Stirrers and Saints: The Podcast

28. Faith at Work: A Theology of Work

Work is supposed to be good. To go to work, to toil and labour, is to reflect the creative and productive character of God. It brings purpose and meaning, and allows us to make the world a better place and be custodians of God's good creation.
But work, for so many, does not inspire. It's a drain and a dread. They knuckle down and get on with the workweek just looking to get home or for Friday evening to come around. 
So how can work be good? Why is it not good for so many? How can we make it purposeful?
Brian and Aaron chat through these questions and talk, theologically, about the nature of work.
Things to think about this week:
How can you make sure that you good some good sleep?
How can you - in whatever position or role you currently occupy - make you workplace a positive and redemptive place?
How can you ensure the smile of God?
If you could do anything, and money was no issue, what would you do?
A Centre for Faith and Life Production. For more information, visit centreforfaithandlife.com 
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27. Faith at Work: Faith in the Market Place

Christian faith is not limited to Sunday mornings. Indeed, it stretches into every part of our lives, including our work. The Christian church has had a major impact on Western Civilisation and how we do work, and its values have permeated into many of today's "secular" organisations. As leaders today, it's vital that we think about the values - both stated and implicit - of the organisations we lead and work within.
This episode is the first of eight exploring the topic of "Faith at Work" and Brian sits down with Aaron to discuss what it means to be a faithful Christian within your workplace - wherever that is. 
Things to think about this week:
What are the values of your organisation?
What is the theological architecture of your workplace?
Who are the people around you?
What can you do?
A Centre for Faith and Life Production. For more information, visit centreforfaithandlife.com 
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26. Reflections on Season Two: Some Favourite Moments

Join Brian Harris and Aaron Chidgzey as they re-listen to some of their favourite moments from season two and reflect on the helpful and insightful leadership lessons. They discuss what it means to care for people without being intrusive, creating a culture and inspiring vision, being set apart and working with others who are also set apart, the importance of making mistakes, and remaining hopeful about the future.
This is the last episode of season two, so keep in touch with Centre for Faith and Life on Facebook and Instagram, and the CFL website, to stay in the loop about what's coming next. Exciting things to come!
A Centre for Faith and Life Production. For more information, visit centreforfaithandlife.com 
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25. The Leader as Sculptor: The Science of Creativity, and the Creator as Culture Maker

Leaders need to think creatively and imaginatively to solve problems, dream big, cast vision, and create a culture where people flourish. And the good news is that everyone can be creative! 
But how is it done? And is it possible to get better at it?
Aaron Chidgzey sits down with Brian Harris and special guest, musician and cafe manager extraordinaire, Jett Harris, to talk about this important and inspiring topic. What ensues is an encouraging, uplifting, and practical conversation that will help any listener feel more confident in their creativity. 
A Centre for Faith and Life Production. For more information, visit centreforfaithandlife.com 
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24. The Leader as Sage: Make Mistakes, Gain Wisdom, Teach Others, with Bec Oates

Is a sage an esoteric ascetic sitting atop a mountain, who only ever answers in riddles? Or is a sage the one who speaks the loudest and never thinks they're wrong? Perhaps (though probably not for the second one), but most of the time, a sage is someone who understands their own limitations, is willing to admit to their mistakes, and is constantly reflecting and evaluating and growing.
That's the sort of person we think most people would like to follow.
In this episode, Brian Harris is joined by Aaron Chidgzey and Bec Oates to chat about it what means for a leader to be a sage. A leader must at least be seeking to grow in wisdom and be someone who passes that wisdom on to others. They experience and learn from life and teach their followers. Bec offers some incredible wisdom here, about what it means to be wise.
A Centre for Faith and Life Production. For more information, visit centreforfaithandlife.com 
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23. Confessions of an Amateur Saint: A Chat with Mandy Smith

What does a 'professional' leader look like? Probably the same as what a 'perfect' Christian looks like: inauthentic. There is significant cultural pressure to professionalise our leadership, but this often comes with a cost, and that cost is our ability to effectively point people toward God.
In this episode, Aaron Chidgzey sits down with Jen Argue and guest Mandy Smith, pastor, leader, teacher, and author of the upcoming book 'Confessions of an Amateur Saint: The Christian Leader's Journey from Self-Sufficiency to Reliance on God'. Mandy urges the Christian leader to embrace vulnerability and authenticity, to learn be comfortable with discomfort, and return to a trusting dependance on God. 
The book is available for pre-order Amazon and Koorong. 
A Centre for Faith and Life Production. For more information, visit centreforfaithandlife.com 
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22. Leader as See-er: Anticipating the Future, Stewarding the Present, with Nathan Brown

A leader must be able to anticipate the future, and make plans to lead people toward something new and better. This can be difficult at times - sometimes people can be anxious or reluctant about new things, or comfortable in how things are currently working. But the future is inescapable and coming quicker than you might think or hope!
Jon Bergmann likes to talk about the future, and chats with Aaron Chidgzey and guest, Nathan Brown, CEO of Christian Media and Arts Australia, who also like to think and talk about the future. This conversation is filled with AI, chatbots, and technology, but mostly how to faith in God and have hope that, no matter what, God will present with us always.
A Centre for Faith and Life Production. For more information, visit centreforfaithandlife.com 
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21. Ethics and Leadership: A Chat with Ethicist and Theologian, Dr. Michael O'Neil

Leadership is about making decisions. Indeed, the human experience is about making decisions. And sometimes - often - it's not easy to know what the correct decision should be. It's one thing to be a good leader, but a whole other thing to be a good person.
In this episode, Brian sits down with Aaron and friend, Dr. Michael O'Neil to discuss ethics. Michael is a lecturer in theology and ethics, and the conversation covers a lot of ground, from medical ethics to social ethics, leadership to the role of the church in society. One that will surely get you thinking and reflecting!
A Centre for Faith and Life Production. For more information, visit centreforfaithandlife.com 
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20. The Leader as Steward: The Wise Use of Resources at Hand

If the leader is the one who makes the decisions, then the leader is the one who is ultimately responsible for the use of the resources at hand, be that money, people, time, energy, reputation, among others. So the leader is also a steward. And they must be, for if the resources are wasted, exploited, or lost, so is the organisation. So how does one be a wise steward?
Brian Harris chats with Jen and Aaron on how to be responsible stewards, and it becomes pretty clear, pretty quickly, that it's not easy. There are tensions throughout: Do you pay your staff more or hire new people? Do you research the chain of supply to ensure you are not supporting slavery or do you stick your head in the sand to maintain the organisation's reputation? Do you give people space or do you give them a nudge? 
Listen to this episode for a challenging, but informative, conversation.
A Centre for Faith and Life Production. For more information, visit centreforfaithandlife.com 
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19. The Leader as Servant: Empowering People and Thinking Big

Leader as servant? Isn't that an oxymoron? No! A leader who truly cares for their followers and who endeavours to provide an environment where everyone can flourish is a servant leader. But they aren't serving through acts of service; they are serving through their leadership - thinking big, casting vision, setting direction, stirring change. That is what Aaron Chidgzey talks about with Jen Argue and Brian Harris in this episode. 
A Centre for Faith and Life Production. For more information, visit centreforfaithandlife.com 
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