Shows
Journey of a Thousand StepsWhy Not Moses? Why Not You?Have you ever felt you were too old, too young, too inexperienced, not reputable enough or not psychologically strong enough to pursue your dreams? If yes, you are in good company. This week we read the story of Moses being called into leadership at the age of eighty, as he encountered God at Mount Sinai. He had been living in Midian as a shepherd for forty years and his life in Egypt was well behind him. He was elderly and had every reason to doubt that the elders of Israel would listen to him, as a man who had...
2026-02-0830 minJourney of a Thousand StepsThe Missing Skill in Many ChurchesA critical skill that we need in our personal lives and for the church to be healthy, is knowing how to share our faith with people in our lives who don't currently share it. We all have people we deeply love, in our families, friendship circles and workplaces, who do not share our faith. Many Christians today are journeying with a husband or wife who is not involved in church. How are we meant to navigate this? Is it wrong to desire others to come to faith in Jesus? Today we practiced four disciplines, drawn from 1 Peter 3.8-22, that...
2026-01-2533 minJourney of a Thousand StepsHow to Find Your PersonHow do you know who your person is? Who is the right friend, companion or life partner? Today we explored Paul's advice to the early church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 7.25-40). He presented a view that was as countercultural then, as it is now, that though marriage is a good gift, it is better to be single. Though he was speaking to a specific an audience who lived in an unsafe context, which is harder for those with children, his position presents an important corrective about how we choose relationships. We do this in a reverse order to the world...
2026-01-1827 minJourney of a Thousand StepsHow to Plan a Healthy BudgetWe want to be a church that helps people find financial freedom and lean into the adventures God is calling them into. Jesus came that we could have fullness of life (John 10.10). This means not having an empty bank account, or, a full account that comes with a spiritually bankrupt life. This Sunday we spent time considering how to revise and prayerfully plan a personal budget for 2026, that invests in long-term fruitfulness, saves for a rainy day and avoids the trap of short-sighted living. James' letter to the early Church (James 5.1-12) gives us a powerful reminder that the...
2026-01-1132 minJourney of a Thousand StepsPurity is Not a Dirty WordHow do you feel about the word 'purity'? The Church often has a reputation for nurturing unhealthy attitudes towards sexuality or natural human desires, or perhaps trying to 'cleanse us' of things that aren't dirty. Whilst we don't want to and were never meant to burden people with shame, today we were reminded by Paul's advice to a young church leader, Timothy, that the Church is called to be clean of the things that hurt people in the world. This week we considered his advice in 1 Timothy 5.1-8, which describes four ways we want to be noticably more transparent...
2026-01-0425 minJourney of a Thousand StepsHow to Plan for the Year AheadHow do you stocktake the year that's been and set goals for the year ahead? Would you like to try a biblical framework for your planning? As we prepare to enter the new year, this final Sunday of 2025, we considered Paul's teaching to the Corinthian church about the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15.18-25). If we believe that we have been spiritually reborn in Christ and will be physically resurrected after we die, our end-goal starts in Heaven. We don't simply look to what we can achieve in the time we have on earth. We look back from who we are in...
2025-12-2828 minJourney of a Thousand StepsChristmasBy the end of this message we hope you will see how believable the Christmas story is - not a fariytale! So many of the details in the accounts of Jesus' birth are too random, inconvenient and imperfect to have been made up. In the middle of an economically depressed and unsafe political context; as well as a socially lonely and difficult situation, signs and wonders emerged. This is exactly how faith leads to social change. First, a small team of people are faithful to a calling, long before there is evidence that it is real. Secondly, life keeps...
2025-12-2817 minJourney of a Thousand StepsJosephDo you ever wonder whether the story of Jesus' birth is simply a ridiculous fairytale? As we take a close look at Joseph's story in Matthew 1.18-25, we see his anxiety and uncertainty as he faced a very hard decision. We also notice three dynamics that combined to make sense of something crazy. First, he had knowledge of the scripture and recalled the prophecy of a birth that would come only from God. Second, he had a deeply personal encounter with God through a dream, which calmed his anxiety and gave him a reason to believe in a miracle...
2025-12-2128 minJourney of a Thousand StepsWhen God Moves Slower Than We ExpectEven the greatest of leaders experience doubt. At the end of his journey, John sent his disciples to ask Jesus - 'What on earth is going on and why are you moving so slowly?' The words in scripture read, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” ( See Matthew 12.2-12) John was under immense physical and psychological pressure as he faced imprisonment, but he was also confused by the way Jesus was starting his ministry. It seemed slow and very different to the way John had led a massive campaign for people to c...
2025-12-1422 minJourney of a Thousand StepsThe Economy of HeavenWhat makes a movement last? John the Baptist built a following that scaled quickly (we know this from Christian and non-Christian historic sources)!! This week, as we continued our teaching series, 'The Sifting Years', we considered John's strategies as a leader of systemic change. His cry was to convert people to an entirely new economy - one led by God as the CEO of our lives and Prime Minister of our home country. The biblical language is that "the Kingdom of Heaven has come near." In Matthew 3.1-12 we see a leader who exemplifies this change in his own...
