Digital Discipleship
Conference 2023

5-7 May 2023 | Sydney, Australia

Secure your seat now

Learn how to share JESUS using digital media.

Keynote Speakers

An unparalleled lineup of digital evangelists from across the globe have come to share their secrets in digital evangelism.

Justin Khoe

Justin Khoe

Justin Khoe is a digital missionary. He has over ten years of preaching, literature evangelism, and teaching experience under his belt, Justin’s current focus is to leverage social media to help reach the unchurched.

He is the founder of the Empty Pews to a Million Views challenge, which is a a 90 Day Coaching Program to help churches & pastors reach their first million people with the gospel through social media. He also operates the Digital Missionary Academy with quarterly intake of students to train them how to be effective in sharing their faith online.

He has thousands of followers on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other social media platforms. He has proven that the principles of what he teaches work, he generates thousands of engagements with people talking about Jesus and hundreds of requests for Bible studies each month from the online content he creates.

Heather Thompson Day
via Zoom

Heather Thompson Day

Dr. Heather Thompson Day is an interdenominational speaker, an ECPA bestseller, and has been a contributor for Christianity Today and Newsweek. She is also the host of Viral Jesus, a new podcast with Christianity Today that already has over 150k downloads.

Heather is an Associate Professor of Communication at Andrews University. She is passionate about supporting women, and runs an online community called I’m That Wife which has over 270k followers.

Colby Maier

Colby Maier

Colby Maier is a pastor and speaker based out of Portland, OR. He helps people discover who God created them to be.

He pastors a new church in the city called Bloom, where we empower others to walk in their God-given calling and practice the way of Jesus together!

He earned a Master of Arts in New Testament Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Theology & Biblical Languages from Andrews University. He is currently developing PhD proposals on congenital disability within the corpus of Johannine literature in the New Testament.

His life’s passion centers around being with Jesus, learning new things about Jesus and sharing Jesus with others.

Tim Gillespie

Tim Gillespie

Dr. Timothy Gillespie, DMin. is lead pastor of Crosswalk Church at the Redlands, CA campus, and lead pastor of the Crosswalk Network of Churches. He earned a doctorate in Semiotics and Future Studies from George Fox University. He's an adjunct professor at Azusa Pacific and La Sierra University.

He’s done TedX talks, been published in many compilations and authored a book with his father, Dr. V. Bailey Gillespie entitled “Love Them and They Will Come”, focusing on the importance of young adult retention and engagement.

He’s married to Sara Gillespie, creative director of The ONE Project and a designer. They have three amazing children — Hannah, Jacob, and Isaac.

Dave Adamson

Dave Adamson

Dave has grown and led online communities of more than 80,000 people each week.

He has worked with churches and ministries around the world as a social media and digital ministry consultant, helping them develop strategies for online ministry, social media and YouTube.

Now, as the Orange Director for Australia and New Zealand, he partners with 200+ churches in Australian and NZ, connect lead and senior pastors with reThink Leadership, works with North Point Partner churches in Australia, and creates online and digital strategies and masterclasses for 10,000+ churches around the world.

Melody Tan

Melody Tan

Melody has over ten years’ experience in writing, editing, web management, publishing and consulting, spanning four countries: Australia, Singapore, USA and England (both remotely and on location). Her background is in news and feature-writing. She also has a few years of experience in public relations and so is familiar with hunting, writing and producing content that is valuable, attractive and relevant to different audiences.

In 2013, she graduated from the University of Sydney with a Master of Publishing and in 2014, she became an Accredited Editor with the Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd).

Melody launched and is currently the editor for Mums At The Table, a monthly lifestyle magazine for women, especially mums. She is also a presenter on the Mums At The Table weekly TV show where she researches and discusses topics that affect everyday women, and interviews special guests.

Kiran Skariah

Kiran Skariah

Kiran Skariah, also known as PastorSKAR online, has a passion to see the next generation be all they can be.

Based in Sydney Australia and having graduated from William Carey Christian School as School Captain in 2009, Kiran studied at Morling Theological College where he completed his Bachelor of Ministry and started working at his local Church as a Youth Pastor.

After gaining a decade of Youth Ministry experience at his local Church and serving full time as Associate Pastor there, Kiran realised the huge need for a safe, welcoming space for all in the online world, where honest faith conversations can spark and people can be themselves, ask questions and connect in a way that was previously unimaginable.

With a goal to impact the world in mind, Kiran started livestreaming on the world’s largest streaming platform, Twitch.tv and over weeks, months and years, dedicated himself to building a free, accepting, family-friendly community where gamers and non-gamers alike can gather and share a laugh, have some fun, and for those that were interested, talk about their faith.

Terry Benedict

Terry Benedict

Terry Benedict is an American film producer. He is the founder and CEO of The Shae Foundation. He co-produced Hacksaw Ridge, nominated for six Academy Awards.

