Fresh Dirt is a podcast about the good, beautiful, and sometimes hard work of participating in the Kingdom of God.
Through honest conversations with church planters, missional leaders, community builders, and kingdom innovators, we dig into what it looks like to join in with what God is growing in the world.
From church planting and missional communities to fresh expressions, local mission, leadership, failure, hope, and the slow work of faithfulness, Fresh Dirt is about the places where new life begins, often below the surface.
Fresh Dirt: conversations for deeper roots, fresh courage, and Kingdom imagination.
In this episode of Fresh Dirt, Ralph and Steve explore what it means to bridge the value gap — the space between what a church says it values and what is actually experienced by people in its community. How do we move from good intentions to practices that genuinely communicate dignity, belonging, relationship and the Kingdom of God? The conversation looks at the difference between simply providing a service and building a community, the importance of listening to what people actually value, ...
5 Oct 2026
7 Phases of Church Planting - Part 3
In this episode of Fresh Dirt, Ralph Mayhew and Steve Gray continue working through the 7 Phases of Church Planting. Picking up from the previous two episodes, they explore the next stages of the church planting journey and some of the practical, relational and spiritual questions that begin to emerge as a new community takes shape. The seven phases aren’t intended to be a rigid formula. Every church plant, planter and context is different. Instead, they offer a simple framework to help peopl...
30 Aug 2026
Fresh Dirt Live (Church Planter Panel)
Fresh Dirt is a podcast about the good, beautiful, and sometimes hard work of participating in the Kingdom of God. Hosted by Ralph Mayhew (Uniting Church) and Steve Gray (Churches of Christ), each episode digs into honest conversations about church planting, missional communities, Kingdom innovation, leadership, faithfulness, failure, hope, and the slow work of seeing new life take root. This episode is a little different. Recorded live as part of a panel event, it brings together a range of...
23 Aug 2026
The Church Planting Temperature in Australia, Spiritual Friends & Exponential Reflections
Church Planting in Australia, Spiritual Friends & Exponential Reflections In this episode of Fresh Dirt, Ralph Mayhew and Steve Gray sit down for a wide-ranging conversation about church planting in Australia, the importance of spiritual friends, and reflections coming out of Exponential. They explore what they’re seeing and hearing across the Australian church planting landscape, why having people alongside you matters in ministry, and some of the ideas and questions stirred through re...
19 Aug 2026
7 Phases of Church Planting - Part 2 - Episode 5
Episode 5: The 7 Steps of Church Planting - Part 2In Episode 5 of Fresh Dirt, Ralph Mayhew and Steve Gray continue their practical conversation around the 7 steps of church planting. Picking up where Episode 4 left off, they work through the remaining steps and explore what it looks like to move from an idea or sense of calling toward actually forming a new church community. Drawing from their own experience of planting, leading and walking alongside emerging church planters, Ralph and Steve ...
9 Aug 2026
7 Phases of Church Planting - Part 1 - Episode 4
In Episode 4 of Fresh Dirt, Ralph Mayhew and Steve Gray get practical and explore the 7 steps of church planting. Church planting can sometimes feel overwhelming. Where do you actually start? What comes next? And how do you move from an idea or sense of calling toward a healthy, growing church community? Together, Ralph and Steve unpack seven practical steps that can help give shape to the church planting journey, drawing from their own experience of planting, leading and walking alongside em...
2 Aug 2026
Church, Mission & Renewal: Alpha and the UK Church - Episode 3
In this episode of Fresh Dirt, Ralph Mayhew and Steve Gray reflect on their recent trip to the UK as part of the Alpha Leadership Tour and Conference. Part report, part reflection, this conversation explores what they saw, heard, and learnt from Alpha, UK church leaders, and communities seeking renewal in their own contexts. Together they unpack themes of church planting, mission, leadership, prayer, renewal, and what these stories might stir in the Australian church. Fresh Dirt is about t...
27 Jul 2026
What is a Church? - Episode 2
In Episode 2, Ralph Mayhew and Steve Gray continue exploring the good, beautiful, and sometimes hard work of participating in God’s Kingdom. This time, we ask a simple but foundational question: what is a church? Together, we explore what makes a church a church and how our understanding of the Church shapes the communities we lead, plant and participate in. Is a church a building, a weekly gathering, an organisation, a community or something more? Whether you’re a pastor, planter, leader, cu...
7 Jul 2026
Church Planting? - Episode 1
In our first episode, Ralph Mayhew and Steve Gray introduce the heart behind Fresh Dirt and why we’re having conversations about the good, beautiful, and sometimes hard work of participating in God’s Kingdom. We begin by exploring why people plant churches, what a church plant actually is, and some of the reasons Ralph and Steve stepped into church planting themselves. Together, we reflect on how church planting connects with mission, discipleship, community and the future of the Church in Au...
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