2025-12-0725 minJourney of a Thousand StepsThere is Good Division and Bad DivisionHave you been watching the news? This month we are praying and donating to support communities across South East Asia affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as we continue to hold in prayer so many nations impacted by war and many individuals recovering from religious persection and abuse in religious institutions. Where is God is allowing so much hurt to go on? This week we took a deep dive into Jesus' plan, as recorded in Matthew 24. He told us to expect four things to continue and increase before it will, finally, end: wars, natural disasters, persection of Christians and the worst...
2025-12-0334 minJourney of a Thousand StepsLet's Get Loud (Thanksgiving Sunday)We aren't meant to be church mice! This was the take home message this Sunday. Heather shared some of the reasons why church communities can become timid and happy to be small, keeping the bar low on their Mission Action Plans. As Heather shared the three-year plan ahead of Holy Trinity, she encouraged the congregation to move towards making a noise in the local community - not an offensive, rude noise, but a BEAUTIFUL and skilled sound. This Sunday, we concluded our teaching series about Christian Worship, considering Psalm 150, which describes a people who sing and dance in a...
2025-12-0326 minJourney of a Thousand StepsWhy Pray to a God Who Lets Bad Things Happen?How can God be both good and all-powerful? Surely God can be good, but powerless to stop all suffering, or all-powerful and, therefore, unkind? This week we explored the meaning and practice of worship as described in Psalm 145, in which the singer makes a promise to praise God every day, in all circumstances. We encountered the commitment that people of faith have to exhalt, bless, praise and confess God, even through trial, hardship and persecution. Heather shared a personal example of praising God from a place of despair, and how the Bible answers the question, 'Why pray to a...
2025-11-1626 minJourney of a Thousand StepsWhy Do We Sing Songs in Church?Are you someone who loves singing and dancing in church, or are you more likely to arrive fifteen minutes late so you can miss the opening worship? Music in church is often one of the greatest sources of conflict in church communities. This is no surprise, since it matters, and is so much more than the icing on the cake of Christian life. Today we considered the lyrics in Psalm 96, which tell us about why worshipping God in song is important. We learned that though there are many reasons why music aids our faith journey, its primary purpose is...
2025-11-0229 minJourney of a Thousand StepsWalk On: How to Keep Walking with Jesus After Encountering Sexual or Financial Abuse in the ChurchWhat credibility rating woud you give Christianity as a source of wisdom about sexuality or finance? Do you feel the Bible holds wisdom the world needs, or are you inclined to think of biblical teachings about money and sex as outdated? It is a common and understandable response to the moral failings of Church leaders, to throw out the credibility of the whole tradition. However, Paul, in his letter to the early Church across Asia Minor, provides very specific counsel about how we are to respond to sexual and financial immorality by Christians, especially leaders. In Ephesians 5.1-20 he...
2025-10-1224 min
Never Too Far GoneWhy You Probably Don't Need The Big GuySometimes the smallest, messiest, most depleted organisation still has more life in it than you might think. In this episode Heather shares why she believes that external partners might offer quicker solutions, but it is almost always a false economy. She unpacks why she has chosen to focus her life on renewing long-established systems from within, assisting them to develop their own in-house solutions. Heather shares insights from Maria Mazzucato and Rosie Collington's research at UCL, into why an over-dependence on external advice creates a fear-driven economy in which actors lose the skill of learning.
2025-10-0622 min
Never Too Far GoneWho Could Ever Learn to Love a Beast?In this episode Heather explains what a 'Renewalist' is and why it is a different style of leadership to two more readily recognised categories, being management and advocacy. Heather explains from the example of Beauty and the Beast, how Renewalists are people who humanise systems by stepping into them fully. The episode ends with a time for reflection about whether you are "all in" to lead the community you stand within, or whether you feel one-toe-out.
2025-10-0611 min
Never Too Far GonePlanning for the UnplannedIn this quick Learning Byte, Heather shares about the importance of planning for the unplanned, or making space for what John Paul Lederach describes as "Serendipity." Heather shares an example of serendipitous discoveries that have been taking place for her at Holy Trinity in Port Melbourne. This episode finishes with an exercise in observing the unplanned experiences and opportunities that may be nudging you in an unexpected direction.
2025-10-0609 min
Never Too Far GoneHow to Remember That You Are More Powerful Than You Think You AreEvery great leader experiences small, medium and big setbacks along the way. Knowing how to weather and metabolise these experiences can make the difference between going the distance, and not. This is the fourth of a series that draws from John Paul Lederach's book, The Moral Imagination (2005) in which he describes the place of patience, place, time and serendipity in the practice of peacebuilding. This episode shares three exercises for practicing Stillness by observing the place of the past, present and future at each juncture of our story.
2025-10-0607 minJourney of a Thousand StepsEqual Parts Truth, Equal Parts LoveSome churches seem to care more about truth, standards and biblical orthodoxy than compassion and kindness. Other churches can kindess and inclusion above truth. But in truth, love rejoices in facing hard things, having hard conversations. For this reason Paul urges the Church to "grow up", to "mature", and to find the balance between speaking the truth and showing love. Today at Holy Trinity, we considered Paul's words to the early Church in Ephesians 4:1-16, where he provides a pathway to spiritual maturity. He describes a need to nurture all of the gifts that God gives to the Body...
2025-10-0531 minJourney of a Thousand StepsChristianity: The Faith That Has No National, Political or Cultural IdentityHow do you feel about the way Christianity is represented in the media today? One of the earliest marks of Christian faith, from its infancy, when it was still considered a small, Jewish sect that was likely to phase out, was its multi-ethnic, multicultural framework. No longer did followers of this faith need to share the same national, political or cultural identity. Gentiles were welcome, and they weren't expected to convert to the Jewish way of life to join. This wasn't a development that anyone was expecting, least of which the Apostle Paul, who pioneered the mission of the...