What you’ll learn at the conference

• How to use social media to find people who want a Bible study
• How to use social media to create church growth
• How to use digital ministry to reach people and make disciples
• Join a Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube workshop
• Sharing Jesus via short video across multiple platforms
• How to write great content that hooks and holds attention
• How to create authentic content
• How to build online and offline community

Workshop Sessions

Workshops in each session run concurrently, so you need to select one workshop from each session to attend.

Session 1

TikTok Masterclass

Colby Maier

How to build a church social media plan

Dave Adamson

The power of stories

Jarrod Stackelroth

Session 2

Facebook Masterclass

Jessica Shipton

How churches can use social media

Tim Gillespie

How to be the guide and not the hero: Story Brand process

Brad Kemp

Session 3

Instagram Masterclass

Colby Maier

What is Twitch and how to be effective with the gaming community

Kiran Skariah

What makes an effective church website and how to get more traffic to your site

Joyce Taylor

Session 4

YouTube long and short form insights

Justin Khoe

Insights from movie making

Terry Benedict

Podcasting masterclass

Heather Thompson Day
via Zoom

Early Bird sale ends today

Your all-access pass in Sydney on 5-7 May 2023

Book Now

Infants that do not require catering will be admitted free, but do need to be registered to assist with planning.

Registrations close on April 20, 2023 unless all tickets are sold prior to this date.

Got questions? Contact Us

Conference Venue

Novotel Sydney Parramatta

More about the venue

Accommodation at the venue

The Novotel Sydney Parramatta is offering Conference guests special rates for accommodation. Use the button below to check availability and pricing, and to book accommodation online, all at the special Conference rate. If you prefer to book over the phone on +61 2 9630 4999, just mention “Digital Discipleship Conference” or “Block Code ADV050523” to obtain the special rate.

Book accommodation

Agenda

This agenda is indicative only and subject to change. Please check the final agenda when you arrive at the conference.

Keynote presentation – Terry Benedict

Creating message media for global change

Raised in a conservative, Christian home, Terry’s parents did not own a television. Passionate about photography, he dreamed he would grow up to be a famous archaeologist who would discover the Holy Grail. At the age of six, he came across the book The Unlikeliest Hero, the story of a WWII army medic named Desmond Doss who refused to carry a gun or work on Saturdays, yet saved the lives of 75 men and won the Medal of Honor. Four years later, Terry met Desmond, beginning a friendship which has impacted Terry both personally and professionally.

In Hollywood he began by supervising chase scenes, most notably for The Terminator and Marked for Death. He produced commercials with stars including Madonna, Stevie Wonder and Arnold Schwarzenegger, before moving into writing and directing. After working on over a dozen independent films, Terry felt impressed to create films that inspire and promote positive messages to the global community. He produced and directed the critically-acclaimed documentary film The Conscientious Objector on the the life of Desmond Doss, and was on the production team of the feature film Hacksaw Ridge, also on the life of Doss, directed by Mel Gibson.

Terry has travelled in India and Nepal filming on social justice issues including orphans, human trafficking and women’s health. He created Hope In Motion for Child Impact, an award-winning series of television shorts which set a new standard for message media.

His passion for inspiring students led him to form SHAE, an organization with a mission of “creating message media for global change”, in an effort to make a positive difference in the global community with art and media from a Creator-based perspective.

2023 Digital Discipleship Awards

A special part of the Saturday evening program is the presentation of the 2023 Digital Discipleship Awards. This is to acknowledge those who have excelled in digital discipleship. The awards also seek to and inspire more people to use their spiritual gifts to create content, share content and engage with people online to become part of a movement through which Jesus intends to change the world and prepare people for His coming kingdom.

More about the Awards

Award Categories

• Digital Discipleship People’s Choice Award

  Four awards to be given, one to an individual in each Union:

  • Australian Union Conference award
  • New Zealand Pacific Union Conference award
  • Papua New Guinea Union Mission award
  • Trans Pacific Union Mission award

  Vote for an individual who has achieved outstanding work sharing Jesus through digital media channels. This person will have excelled in innovation, creativity, community engagement with their content, community building and mission impact. The content will be consistent with the values and beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

