Term One: It seems an eternity away. After all, we haven’t even got to Christmas yet! But the key to starting strong in Term One is getting on track in Term Four.

• Think ahead about the five important things for Term One
• Ensure you’re ready to welcome new people coming into church
• Aligning new leaders and staff is crucial. How will you do it?
• Be prepared for mission opportunities: plan ahead

• Think ahead about the 5 important things for term 1
• Make sure you are ready to catch the new people coming into church
• The importance of alignment for new leaders and staff is key. How will you do it?
• Being prepared for mission opportunities: plan ahead
  

TOOL BOX:

332 What Do I Need to Think About in Term 1 2024

279 What Do I Need to Think About In Term 1 2023

280 Joining A New Staff Team

166 Refreshing Your Staff Meetings Part 1

167 Refreshing Your Staff Meetings Part 2

315 Organising My Preaching Program

CREDITS:

This episode was brought to you by EA Insurance

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"We become bolder in our local mission when we see what God is doing globally."

Being a healthy church means being concerned what God is doing throughout the whole world.

Wei Han Kuan thinks that Charles Perry (the evangelical founding bishop of Melbourne) got it right when he said in 1851 that “the best means of ensuring the health of the local church is a vital commitment to world missions.”

• How do have the conversation about how many missionaries you're supporting in global ministry? And who they should be?
• Can you name the missionaries you support?
• How do you think about a balance different types of mission partners?
• How do you send people out from your local church?
• Are you AIMING to send people from your local church?
• Who is responsible for discerning who should be sent?
• Generous churches breed generous people

How does global mission partnership work? "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now," (Philippians 1:4-5). The Philippian church was not just concerned about how the gospel was going in their city, but where Paul was ministering as well.

• Partnerships at a church and an individual level
• Missionaries on home assignment at your church - what's helpful and what's unhelpful?
• Why link the visits of missionaries to local mission?
• How missionaries can be great for community building
  
• Using tech to support and encourage people around the world

TOOL BOX:

Ideas for Praying for Missionaries

Ideas for Caring for Missionaries

CMS Support

CREDITS:
This episode was brought to you by The Team Development Program

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

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For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Carey Neiuwhof has looked at some of the changes in North America, but what about the changes in Australia?

• We are closing more churches than starting. Is closing a church a bad thing?
• Fill in the blanks: we only have one church for every XXXX people in Australia
• How long do Australian churches take to become viable?
• Why too much funding is a problem for church plants
• Why authenticity matters
• Doing it alone: when does it work?
• What to look for in a planting core team

TOOL BOX:

Church Planting is Changing: Here's How to Change With It by Carey Nieuwhof

Gospel Workers Questionnaire

Church Planters Questionnaire

Church Planting Australia Podcast

Reach Australia National Conference '25: watch for the planting conference 

CREDITS:

This episode was brought to you by VCA

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

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25% of people in churches will have switched in the last 5 years. Changing churches is hard, but it's meant to be.

• When is a good time for people to move churches (geography, kids and families)?
• What are some of realities of people switching?
• How do pastors pastor people doing a switch (both leaving and gaining)?
• What about people moving to a church plant?



TOOL BOX:

How to Walk into Church

Unmissable Church

301 How do I Help People come to Church? (Part 1) about Unmissable Church

302 How do I Help People come to Church? (Part 2) about Unmissable Church

Integration Pathway

Love Your Church 

CREDITS:

This episode was brought to you by Compassion

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

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Retirement is more than golf, gardening and travel. Once someone finishes work, they enter a new phase of life. Philip Hayes (EV Church, Erina), a retired eye surgeon, thought about what would happen if we used this as a great opportunity for the gospel. He's developed a great ministry to help others transition to this new stage of life.

