with our views, but we hope the thinking and discussion is helpful grist to the mill.”
– Listen to this edition of the Two Ways News podcast from Phillip and Peter Jensen.
Church Society podcast – Leviticus
From Church Society,
“Dr Katherine Davis, author of the new Hodder Proclamation Bible Commentary on Leviticus talks to Lee Gatiss about its relevance as Christian scripture today.”
– Listen here.
Photo credit SMBC.
The influence of reading
Ian Carmichael – with Matthias Media from the start (when they were known as St Matthias Press!) – shares some thoughts about reading:
“It will, I’m sure, come as no surprise to you that I am a reading enthusiast. But I don’t mean I read enthusiastically; I don’t. I generally find reading quite hard work (especially reading whilst remaining awake – which I concede is the more effective of the two modes of reading). No, I am a reading enthusiast because I believe wholeheartedly in its benefits. I am confident of its benefits generally and its benefits for our growth and maturity as Christians.
An organization in Australia called Australia Reads is on a mission to get more Australians reading, and they’ve published a significant report into the reading habits of Aussies in the hope of revealing potential strategies for achieving that mission.
I have now read that report. (See, their mission is working already!) …”
– Read it here.
Admittedly, this is could be a plug to buy books from Matthias Media (their New Year sale ends tomorrow!), but it’s also encouragement to church leaders to set an example in reading.
Photo: Ian and Stephanie Carmichael.
How did we get here? How 1776 culturally and intellectually shaped the post-Christian West
From The Pastor’s Heart –
“Wisdom for pastors seeking to preach and lead well in a post-Christian age.
So much of our culture judges events in isolation — a single moment, a single failure, a single decision — detached from what led to it and what flows from it. But history doesn’t work like that. Events emerge from long trajectories, and they reshape the future in ways no one fully controls or intends.
We’re joined by Archie Poulos, Head of the Ministry Department at Moore Theological College, to reflect on Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West by Andrew Wilson.
Wilson’s argument isn’t that everything changed overnight in 1776, but that the events clustered around that year give us a window into the forces that have shaped the WEIRDER world we now inhabit — Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic, Ex-Christian and Romantic.
We explore why reading history as an ecosystem rather than isolated episodes matters, why Romanticism isn’t just a past movement but our present operating system, and how Christian faith — offers a deeper, more hopeful way to understand our moment.”
God is the Judge of the World
From Phillip Jensen:
“The climax of Paul’s great Athenian sermon is the call of God for all people to repent. But there are some strange elements in this call. One important element is its timing. Another is in the judgement ‘by a man’.
Let’s listen afresh to Paul’s great gospel statement.”
– Here Phillip and Peter Jensen discuss, including the difference between repentance and remorse. Who will judge the world? Why is the Resurrection so important?
Mentoring 2026
From David Cook at The Expository Preaching Trust –
“Ian Healy believed that one aspect of Shane Warne’s genius was that he always looked for feedback and who better to give it than his wicketkeeper, Healy.
The Trust makes available preaching mentors, men and women who have had many years of preaching and training experience to give feedback on preaching.
Mentors are available free of charge on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis.
Comments from mentees:
‘…mentoring is the hour each week when I slow down and sharpen the saw. I want to make sure I keep growing sharper in my preparation rather than getting dull over time’.
‘Preaching mentoring is one of the most valuable things I receive, I am a teacher of God’s people, as I am mentored, I have the privilege of being a learner myself’.
One of our mentors, Jenny Salt, adds her encouragement …”
– Read the encouragement here.
A Missing Ingredient in our Sermons and Studies: Biblical Theology
“Imagine a small group of believers gathered in a sweltering church hall after a long day’s work.
As the Bible opens there’s excitement. But there’s also some confusion. Each person brings a different takeaway from the study. One clings to ‘their verse.’ One wonders how the ancient story connects with today. Another debates a fine theological point.
These differences and confusion arise because something is missing: a sense of the grand story God is telling, a thread binding every biblical text and lesson together; in a phrase, we’re missing biblical theology. …”
– At The Gospel Coalition Africa, Fredrick Imbayi reminds of the need for Biblical Theology.
