Best Pastor Geoff Podcasts (2025)

1
Jonathan Cornford: What if Jesus meant what he said about money? 1:10:56

4d ago1:10:56

1:10:56

In this conversation, Jonathan Cornford discusses his journey of living simply and the implications of faith on economics. The discussion explores the historical context of Christianity's relationship with capitalism, the importance of community, and the challenges of navigating guilt and shame in economic choices. In this conversation, Will and Jo…

1
Sarah Bacaller on 'Apostate: Stories of Deconversion' 1:16:07

11d ago1:16:07

1:16:07

Sarah Bacaller is the editor of 'Apostate: Stories of Deconversion.' In this conversation Sarah and Will explore themes of apostasy, the fragility of fundamentalist faith, and the importance of listening to personal stories of deconstruction and/or loss of faith. They discuss the cultural contexts of Christianity in the US and Australia, the challe…

1
Geoff Bullock: after Hillsong...and after that 59:43

18d ago59:43

59:43

In this conversation, Geoff Bullock shares his profound journey of faith, music, and the complexities of his time with Hillsong. He reflects on his early days in the church, the creation of the Hillsong music team, and the pivotal moments that shaped his spiritual life. Bullock discusses the rise and fall of Hillsong, expressing his grief over its …

1
Jono Ingram on everyday spirituality and sustainability 1:08:27

25d ago1:08:27

1:08:27

In this episode Will Small interviews Jono Ingram, exploring his journey from being a pastor to finding his place in the world through nature, spirituality, and community development. Jono shares his experiences of feeling like a misfit within the church, the influence of his parents' faith, and how he integrates his spirituality with his current w…

1
Liz Charlotte Grant on seeking God in Genesis after losing faith in the Bible 1:12:45

1M ago1:12:45

1:12:45

In this episode Will engages in a rich conversation with Liz Charlotte Grant, author of 'Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible.' They explore Liz's early relationship with the Bible, her journey through evangelicalism, and the evolution of her faith. Liz shares her insights on the importance of narrative in shapin…

1
Summer replays: Carolyn Meers on pastoring through deconstruction 1:01:53

1M ago1:01:53

1:01:53

Yo! Brand new podcast episodes will be coming your way in early 2025, but for now I'm pulling out a couple of great episodes to revisit from the back-log, like this chat with Carolyn Meers. This is a conversation about what it’s like to go through faith crises, deconstruction, dark nights of the soul. etc etc. while pastoring a church. This is not …

1
Summer replays: Michael Frost & Shane Meyer-Holt on the other side of 'mega' 1:17:48

2M ago1:17:48

1:17:48

Yo! Brand new podcast episodes will be coming your way in early 2025, but for now I'm pulling out a couple of great episodes to revisit from the back-log, like this chat with Michael Frost and Shane Meyer-Holt... Michael Frost (the kiwi version who hosts 'In the Shift' podcast) and Shane-Meyer Holt joined me (Will) for a rich conversation exploring…

1
ad-Vent Live: a Merry Christmas Rant with Mitch Forbes & Ella Evans 1:05:04

2M ago1:05:04

1:05:04

In this Christmas special, Will Small is joined by Mitch Forbes and Ella Evans for an honest conversation about the complexities, frustrations, and hidden griefs of the Christmas season. Between music, conversation, and poetry, they explore: The tension between Christmas joy and real-world suffering The liturgical calendar as an alternative rhythm …

1
102 Redescribing Depression: The antifeeling that is more than sadness (with Dr. John Swinton) 34:47

2M ago34:47

34:47

Is depression a biological and chemical problem? Is it a mental and emotional, or relational problem? Is depression spiritual in nature? As our guest today says, how we describe something is how we see it, and how we see it changes how we respond and act towards it. Dr. John Swinton is Professor in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care and Chair in …

1
Simon Nixon on navigating hard conversations at Christmas 1:14:06

2M ago1:14:06

1:14:06

In this episode Simon Nixon joins Will to discuss the challenges of navigating difficult conversations, especially during the holiday season, and the significance of recognizing emotions and setting boundaries. Simon highlights the need for self-awareness and understanding triggers while engaging in conversations with family and friends, advocating…

1
101 Forming Leaders and Ministers: Depth, Character, and Spiritual Direction (David Clayton) 46:28

2M ago46:28

46:28

Leaders, pastors, and pioneers of movements are often outward and forward-focused. Often this means leaving the inward life unexplored and ignored. How can leaders tend to the depths within, and how might spiritual directors help in this work? How best can we support and form clergy and leaders? David Clayton is a qualified and experienced Spiritua…

