1 00:00:09,549 --> 00:00:16,149 Welcome to Moore in the Word, a podcast of Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia, that seeks 2 00:00:16,189 --> 00:00:21,279 to glorify God through biblically sound, thought-provoking, and challenging talks and interviews. 3 00:00:21,709 --> 00:00:28,689 In this episode, Archie Poulos, Head of Ministry and Director for the Centre for Ministry Development at Moore 4 00:00:28,689 --> 00:00:36,610 Theological College, interviews Dave Morgan, Team Leader of Athletes in Action in the South Island of New Zealand. 5 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:43,200 Archie interviews Dave about his ministry journey since graduating from Moore College in 2005. 6 00:00:44,150 --> 00:00:50,620 Dave talks a little bit about his experience of studying at Moore, having not previously completed a university degree. 7 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:56,810 He explains how his training at Moore equipped him for serving at the University of New England in Armidale. 8 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:06,019 He recalls what it was like to minister to the people of Christchurch in the aftermath of the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. 9 00:01:06,725 --> 00:01:11,765 And he tells us about his current role and why he's passionate about working with athletes. 10 00:01:12,445 --> 00:01:14,185 We hope you find the episode helpful. 11 00:01:23,365 --> 00:01:27,205 I'm Archie Poulos and I've had the privilege of being in the ministry department at Moore 12 00:01:27,205 --> 00:01:32,605 College more than 20 years, and it's my joy today to interview David Morgan who 13 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:38,290 Um, I started and you had your final year here at College or the last couple of years at College. 14 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:38,520 Yeah. 15 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:44,130 And a lot's happened since and so I'm really keen to hear from you about what's been happening, what you're dreaming of. 16 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,970 So when was your last year here at College, David? 17 00:01:48,050 --> 00:01:50,650 Finished up in 2005, which. 18 00:01:51,015 --> 00:01:52,645 As you said, you've been here 20 years. 19 00:01:52,645 --> 00:01:53,815 I was like, Oh my goodness. 20 00:01:53,855 --> 00:01:54,715 That was a long time ago. 21 00:01:54,805 --> 00:01:58,895 And so as a freshly minted graduate of the College, where did you go? 22 00:01:59,145 --> 00:02:03,895 My wife and I, we, and we had two young kids at the time we moved up to Armidale. 23 00:02:04,405 --> 00:02:05,865 So we worked at St. 24 00:02:05,895 --> 00:02:07,114 Mark's UNA. 25 00:02:07,125 --> 00:02:10,095 So kind of a unique setting. 26 00:02:10,304 --> 00:02:15,045 Uh, it's a church which owns its own land in the middle of the university. 27 00:02:15,245 --> 00:02:18,065 So it's both university ministry and church based ministry. 28 00:02:18,245 --> 00:02:20,214 Ah, so can you tell us any stories about that? 29 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:22,860 We loved our time, like, loved it. 30 00:02:22,860 --> 00:02:25,480 It was a healthy staff team. 31 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:32,240 Um, we had a lot of fun, but yeah, lovely to see people become Christians, grow in Christ. 32 00:02:32,649 --> 00:02:37,430 But UNE also, uh, functioned as kind of the hub of the region. 33 00:02:38,099 --> 00:02:46,455 So we had opportunities to serve at UNE and you may preach at church, but then as, other ministers 34 00:02:46,455 --> 00:02:51,725 around the place when on leave, you'd also be able to cover a number of the rural parishes. 35 00:02:52,405 --> 00:02:59,795 So, uh, many opportunities, um, great staff team, lots of MTS trainees. 36 00:03:00,334 --> 00:03:07,885 Um, yeah, it's lovely to see looking back on how God has been at work and where they're all placed now. 37 00:03:07,885 --> 00:03:09,285 And yeah, we had a great time. 38 00:03:10,045 --> 00:03:12,245 That's a lot going on for you in 2006. 39 00:03:12,445 --> 00:03:14,635 Uh, how did College prepare you for all of that? 40 00:03:14,905 --> 00:03:15,995 That's so diverse. 41 00:03:16,460 --> 00:03:23,440 I was very nervous coming to College, uh, I hadn't done a degree prior, so I was one of those small percentage. 