2025-09-2827 minJourney of a Thousand StepsVital Signs of Life (Vision Sunday II)"Once we were dead," says Paul to the early church across Asia Minor. Once we were dead, but now we are alive together with Christ. We can sow into the things that lead to life, or that which leads to death. These are our choices, says Paul in Ephesians 2.1-10.
This final Vision Sunday for 2025, we considered where the signs of life have been in our past and present at Holy Trinity, and where there have been symptoms of death. The signs of life are always warmth, growth and activity. Signs of death are coldness, hardness, inactivity. A...
2025-09-1421 minJourney of a Thousand StepsHow to Touch Heaven (Every Day)Do you ever wish you had a portal, so you could travel back and forth from different parts of the world in seconds? Imagine if you could literally move back and forth from Heaven in seconds, as easily as walking through a wardrobe. C. S. Lewis depicted this concept so beautifully in the Narnia Chronicles. The real life version is, however, even better.
Today, we began our six weeks series exploring Paul's letter to the Ephesians (or the early church in Asia Minor). The letter gives us a profound and beautiful exposition of the ways in which...
2025-09-0727 minJourney of a Thousand StepsTwo Ways Vision Goes Wrong (Vision Sunday)Have you ever been in a church that had big plans and exciting projects, but these collapsed as soon as the leadership changed? Or have you ever been in a church that built stability on keeping everything the same as it's always been? This Sunday, we considered Jesus' teaching about humility from Luke 14.1, 7-14, which highlights two temptations that church leaders, in particular, must avoid:
The temptation to exhalt themselves, by using a congregation to advance their own following, style and branding.
The temptation to prioritise the preferences and opinions of people who give time and money to...
2025-08-3121 minJourney of a Thousand StepsThe Best Financial AdviceHave you ever felt anger or regret about the way your money has been handled? Have you ever been cheated out of fair pay, a fair property settlement, child support payments or your rightful inheritence? Do you carry shame or regret about financial losses in your life, or have high hopes of building your financial portfolio? This week we took the opportunity to strengthen our financial literacy based on what Jesus teaches (which is a lot). As we considered the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21, we learned that wise financial management and investment can start at...
2025-08-0332 minJourney of a Thousand StepsWhat to Do When You Feel InadequateDo you ever feel stressed that you don't have enough money, support, confidence or strength to do what you really want to do? When Jesus' disciples asked him, "Teach us how to pray," they weren't just asking for a general lesson on prayer (Luke 11:1-13). They were in the middle of building the mission of their organisation, with a growing team that was now seventy leaders strong. They were asking, 'Compared with other groups, how do we pray?' Jesus' response spoke directly to the times we feel the most pressed and unsure of ourselves as we journey with...
2025-07-2727 minJourney of a Thousand StepsJesus Flips the ScriptIs it more important to be a good person or to go to church? Chapter 10 of Luke's Gospel could trick us. After relaying the parable of the Good Samaritan, which sends a clear message that there's no point being religiously observant if you walk past a neighbour in need, Luke immediately hits us with the story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42). Suddenly we are told that spending time with Jesus, receiving His teaching, is more important than good works. What the? Martha's honesty and frustration with Jesus comes from two sources we can all relate to: internal worries...
2025-07-2030 minJourney of a Thousand StepsHow to Know Your Life's Purpose (By Embracing Inconvenience)How do we discover or step into our life's purpose? We all wrestle with this question. Perhaps you are someone who, like the lawyer in today's passage (Luke 10:25-37), wonders whether the Christian faith can really help you know this. When challenged to be specific and to properly explain the way to have fulness of life, Jesus responds with the parable of The Good Samaritan. The story tells us that it is in the most inconvenient, unexpected moments of love, that God puts right in front of us, that we discover the big answers. By stopping for the one...
2025-07-1323 minJourney of a Thousand StepsHow to Build a Startup Ministry from Nothing: Three Financial StrategiesThis week we encounter Jesus' brilliance as a manager and founder. He knows how to build a startup ministry from nothing, even whilst facing opposition! As we see in Luke 10:1-24, he passes on three financial strategies to his newly appointed team of 72. First, he instructs them to offer their services for free (no exceptions). Secondly, he says to have no hesitancy relying on partners and donors to finance the movement. He calls these people "promoters of peace." Thirdly, the disciples are to avoid any capital that comes with compromise. If you'd like to watch these strategies unfold in...
2025-07-0623 minJourney of a Thousand StepsWhen You Love Someone Who Can't Come With YouEveryone who follows Jesus eventually encounters a tension; a very painful tension. What do you do when your faith is growing ahead of the people you love, even the people you love the most? Sometimes, we have to let go of hoping that a friend or family member can stay with us on the journey, and give ourselves permission to move ahead of them. Sometimes we even risk the possibility that if we go where God is taking us, they may walk away altogether. This week we were reminded by Luke 9.51-62 that Jesus himself faced this: people who...