1
Tanya Riches on leaving Hillsong, church with wombats and real-world theology 59:22

2M ago59:22

59:22

Dr Tanya Riches is the Director of Master of Transformational Development at Eastern College, and she has a PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary. Her interdisciplinary project with Aboriginal Pentecostal leaders (located at the intersection of development studies, anthropology, and Pentecostal theology) won the David Allan Hubbard Award from the Sc…

1
100 Attaching to God in the Wild (guest Jeff McMullen) 33:51

2M ago33:51

33:51

What does attaching to God look like in one's personal life, life as a counselor, and life of faith? That's what we are talking about today. Our guest is Jeff (spelling?) McMullen. Jeff is the Executive Director of Life Counseling Center and an Assistant Pastor at Chapelgate Presbyterian Church. As a counselor, he is particularly interested in work…

1
Kelly Latimore on Icons, Advent and learning how to see 1:02:20

2M ago1:02:20

1:02:20

Kelly Latimore is an artist whose modern day Icons have an incredible ability to challenge where we see Christ in the world. Some of his most known works reimagine the Nativity in contexts of modern suffering: amongst the homeless in a tent city, seeking safety as refugees, huddling beneath the rubble in Palestine. At the beginning of the season of…

1
Joel Hollier and Christine Redwood: Why Future Church? 1:06:13

3M ago1:06:13

1:06:13

Will Small, Joel Hollier, and Christine Redwood reflect on their experiences and insights from the inaugural Future Church Conference at the beginning of this year and look towards the next one on January 28, 2025. They discuss the importance of collaboration, the need for change within the church, and the significance of creating inclusive spaces …

1
099 Reframing Mental Health: From Fixing a Machine to Fellow Wayfarers (with Dr. Warren Kinghorn) 36:16

3M ago36:16

36:16

While modern psychiatry has improved many patients’ quality of life, it falls short in addressing their relational and spiritual needs? Can we draw on theological wisdom and scientific evidence to reframe our understanding of mental health care? Dr. Warren Kinghorn is a psychiatrist and theological ethicist whose work centers on the role of religio…

1
Tim Whitaker on The New Evangelicals, Christian Nationalism and resisting Trump’s America 56:51

3M ago56:51

56:51

In this conversation, Tim Whitaker discusses the complexities of the recent political landscape in the U.S., particularly focusing on the impact of Trump and the role of Evangelicalism. He reflects on his personal journey and how The New Evangelicals began. The discussion highlights the challenges and contradictions within Evangelicalism and the ne…

1
098 Freedom and Acceptance (Pt. 2) 32:45

3M ago32:45

32:45

"Freedom appears very nearly the only value about which people still agree unanimously," says Jacques Philippe in his little book, Interior Freedom. But how does freedom connect to happiness, love, and our life with God and others? These are the questions this little firecracker of a book examines, and that we talk about in this two-part series. We…

1
David Gushee: After Evangelicalism [a timely post-election Replay] 1:01:13

3M ago1:01:13

1:01:13

I presume many of you, like me, are feeling a deep swirl of emotions coming out of a week where we have witnessed the re-election of Trump. Honestly it feels so baffling to me that someone can so blatantly be a convicted felon, a misogynist, an authoritarian, completely void of compassion and empathy for vulnerable people…and with all this and so m…

1
Will and Joel Small debrief Tim Winton’s CPX lecture (on climate crisis, toxic positivity and today's prophets) 1:04:56

3M ago1:04:56

1:04:56

Tim Winton gave the Centre for Public Christianity’s 2024 Richard Johnson lecture. Will and his brother Joel went along. In this conversation they discuss Tim’s powerful words on toxic positivity, climate crisis, and the prophetic voices of young, environmental activists crying out for change. Read an excerpt from Tim’s lecture here: https://www.th…

1
097 Confessions of an Amateur Saint (with Mandy Smith) 49:25

4M ago49:25

49:25

Instead of pretending to have it all together or insisting that you’re the problem, do you long to see more Christian leaders be honest about their own faith struggles? What benefit could there be to having a front-row seat to the moments that leaders choose to trust in God, even when it’s hard to believe? Today we have Mandy Smith, pastor and awar…

1
Anna Robinson (from Nomad podcast) on wilderness, wonder and contemplative practices 1:08:54

4M ago1:08:54

1:08:54

Anna Robinson is a regular co-host on Nomad podcast, and the founder of LiveLight|DwellDeep. She describes herself as "a contemplative, deeply drawn to the mystics and misfits, those who feel at home in the wilderness." In this conversation, Will and Anna explore the themes of wonder, contemplative spirituality, and the journey of rediscovering a d…