42 00:03:24,150 --> 00:03:31,060 Um, and I think probably the best analogy I had of, of College was, it's like 43 00:03:31,060 --> 00:03:35,050 medicine, not going to taste nice on the way down, but it's good for you. 44 00:03:35,659 --> 00:03:39,179 I was nervous coming, um, but wanted to embrace. 45 00:03:40,150 --> 00:03:45,879 I remember, um, Robert Doyle interviewed me and I was talking about being apprehensive. 46 00:03:47,310 --> 00:03:50,500 And he basically said, don't limit yourself. 47 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,320 Come in, grow, learn. 48 00:03:53,400 --> 00:04:00,919 Yes, ask for help, engage with other students, but you have no idea how God may use you and equip you for his service. 49 00:04:01,770 --> 00:04:03,510 You may be teaching overseas. 50 00:04:03,835 --> 00:04:11,825 I was like, I'm never lucky to do a degree, let alone a master's, or he said, don't limit yourself now, get involved and embrace the languages. 51 00:04:11,825 --> 00:04:16,955 And so I think my experience, it was certainly the toughest thing that I've done. 52 00:04:17,405 --> 00:04:25,104 And, um, certainly my time at College, I look back with such fond memories. 53 00:04:25,634 --> 00:04:28,494 It has shaped the way I read the Bible. 54 00:04:29,309 --> 00:04:37,879 It's, uh, provided relationships that have been a great source of encouragement, stimulation to keep learning. 55 00:04:38,409 --> 00:04:40,629 I think that was generated at College. 56 00:04:41,559 --> 00:04:42,839 I could go on for a long time. 57 00:04:43,069 --> 00:04:43,529 Loved it. 58 00:04:43,769 --> 00:04:51,179 So to follow the Robert Doyle line, uh, that he gave you as you came in, what was something unexpected and exciting? 59 00:04:51,824 --> 00:04:54,484 that you can recount from those days up at UNE in St. 60 00:04:54,484 --> 00:04:54,994 Mark's? 61 00:04:55,474 --> 00:04:56,474 Unexpected. 62 00:04:56,534 --> 00:05:07,954 I think, uh, in my first couple of weeks, uh, there was a combined youth conference and I was like, wow, it'd be great to see that. 63 00:05:08,654 --> 00:05:09,634 Oh, you're speaking at it. 64 00:05:10,304 --> 00:05:11,714 Okay, great. 65 00:05:11,794 --> 00:05:13,324 Uh, I need more information. 66 00:05:13,364 --> 00:05:18,274 And yeah, so from the region, they gathered together a youth conference. 67 00:05:18,654 --> 00:05:24,944 Um, I normally would have been terrified, uh, because I think it was five talks that I had to give. 68 00:05:25,604 --> 00:05:27,834 Yet through my time at College, I felt. 69 00:05:28,449 --> 00:05:37,489 Equipped to actually, you know, do a better than average job, um, and actually, yeah, engage with whole range of kids. 70 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:41,679 And, yeah, that was something that if very early on when. 71 00:05:42,129 --> 00:05:43,679 Actually, I'm equipped to do this. 72 00:05:45,069 --> 00:05:46,349 Can I explore something with you? 73 00:05:46,489 --> 00:05:47,009 Yeah, sure. 74 00:05:47,039 --> 00:05:53,349 One of the things I love about the Armidale Diocese is the way that everybody works to help everybody else. 75 00:05:54,079 --> 00:05:57,409 Has that helped you in the rest of your ministry over the last 18 years or so? 76 00:05:57,999 --> 00:05:59,269 Yeah, absolutely. 77 00:05:59,329 --> 00:06:04,649 So some of the things that we really enjoyed there was, um, the connections not just in 78 00:06:04,649 --> 00:06:11,679 the staff team, but across different ministry centers and individuals who are isolated. 79 00:06:11,679 --> 00:06:12,789 How can we bring them in? 80 00:06:13,459 --> 00:06:18,009 Um, there was a particular guy, uh, Rich Newton, who was the TAS chaplain. 81 00:06:18,754 --> 00:06:24,764 And we used to do a ministry meeting every Tuesday night, which was go mountain biking together. 82 00:06:25,214 --> 00:06:32,924 Uh, we'd mountain bike up a hill for an hour, uh, often in the ice, but it was the conversations on the way there, on the way back. 83 00:06:33,604 --> 00:06:40,424 Checking in on what's important in regards to caring for our family and ministry opportunities 84 00:06:40,424 --> 00:06:47,224 and challenges and teasing that through and that doing life together, um, was a great highlight. 85 00:06:47,524 --> 00:06:49,074 How long were you in Armidale for? 86 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:51,974 I think it was four years we were there. 87 00:06:52,314 --> 00:06:53,914 Why on earth would you leave then? 88 00:06:53,914 --> 00:06:55,584 It just sounds like there's so many opportunities. 