The other day a friend asked a question on social media about financial support for Christian projects. They asked whether or not it was okay for doners to attach theological strings to their donations. They then gave two examples of how this might come into play. I was interested by the responses given by people… Continue reading Healthy giving … healthy receiving
Author: faithrootsdw
Pensioners are not dependents on State largesse
One of the great challenges of the 21st Century is how we look after an increasing aging population. We sometimes talk about a demographic time bomb, lower birth rates combined with increased life expectancy mean that the working population is smaller but has to support a much larger population of retired people. We have seen… Continue reading Pensioners are not dependents on State largesse
Who has more to give?
In the days following Jesus’ cleansing of the temple, the different religious and political groupings have attempted to take him on and bring him down. His actions in the temple courts amounted to a direct challenge of their authority and so, they attempted to undermine his. Jesus however has defeated all comers. He has demonstrated… Continue reading Who has more to give?
Why do some fall?
On too many occasions I’ve seen people we all thought to be committed to Christ fall into serious sin or begin to express disbelief in the truth of the Gospel. Eventually, they are no longer part of a church either because they’ve wandered away or because they have had to be put under church discipline. … Continue reading Why do some fall?
Responding to the Prime Minister’s resignation
Well another Prime Minister has gone. I just popped upstairs for a few minutes to wrap Sarah’s Birthday present and came back downstairs again to find it was all change. Here are a couple of initial thoughts. First that response of anger and sadness at the utter mess is right. The people harmed most by… Continue reading Responding to the Prime Minister’s resignation
What do I owe Him?
Jesus is engaging all comers in debate, there have been Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians. One lawyer has been hanging back, observing. Now, he steps in with his question. Mark leaves open the question about whether this is intended as another trap but observes that this man has been impressed by Jesus’ answers so maybe there… Continue reading What do I owe Him?
Ministry nuts and bolts: Music matters
One of the things that church leaders spend quite a bit of time thinking about is the music or corporate sung worship in church life. Now, when it comes to nuts and bolts issues, a lot will depend upon your context and outlook. If you are a smaller church, happily following a traditional approach to… Continue reading Ministry nuts and bolts: Music matters
Lack of consistency is often the killer
If you are thinking about introducing something new into your church, then before you do, ask the question “Can we keep this up week after week, through the winter and into the summer over the next few years.” You see, often we rush ahead with a great idea and either we do something as a… Continue reading Lack of consistency is often the killer
How Church in a box might help you
In the summer, I began to put together some resources under the umbrella “Church In a Box.” I was prompted to do this by two things. First of all, we were engaging in some outreach during the Commonwealth Games, we did not know where people would come from and go back to. We did not… Continue reading How Church in a box might help you
Whose is she?
Have you been following the articles on Mark 12? Are you starting to spot a theme yet? At the start of the chapter, we had the story of the tenants in the vineyard, they withheld the rent due to their landlord. We then saw a debate over whether or not Caesar was entitled to the… Continue reading Whose is she?