In Sydney, where we are blessed with so much good preaching, it’s easy to take this for granted.
Related:
When the Lights Came On: An Appreciation of Graeme Goldsworthy.
Men Meeting the Challenge Conference 2026
The Men Meeting the Challenge conference for 2026 is coming up at The Kings School on Saturday 14 March.From the organisers:
“This year’s theme, ‘Burn Your Boats: Join the Mission, Change the World’ speaks directly into the lives of men who are juggling work, family, church and many other responsibilities. While life is busy and full, this conference provides an opportunity to pause, refocus, and be reminded of the greater mission God has called us to.
‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.’ (Matt 16:24)
Men Meeting the Challenge exists to encourage and equip men to follow Christ faithfully in the everyday realities of life. It is your conference, shaped by and for men who desire to live with purpose, integrity, and gospel conviction.”
– Details and booking here, including a promo video and other resources.
God is the Father of the Nations
From Phillip Jensen:
“Fathers are so important in life, even in this anti-patriarchal age. For fatherhood is derived from God the Father. He is the provider and protector of us all, who knows our needs before we even ask. He is not far from us, and he is open to our prayers.
This is an important point in Paul’s logic as he attacks the inconsistency and incoherence of Athenian idolatry.”
– Peter and Phillip Jensen continue their discussion based around Paul’s speech at the Areopagus in Acts 17.
World Watch List 2026
Open Doors has released their World Watch List for 2026.
North Korea is still identified as “the most dangerous country to be a Christian”, but there are many other runners-up.
Much to pray about – including the people of Iran.
Faith Leaders “express serious concern regarding the Combatting Antisemitism Hate and Extremism Bill 2026”
A wide range of Faith Leaders, including the leaders of Anglican, Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Islamic, Buddhist, and Sikh communities, have written to the Prime Minister expressing “serious concern regarding the Combatting Antisemitism Hate and Extremism Bill 2026, both because of its (perhaps unintended) adverse implications for religious freedom and freedom of expression and the inadequate consultation and review”.
They conclude, “We offer these views in a constructive spirit and stand ready to engage further with all parties to develop appropriate amendments to ensure an appropriate legislative response to hatred and extremism.”
This is an important letter and deserves wide distribution.
It would also be good to share with your Federal Member of Parliament for their information.
A bursary to attend the Rome Scholars and Leaders Network 2026?
The Rome Scholars and Leaders Network 2026 is an invitation-only gathering designed to create a context for evangelical scholars and leaders:
- To have access to evangelical scholars who are experts on Roman Catholicism.
- To study and evaluate Roman Catholic theology and practice in the heart of Roman Catholicism, Rome itself.
- To be trained and equipped to be scholars, leaders and communicators of an evangelical perspective about Roman Catholicism and the biblical Gospel of salvation through faith alone.
Certainty4Eternity is offering 1 x $3000 bursary in 2026 for Christian Educators and Leaders who can, or intend to, make a significant contribution to Roman Catholic Evangelism and Discipleship in Sydney and beyond.
– Details from Mark Gilbert at Certainty4Eternity.
Trauma and devastation after Philip Yancey’s adultery
From The Pastor’s Heart, the first episode of 2026 “and not the episode we had planned”:
“How should Christians react to news one of our heroes has engaged in an eight year sinful affair with a married woman?
• How should churches respond when leaders fall?
• Why do accountability structures fail?
• How do we speak of grace without minimising harm?
• What does faithfulness look like for pastors, churches and ordinary believers in moments like this?…”
– A most sobering discussion with strong exhortations at the end.
Watch or listen here.
God is the Ruler of the Nations
From Phillip Jensen –
“Dear friends,
As we start off another year, we are still conscious of how troubled our world is. Wars and rumours of wars continue to fill our news media. When will mankind ever come to peace? … not until the Lord returns! It may look as if God has lost control of the world as nations war against each other, but that is a failure to understand God’s purpose in creating and appointing the nations. Paul, in his speech in Athens, speaks of God’s ongoing rule of the world through his rule of the nations.
Yours,
Phillip.”
– Listen to Phillip and Peter Jensen discuss at Two Ways News.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…