89 00:06:55,584 --> 00:06:55,824 Yeah. 90 00:06:55,824 --> 00:06:56,534 We loved it. 91 00:06:57,114 --> 00:07:07,114 Um, the problem was that I was a New Zealander and yeah, that's a problem and, and going through College, 92 00:07:07,324 --> 00:07:15,984 um, we had a more College mission to Christchurch and, um, we have lots of family throughout New Zealand and, 93 00:07:16,364 --> 00:07:23,844 uh, liberalism is growing huge and, uh, there was a massive need for Bible teaching throughout New Zealand. 94 00:07:24,579 --> 00:07:27,719 And, uh, that was weighing heavy on us. 95 00:07:28,329 --> 00:07:35,909 Um, and so when we went to Armidale was an intentional step of further being equipped. 96 00:07:36,029 --> 00:07:46,449 I knew I'd had the theological education here, but I wanted to be in a support environment under a leader that I trusted who, uh, could actually 97 00:07:46,719 --> 00:07:55,399 help me and model to me what it looks like to apply those tools that I learned at College in ministry situations, so that I'd be equipped. 98 00:07:56,089 --> 00:07:58,439 for long term gospel ministry in Christchurch. 99 00:07:58,479 --> 00:07:59,699 Yeah, it's very, very wise. 100 00:07:59,699 --> 00:08:03,349 So you got on a plane, took your, how many children by this stage? 101 00:08:03,389 --> 00:08:05,409 Uh, that stage we had 3. 102 00:08:05,409 --> 00:08:08,529 9 something kids. 103 00:08:08,879 --> 00:08:11,799 So our youngest son was actually born just after we arrived. 104 00:08:12,649 --> 00:08:13,189 Okay. 105 00:08:13,459 --> 00:08:15,559 And what did you go back to Christchurch to do? 106 00:08:15,559 --> 00:08:19,159 So there was liberalism and so you decided to work in a church. 107 00:08:19,159 --> 00:08:19,429 Is that what you did? 108 00:08:19,779 --> 00:08:25,109 So, um, during more College mission, we came and worked with a evangelical church. 109 00:08:25,459 --> 00:08:27,309 in the heart of Christchurch, St. 110 00:08:27,309 --> 00:08:28,419 John's Latimer Square. 111 00:08:28,819 --> 00:08:32,249 And I was, uh, invited to come and join that ministry team. 112 00:08:32,909 --> 00:08:34,289 It was a growing church. 113 00:08:34,309 --> 00:08:43,269 I think there was 130 kids under 13 at the time, 550 regulars on a church over a number of different locations. 114 00:08:43,889 --> 00:08:45,579 Uh, they were under resourced. 115 00:08:45,809 --> 00:08:47,609 Uh, I was invited to join that team. 116 00:08:47,969 --> 00:08:48,319 Yeah. 117 00:08:48,319 --> 00:08:48,529 Okay. 118 00:08:48,529 --> 00:08:51,049 So tell us the story of your time then at Latimer Square. 119 00:08:51,659 --> 00:08:58,689 A strange time in the fact that, uh, the two senior guys above me, um, both. 120 00:08:59,314 --> 00:09:03,954 In a very short period of time, went on a long service leave and then resigned. 121 00:09:04,024 --> 00:09:08,484 So I went from being the third minister to then being priest in charge. 122 00:09:08,864 --> 00:09:15,399 Uh, so I started, um, 1st of June and then 4th of September was the first earthquake. 123 00:09:15,399 --> 00:09:20,514 So the next 18 months were interesting times. 124 00:09:20,544 --> 00:09:22,454 Can you remind us about the earthquake? 125 00:09:22,454 --> 00:09:26,574 Because we're on the other side of the Tasman and some of us have forgotten it. 126 00:09:26,630 --> 00:09:29,719 Yeah, so 2010, there was a 7. 127 00:09:29,999 --> 00:09:37,949 2 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch, uh, a number of homes were destroyed, um, but no lives were lost. 128 00:09:38,539 --> 00:09:41,239 So we had major aftershocks after that. 129 00:09:41,829 --> 00:09:48,729 And then, um, in February the following year, 22, uh, I think it's 185 people were killed. 130 00:09:49,059 --> 00:09:58,009 As more earthquakes went off and we're a church right in the heart of the city and part of 131 00:09:58,009 --> 00:10:04,199 my role for a time was chaplain of Latham Square, when the international youth use that time. 132 00:10:04,199 --> 00:10:11,399 So the urban search and rescue teams were in there pulling bodies out and helping on some of those sites. 133 00:10:11,399 --> 00:10:13,419 And it was a crazy time. 134 00:10:14,029 --> 00:10:17,659 There was a historical church there, a church building. 