1
Sally Longley on violence, silence and Ignatian spirituality 57:26

4M ago57:26

57:26

In this episode Sally Longley shares her journey from a belief in violence to embracing pacifism and Ignatian spirituality. Sally shares her experiences in South Africa during apartheid, her theological studies, and the transformative power of silence and imagination in spiritual practice. The conversation delves into the complexities of nonviolenc…

1
096 The Shape of Joy (with Richard Beck) 31:35

4M ago31:35

31:35

In a world where mental health issues and loneliness are at an all-time high, it’s more important than ever to find ways to cultivate joy, community, and meaning in our lives. But how exactly do you do that? Maybe we need to turn outward rather than inward for answers. That's what we are talking about with Dr. Richard Beck. Dr. Richard Beck is a pr…

1
Pub Theology: politics, faith and community action (with Jack Turner) 1:13:38

4M ago1:13:38

1:13:38

Jack Turner joins Will and Mitch at the virtual pub to discuss Christianity and political engagement. Do Christians typically care more about meeting the needs of the poor than asking why they're poor in the first place? Was Jesus a communist? Should we be capitalists? Socialists? Something else-ists? Crack a drink and join us as we throw around id…

1
095 Healing What's Within (with Dr. Chuck DeGroat) 32:04

4M ago32:04

32:04

Like many of us, you carry a weight of buried pain. You feel secretly fractured within. There’s a constant churn of unprocessed feelings of shame, anger, grief, or loneliness. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Chuck DeGroat is the Professor of Counseling and Christian Spirituality and Executive Director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Pr…

1
Scott Erickson (Scott the Painter) is creating a visual vocabulary for the spiritual journey 1:05:17

4M ago1:05:17

1:05:17

Hello fellow misfits, friends, humans of all kinds! An absolutely delightful conversation awaits you with Scott Erickson. He’s a painter, author, performance speaker. His instagram bio says ‘Curator of awesomeness’. And I think that’s absolutely accurate. We had a great chat about Scott's creative process, the role of visual art In forming how we s…

1
094 Strange Religion and the First Believers (with Nijay Gupta) 34:01

4M ago34:01

34:01

The first Christians were weird. Just how weird is often lost on us today. The first Christians believed unusual things, worshiped God in strange ways, and lived a unique lifestyle. Many in the ancient world saw it as bizarre, even dangerous, but some found this new religion attractive and compelling Today we are interviewing Dr. Nijay K. Gupta. He…

1
Pub Theology: Listener questions (hedonism, lament and the limits of language) 1:24:17

5M ago1:24:17

1:24:17

Mitch, Hannah and Will crack a drink and throw around various questions from Spiritual Misfits listeners (submitted in the Facebook group) Questions/topics discussed include: Is there a role for hedonism and pleasure in connecting us with the divine? Who is responsible for creating safety within a community? What place should lament have in faith..…

1
093 Why You Haven't Given Up on the Soul If Speaking About the Brain (Jim Wilder) 38:10

5M ago38:10

38:10

Everyone is talking about slowing down, slow food, a slow life. I have friends who host the “Slow Theology” podcast. But is going slow the best to understand the SOUL? (What does that even mean?) Recently, people like Jim Wilder have been specifically accused to talking too much about the brain, and not even about the soul. So much so that some bel…

1
Scott Parker: 'Hillsong Boy' 1:02:12

5M ago1:02:12

1:02:12

Scott Parker comes on the podcast to discuss 'Hillsong Boy': a theatrical exploration of the highs and lows of growing up queer in a megachurch, based on Scott’s real life. Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): htt…

1
092 Freedom and Acceptance (Pt. 1) 33:10

5M ago33:10

33:10

"Freedom appears very nearly the only value about which people still agree unanimously," says Jacques Philippe in his little book, Interior Freedom. But how does freedom connect to happiness, love, and our life with God and others? These are the questions this little firecracker of a book examines, and that we talk about in this two-part series. We…

1
Jason John on sex, evolution and a poem you’ll never forget 1:07:55

5M ago1:07:55

1:07:55

Jason John is a fascinating human being with a very interesting story doing very interesting things. He’s an ordained minister in the Uniting Church, has a PhD in zoology and is, amongst other things, a ‘forest chaplain.’ In this conversation we talk about evolution, sexual ethics, eco-faith communities and poetry. At the end of this episode Jason …