2025-06-2923 minJourney of a Thousand StepsA Man Who Is Hard to HelpDoes anyone remember the song 'Blow Up the Pokies' by The Whitlams (1999)? It was a song written about gambling addiction and the chorus was marked by a plea: "I wish, I wish I knew the right words to make you feel better, walk about of this place." Have you ever met someone who was very hard to help, or seen a situation that seemed too hard too fix? This week we encountered the power of Jesus to break the toughest barriers to freedom in the story of the Gerasene man: Luke 8: 26-39. But wait and beware - freedom of...
2025-06-2336 minJourney of a Thousand StepsThe Three Loves (Trinity Sunday)Do you ever feel like religious doctrines seem man-made? When we hear phrases like "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" in Church prayers and creeds, we might wonder whether the language comes from a patriarchal, institutional construct. We may find it distant, jarring, even 'cold' as a concept? This Trinity Sunday we explored the experience of God who is all the kinds of love we need to be fully human: parental, letting go love; child, growing into adulthood love; and friendship love, which is loyal, faithful and true. As we see the love that Jesus invites us into, in John 16.12...
2025-06-1520 minJourney of a Thousand StepsHow Miracles Work TodayHow do you feel about believing in miracles? Today, as we celebrated the feast of Pentecost, we saw that Jesus uses miracles to provide evidence that he is real, that he is loving, that he is God. John 14.8-14 shows us that all those who believe in him will be given the authority to "do the works" that he was doing, and "even greater things that these" so that people will see evidence and believe. This week, Heather named some of the dangers and untruths that often go hand-in-hand with the way churches talk about miracles. She explains what...
2025-06-0827 minJourney of a Thousand StepsWhat Does Church Give You That You Can't Get Anywhere Else?Why go to Church on a Sunday when you could sleep in, catch up with an old friend, spend quality time with your family or play golf? There are good reasons why we are time-poor these days, as we chase important career ambitions, build homes, buy homes and, increasingly, spread our time building networks and relationships formed across the globe. Is going to Church on Sunday a habit of the past? This Sunday, Heather continued to teach about the Holy Spirit and why there is a kind of love that we cannot experience outside of participation in the true...
2025-06-0726 minJourney of a Thousand StepsHow the Holy Spirit Guides Our Lives with Adam CetrangoloThis week Heather and Adam were back from annual leave and took the opportunity to share the story behind how they decided to serve in two congregations (something they always thought they would be against). When has God guided you to understand His will and His character differently to your previous ideas or beliefs? How does the Holy Spirit teach us and guide us and how to we know for sure? This week, Adam shared from John 14.23-29 about how the Holy Spirit is our Teacher, Guide, Truth-Teller and Defender.
Podcast by Heather and Adam Cetrangolo, 25 May 2025.
2025-06-0724 minJourney of a Thousand StepsIs it Important to Go to Church Every Week?Have you always told yourself that regular Church attendance isn't important? Or, have you been a regular attender, tithing and serving on rosters, yet found the experience did not enrich your faith? John 20.19-31 tells us two stories in a row about Jesus appearing at an early church gathering: the first without Thomas present and the second with. When Thomas is away he misses the experience of Jesus appearing and filling the disciples with the Holy Spirit. His faith suffers as a result. This week's Gospel reading reminds us that faith is 80% lived and experienced publicly, and only partly...
2025-04-2726 minJourney of a Thousand StepsThe Resurrection is More Natural Than We Think (Easter Sunday)The first witness of the Resurrection was Jesus' friend and Apostle, Mary. The account of her experience, as well as that of John and Peter in John 20.1-18, tells us straight away what the Resurrection was like and why Jesus did it. First, we see that it was a very natural experience as Mary reconnected with her friend in a garden. It was hugs and words and no bells or whistles or dancing angels or glitter. Secondly, Jesus' reason for appearing in a resurrected body and then returning to Heaven was strategic and purposeful. This Easter Sunday we considered...
2025-04-2111 minJourney of a Thousand StepsO Happy Fault (Good Friday)If someone were to ask you to explain in thirty seconds why Jesus had to die on a cross, what would you say? The cross has a power that is unmistakable and undeniable. Even the symbol of a cross standing in a church carries an emotional impact for people as they enter. The story of Jesus bring betrayed, sentenced and crucified, as we read aloud every Good Friday, never ceases to be deeply moving. This week, after reading the Passion narrative in John 18.1-19.42, we considered how to make its meaning plain. The cross means that there is no...
2025-04-2123 minJourney of a Thousand StepsSomething Bigger (Palm Sunday)How do you feel about being affiliated with the institutional Church? Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem in John 12.12-16 reminds us that He never saw Himself as merely starting a spiritual movement for local communities or individuals. Accepting the title of a Messianic king, Jesus saw Himself as launching a campaign for world change. He had a very big plan in mind, even though the method through which He planned to change the world was not what anyone was expecting. Jesus made a way for a new order and the world has never been the same since. It was...
2025-04-1428 minJourney of a Thousand StepsA Woman Who Spends Her Time, Her Sexuality, and Her Money... and a Man Who is Offended"Leave her alone," Jesus said when His friend, Mary, was criticised for her act of love towards Him. In John 12.1-8 we encounter a story of Jesus sharing a final meal with His friends Lazarus, Martha and Mary, days before His journey to the cross. Mary prophetically anoints His body with a highly expensive perfume (and a lot of it), and takes down her hair to dry His feet. As the fragrance fills the house and sinks into her hair, and His, we see her marking a moment of anguish and deep sorrow with extravagant love. Jesus' ultimate sacrifice...