135 00:10:18,284 --> 00:10:25,744 We didn't have any emotional ties to that building when many people in the church had the parents were married there, they were married 136 00:10:25,744 --> 00:10:35,054 there, and in God's providence, to be there leading a church and not being emotionally attached was probably a helpful thing, but there 137 00:10:35,054 --> 00:10:44,204 was also 12 families with their houses destroyed, um, whole bunch of people who saw things they wish they never saw, and as a church 138 00:10:44,244 --> 00:10:55,104 being so limited as a staff team, it was, Um, lovely to actually stand up before a church who's grieving and large number of church go. 139 00:10:56,134 --> 00:10:57,514 This is a big step up for me. 140 00:10:58,174 --> 00:10:58,694 But guess what? 141 00:10:58,694 --> 00:10:59,884 That's a big step up for you too. 142 00:11:00,664 --> 00:11:04,334 Like as a church, we need to be caring for each other, looking after each other. 143 00:11:05,264 --> 00:11:10,934 And it was a time where, um, lay leadership really stepped up. 144 00:11:11,409 --> 00:11:17,969 Yeah, it was lovely in hindsight, looking back how God was at work, kindly caring for his people. 145 00:11:18,169 --> 00:11:18,519 Yeah. 146 00:11:18,709 --> 00:11:18,919 Yeah. 147 00:11:18,959 --> 00:11:27,679 One of the things that helped my prayers was seeing a photo of one of the staff of St John's standing on an excavator. 148 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:28,679 Pete Collier. 149 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:29,799 Yeah, Pete Collier. 150 00:11:29,829 --> 00:11:30,219 Yeah. 151 00:11:30,219 --> 00:11:30,849 On the digger. 152 00:11:31,019 --> 00:11:31,569 Yeah. 153 00:11:31,759 --> 00:11:33,209 Preaching to people there. 154 00:11:34,399 --> 00:11:40,009 Because everybody must have been in turmoil and, uh, lost and wondering why and what does the future hold? 155 00:11:40,009 --> 00:11:41,679 Is there another quake coming? 156 00:11:41,959 --> 00:11:47,769 And passages, one Peter, in Inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. 157 00:11:48,199 --> 00:11:50,869 And you know, where our hope is found. 158 00:11:50,899 --> 00:11:51,639 All of a sudden. 159 00:11:53,005 --> 00:11:56,235 You know, we know they're true, but there's like a deeper gravity. 160 00:11:57,105 --> 00:12:00,235 This is only six or seven years after you'd finished College. 161 00:12:00,255 --> 00:12:08,155 If somebody had said, this is what's going to be going on for Dave Morgan, what would have you said, you know, at the end of 2005, you know? 162 00:12:08,185 --> 00:12:10,124 Yeah, you'd never put your hand up for it. 163 00:12:10,805 --> 00:12:17,175 There's, um, lots of things that we learnt through that time that were so invaluable. 164 00:12:17,795 --> 00:12:20,705 I am thankful that we've gone through it. 165 00:12:21,265 --> 00:12:22,675 And have learnt through that process. 166 00:12:22,715 --> 00:12:28,395 I think there's any trial or hardship, you don't like it at the time, but it's good for you. 167 00:12:28,625 --> 00:12:31,685 It is the extremities, isn't it, that often God uses. 168 00:12:32,195 --> 00:12:36,774 I know that here at the College we speak to our students about, uh, it's great that 169 00:12:36,774 --> 00:12:40,635 you get Bible and theology and we must keep doing that and doing it as well as we can. 170 00:12:40,965 --> 00:12:46,075 We do want people to leave here who are humble, courageous. 171 00:12:46,445 --> 00:12:49,685 wise and see the gravity of what God's called us to. 172 00:12:49,685 --> 00:12:51,775 And it sounds like that's exactly what you needed. 173 00:12:52,075 --> 00:12:58,465 Two things that helped was, um, trying to care for my wife and my wife to care for me. 174 00:12:58,655 --> 00:13:00,975 You try to be kind of the rock for the other person. 175 00:13:01,534 --> 00:13:03,334 But what we learned was that's actually wrong. 176 00:13:04,065 --> 00:13:05,704 The Lord is our rock. 177 00:13:05,734 --> 00:13:07,004 He's our safe place. 178 00:13:07,340 --> 00:13:08,205 There's the rock. 179 00:13:08,285 --> 00:13:09,175 There's the rock. 180 00:13:09,995 --> 00:13:16,175 For our kids, uh, we had to apologize to our kids. 181 00:13:16,845 --> 00:13:19,275 We, we taught our kids in the earthquakes. 182 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:20,610 We've gone through the worst. 183 00:13:20,610 --> 00:13:21,860 That was, we've had the earthquake. 184 00:13:21,860 --> 00:13:23,080 These are just aftershocks. 185 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:25,310 And then a number of months later. 186 00:13:26,350 --> 00:13:34,560 There's a bigger one and 185 people are killed, including, um, people that our kids know. 187 00:13:35,460 --> 00:13:43,500 And they go, hang on, such and such as mum, they were Christian, they died in the earthquakes. 