Tim O’Neill, National Leader

Our Vision for the Exponential “Greater Things” Conference – August 2025

At Exponential Australia, our heart beats for church planters. We believe they are spiritual entrepreneurs; men and women with a different DNA, marked by creativity, courage, and a willingness to step into the unknown. They think outside the box, start things from scratch, and often carry a bold vision that stretches far beyond their resources. And we love that about them.

But we also know that church planters can feel isolated, especially when attending traditional conferences where the issues faced by established churches and new plants can be worlds apart. 

Pastors and planters often navigate very different challenges. While a senior pastor might be leading an established team with a building and budget, a planter might be setting up in a school hall each Sunday, wondering where the next volunteer or financial gift will come from. Their team may be temporary, more like scaffolding than a settled congregation. They’re constantly solving problems like where to meet, how to gather people, or how to provide pastoral care in the messiness of mission.

That’s why we are creating a space just for them.

The Exponential National Conference: Greater Things to be held on the Gold Coast, August 6–7, 2025 is designed with planters in mind. This is more than an event. It’s a space where church planters can find their tribe, share their story, and realise, “I’m not alone.” We want to fuel the fire God has already lit within them; to inspire, equip, and encourage them as they step into the greater things God has in store.

But our vision doesn’t stop with planters. We believe this moment is also critical for denominational leaders, network leaders, and pastors of established churches. Why? Because church planting doesn’t happen in isolation. It takes courage from sending churches. It takes vision from denominational leadership. And it takes a commitment to support, resource, and release leaders into the harvest.

Our dream is to see denominational and church leaders walk away from this conference with a renewed imagination — inspired to raise up, send out, and sustain church planters for the long haul. We want to create space for conversation and collaboration across streams and traditions. There is no one size fits all approach to planting, and we celebrate that. We need all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people and we believe the richness of our diversity is one of our greatest strengths.

So, whether you’re planting a new church, leading a movement, or dreaming about multiplying disciples and communities, Greater Things is for you. Join us as we gather from across the nation and from different tribes but with one heart, believing together that God is not finished with Australia. In fact, we believe the greatest days of the Church are still to come.

We’d love you to be part of it. Let’s dream, build, and plant together!