Charlie Brammall says depictions of Jesus, and treatments of other life and death issues, in popular culture are a good gift from God to be used in introducing people to him.

When we think about Christian ministry, church growth and training, we find ourselves with the problem of the chicken and the egg. Which comes first: do we look to grow the church and then train people from among the congregation, or do we make training our starting point and grow the church from there?

With the long summer break almost over, many students are about to start tertiary education for the first time. For Christians, the time between school and TAFE or university can be a hard one. Pressures to conform rather than to stand for Christ can be strong upon starting at a tertiary institution. How can the church help Christian students remain strong in their faith during this transition period?

Theologian Don Carson talks to GEOFF ROBSON about ministry, suffering and his affinity for Australia.

If Christians are to reach ethnic Australians, we need churches and ministries tailored to their needs.

Every month, STUART ROBINSON will introduce us to people with a connection to the Diocese of Sydney, who are now serving God overseas. In the first installment, we catch up with David Short in Vancouver, Canada.