2025-04-0626 minJourney of a Thousand StepsWhy The Best Party You Have Ever Been to Should Be at ChurchThe parable of the prodigal son is one of the most well-known of Jesus' teachings, but perhaps least understood. Rather than a simple story about a son who wasted his money and his time until he 'came to his senses', it is primarily an answer to the question, "Why does Jesus party with 'sinners' and tax collectors?" To answer this question, Jesus tells a story about why an older son who has been faithful can't celebrate with his younger brother who has lived large and lost big. In Luke 15.11-32, Jesus draws out the danger of a scarcity mindset...
2025-03-3025 minJourney of a Thousand StepsWhy Sin and Judgement Aren't Outdated or Imperialist CategoriesEvery relationship of depth and meaning reaches a moment of decision: "Are you in or are you out?" When decisions are forced by dictatorial rule, religious manipulation, or worse, violent extremism, doctrine about judgement and 'sin' can be dangerous. However, in Luke 13.1-9, Jesus explains what he does and does not mean by these concepts and why love eventually has to ask, "Are we doing this, or are we not?" This week's message features a song by Paul Cole from 1996, which you might remember from Dawson's Creek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_dVEtLPdDE
Podcast by...
2025-03-2323 minJourney of a Thousand StepsJesus' Temptation in the Wilderness Meets Gestalt PsychotherapyOur lives inevitably face three kind of pressure that will test our true character: experiences of lack, waste and abandonment. This week, Heather engaged a Gestalt technique to illustrate what it's like when voices other than God are tempting us to believe that we can't cope with lack, that we aren't good enough or haven't achieved enough, and that nobody wants us or truly loves us. The season of Lent begins with the account of Jesus' interfacing with the devil in the wilderness and His responses reveal to us how He defeats the devil's lies and will ultimately overthrow...
2025-03-1027 minJourney of a Thousand StepsThe Decision to Come Down From the Mountain (Otherwise Known as The Transfiguration)What do the great Christian leaders who have changed the world, fought slavery and won, championed the equality and dignity of women and children, and who are making strides for racial justice in our world today have in common? Like Jesus, they know three things about themselves that Jesus reveales in Luke 9.28-36 (the story of the Transfiguration). First, they know who their inner circle are (Peter, James and John). Second, they know how to connect and stay connected to Heaven. Third, they make the choice to come down from the mountain and follow their calling. Do you know...
2025-03-1030 minJourney of a Thousand StepsForgiveness is Not a FeelingThis week's sermon explored one of the more controversial and powerful commands of Jesus: to love and forigve all people, including our enemies. Whilst the teaching in Luke 6.27-38 has often been misused and misappropriated in the life of the Church, forgiveness itself is not the same as reconciliation, is not separate from accountability for behaviours or healthy boundaries in relationships. Nor is forgiveness a feeling. This week we explored the decision to forgive and the neuroscience of how this is achieved. Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 23 February 2025.
2025-03-1019 minJourney of a Thousand StepsGo FishHave you ever found yourself stuck in relationship patterns that seem to repeat, over and over again? Are you starting to think there are no good fish left in the sea? Luke 5.1-11 shows us that miracles happen when we are prepared to cast our nets into the deep and try again. In this story, Peter shows us what faith looks like, as he takes a risk even though he is tired, the timing feels off and the evidence is that he is wasting his time. Once he takes the plunge, God's love shocks and overwhelms him. Podcast by...
2025-02-0928 minJourney of a Thousand StepsSigns of False ReligionThis week we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Luke 2.22-40 speaks of Jesus being a "sign that will be opposed." We meet people of deep faith: Mary, Joseph, Simeon and Anna, and notice the difference between their faith and the fears of those who only want religious control. Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 2 February 2025
2025-02-0920 minJourney of a Thousand StepsShowing Up For One or Two PeopleWhy did Jesus go back to Nazareth when he knew he was not going to be received there? In Luke 4:14-21 we see Jesus face rejection by his own family and friends. Why? He doesn't skip the harder towns, and neither should we. Podcast by Heather Cetrangolo, 26 January 2025
2025-02-0920 min
Never Too Far GoneStillness as TimeThis is the fourth of a six-part series called Stillness, a practical guide to creating pause in the midst of conflict. 'Stillness' is not a meditation or spiritual practice, but the art of suspending judgement to observe what is happening in a conflict, be it an inner-conflict, intergroup or intragroup storming. This series draws from John Paul Lederach's book, The Moral Imagination (2005) in which he describes the place of patience, place, time and serendipity in the practice of peacebuilding. This episode shares a strategy for practicing Stillness by observing time. This week's reflection is for anyone who ever feels...
2025-01-1229 min
Never Too Far GoneStillness as PlaceThis is the third of a four-part series called Stillness, a practical guide to creating pause in the midst of conflict. 'Stillness' is not a meditation or spiritual practice, but the art of suspending judgement to observe what is happening in a conflict, be it an inner-conflict, intergroup or intragroup storming. This series draws from John Paul Lederach's book, The Moral Imagination (2005) in which he describes the place of patience, place, time and serendipity in the practice of peacebuilding. This episode shares two exercises for practicing Stillness by observing place. These are designed to help us notice clues about...
