The One Thing

One solid, practical tip for gospel-centred ministry every week.Reach Australia is a network of churches - working together to seeing thousands of healthy, evangelistic, multiplying churches across Australia.

The One Thing is a religion podcast hosted by Reach Australia, with 452 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Reach Australia hosts The One Thing, a religion show with 452 episodes published.

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  The One Thing

  466 Counterintuitive ministry lessons - surely this can't be right (Al Stewart)

  Sep 8, 202625 min

  Al Stewart shares 28 of the craziest, most counterintuitive lessons he has learnt from his time in ministry. There are gems of wisdom for all stages of ministry life. You won't hear this stuff in a textbook! Sadly, this is Scott’s final episode on The One Thing whilst being Executive Director before he moves to the US! Al Stewart is the National Director of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC). He has also worked with City Bible Forum, Geneva Push and Katoomba Christian Convention, as well as serving as a bishop and director within the Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church. Toolbox: Scott Sanders and Al Stewart did two more great episodes before this one: Ep 464: What 15 years of church planting taught Al Stewart Ep 465: Vital things a senior minister needs to know Credits: This episode was brought to you by MTS 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 ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ Support Reach Australia's online library

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  The One Thing

  465 What 40 years of leading people teaches you (Al Stewart)

  Sep 1, 202617 min

  A senior minister has an enormous influence on whether their team is healthy. After more than 40 years of ministry leadership, Al Stewart has learnt a few things the hard way. In this episode, Scott Sanders sits down with Al to unpack the lessons, mistakes and wisdom that only come from decades of leading people. They talk about the tensions every ministry leader navigates: caring for people while still having hard conversations, building trust without avoiding conflict, knowing when someone needs to move on, and what to do when you realise you’ve got it wrong. The competing tensions in building a team Working for the people who work for you Why senior ministers set the culture of their teams Why bosses are the biggest single factor in whether staff enjoy their job Al Stewart is the National Director of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC). He has also worked with City Bible Forum, Geneva Push and Katoomba Christian Convention, as well as serving as a bishop and director within the Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church. Toolbox: Growth and Change by Andrew Heard Who’s Holding The Umbrella by Bill Jaegar (this book is unfortunately out of print so we could not provide a link, but have a look on places like Ebay and Facebook marketplace - if you are really desperate for a copy Gus McCowatt in the Reach office has a copy) Credits: This episode was brought to you by MTS 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 ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ Support Reach Australia's online library

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  The One Thing

  464 What 15 years of church planting taught Al Stewart

  Aug 25, 202617 min

  New churches reach new people. So why is planting still such hard work? Scott Sanders catches up with Al Stewart to look back on 15 years of Geneva Push (not Reach Australia): wins, mistakes and pushback. Why denominations can get in the way of planting The challenges of planting in established ministry contexts Why new churches are often better placed to reach new people What we’ve learned about supporting planters well Al Stewart is the National Director of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC). He has also worked with City Bible Forum, Geneva Push and Katoomba Christian Convention, as well as serving as a bishop and director within the Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church. Toolbox: Church Planting Podcast Church Planter Questionnaire Support Planting Financially Credits: This episode was brought to you by MTS 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 ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ Support Reach Australia's online library

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  The One Thing

  463 The small groups troubleshooting guide (Part 3 of 3)

  Aug 18, 202620 min

  We finally tackle all the awkward small group questions we’ve been avoiding. In the final episode of this three-part series, Scott Sanders and Richard Sweatman, discuss the topics about small groups they avoided in the first two episodes. We explore: Unhealthy groups Low participation Finding enough leaders Whether AI has a place in writing Bible study material Knowing when pastoral care needs to be escalated Giving honest feedback Whether ministry staff should be in groups Richard Sweatman is an author and assistant pastor at Hunter Bible Church in Newcastle. Toolbox: Ep 201 Difficult Conversations Between A Church Leader and Staff Member Part 1 of this mini series: Ep 461 The hidden decisions behind every small groups ministry Part 2 of this mini series: Ep 462 Your small groups are only as healthy as their leaders Wisdom in Leadership by Craig Hamilton Being a Small Group Leader by Richard Sweatman Writing a Small Group Study by Richard Sweatman DISCOUNT CODE: THE1THING for 30% off at Matthias Media when you purchase 10 or more of either of Richard’s books Credits: This episode was brought to you by MTS 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 ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ Support Reach Australia's online library

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  The One Thing

  462 Your small groups are only as healthy as their leaders (Part 2 of 3)

  Aug 11, 202620 min

  Healthy small groups don’t happen by accident. Your small groups are only as strong as the leaders you’re raising. So how do you find the right people, prepare them well, and keep helping them grow once they’re leading? In part two of this three-part series, Scott Sanders talks with Richard Sweatman, author and assistant pastor at Hunter Bible Church in Newcastle, about how churches can identify, develop and support small-group leaders well. They explore: what to look for in a future leader how to develop people before they lead what good support actually looks like how leaders shape the health of a group the signs your small-group ministry is growing stronger Toolbox: Last weeks ep Being a Small Group Leader by Richard Sweatman Writing a Small Group Study by Richard Sweatman DISCOUNT CODE: THE1THING for 30% off at Matthias Media when you purchase 10 or more of either of Richard’s books Small Group Toolbox Podcast Credits: This episode was brought to you by MTS 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 ⁠⁠resources@reachaustralia.com.au⁠⁠ Support Reach Australia's online library

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