Episodes

  • Rev David Brown - 24 Nov 2024

    Rev David Brown - 24 Nov 2024
    Nov 24 2024
    David Browne was born in South Africa and grew up in Botswana, Zambia, Poland, and the Netherlands before immigrating to Australia. He completed high school in Brisbane. His older brother has Down syndrome and still lives with their mum and dad. David’s sister Emma lives with her husband and two boys in Alice Springs. David became a Christian at 14 after reading the Bible for himself. He was ordained in the Anglican Church in 2016 and has served in Toowoomba and Dalby since then. David’s wife, Zoe is also ordained and is actively involved in ministry around the Darling Downs region. David and Zoe have two young boys and a couple of dogs. Fun Facts: '?? David was part of the Australian Dolphins swimming team from 2007 - 2010. He has a dream to swim the English Channel one day...

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    57 mins
  • Ps Michael Foster - 17 Nov 2024

    Ps Michael Foster - 17 Nov 2024
    Nov 17 2024
    Ps Michael Foster was born in Maryborough, QLD and moved to Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast as a young child. He grew up in a Christian home but walked away from the Lord when he was in high School. Michael experimented with drugs and alcohol during his teen years, but he returned to God when he was 19 through a young woman who is now his wife! After recommitting his life to God, Michael developed an insatiable hunger for the things of God which led to studying at Bible College in 2001. He married Gillian at the end of that year. After being unable to have children, God answered Michael and Gillian’s prayer and they now have two girls (17 and 19) and two boys (20 and 21) who are all serving the Lord in various ways. Michael is the pastor at Oz Challenge Mooloolaba. He is also on the board of Answers in Genesis Australia and OAC Ministries. He’s also co-founder of Hope House, a charity that helps women in crisis. Fun Facts: '?? Michael has spent 66% of his life working in or owning Subway Sandwich shops '?? Michael refers to himself as an ’accidental church planter’ and street preacher

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Dan Buckle - 10 Nov 2024

    Dan Buckle - 10 Nov 2024
    Nov 10 2024
    With over 15 years experience in both Ministry and in the Marketplace, Dan Buckle has had the privilege of leading and communicating to people of all ages and generations. Having spent time as a creative pastor of a Melbourne church, as well as the Queensland Children’s Pastor of multi-site church, Dan is passionate about taking the timeless message of Jesus, and sharing it in a way that can be embraced by everyone. Dan is the founder of Link Kids, which exists to empower Kids’ Pastors to spend less time programming and more time pastoring.

    Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donate

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Ps Phil Hopwood - 3 Nov 2024

    Ps Phil Hopwood - 3 Nov 2024
    Nov 3 2024
    Phillip (Phil) Hopwood was christened an Anglican, but brought up in a Methodist church in Launceston, Tasmania. He enjoyed Sunday school and had some excellent teachers. In his teens, Phil joined the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). They observed a seventh-day Sabbath, Jewish Holy Days and food laws (eg no pork, shellfish, etc.). The church also believed the Holy Spirit was the impersonal power of God, denying the Trinity. In the early 80’s, Phil studied at the WCG liberal arts school, Ambassador College, in Pasadena, California. After graduating, Phil moved to Canada to minister at a local congregation. He married in 1986 and was transferred back to Australia to pastor the Newcastle congregation in 1992. By this time, he and his wife had three kids. In the mid-90’s the WCG leadership made a dramatic shift, announcing they were under the New Covenant and not bound by the Old Covenant. This caused massive and ongoing repercussions, but Phil was overjoyed by the change of direction. The church later changed its name to Grace Communion International (GCI). In 1997 Phil moved his family back to Tasmania to pastor three congregations. The Launceston church became the first Australian GCI congregation to move to Sunday services at that time. One of Phil’s most difficult experiences came when his first wife left and remarried. He experienced cycles of depression, shame, feelings of abandonment and deep grief. He was helped greatly by close friends and family and found that faith, hope and not burying the grief, but understanding and working through it made a big difference. After 41 years in pastoral ministry, Phil retired on June 30th this year.