2025-01-0525 min
Never Too Far GonePatience in the Startup PhaseThis is the second of a four-part series called Stillness, a practical guide to creating pause in the midst of conflict. 'Stillness' is not a meditation or spiritual practice, but the art of suspending judgement to observe what is happening in a conflict, be it an inner-conflict, intergroup or intragroup storming. This series draws from John Paul Lederach's book, The Moral Imagination (2005) in which he describes the place of patience, place, time and serendipity in the practice of peacebuilding. This episode shares three types of patience involved in the startup phase of building new ideas, initiatives or organisations, which...
2024-09-3035 min
Never Too Far GoneThree Eyes of Three StormsThis is the first of a four-part series called Stillness, a practical guide to creating pause in the midst of conflict. 'Stillness' is not a meditation or spiritual practice, but the art of suspending judgement to observe what is happening in a conflict, be it an inner-conflict, intergroup or intragroup storming. This series draws from John Paul Lederach's book, The Moral Imagination (2005) in which he describes the place of patience, place, time and serendipity in the practice of peacebuilding. This episode introduces the concept of Stillness with three stories from Heather's recent experience of lobbying in Parliament.
2024-09-2134 min
Never Too Far GoneDiscerning Your Career Path, with Carl StaufferThis is the final episode of an eight-part series called Policy Matters, journeying into how to be a successful policy entrepreneur, based on Michael Sheldrick's From Ideas to Impact. This episode explores how to discern your career journey, featuring Carl Stauffer, Senior Expert in Reconciliation at the United States Institute for Peace. Carl looks back over his 30 years of experience as a strategic leader in peace, justice and reconciliation initiatives and reflects on how he came to understand his vocation and discern his 'next steps' at each juncture. This episode frames our career journey in three areas:-
2024-08-0932 min
Never Too Far GoneWhen the War is Over (and When It's Not), with Carl StaufferThis is the seventh of an eight-part series called Policy Matters, journeying into how to be a successful policy entrepreneur, based on Michael Sheldrick's From Ideas to Impact. The final two episodes of this series take a slightly different turn, as we meet with Carl Stauffer, Senior Expert in Reconciliation at the United States Institute for Peace. Carl is a strategic leader with over 30 years experience in peace, justice and reconciliation initiatives, including 16 years on the ground in South Africa. He has conducted training and consultation in 37 countries and 6 continents and comes with 11 years experience as Associate Professor of J...
2024-08-0245 min
Never Too Far GoneKeeping the Agenda on the TableThis is the sixth of an eight-part series called Policy Matters, based on Michael Sheldrick's newly released book From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World. Michael Sheldrick is the Co-Founder of Global Citizen and has worked with a range of stakeholders to distribute over $40 billion worldwide in the past decade to end extreme poverty. In this episode, Heather explores the third of three phases of policy entrepreneurship, which is what Michael calls 'Implementation.' Once you have a policy change on the table and you've managed to get the right people...
2024-07-2537 min
Never Too Far GoneTurn Up With Solutions, with Michael SheldrickThis is the fifth of an eight-part series called Policy Matters, based on Michael Sheldrick's newly released book From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World. Michael Sheldrick is the Co-Founder of Global Citizen and has worked with a range of stakeholders to distribute over $40 billion around the world in the past decade to end extreme poverty. In this episode, Heather interviews Michael as he shares three tips for how to make the most out of a ten-minute pitch to a busy person.
2024-06-2029 min
Never Too Far GoneFocus on the Ten That Say Yes Not the Ninety That Say No, with Michael SheldrickThis is the fourth of an eight-part series called Policy Matters, based on Michael Sheldrick's newly released book From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World. Michael Sheldrick is the Co-Founder of Global Citizen and has worked with a range of stakeholders to distribute over $40 billion around the world in the past decade to end extreme poverty. In this episode, Heather interviews Michael, as he shares about the people in his life who influenced him to try against the odds, to not run away from hard things, and the big "yes" from...
2024-06-1329 min
Never Too Far GoneWorking with Corrupt Systems and Corrupt PeopleThis is the third of an eight-part series called Policy Matters, based on Michael Sheldrick's newly released book From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World. Michael Sheldrick is the Co-Founder of Global Citizen and has worked with a range of stakeholders to distribute over $40 billion around the world in the past decade to end extreme poverty. In this episode, Heather sets out two safeguards when partnering with imperfect institutions and people:
1. Never assume you know everything;
2. Commit but don't get married.
This...
2024-06-0732 min
Never Too Far GoneSix Enemies to Vision and How to Smash ThemThis is the second of an eight-part series called Policy Matters, based on Michael Sheldrick's newly released book From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World. Michael Sheldrick is the Co-Founder of Global Citizen and has worked with a range of stakeholders to distribute over $40 billion around the world in the past decade to end extreme poverty. In this episode, Heather exposes six enemies to vision: overwhelm, playing shy, polarisation, short-termism, judgement and depersonalisation. She reveals the weapons she has used to overcome these 'enemies' and why love wins every time.
2024-05-3132 min
Never Too Far GoneIs Policy the Best Lever for Change?This is the first of an eight-part series called Policy Matters, based on Michael Sheldrick's newly released book From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World. Michael Sheldrick is the Co-Founder of Global Citizen and has worked with a range of stakeholders to distribute over $40 billion around the world in the past decade to end extreme poverty. In this episode, Heather shares her own mindset shift towards elevating the importance of policy in effecting social change, away from preferencing grassroots activities. Whilst she argues that "policy entrepreneurship" has an indispensable place in...