188 00:13:43,540 --> 00:13:48,240 How do we know that you, you know, mum or dad won't die? 189 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:56,460 Kids ask amazing questions and they put their finger on the button and to be able to chat to the kids and go, you know what, we've got it wrong. 190 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:00,230 Sorry, but we're stuffed up. 191 00:14:00,310 --> 00:14:02,950 This is where our hope is found, not in science. 192 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:08,980 And yeah, that's sort of lessons we look back and super are thankful for. 193 00:14:09,230 --> 00:14:09,570 Yeah. 194 00:14:10,110 --> 00:14:11,270 Thank you for sharing that. 195 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:13,929 How long did you spend at St John's? 196 00:14:14,410 --> 00:14:17,290 We I planted a church in 2012. 197 00:14:17,470 --> 00:14:19,630 So we're there from end of 2008. 198 00:14:20,990 --> 00:14:25,989 Planted a church, did you just wake up one day and think, I've had enough, I'm out of here? 199 00:14:25,990 --> 00:14:27,020 No, no, no. 200 00:14:27,110 --> 00:14:28,749 So I was priest in charge. 201 00:14:28,970 --> 00:14:36,250 And so that means that you're running the church until a new vicar is established in the crossship system. 202 00:14:37,085 --> 00:14:46,254 And so, uh, once Costa was appointed as the, the new minister, then we were talking and the 203 00:14:46,255 --> 00:14:52,554 options were, um, do we work together long term because I think you'll get frustrated under me. 204 00:14:52,725 --> 00:14:56,855 You can clearly run a church or do we plant. 205 00:14:57,675 --> 00:15:05,565 And so then the question was, how do we plant that will allow gospel ministry to occur? 206 00:15:06,065 --> 00:15:09,334 Can you take us through how you thought that out? 207 00:15:09,825 --> 00:15:13,924 How we thought it out was, I'm always a little slow on the uptake. 208 00:15:14,245 --> 00:15:14,835 uptake. 209 00:15:15,225 --> 00:15:21,485 And so we had a number of people kind of agitating, uh, in our local area. 210 00:15:21,515 --> 00:15:24,154 I was teaching Bible in schools in the local school. 211 00:15:24,195 --> 00:15:25,714 We had four kids at that school. 212 00:15:26,395 --> 00:15:32,515 Um, there was a number of Christians locally who were like, would love to have a church in a local area. 213 00:15:33,265 --> 00:15:43,445 Um, we started, uh, an evaluation process, kind of doing a 360 degree review of our ministry. 214 00:15:44,065 --> 00:15:45,265 Um, how best do we serve? 215 00:15:45,304 --> 00:15:46,635 That was the question we're asking. 216 00:15:47,575 --> 00:15:53,995 And through that process and, and talking to people who know us well, who've been involved in ministry with us. 217 00:15:54,820 --> 00:15:59,810 And then, you know, do we plant at that stage to leave a push? 218 00:16:00,260 --> 00:16:02,270 And so we're assessed through that. 219 00:16:03,230 --> 00:16:10,229 Um, and that was a very helpful mechanism just to think through how best do we serve? 220 00:16:10,230 --> 00:16:11,450 Here's an opportunity. 221 00:16:12,399 --> 00:16:13,809 Christchurch had changed. 222 00:16:14,330 --> 00:16:20,990 Uh, it was no longer, we didn't have a city center that was very much pushed into the suburbs. 223 00:16:21,340 --> 00:16:24,849 In our area, how do we reach these people? 224 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:30,830 15, 000 people that were within a 15 minute walk of this school that we're at. 225 00:16:31,199 --> 00:16:36,090 We're hearing that you have the heart of an evangelist, which is what is necessary, isn't it? 226 00:16:36,090 --> 00:16:36,550 Yeah. 227 00:16:36,900 --> 00:16:40,350 There was a number of things that were, uh, really refreshing. 228 00:16:41,305 --> 00:16:51,605 Um, we had a whole bunch of people who'd come along who'd never been to church before, a whole bunch of people who, uh, were giving it a go again. 229 00:16:51,795 --> 00:17:02,710 So they may have not been at church for 10, 20 years, uh, and because of that, Um, there was, uh, an honesty. 230 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:10,600 And so we had Bible study groups and people, their questions were real questions as they're 231 00:17:10,650 --> 00:17:17,330 grappling with the Bible, their, uh, prayer points, um, you know, what things are we struggling with? 232 00:17:18,120 --> 00:17:20,260 And they were open and honest. 