Australian Digital Discipleship Conference Faces Tropical Cyclone
25 March 2025 |
Tropical Cyclone Alfred caused power outages, flooding, and evacuations when it impacted the coast near Surfer’s Paradise just days before the 2025 South Pacific Division’s (SPD) Digital Discipleship Conference, which took place in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The widespread devastation resulted in power outages at the original venue, prompting a frantic search for an alternative location to accommodate 110 Seventh-day Adventist communicators from nine countries. Fortunately, the natural disaster did not prevent the conference from occurring from March 14–16.
The convention brought together writers, podcasters, designers, editors, and other participants in digital media to discuss how to advance communication within the church. One of the main takeaways was the importance of building trust through authenticity. Many communicators expressed their collective weariness with the generic buzzwords that dominate digital media in both sacred and secular contexts. This lack of authenticity has led to distrust among viewers, causing them to dismiss content that fails to address relevant needs.
Creatives were encouraged to find their niche and fully invest in it. By specializing, they could develop micro-communities that address the generic, catch-all content that breeds distrust. Jared Madden, the SPD Adventist Media marketing, sales, and digital manager, as well as a podcasting pioneer in Australia, was quoted in the Adventist Review as saying, “The key is to create these safe spaces within a micro-community, which can eventually transition from a digital to a physical community of people who care for each other. I believe the next phase of effective evangelism, especially in digital discipleship, lies in building authentic micro-communities.”
Despite the initial disruption caused by Tropical Cyclone Alfred, attendees expressed their appreciation for the event. “I learned a lot,” said Sonny Situmorang, a digital creator and manager of Adventist World Radio Indonesia. “I was reminded that we must embrace social media and maximize digital discipleship in our ministry. Despite our cultural differences, I will definitely implement some of these ideas in Indonesia.”