2024-05-2431 min
Never Too Far GoneA Vision of a Thousand Lights by Heather CetrangoloThis is a time capsule, where Heather shares her 'vision of victory' for Systemic Renewal, as it came to her on an ordinary day, in her study.
2024-05-1706 min
Never Too Far GonePrepare for Victory, with Brooklyn WhiteThis is the final of an eight-part series called Transition Plans: How to Transition Well. Change is something that happens as an external event or situation, whereas 'transition' is an inner, psychological process that people go through as they internalise and come to terms with change. This episode is with regular guest, Brooklyn White, Founder of Renewing Hope Agency, Canada. Heather and Brooklyn explore the art of describing a clear ‘vision of victory’ when leading a new beginning. This episode provides a guided reflection on three aspects to successfully stepping into a new beginning, inspired by William Bridges. These are...
2024-05-1738 min
Never Too Far GoneAmbition Without Naivety, with Brooklyn WhiteThis is the seventh of an eight-part series called Transition Plans: How to Transition Well. Change is something that happens as an external event or situation, whereas 'transition' is an inner, psychological process that people go through as they internalise and come to terms with change. This episode is with regular guest, Brooklyn White, Founder of Renewing Hope Agency, Canada. Heather and Brooklyn explore the balance between being ambitious for change without being naive about the pace. This episode provides a guided reflection on three aspects to successfully stepping into a new beginning, inspired by William Bridges. These are:
2024-05-1635 min
Never Too Far GoneTransitions in Long-Term RelationshipsThis is the sixth of an eight-part series called Transition Plans: How to Transition Well. Change is something that happens as an external event or situation, whereas 'transition' is an inner, psychological process that people go through as they internalise and come to terms with change. Based on William Bridges' groundbreaking work in Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes, this series unpacks the practical implications of his three-part Transition Model. This episode provides strategies for knowing when our long-term relationships are in a transition period and how to move through it well. Why? Because the bottom line is, leaders...
2024-05-0240 min
Never Too Far GoneTransitioning Leadership: Who Leads and How with Ignacio PackerThis is the fifth of an eight-part series called Transition Plans: How to Transition Well. Change is something that happens as an external event or situation, whereas 'transition' is an inner, psychological process that people go through as they internalise and come to terms with change. This episode is with special guest, Ignacio Packer, Executive Director of Initiatives of Change, Caux Foundation. The conversation traverses three transitions occurring for global leadership today. First, a transition away from cynical or naively optimisitic leadership, towards a grounded, proactive choice to be hopeful. Secondly, a transition away from directive management styles to...
2024-04-2831 min
Never Too Far GoneLife Transitions for OrganisationsThis is the fourth of an eight-part series called Transition Plans: How to Transition Well. Change is something that happens as an external event or situation, whereas 'transition' is an inner, psychological process that people go through as they internalise and come to terms with change. Based on William Bridges' groundbreaking work in Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes, this series unpacks the practical implications of his three-part Transition Model. This episode provides practical exercises for identifying the life stage of an organisation or sector, and the developmental needs to be met for healthy transition.
2024-04-1835 min
Never Too Far GoneTransitions in Work: Networks, Branding and Imposter SyndromeThis is the third of an eight-part series called Transition Plans: How to Transition Well. This week features again special guest, Shivani Gopal, passionate feminist and the Founder and CEO of Elladex. Heather connects the themes in Shivani's practical experience of supporting women to transition into senior leadership with William Bridge's theories about how to transition well at work. The episode highlights stages of transition that we face as individuals in our career journey, as well as organisationally, and how at each juncture there is a process of letting go of old neworks, old identities and old self-talk.
2024-04-1520 min
Never Too Far GoneRebirth with Shivani GopalThis is the second of an eight-part series called Transition Plans: How to Transition Well. This week is with special guest Shivani Gopal, passionate feminist and the Founder and CEO of Elladex. Get ready for an intimate journey with Shivani into her experience of rebirth. She and Heather unearth the heart-experience of braving an end to destructive attachments and relationships, grieving the associated loss, and achieving rebirth. Shivani is proud to be proud of her achievements and challenges the narrative that it's 'prideful' for women to be ambitious or want more for themselves. This week explores the personal transition...
2024-04-0439 min
Never Too Far GoneThe Secret Sauce to Transitioning WellThis is the first of an eight-part series called Transition Plans: How to Transition Well. Change is something that happens as an external event or situation, whereas 'transition' is an inner, psychological process that people go through as they internalise and come to terms with change. Based on William Bridges' groundbreaking work in Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes, this series unpacks the practical implications of his three-part Transition Model. It explores how to help a system end well, move into a neutral zone and then embrace a new beginning. This is a must-listen for anyone leading sector-wide or...
2024-03-3024 min
Never Too Far GoneGood Apples and Bad ApplesThis is the final of a six-part series about the practice in Systemic Renewal called 'Following Favour.' An often neglected aspect of systemic change is the 'who' question. How do you get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus? In this final episode, Heather ties the topic together and draws from Jim Collins' research, highlighting how to avoid biting into a poisoned apple. She draws out three points: bad apples don't turn into good apples, bad apples aren't all bad, and bad apples are usually lazy, jealous or cheap.