233 00:17:20,970 --> 00:17:24,460 There was none of this, I'm fine, I don't need prayer this week. 234 00:17:24,550 --> 00:17:25,990 I had a good week, next. 235 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:30,939 Do you think that was provoked by all that Christchurch had gone through? 236 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,130 Or do you think that's true all the time? 237 00:17:33,780 --> 00:17:36,800 There was the shock of the first earthquake. 238 00:17:37,910 --> 00:17:41,490 And then there was a pride because in the 7. 239 00:17:41,660 --> 00:17:44,210 2 earthquake, there was no fatalities. 240 00:17:45,180 --> 00:17:50,260 Christchurch is staunch, stand tall, you know, we saw it written all over the place. 241 00:17:50,780 --> 00:17:54,560 And so, uh, there wasn't people turning to God. 242 00:17:55,130 --> 00:17:56,049 Yet, fast forward. 243 00:17:57,095 --> 00:18:06,175 Over the next couple of years, earthquake after earthquake after earthquake and fatalities, there was a lot more of, God, what is happening? 244 00:18:06,545 --> 00:18:11,304 And there was, uh, an openness, um, for a period of time. 245 00:18:11,954 --> 00:18:19,795 The people that came and were inquiring and became Christians were, you know, clearly 246 00:18:19,875 --> 00:18:27,355 people that God had been involved in their life, poking them, drawing them to himself. 247 00:18:28,005 --> 00:18:30,755 Now, how long were you pastoring this plaid? 248 00:18:31,215 --> 00:18:33,884 Uh, we were running that church for 10 years. 249 00:18:33,885 --> 00:18:37,965 COVID was tough, which it was for, yeah, everywhere. 250 00:18:38,555 --> 00:18:41,085 Kylie and I do a, a big review. 251 00:18:41,624 --> 00:18:44,260 We do one every five years, then every 10 years. 252 00:18:44,485 --> 00:18:48,495 And the question we ask is, um, how best can we serve the Lord? 253 00:18:48,850 --> 00:18:49,909 and everything's open. 254 00:18:50,459 --> 00:18:51,589 Do we continue here? 255 00:18:52,229 --> 00:18:56,399 And there was opportunities to continue, and that would have been great. 256 00:18:57,169 --> 00:19:01,119 Um, or is this an opportunity to look elsewhere? 257 00:19:01,259 --> 00:19:10,899 We can serve where our kids at, what responsibilities do we have in the place where God has placed us here and now, how is the best way to serve? 258 00:19:11,429 --> 00:19:13,049 That's a real missionary way of thinking. 259 00:19:13,404 --> 00:19:13,804 Yeah. 260 00:19:14,434 --> 00:19:15,544 Marry a missionary kid. 261 00:19:16,394 --> 00:19:16,844 That's what you get. 262 00:19:16,884 --> 00:19:17,104 Yeah. 263 00:19:17,104 --> 00:19:17,474 That's good. 264 00:19:18,204 --> 00:19:25,214 So obviously in 2022, you made a change and I can see something on your shirt that no one else can see. 265 00:19:25,274 --> 00:19:26,854 And it says athletes in action. 266 00:19:27,314 --> 00:19:30,144 Is that just a piece of merchandise that you picked up at the airport or? 267 00:19:31,034 --> 00:19:31,304 No. 268 00:19:31,334 --> 00:19:35,764 So, um, before I went to College, I studied health fitness sports training. 269 00:19:35,984 --> 00:19:40,134 And part of that role was working with, uh, a number of elite athletes. 270 00:19:40,594 --> 00:19:49,534 And so I'd had background working with athletes, and so running churches, uh, always had a soft, soft side for 271 00:19:49,814 --> 00:19:58,454 the athletes in our midst, because I kind of got some of the unique challenges that face them, um, and sometimes, 272 00:19:59,044 --> 00:20:05,674 uh, it's hard for athletes to be connected to a local church when their work means that they're away so often. 273 00:20:05,864 --> 00:20:09,814 New Zealand kind of functions as the capital of the Pacific Islands. 274 00:20:10,439 --> 00:20:15,269 And we've got many Pacific Island athletes who are coming to New Zealand for sport. 275 00:20:15,309 --> 00:20:16,789 This is a big opportunity. 276 00:20:17,309 --> 00:20:23,829 Many of them, uh, have a faith, and as they grow in their trust and knowledge of Jesus, as they head back to 277 00:20:23,839 --> 00:20:30,349 the islands, I want to see them equipped, uh, they will, because of their position, because of their sport, 278 00:20:30,389 --> 00:20:36,499 be natural leaders in their communities, but I want to see them as natural leaders, but with the gospel. 279 00:20:37,079 --> 00:20:43,999 I'm assuming that not many of us know anything about Athletes in Action, so here's your chance to, to sell it to us. 280 00:20:44,569 --> 00:20:45,999 What does it exist for? 281 00:20:45,999 --> 00:20:47,429 What are, what are the goals of it? 282 00:20:47,569 --> 00:20:52,819 Athletes in Action, uh, is in 96 countries, so it's a big ministry. 