• Best use of Instagram for Digital Discipleship
  An award to an individual, team, ministry or church who has posted content on Instagram during 2022/23 that encourages people to be a disciple of Jesus. They will have excelled in innovation, creativity, community engagement with their content, community building and mission impact. The content created will be consistent with the values and beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
• Best use of TikTok for Digital Discipleship
  An award to an individual, team, ministry or church who has posted content on TikTok during 2022/23 that encourages people to be a disciple of Jesus. They will have excelled in innovation, creativity, community engagement with their content, community building and mission impact. The content created will be consistent with the values and beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
• Best use of YouTube for Digital Discipleship
  An award to an individual, team, ministry or church who has posted content on YouTube during 2022/23 that encourages people to be a disciple of Jesus. They will have excelled in innovation, creativity, community engagement with their content, community building and mission impact. The content created will be consistent with the values and beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
• Best use of Facebook for Digital Discipleship
  An award to an individual, team, ministry or church who has posted content on Facebook during 2022/23 that encourages people to be a disciple of Jesus. They will have excelled in innovation, creativity, community engagement with their content, community building and mission impact. The content created will be consistent with the values and beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church. 
• Best use of audio – eg podcasts, audiobooks, music
  An award to an individual, team, ministry or church who has posted content on an audio or music based platform during 2022/23 that encourages people to be a disciple of Jesus. They will have excelled in innovation, creativity, community engagement with their content, community building and mission impact. The content created will be consistent with the values and beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
• Best use of other platforms for Digital Discipleship
  An award to an individual, team, ministry or church who has posted content or hosted live sessions on Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, WhatsApp and other similar content sharing or community building platforms not covered in the other digital discipleship awards. Eligible content needs to be posted during 2022/23 and encourages people to be a disciple of Jesus. They will have excelled in innovation, creativity, community engagement with their content, community building and mission impact. The content created will be consistent with the values and beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

More about the Awards

Frequently-asked questions

• Who is the conference for?
  Anyone who has an interest in learning how to create digital content to share their faith.
• Who is organising the conference?
  The Digital Discipleship conference is being organised by Adventist Media.
• What is the deadline to register?
  Registrations close on April 20, 2023 unless all tickets are sold prior to this date.
• Where will the conference be held?
  The venue is the Novotel Sydney Parramatta. The address of the venue is 350 Church Street, Parramatta.
• Will the conference be run in other locations?
  For 2023 the Digital Discipleship conference will be held in Sydney. Different locations will be considered for the 2024 conference.
• Will the sessions be recorded and available to watch later?
  Yes, the conference and workshops will be recorded. Check Adventist Media and Digital Discipleship social media pages during June 2023 for more information on when this content will be released.
• Will the conference be live streamed?
  At this stage there are no plans to live stream the conference.
• How much will it cost to attend?
  The early bird sale has been extended until March 24:
  ▪ Adult – $248
  ▪ Child 6-17 – $124
  ▪ Child 0-5 – free
  
  Standard pricing from March 25:
  ▪ Adult – $268
  ▪ Child 6-17 – $134
  ▪ Child 0-5 – free
• Is accommodation included in the registration fee?
  No, accommodation is not included in the registration cost.
• Are meals included?
  Two meals are included in the registration fee, these are lunch and dinner on Saturday May 6.
• Do I have to stay at the Novotel?
  No, if you require accommodation, you are welcome to choose a provider that best meets your needs.
• Where can I find accommodation?
  There are many accommodation options in the local region. We recommend you book your accommodation as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
  
  A special rate for Conference attendees is available from Novotel Sydney Parramatta. Use this link to book online at the special rate. If you prefer to book over the phone on +61 2 9630 4999, just mention “Digital Discipleship Conference” or “Block Code ADV050523” to obtain the special rate.
• What time does the conference start and finish?
  The conference starts at 7pm Friday evening May 5. We recommend arriving up to 30 minutes beforehand to allow time to check-in for the conference and collect our welcome pack. The conference closes at 12pm Sunday May 7.
• How do I get there?
  

  This map shows the Conference venue and the other transport locations described below.

  

  Parramatta train station is 950m from the venue; walking time is approximately 11 minutes.

  

  There are a number of bus stops within a 5 minute walk of the venue, including:
  ▪ Parramatta Stadium, O’Connell Street
  ▪ All Saints Anglican Church, Victoria Road

  

  Ferries stop at Parramatta Wharf, which is a 10 minute walk from the venue.

  

  To help you select which public transport services to use and estimate your travel time, use Trip Planner.

  

  Limited parking is available at the venue (Novotel Sydney Parramatta). Other parking options are shown below. We recommend you research which car park best meets your needs in advance.
  ▪ First Parking, 1 Dirrabarri Lane, Parramatta
  ▪ Eat Street (Erby Place) Car Park, 30 George Street, Parramatta
  ▪ Secure Parking, 1 Horwood Place, Parramatta

• Will the food at the Conference cater for my dietary needs?
  Please record your dietary needs on the conference registration form. If you have any special requests please contact us directly.
• Cancellation and refunds
  Refunds cannot be provided for cancellations after April 20.
• Can I change my workshop preferences?
  Yes, subject to available space, you can attend a different workshop to those you select on the registration form. Please note that workshop preferences cannot be guaranteed.