From the TGCA Editorial Director
Part of the series “My Year In…”
I highly value those who devote their time and attention to writing and submitting articles to TGCA. It is a great investment in Australian Christianity (and beyond), in stimulating our thoughts, affections, and practices. In addition to working with experienced leaders and writers, I am thankful for the opportunity with new and emerging writers, helping them fan their gifts into flame and give them a platform to share their writing to Australia and the world.
Generative AI
We received some excellent submissions helping us wrestle with the spirituality, ethics, and practicalities of new technology.
David M. Shaw was forced to think more about how GenAI works after marking an assignment with a bibliography written by a hallucinating robot (“Spiritual Formation and Artificial Intelligence”).
I have a lot of sympathy for the concerns Emma Wilkins raises in her long and thoughtful “Generative AI: The Case for Caution”.
Meanwhile Luke Prentice provides a huge range of examples of ways the technology can be harnessed in “AI in Ministry: A Practical Guide”.
Paul Matthews draws on his experience as a school teacher to help us think well about the use of GenAI in a church context (“Pedagogical Hospitality: A Vision for AI in Christian Organisations”).
Current Events
Murray Campbell wrote a helpful corrective to online claims that empathy is a sin (“The Godliness of Empathy”).
Sarah Quicke brings her social science expertise to bear to cautiously answer the question “A Quiet Revival in Australia?”
Murray Campbell appears on my end-of-year list for a second time for his article on “The Two Narratives at Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service”.
The ideas explored and the vision cast in Andrew Heard’s vision paper “Doubling” were warmly received at TGCA’s National Christian Leaders Mini-Summit on the topic ‘The Future of the Gospel in Australia’ in June. We will be watching and praying to see its implications work themselves out in 2026.
Arts and Culture
Des Smith started 2025 for us on a joyful note with his “Rhyming Bible” for the first three chapters of Genesis.
In “Adolescence: A Wake-Up Call of Simply Good TV?” Helen King responds to the Netflix sensation about youth social media use.
I like being able to publish pieces in a more creative form. In addition to the rhyming Bible, Honoria Brennan shared a fresh approach to reading the book of Habakkuk with a uni student studying music (“Scoring the Soundtrack to Habakkuk”).
Evangelism and Apologetics
Many Christian leaders are observing that we are now evangelising in a different context to five or ten years ago. Several articles this year address this. In “Witness When the Vibe Shifts” Pat O’Keeffe draws lessons from the example of the trials of the Apostle Paul.
Kamal Weerakoon wrote two very important pieces of missiology for us: “Engaging with Western Post-Christian Inquirers Today” and “Three Emerging Social Trends”.
Christian Faith and Life
Jo Gibbs wrote a challenging, practical, and ultimately spiritually inspiring three-part series about the common experience of a mid-life spiritual plateau.
Harriet Connor helps us tease apart distinctions between gender stereotypes and generalisations about the two sexes (“Gender Differences: Generalisations Are not Stereotypes”).
Ben Lattimore’s article takes on a very difficult but important topic in “Close to Home, Catastrophic and Complicated: The Need to Think Clearly About Domestic Abuse in the Church”.
Health and Neurodiversity
Finally, I want to make mention of these two personal, real, hopeful, and spiritually practical articles: “Chronic Illness: Honouring God with Broken Bodies” by Jess Habib and “Parenting a Special Needs Child” by Susan Rockwell.
