Heart of Mission

S9E04-Matt and Bex serve high school students in Japan through camp ministries and after-school programs. Before Japan, the couple spent years leading the RICE movement in Melbourne, mobilising thousands of young Asian Australians toward faith — work that could easily have continued to "flourish" at home. Instead, they found themselves drawn toward Japan's much harder, slower mission field, where only 1% of the population is Christian despite 450 years of Christian history.
Matt and Bex share the story of their calling, including Bex's breast cancer diagnosis just weeks after committing to full-time ministry, the strange grief of feeling like outsiders in a culture they physically resemble, and the deep encouragement of watching people like Jim, Kay, and Mia take steps toward Jesus in a culture where faith carries real social cost.
At the heart of the conversation is a challenge for anyone discerning their own future in ministry: is your goal effectiveness, efficiency, success … or availability to God, wherever he calls? Matt and Bex don't pretend the answer is easy, but their story is a compelling picture of what it looks like to trust God's timing over your own sense of usefulness.

S9E03- What does it really take to share the hope of Jesus across cultures? For many people considering mission, language learning can feel like one of the biggest obstacles. Is it really necessary? Couldn't English be enough?
But learning another language isn't simply a practical skill—it's a profound act of love.
Joined by CMS language trainer Louise Simon and long-term missionaries Kay and Chris, this conversation uncovers how language opens the door to deep relationships, genuine belonging, and meaningful gospel conversations.
You'll discover the significance of a person's "heart language" and why hearing the gospel in that language can have such a powerful impact. Louise also explains how CMS prepares missionaries for this journey, challenging the common myth that only naturally gifted linguists can learn another language.
Language learning can be difficult. It takes persistence and humility. But as our guests remind us, learning someone's language isn't just preparation for ministry—it is ministry. And through that investment, lives are being transformed as people encounter Jesus in words that truly speak to their hearts.

S9E02-Louise and Greg spent years serving in Australia — Louise in kids' and women's ministry, Greg in database systems with churches, AFES and CMS — before relocating to a large international church in the Middle East with their three young children.
In this episode, they share what it looks like when "database ministry" and frontline gospel work turn out to be deeply connected. Going from a small suburban Aussie church where everyone knows everyone to a church of a thousand people and 90 nationalities – how do you welcome, connect, and disciple everyone who walks through the door?
Louise tells the stories of several people she's discipled: Marina, a South Asian ministry apprentice learning to teach the Bible rather than just "babysit" kids; Anna and her son Samuel, discovering the gospel afresh from a different religious background; and David and Joanne, a husband and wife drawn closer together through wrestling with a tricky Old Testament passage. While, Greg explains his role as executive pastor — building (and sometimes tearing down) the "trellis" of systems and structures that support real gospel growth.

S9E01-What happens when the plans you've carefully made are put on hold?
For Malcolm and Ainsley Purdy, preparing to serve in Chile meant facing months of unexpected uncertainty. What should have been a simple visa process stretched into a long season of waiting, leaving their family in limbo with four young children, an empty house on the other side of the world, and no clear answers.
In this episode of Heart of Mission, Malcolm and Ainsley share how God met them in the waiting. They reflect on learning to trust God's timing, the sustaining power of prayer, and the surprising ways God provided when every human plan seemed to stall.
Their story reminds us that mission is never ultimately built on our determination or perfect planning, but on the faithfulness of God. Whether you're serving cross-culturally, facing an uncertain future, or waiting for God to open the next door, this conversation offers encouragement to trust the One whose purposes always prevail.

How much focus on global missions is too much? As followers of Christ, we're called to engage in local communities while also embracing God's global purpose. But how do we strike the right balance between local and global mission in our everyday lives and ministries?
Rowan Kemp is a long-serving staff team leader of the Evangelical Union (EU) at Sydney University. Rowan, who has spent decades shaping the hearts and minds of university students toward both local and global mission, brings invaluable insights from his experiences. He shares how his own journey into global mission was sparked at a young age. This early exposure fostered a love for God's worldwide mission that now fuels his leadership at the university.
During the conversation, Rowan outlines nine key principles for promoting a global mission mindset at the local level (see below). He explains the importance of setting a ministry horizon that goes beyond our immediate context, thinking globally while leading by example. Rowan also stresses the need for clear theological thinking about global missions, ensuring that it’s not just an obligation but a joyful response to God's love.
This episode will challenge and inspire leaders, church members, and anyone with a heart for missions to think deeply about how to raise up workers for God’s global harvest while maintaining a vibrant local ministry. Whether you're just beginning to explore global missions or looking for ways to encourage others to think beyond their local context, Rowan's practical advice and experiences will provide a helpful roadmap.
Tune in as we discuss how you can nurture a global heart right where you are!
Nine key principles for promoting a global mission mindset at the local level – listen to hear how Rowan explains and uses these:
1. Set ministry horizon
2. Lead by example
4. Theological clarity
5. Language to capture the vision
6. Empower some champions
6. Embed global mission into regular program
7. Increase firsthand exposure
8. Praise God for the wins
9. Failure is your friend
Links: If you are interested in serving with or supporting CMS find out more at www.cms.org.au