And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.’” Luke 14:23
Thank you to our speakers and everyone involved in the 2025 Hills Bible Church Missions Conference! We were blessed in hearing from Matthew Spandler-Davison of the work the Lord is doing through 20schemes and Church in Hard Places around the world. And thank you to Simon Longden from Pioneers and Warwick and Natalie Short who served with SIM in Niger for sharing their ministries on Saturday afternoon. See the gallery below for photos, and catch up on all of the video sessions further down the page. You can follow the content with the 2025 Missions Conference Booklet.
Session 1. A Sent People | Matthew 9:36-10:11 (Friday 7:30 pm)
Session 2. The Church that Pleases God | Revelation 3:7-13 (Friday 8:30 pm)
Session 3. Do Greater Works (Saturday 2:45 pm)
Breakout sessions (Saturday 3:30 pm)
• Rethinking Mercy Ministry | Matthew Spandler-Davison
• Counting the Cost | Simon Longden (Pioneers Australia) – Download the PPT here.
• Psalm 23:4 – The church in hard places | Warwick and Natalie Short (SIM)
Q & A Panel (all speakers) (Saturday 4:30 pm)
Missions Equip Class (Sunday 10 am)
Session 4. Empowered Witnesses | Acts 1:1-11 (Sunday message)
Hills Bible Church welcomed Matthew Spandler-Davison as our featured speaker for the 2025 Missions Conference. Matthew serves as the director of Church in Hard Places and as a pastor of Redeemer Fellowship Church in Bardstown, Kentucky. Matthew is also the executive director and co-founder of 20schemes, a church-planting ministry in Scotland’s poorest communities. Matthew led our 3 day conference, from session one and two on Friday 7 February through to Sunday 9 February, concluding the conference with the sermon during our regular Sunday Morning Services.
Hear more from Matthew below, including the encouragement before the 2025 conference to attend.
2025 Speakers
Matthew Spandler-Davison (Keynote Speaker)
As mentioned above, Matthew Spandler-Davison, serves as the director of Church in Hard Places, as a pastor of Redeemer Fellowship Church, and is the executive director and co-founder of 20schemes. Originally from Stonehaven, Scotland, he’s a graduate of the University of Aberdeen and was awarded a doctorate by The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Matthew is married to Tracy and has two daughters.
Simon Longden | Pioneers Australia
Simon serves as the Director of Pioneers Australia, committed to helping churches reach unreached peoples with the gospel of Jesus through some 230 Aussie adults serving on disciple-making, church planting teams globally. He has a background as a Registered Nurse, an Officer in the Australian Army, and work in the pharmaceutical industry. He is married to Joy, and many years ago they served on a church planting team in West Africa. He has been with Pioneers for 24 years. Simon is hosting his breakout session in Lecture Room 2 at 3:30 pm on Saturday.
Warwick and Natalie Short | SIM
Warwick and Natalie with their four children have been living in Korumburra since 2021 when they returned from serving with SIM in Niger. From 2008 – 2021 they counted it a great privilege to represent Jesus to the people of Niger, in particular to the Fulani people. Since returning to Australia, they have enjoyed living in the rolling hills of South Gippsland and have found many and varied ways to continue living for the kingdom. Warwick and Natalie Short will host their breakout session in Lecture Room 3 at 3:30 pm on Saturday
All four speakers joined the Q&A panel at 4:30 pm on Saturday.
See the full schedule below.
SCHEDULE
Friday 7 Feb | 7 – 9 pm
0700 pm – Welcome and Prayer
0710 pm – Worship & Prayer
0730 pm – Session 1: A Sent People | Matthew 9:36-10:11
0810 pm – Supper break
0825 pm – Session 2: The Church that Pleases God | Revelation 3:7-13
0900 pm – Close
Saturday 8 Feb | 2:30 – 6:30 pm (Children’s Program 2.30 to 4.30 pm)
0230 pm – Welcome and Prayer
0240 pm – Worship
0250 pm – Session 3: Do Greater Works
0330 pm – Breakout sessions
– Chapel: Breakout 1: Rethinking Mercy Ministry | Matthew Spandler-Davison
– Lecture Room 2: Breakout 2: Counting the Cost | Simon Longden (Pioneers Australia)
– Lecture Room 3: Breakout 3: Psalm 23:4 – The church in hard places | Warwick and Natalie Short (SIM)
0420 pm – Break
0430 pm – Q & A Panel (all speakers)
0515 pm – Insight into the Church in China
0600 pm – Complimentary Dinner (registration required here)
0700 pm – Close
Sunday 9 Feb | 8:30 am – 12 pm
0830 am – Sunday Worship Service: Empowered Witnesses to the Ends of the Earth | Acts 1:1-11
1000 am – Missions Equip Class (chapel): Matthew Spandler-Davison & Sunday School
1100 am – Sunday Worship Service: Empowered Witnesses to the Ends of the Earth | Acts 1:1-11
8:30 & 11 am | Order of Service
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship: Psalm 145:1-9
Song 1: Christ Victorious
Song 2: Immortal Invisible God Only Wise
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43:1-13
Pastoral Prayer
Song 3: Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing
Sermon Text: Acts 1:1-11
Sermon Title: Empowered Witnesses
Song 4: How Great (Psalm 145)
Benediction: Romans 16:25-27
A children’s program for children 3 years old to Grade 6 was held on Saturday from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm.
See you next year!