Aspire

Aspire Team
  • 5.0 (17)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED BI-MONTHLY

The Aspire Podcast shares real stories and practical insights for aspiring and emerging Christian leaders. Each episode features conversations with young leaders, evangelists, pastors, church planters, missionaries, Bible lecturers, and other types of Christian leaders. Whether you’re exploring ministry or looking to grow as a leader, this podcast provides guidance, encouragement, and inspiration to develop confidence, faith, and clarity in your leadership and service. Originally inspired by: whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task (1 Timothy 3:1). Instagram: @theaspirepod.

  1. Jacob Madder on Thinking About Ministry but Feeling Disqualified?

    28 JAN

    Jacob Madder on Thinking About Ministry but Feeling Disqualified?

    Ever felt that tug toward ministry, but your brain immediately goes, “Nah, not you. Too much mess in your past. Too many stuff-ups. Nowhere near holy enough”?​ In this episode, Jacob Madder (Youth and Music Minister at St Faith’s, Narrabeen) shares his raw story. He grew up in a solid church community with a low hum of “maybe ministry one day” in the background, but internally he was sure he wasn’t the type, and his choices seemed to back that up. He drifted from church, dropped out of uni twice, made some painful mistakes, and carried a deep sense that he was never going to be truly forgiven to ever call others to follow Jesus.​ This episode covers: The quiet weight of “you’d be great in ministry” when you’re convinced there’s no way you could be.​ How walking away from church and hitting a low point in his mid‑twenties became the turning point, not the end.​ The moment a new staff member, who didn’t know his past, told him he should consider ministry, and why that hit different.​ The real‑life wrestle between a big pay rise on the tools and a minimum‑wage ministry apprenticeship.​ What Jake has learned about insecurity, shame, forgiveness, and letting God use every part of your story.​ If you’d like to watch the full conversation, subscribe to us on our YouTube channel to catch the full video there. Link in our Instagram bio.

    49 min
  2. Jeremy Kidd on the Value of a Ministry Apprenticeship & Studying from a Coastal Location

    08/12/2025

    Jeremy Kidd on the Value of a Ministry Apprenticeship & Studying from a Coastal Location

    What does it look like to prepare for gospel ministry without leaving your local church or community? In this episode of the Aspire Podcast, Jeremy Kidd shares his journey into ministry through a ministry apprenticeship (MTS) while studying theology from a coastal context on the Central Coast. Jeremy reflects on his conviction for evangelism, the value of hands-on ministry training, and why he believes apprenticeships are essential for anyone considering paid gospel ministry. We talk about discerning a call to ministry, choosing Bible college, studying part-time while serving in church, and how character, competence, and conviction are formed best in the pressure cooker of real ministry. Jeremy also unpacks why coastal and regional contexts are strategic places for mission—and how God is powerfully at work beyond the city. Whether you’re exploring Bible college, wondering about a ministry apprenticeship, or asking what your next step might be, this conversation will help you think clearly, prayerfully, and realistically about serving Jesus long-term. This is a series of episodes on students at bible college. Hear their stories, their longings, and their questions.

    37 min
  3. Tim and Emily Mitchell on Why You Need a Rich Theological Education

    03/12/2025

    Tim and Emily Mitchell on Why You Need a Rich Theological Education

    Why do you need a rich theological education to pursue Christian ministry? Why should you come back and study further if you are already in ministry or on the mission field? Is a ministry apprenticeship  the only way? What is it like doing bible college as a family? This is a series of episodes on students at bible college. Hear their stories, their longings, and their questions.  We are also now live on Youtube!

    35 min
  4. Matt Wright on Making Radical Sacrifices, Stepping out in Faith, Money as the Greatest Obstacle

    24/11/2025

    Matt Wright on Making Radical Sacrifices, Stepping out in Faith, Money as the Greatest Obstacle

    How can I overcome financial fears about the costs of moving to or studying at bible college? Is it worth the cost? This is a series of episodes on students at bible college. Hear their stories, their longings, and their questions.  This is our first video episode! If this episode was helpful, we would love to invite you to consider giving us a review on Spotify Podcasts. This helps others find out about this podcast. Our goal is to hit 50 reviews by November 30!