283 00:20:53,619 --> 00:20:56,729 It has its history, uh, with. 284 00:20:57,779 --> 00:21:00,349 Campus Crusade for Christ, so Lee Strobel. 285 00:21:00,769 --> 00:21:05,459 So it's a intentional evangelistic discipleship ministry. 286 00:21:06,659 --> 00:21:08,489 Athletes in Action is not a church. 287 00:21:09,569 --> 00:21:14,279 We work to support and connect with local churches. 288 00:21:14,969 --> 00:21:20,219 And so as I meet up with athletes, I want to make sure they're connected to a Bible teaching church. 289 00:21:20,939 --> 00:21:25,879 I want to see that in Bible studies, their professional life is often really short. 290 00:21:26,599 --> 00:21:29,149 We want to see them grounded for their entirety. 291 00:21:29,629 --> 00:21:38,199 If you could dream of what God might do with you and through you and in this ministry, what would you like five years time to be? 292 00:21:38,219 --> 00:21:42,999 Yeah, there's more and more hubs being set up, sporting hubs. 293 00:21:43,049 --> 00:21:47,559 So there's new, a stadium is, uh, forming at the moment. 294 00:21:48,059 --> 00:21:49,429 But it's not just a stadium. 295 00:21:49,779 --> 00:21:55,789 In the stadium, there's function centers, meeting centers, other gospel opportunities here. 296 00:21:56,229 --> 00:22:01,459 We've had a number of teams, um, kind of contact us. 297 00:22:01,509 --> 00:22:06,759 And so I'm running some Bible studies for some, uh, teams, um, which is exciting. 298 00:22:06,759 --> 00:22:07,389 Some professional. 299 00:22:07,559 --> 00:22:08,209 Sporting teams. 300 00:22:08,209 --> 00:22:08,899 Sporting teams. 301 00:22:08,899 --> 00:22:09,119 Yep. 302 00:22:09,389 --> 00:22:13,179 So rugby, super rugby teams, um, women's teams. 303 00:22:14,939 --> 00:22:17,999 In the past, they've been kind of little prayer times. 304 00:22:19,259 --> 00:22:29,889 Now, they've been going, okay, we want to be in God's word and needing someone to come and teach and disciple these athletes. 305 00:22:29,919 --> 00:22:34,699 And so in this professional space, more and more have opened up. 306 00:22:35,289 --> 00:22:41,559 The other two big changes are Lincoln Uni and Canterbury have invested heavily in sport. 307 00:22:42,519 --> 00:22:49,539 So what that means is, uh, high performance sport is now, um, coming into the university space. 308 00:22:50,209 --> 00:22:53,509 So New Zealand cricket has a hub at Lincoln University. 309 00:22:54,004 --> 00:22:55,994 There's a new sports coaching degree. 310 00:22:56,354 --> 00:23:00,784 And so there's these kind of hubs that are being set up. 311 00:23:01,554 --> 00:23:11,564 What might it look like to actually have equipped Christians to be able to disciple and teach in those places is really exciting to think about. 312 00:23:12,254 --> 00:23:18,054 Also, um, as the climate is changing across Australia, there's a number of 313 00:23:18,054 --> 00:23:24,404 conversations about what might it look like to replicate or to grow the ministry. 314 00:23:24,834 --> 00:23:27,804 And to reach athletes across Australia as well. 315 00:23:27,914 --> 00:23:34,804 What you're speaking about is using the circumstances that God has given that his name be glorified everywhere. 316 00:23:34,984 --> 00:23:39,844 Our situation at the moment is there is way too much ministry. 317 00:23:39,984 --> 00:23:41,654 I'm the only one in the South Island. 318 00:23:42,094 --> 00:23:45,404 My job is to, uh, set up Athletes in Action. 319 00:23:45,824 --> 00:23:54,264 We spent, uh, three days, uh, during the O Weeks at Canterbury Uni, two days there, one day in Lincoln. 320 00:23:55,034 --> 00:24:04,364 And we had 70 athletes, high performance athletes, 46 said they're Christian and they're 321 00:24:04,364 --> 00:24:09,764 struggling and they would love to meet up with other athletes to encourage each other in our faith. 322 00:24:10,354 --> 00:24:16,104 And then there was 24 other athletes who said, I'm Christian ish. 323 00:24:17,994 --> 00:24:22,984 I'm Christian, but I don't actually know what I believe. 324 00:24:23,879 --> 00:24:27,899 But I'm keen to meet up with someone to explore that further. 325 00:24:28,949 --> 00:24:34,119 That's 70 people who are keen to be discipled followed up and I'm like, it's just me. 326 00:24:34,469 --> 00:24:34,809 Yeah. 327 00:24:35,459 --> 00:24:39,349 We're long for 70 people who walk into our churches like that. 328 00:24:39,349 --> 00:24:44,389 So there's scope for people who have a, you know, a heart for a particular sport. 