1
091 How A Psychologist Came to Believe in Miracles…and More (Book Conversation) 29:43

5M ago29:43

29:43

Geoff and Cyd talk about the impact of reading Why I Believe: A Psychologist's Thoughts on Suffering, Miracles, Science, and Faith, by Dr. Henry Cloud, specifically... the place of miracles and healing in mental health concerns, how encountering God often precedes evidence for God, and, the power of open systems and God at work in the world. From t…

1
Amy Kenny: 'My Body is Not a Prayer Request' 1:00:19

5M ago1:00:19

1:00:19

Amy Kenny, author of 'My Body Is Not A Prayer Request,' joins Will for a discussion about disability justice and ableism in the church. She shares her experiences of being prayed over for her disability to be erased and the harmful treatment she received in the church. Amy emphasizes the importance of recognizing the image of God in disabled bodies…

1
Mental Health and Loneliness with James Aaron and Sarah Bishop 1:00:19

5M ago1:00:19

1:00:19

This is the fifth and final episode in our mini-series produced in collaboration with the Pulse team from Uniting Mission and Education. And in my opinion, this one was such a profound, vulnerable and meaningful conversation. Sarah Bishop and James Aaron joined me to explore mental health and loneliness in the context of faith and spirituality. Whe…

1
Technology, AI and Spirituality with Aditee Vora, Somerset Drayton and Jonty Cornford 57:32

6M ago57:32

57:32

Take a quick moment to think about how much technology has changed during your lifetime? What was the height of tech when you were a kid? Can you divide your life up into before and after internet connection? The pace of technological change can be hard to keep up with — but without a doubt it has an impact on our lives, our communities — and our s…

1
Racial injustice and the Church with Nathan Tyson, Radhika Sukumar-White and Liesl Homes 1:03:04

6M ago1:03:04

1:03:04

Hello good people, Welcome to the third conversation in our five episode mini-series with UME’s Pulse team. Over the last two weeks we’ve explored generational divides and climate crisis, eco anxiety and the like. This week another big conversation. What does it mean to keep faith in a world of racial injustice? Are people of faith in Australia tod…

1
Navigating eco-anxiety, finding ways forward with Joyce Tangi, Karina Kreminski & Jono Row 48:30

6M ago48:30

48:30

Hello again good people! This is the second in our series of 5 collaborative conversations hosted by Spiritual Misfits and the Uniting Mission and Education Pulse team, exploring major challenges in our world today and the kind of faith that doesn’t shy away from them or just respond with unhelpful platitudes. And this week we’re delving into a hug…

1
‘My Generational Deconstruction’ with Joanna Drayton, Ken Day and Ella Evans 1:02:50

6M ago1:02:50

1:02:50

Spiritual Misfits and Uniting Mission and Education's Pulse team have collaborated to bring you a series of conversations about 5 pressing challenges we face on planet earth today, and the kind of faith that may help emerging generations to navigate and engage with them. In this conversation a Boomer (Ken Day), Gen X (Joanna Drayton), Millennial (W…

1
Christine Redwood, Belinda Groves & Nathan Nettleton on the Open Baptists 1:01:06

7M ago1:01:06

1:01:06

In this episode Will is joined by Christine Redwood, Belinda Groves and Nathan Nettleton to discuss the emergence of the Open Baptists, a new Baptist movement within Australia. The Open Baptists seek to reimagine what it means to work together as Baptist churches, focusing on partnership, collective decision-making, and freedom of conscience. They …

1
090 Risky Play, Fun, and the Life of Faith 22:43

7M ago22:43

22:43

Why do kids climb trees, run really fast, and spin until they fall over? What is the benefit of risky play? And what does that have to do with attaching to God and our spiritual life? In this episode, we look at the research regarding play and how it connects to attaching to God. Baggage Claim: Don't miss the new segment where we finish by claiming…

1
Redemptive Tension: Already And Not Yet | Pastor David Hoffelmeyer | Genesis 46 - 49 27:11

7M ago27:11

27:11

Redemptive Tension: Already And Not Yet | Pastor David Hoffelmeyer | Genesis 46 - 49 by Faith ChurchBy Faith Church

1
Karen Pack on starting loved and restoring the erased 1:03:04

7M ago1:03:04

1:03:04

The Reverend Dr Karen Pack is a religious historian, ordained Christian minister, Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrant, and current President of Spiritual Care Australia. For over twenty five years she has been engaged in training pastors, chaplains, leaders and teachers in Australia, North America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Her docto…