    38 min
  5. Jacqui Willing on Finding the Next Step, Moving Past Discouragement

    03/11/2025

    Jacqui Willing on Finding the Next Step, Moving Past Discouragement

    How can you take the next step in your ministry journey? What is bible college really like? How can you move past discouragement when struggling to find examples to model yourself on? A series of episodes on students at bible college. Hear their stories, their longings, and their questions.  If this episode was helpful, we would love to invite you to consider giving us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. This helps others find out about this podcast. Our goal is to hit 50 reviews by November 30!

    30 min
  6. Malcolm and Leanne on Raising a Family on the Frontline of a Spiritual Renewal in Vietnam

    20/10/2025

    Malcolm and Leanne on Raising a Family on the Frontline of a Spiritual Renewal in Vietnam

    Malcolm and Leanne Reid share their remarkable journey of nearly a decade serving in Vietnam, reflecting on the joy and cost of following God into a revival in Vietnam. From being involved in theological education at Hanoi Bible College to navigating persecution in their students church planting, their story is one of faith, perseverance, and deep trust in God’s sovereignty. They speak candidly about raising children on the mission field, winning their kids’ hearts for global mission, and the power of building genuine relationships in a cross-cultural context. Along the way, Malcolm and Leanne unpack why Vietnam captured their hearts, the growing need for Bible teachers across the world, and what it looks like to say “yes” to global need. Malcolm and Leanne are currently 'Missionaries in Residence' at SMBC.

    40 min
  7. Ed Grudier on his Journey to West Asia, Importance of Prayer, Considering the Unreached

    06/10/2025

    Ed Grudier on his Journey to West Asia, Importance of Prayer, Considering the Unreached

    Ed Grudier shares the story of how God led him to West Asia and opened his eyes to the urgent need of the unreached. Along the way, he discovered that prayer is not just preparation for mission—it is the very work itself. In this conversation, Ed tells powerful stories from years on the field, highlighting both the challenges and the surprising ways God moves when His people depend on Him. His reflections will stir your heart for prayer, renew your vision for the nations, and remind you that no place is beyond the reach of the gospel. Ed is the Director of the Centre for Cross-Cultural Mission and Head of Missions at Sydney Missionary and Bible College (SMBC). He recently released a book called "Lifting God High from the Lowest Valley: a 30 day devotional guide through grief ". If this episode was helpful, we would love to invite you to consider giving us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. This helps others find out about this podcast. Our goal is to hit 50 reviews by November 30!

    50 min
  8. Tim Silberman on Ministry 'Fit' vs Need, His Journey as a Missions Lecturer, Critical Considerations for Distant Mission

    22/09/2025

    Tim Silberman on Ministry 'Fit' vs Need, His Journey as a Missions Lecturer, Critical Considerations for Distant Mission

    Dr Tim Silberman reflects on his journey as a missions lecturer and explores one of the most pressing questions for anyone considering gospel ministry: should we serve where we “fit,” or where the “need” is greatest? Drawing on years of experience training gospel workers, Tim unpacks critical considerations for cross-cultural and distant mission. His story is marked by wisdom, humility, and a deep conviction that God is sovereignly at work in both the sending and the going. Tim is part of the SMBC Centre for Cross-Cultural Mission. He recently released a book, Engaging Neighbours and Nations: Factors Shaping Local Church Patterns of Involvement in Mission. If this episode was helpful, we would love to invite you to consider giving us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. This helps others find out about this podcast. Our goal is to hit 50 reviews by November 30!

    46 min
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5
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

The Aspire Podcast shares real stories and practical insights for aspiring and emerging Christian leaders. Each episode features conversations with young leaders, evangelists, pastors, church planters, missionaries, Bible lecturers, and other types of Christian leaders. Whether you’re exploring ministry or looking to grow as a leader, this podcast provides guidance, encouragement, and inspiration to develop confidence, faith, and clarity in your leadership and service. Originally inspired by: whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task (1 Timothy 3:1). Instagram: @theaspirepod.

Information

  • Creator
    Aspire Team
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Aspire Team
  • Show Website
    Aspire