Phillip talks about:

• The life of a retiree is not what you think
• Retirees work better together. How do we get them together?
• Realigning their hearts to their new life stage
• Helping people to look back as well as looking forward
• What retirees can do in ministry

TOOLBOX:

The Course of Your Life

TALK WITH SOMEONE

CREDITS:
This episode was brought to you by MTS

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

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The timeline for some people is that they meet their spouse, get married, and prepare to have kids. (It's not everyone and we love people who are single or kids is not an option for them!). But some people find themselves about to have kids, but are at a congregation that does not have a kids program. 

Geoff and Wendy Lin from Holy Trinity in Adelaide talk about how they prepare couples for kids. Here is what they cover: 

• What people can do before they have kids to develop great habits
• How ministers can help the transition and preparing people for it 
• The importance of farewelling people from one congregation,
• Some of the changes people should expect as they change churches 
• What is different for mums or dads to change churches
• Making sure family does not become the idol

TOOLBOX:

"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. (Psalm 71:18)

61: Marriage and Ministry with Keith and Sarah Condie

98: Marriage and Ministry with Dan and Teresa Lee

Webinar with Paul Tripp, Craig Tucker and Ruth Sheath

CREDITS:
This Episode was brought to you by the Reach Australia Team Development Program

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Youth and young adults have unique challenges. Karl Bonner from Northlight Anglican Church shares:

• Changes from school to post-school: from programmed to self-initiated
• Church provides constancy when there is a lot of change
• Effects of COVID on people leaving school
• Differences between adults and young adults
• Young adults are less likely to conceal their sins, but are less likely to continue in good habits?
• Appropriate levels of responsibilities
• How to teach them in ways that leaves them wanting more

TOOLBOX:

247 Youth Ministry

The Ecosystem and Youth Ministry

The Leadership Pipeline ebook

CREDITS:
This Episode was brought to you by Crossbeam Communications

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

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How do we help kids adjust to all the changes of moving to high school? Kids are going through a lot, but some churches sometimes miss the opportunities to help kids move from kids ministry (often on a Sunday morning) to a youth ministry (often on a Friday Night). Chris Jones and Annemarie Rivers from Youthworks help us think about this.

• What are kids going through as they finish Year 6
• Kids finishing kids ministries well
• Youth ministries "catching people" well
• Three key things to make sure you're doing well

TOOL BOX:

Al James' Workshop from Reach Australia National Conference

174 Kids Church to Youth Ministry with Maddie and Derek

Youthworks Website

CREDITS:
This Episode was brought to you by Youthworks

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

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The gospel reminds us that we are sinners, but also broken and fragile people. As people come to church they come with their various mental health issues. Keith and Sarah Condie discuss what is the role of the church in helping people.

• It is not our job to fix people.
• Church can be really good for people as they deal with the issues.
• The importance of watching and listening to people who might need help.
• Doing something is better than doing nothing.
• Don't be afraid to ask "Are you thinking of taking your life?"
• Good questions can be "Are you OK?", "What has helped in the past?", "Can I pray for you?"
• Encouraging healthy habits can be underestimated.
• Care for yourself while you are caring for others.
• Caring for people is a form of growing disciples.

TOOLBOX:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14

• 12 Tips to Support Someone with Mental Health Challenges

• World Mental Health Day (10th Oct)

• World Suicide Prevention Day (10th Sept)

• Mental Health First Aid Course

• 312 On Getting Helpful Professional Help

CREDITS:
This Episode was brought to you by CCLI

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

One in five people in Australia are dealing with a mental health issue at any given moment, and gospel workers aren’t immune. Keith and Sarah Condie from the Mental Health Institute unpack how to maintain mental wellbeing.

• The difference between mental health problems and maintaining good mental health
• The gospel’s impact on our mental wellbeing
• How to look after our minds, body, relationships and walk with Jesus
• Three big things to get right
• Why self-talk matters
• Being a better leader
• The framework of having slivers, slices and slabs of time to recover

TOOLBOX:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14

• Press On Course

• Other Resources in the Mental Health Institute

• 312 On Getting Helpful Professional Help

• 310 How Do I Rest?

CREDITS:
This Episode was brought to you by The Team Development Program

The One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠

To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠.

For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

To support the Reach Australia Online Library head ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.