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    52 mins
  • Isaac Harrison - 27 Oct 2024

    Isaac Harrison - 27 Oct 2024
    Oct 27 2024
    Isaac Harrison is a First Nation Australian with ancestral ties to the Kabi Kabi and Birri Gubba tribes of North and Southeast Queensland. He is a leader in Indigenous business and economic development. Isaac was born in Maryborough, QLD, and raised in Hervey Bay. He pursued both soccer and higher education, earning a Diploma in Fitness before transitioning into the energy sector, where he played a key role in the growth of the Aussie Batteries and Solar. After relocating to Melbourne, Isaac co-founded Bunjil Energy and later shifted to consulting, supporting over 30+ Indigenous-owned businesses. He now serves as Director of Towcha, an Indigenous-owned IT services company. Isaac’s work also includes helping corporates make better procurement decisions while empowering Indigenous SMEs to grow, blending innovation with cultural heritage to create a lasting impact in Australia’s economic landscape.

    Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donate

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    55 mins
  • Ps Russell Evans - 20 Oct 2024

    Ps Russell Evans - 20 Oct 2024
    Oct 20 2024
    Pastor Russell Evans was born on the mission field in Papua New Guinea and raised as a pastor’s kid (PK) in Adelaide. He comes from a strong Christian lineage reflected in his depth of experience, knowledge of the Word of God, and passion for the local church. Russell understands the pressures that accompany PKs and struggled as a young man to find his life purpose. This experience caused him to be passionately committed to identifying, encouraging, equipping, and raising up young people and up-coming leaders to boldly walk in their God-given destiny. During the 1990’s, Pastor Russell served under his father, Andrew Evans, as Youth Pastor at Paradise Church in Adelaide. At that time Planetshakers Conferences became annual events in multiple locations around Australia. In 2004, the band and ministry moved to Melbourne and started Melbourne City Church. This eventually became known as Planetshakers Church, which today has over 21,000 members in eleven locations (eight in Australia and three international campuses in PNG, Singapore and South Africa). Russell married Sam in 1992 and together they have two adult kids, Jonathan (married to Selina), and Aimee (married to Noah). Aimee and Noah have a little boy, Malachi.

    Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donate

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    51 mins
  • Ps Darren Dakers - 13 Oct 2024

    Ps Darren Dakers - 13 Oct 2024
    Oct 13 2024
    Pastor Darren Dakers was born in Brisbane to parents who had immigrated from Zimbabwe. He has one older brother and an older sister and they grew up near Beenleigh (halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast). Darren’s dad became a Christian when he was about 9. His parents prioritised church and sought to teach him the Bible and Darren made his own decision to follow Christ in grade 9 (2002). Darren attended Beenleigh Baptist Church for 20 years before moving to Ashgrove Baptist for the second of three years at Bible College. After graduating in 2012, he volunteered at Ashgrove Baptist before joining the staff to oversee Young Adults & the worship team. He also worked one day a week with Malyon Leadership College for 2 years. In 2017 Darren moved to the Gold Coast to plant a church in Coomera. Initially part of Liberti Church, the church became autonomous and became Coomera Baptist Church in 2022. Darren married Teagen in 2014 and they have three kids (ages 2 - 7).

    Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donate

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    51 mins
  • Ps Dermot Cottuli - 06 Oct 2024

    Ps Dermot Cottuli - 06 Oct 2024
    Oct 6 2024
    Ps Dermot Cottuli was born to Irish parents who immigrated to Australia when he was five. He was part of a big family, with six sisters and one brother. He spent most of his early years in a social housing estate in the Western Suburbs of Sydney (Mt Druitt). Dermot was brought up catholic but had a brush with the Charismatic movement when he was 14. At the time, his dad was an alcoholic and Dermot had an encounter with God where he made a promise that if God got his dad off the grog he’d become a priest. The very next day his dad woke up, turned to his wife and said 'I’m an alcoholic and need help'. Dermot’s dad went cold turkey off the grog from that moment onward and never touched another drop for the rest of his life! Dermot joined the army out of high school and was posted to Townsville. He thought a Christian youth group would be a good place to meet girls, so he ended up at Calvary youth one night. This led to Dermot committing his life to Jesus, being discharged from the army and going to Bible College. After college, Dermot moved to Tassie with a mate and his wife and helped plant a church. He also did a bachelor of education and met his wife, Debra. Over the years, Dermot has served in youth ministry and been senior pastor at two churches, including for the past 20+ years at Grace Church in Tassie. Dermot and Debra have 4 adult kids together.

    Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donate

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    58 mins