The One Thing

Pete Hughes continues the conversation with Liv Chapman and Toby Neal from Vine Church, Sydney, about the practical ways church leaders can shape services feel both deep in gospel truth and warm in gospel love?In this second episode, they discuss:How to transition smoothly between different moments in a serviceHandling emotional moments with wisdom and authenticityLeading from the front with warmth and emotional intelligenceSimple ways to deepen Bible readings and prayersAsking interview questions that reveal gospel storiesFinding the "heart", not just the facts, in testimoniesHelping newcomers understand what's happening in churchWhy genuine Christian community feels increasingly different todayUsing the "deep and warm" framework to assess every part of a serviceToolbox: The One Thing Ep 471: Deep and warm: how to make every Sunday feel like the gospel we preach (Part 1 of 2) (Toby Neal and Liv Chapman Leggett)Deep and Warm workshop recording from Reach Australia Conference 2026Credits: This episode was brought to you by MTSThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠Support Reach Australia's online library

What does it look like for our Sunday gatherings to be both deep in gospel truth and warm in gospel love?Pete Hughes chats with Liv Chapman and Toby Neal from Vine Church, Sydney about how the way we run our church services can better reflect the gospel we preach.In the first of two episodes, they discuss:What it means for a Sunday gathering to be deep and warmThe little things that can make our services feel cold or unwelcomingHow to bring warmth to Bible readings, singing, prayer and other parts of the serviceHelping people who serve up front lead with confidence and warmthMaking church welcoming for people who aren't ChristiansToolbox: Deep and Warm workshop recording from Reach Australia Conference 2026Credits: This episode was brought to you by MTSThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠Support Reach Australia's online library

What is the best age to plant a church? In this episode, Gus McCowatt chats with Tim Baldwin to explore the realities of church planting at different stages of life. Having planted in both his early 30s and again in his late 40s, Tim offers a rare perspective on the key differences of both "young man" and "old man" church planting.How marriage and family dynamics shape church planting at different life stagesThe unique challenge of leading older children through a church plantJoys and hardships of uprooting a family for missionCandid reflections from planting Anchor Church Coffs HarbourAdvantages and disadvantages of different agesHow churches can better support both younger and older church planting teamsTim Baldwin is the Senior Pastor of Anchor Church in Coffs Harbour. Toolbox: Reach Australia’s Church Planting AssessmentChurch Planter QuestionnaireCredits: This episode was brought to you by MTSThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠Support Reach Australia's online library

Most people looking for a church start with a Google search. But if someone searched for a church in your area, would they find yours?You might not even know what SEO stands for, but it plays a significant role in helping people discover your church. In this episode, Pete Hughes sits down with search engine optimisation (SEO) specialist Aaron Taylor to unpack simple, practical ways churches can improve their visibility online. Because behind every search is a real person looking for answers. They discuss:Why your church might be invisible on GoogleQuick wins to help newcomers find your church onlineWhat ChatGPT and AI mean for church outreachReal stories of people finding church through Google and AIAaron Taylor is the General Manager at Prosperity Media, an Australian digital marketing agency specialising in SEO, GEO, and digital PR. Toolbox: How to help people find your church on Google article by Aaron TaylorEpisode 394: Social Media for Church Teams Who Don’t Like Social Media (Liz Fong)Credits: This episode was brought to you by MTSThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠Support Reach Australia's online library

Tim Dyer joins Gus McCowatt to about what we do when tension surface in a ministry team, and how leaders can respond.They discuss:Why our assumptions about other people can fuel conflictHow poor behaviour can do more damage than the disagreement itselfWhy relational repair needs to come before resolving the issueHow teams can get better at handling disagreementWhat happens when conflict goes underground through gossip, triangulation or avoidanceWhen it’s time to bring in outside helpTim Dyer trained in psychology at Melbourne and Monash Universities before researching and publishing on youth homelessness as a staff worker with Scripture Union Victoria. Besides mentoring pastors and leaders himself, Tim trains Christian leaders in mentoring and pastoral leadership, and consults with churches and denominations on processes which create and support leader and community health.He also trains and supervises denominational church consultancy teams. He has been training mentors in 2 and 3 year non-accredited courses for John Mark Ministries since approximately 2008. He is a member of the Australian Christian Mentoring Network.Toolbox: Tim presented a full workshop on this content at the Reach Annual Conference this year so if you missed getting along to that or want a refresher make sure to check it out:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOKWnMTrOLsCovenant commitments for Christians in times of tension (a PDF tool on Tim’s website John Mark Extension)John Mark Extension (Tim’s website)Self-care and sustaining ministry course by Tim DyerCredits: This episode was brought to you by MTSThe One Thing is brought to you by ⁠⁠Reach Australia⁠⁠To pray for Reach Australia, join our ⁠⁠WhatsApp Group⁠⁠For ideas or questions please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠Support Reach Australia's online library