329 00:24:44,884 --> 00:24:47,054 There, there's also some opportunities there. 330 00:24:47,274 --> 00:24:57,494 You come through College without having done a prior degree, you take, you take the medicine as Robert Doyle suggested to you, and look how, where God 331 00:24:57,494 --> 00:25:07,054 has placed you, uh, university church ministry, church planting, rebuilding after the earthquake, uh, another church, another church plant, uh, now. 332 00:25:07,434 --> 00:25:13,434 Um, athletes in action, uh, so many great opportunities and doors that the Lord opens, aren't there? 333 00:25:13,554 --> 00:25:13,954 Yeah. 334 00:25:13,994 --> 00:25:14,974 Oh, a hundred percent. 335 00:25:15,274 --> 00:25:15,644 Yeah. 336 00:25:15,704 --> 00:25:24,064 And lovely to connect with, um, You know, people who you went through College with and see their stories and where they are now. 337 00:25:24,244 --> 00:25:24,414 Yeah. 338 00:25:24,454 --> 00:25:25,114 Heaps of opportunity. 339 00:25:25,174 --> 00:25:26,564 Oh, it's been great to have you with us. 340 00:25:26,564 --> 00:25:32,234 Thank you for giving us the time and also encouraging our hearts as you tell us what's 341 00:25:32,244 --> 00:25:35,864 going on and also some of the ways that the Lord has moulded you through all of these days. 342 00:25:36,524 --> 00:25:37,794 Thanks very much, David Morgan. 343 00:25:37,984 --> 00:25:38,314 No problem. 344 00:25:46,064 --> 00:25:50,814 Thank you for listening to Moore in the Word, a podcast of Moore Theological College. 345 00:25:51,244 --> 00:25:55,934 Our vision as a College is to see God glorified by men and women living for 346 00:25:55,934 --> 00:26:00,934 and proclaiming Jesus Christ, growing healthy churches, and reaching the lost. 347 00:26:01,344 --> 00:26:06,594 This interview is just one of many from the College's 100 Ministry Stories Project. 348 00:26:07,164 --> 00:26:13,534 For more than 160 years, Moore Theological College has been sending men and women into a wide 349 00:26:13,534 --> 00:26:19,334 range of ministries in Sydney, every state of Australia, and almost every continent in the world. 350 00:26:20,104 --> 00:26:26,594 100 Ministry Stories helps us to remember and praise God for the work that he has been doing in the world in our times. 351 00:26:27,044 --> 00:26:32,204 Remembering what God has done in our lives helps us respond to our world in steadfast hope. 352 00:26:33,154 --> 00:26:40,104 It is our prayer that as you hear how the Lord is at work, you will be encouraged in your faith and built up in joyful assurance. 353 00:26:40,754 --> 00:26:42,284 Find out more on our website. 354 00:26:42,524 --> 00:26:49,064 That's moore.edu.au/100. 355 00:26:50,544 --> 00:26:56,384 If you are a graduate and keen to contribute to the 100 Ministry Stories Project, we would love to hear from you. 356 00:26:56,714 --> 00:27:01,004 Get in contact with the Communications Team to express your interest or find out more. 357 00:27:01,484 --> 00:27:07,874 You can email us at comms@moore. 358 00:27:08,079 --> 00:27:09,219 edu.au. 359 00:27:10,089 --> 00:27:13,419 That's comms@moore.edu.au. 360 00:27:19,329 --> 00:27:24,999 You can find out more and register for any of our events by visiting the Moore College website. 361 00:27:25,329 --> 00:27:29,859 That's moore.edu.au. 362 00:27:30,699 --> 00:27:34,899 If you have not already done so, we encourage you to subscribe to our podcast 363 00:27:34,899 --> 00:27:38,559 through your favourite podcast platform so that you'll never miss an episode. 364 00:27:39,394 --> 00:27:43,804 For past episodes, further resources, and to make a tax deductible donation to 365 00:27:43,804 --> 00:27:48,734 support the work of the College and its mission, please visit our website at moore. 366 00:27:49,224 --> 00:27:49,814 edu. 367 00:27:50,034 --> 00:27:50,044 au. 368 00:27:51,284 --> 00:27:57,014 If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend and leave a review on your platform of choice. 369 00:27:57,014 --> 00:28:06,954 We always benefit from feedback from our listeners, so if you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at comms@moore. 370 00:28:07,204 --> 00:28:07,754 edu. 371 00:28:07,894 --> 00:28:07,904 au. 372 00:28:09,604 --> 00:28:18,004 The Moore in the Word podcast was edited and produced by me, Karen Beilharz, and the Communications Team at Moore Theological College. 373 00:28:18,474 --> 00:28:22,464 The music for our podcast was provided by MarkJuly from Pixabay. 374 00:28:23,084 --> 00:28:23,854 Until next time.