2024-03-2325 min
Never Too Far GoneYour Purpose Can Change with Elisha O'DowdThis week's podcast in the Following Favour series is with Elisha O'Dowd, a Renewalist, a Nurse and Effectiveness and Outcomes Manager at CLEO, an organisation designing digital care pathways and using the latest technology and research to improve patient outcomes. Elisha shares her journey into nursing, management in emergency departments and now into leading systemic change within health care. Elisha's story is a powerful reminder of the need to find favour with ourselves first, to know that just as our community's sense of purpose CAN shift, so can our own, and so can the system's belief in its own...
2024-03-1523 min
Never Too Far GoneYou Actually Love the System with Brooklyn WhiteThis week's podcast in the Following Favour series is with Brooklyn White, a Renewalist, Social Worker and Founder of Renewing Hope Agency, Canada. Brooklyn shares her story of being drawn to macro-level change, why it can be lonely being that person in the system, and the secret she discovered that frustration and disappointment for Renewalists, comes from "actually loving the system." We suggest three reflection questions to take into your week after listening to this podcast:
1. Are you drawn to the macro? If so, how have this been received in your work context?
2. Do you...
2024-03-0631 min
Never Too Far GoneGroup Work That Doesn't SuckThis is the third of a six-part series about a practice in Systemic Renewal called 'Following Favour.' An often neglected aspect of systemic change is the 'who' question. How do you get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus? In this episode, Heather draws from Jim Collin's research to unpack how to gather the right people in the right way to make group work effective (and fun). She describes what research reveals are key strategies for good group work: being selective and having a leader, but one who is led by the...
2024-02-2830 min
Never Too Far GoneWe Don't Need Another HeroThis is the second of a six-part series about a practice in Systemic Renewal called 'Following Favour.' An often neglected aspect of systemic change is the 'who' question. How do you get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus? In this episode, Heather draws from Jim Collin's research to unpack why starting small and slow wins the day. She describes what research reveals are key strategies for attracting the right people, repelling the wrong people and developing a succession plan.
2024-02-2127 min
Never Too Far GoneWho Are Your People?This is the first of a six-part series about a practice in Systemic Renewal called 'Following Favour.' An often neglected aspect of systemic change is the 'who' question. How do you get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus? Heather draws from Jim Collin's research which shows that 'who' questions come before 'what' questions, and shares from her own experience how to tell who your people are.
2024-02-1632 min
Never Too Far GoneWho Are Your People?This is the first of a six-part series about the 'who' of systems change. An often neglected aspect in systemic thinking is the process of discerning who to work with and how to gather the right people in the right way. In this episode, Heather draws from Jim Collin's research into what distinguishes good from great companies, and the reasons why 'who' comes before 'what.' Heather described some of the indicators she looks for to get the "right people on the bus, and the wrong people off the bus."
2024-02-1533 min
Never Too Far GoneThe Method (Part 2)Heather shares the second of the Four Methods that encompass Systemic Renewal as a practice. This episode outlines why changing mindsets is fundamental to effecting lasting systemic change and why we need training in the science of how to do this. We currently live in a world that tries to change mindsets by changing personnel, policy and conversations. These are secondary outcomes of deeper changes that can't happen working purely from these levels. This episode dives into examples from Heather's experience of how to craft and peform renewed narratives within a system.
2024-02-0721 minNever Too Far GoneThe Method (Part 1)Heather shares the first two of the Four Methods that encompass Systemic Renewal as a practice. This episode outlines why changing mindsets is fundamental to effecting lasting systemic change and why we need training in the science of how to do this. We currently live in a world that tries to change mindsets by changing personnel, policy and conversations. These are secondary outcomes of deeper changes that can't happen working purely from these levels.
2024-01-2428 min
Never Too Far GoneThe Mountain, The Table, The Green Room and The StageHeather the Four Modes of Leadership that encompass Systemic Renewal. She terms these the Mountain, the Table, the Green Room and the Stage. She shares how effective change leaders move in and out of these modes in balanced and intentional ways, and once they get this right, specific methods for effecting change can be released effectively.
2023-12-2031 min
Never Too Far GoneHow to Keep Burning in a Cold Hearted SystemHeather answers a question about how to stay burning when serious setbacks and discouragements happen. This episode offers three tips and a guided reflection about how to metabolise experiences of feeling comprised or betrayed. First, acknowledge what was plain unfair. Second, assign oneself a grieving period. Third, repurpose disappointment so that it becomes a resource in the rebuilding process.
2023-12-0729 min
Never Too Far GoneSoftware Change Isn’t SoftHeather introduces Systemic Renewal, a methodology for changing the software and hardware of systems. She explains that changing software isn't soft, but practical, measurable, brave and sophisticated work. Heather introduces three reasons why changing mindsets can feel lightweight or fluffy, and four methods that make it not so.
2023-11-2928 min
Never Too Far GoneA Disrupted Narrative, a Dilapidated Space and a Disillusioned CorporateIn this first episode of Never Too Far Gone, Heather shares the personal story that started her journey towards becoming a 'Renewalist' and theorising Systemic Renewal. It begins with discovering an unlikely thirteenth century change leader, who began his journey in a 'Dilapidated Space.' This podcast offers you half an hour to be renewed in your own practice, and consider the experiences of Disrupted Narratives, Dilapidated Spaces and Disillusioned Corporates in your story.
2023-11-2325 min
Inner West SermonsSongs of Summer: Psalm 15Heather Cetrangolo on Psalm 15 as part of our Summer Psalms series
12 Jan 2020
2020-01-2044 min