Author: faithrootsdw

Is it time to rethink – or even drop – our ministry training schemes?

What if we were to close down our Ministry Training Schemes and start again?  Up and down the country for the past 2-30 years, churches and Gospel partnerships have been running these schemes. They tend primarily (though not exclusively) to be run from churches with high student numbers and a scheme typically involves One day… Continue reading Is it time to rethink – or even drop – our ministry training schemes?

Urban Church Planting – post COVID

For most of the past year most churches have had their heads down, focused on getting through this virus together without losing too many people and hopefully at the same time picking up new people via online services.  Yet whilst all of that has been happening, the need for new churches and church revitalisation hasn’t… Continue reading Urban Church Planting – post COVID

New (Matthew 9:14-17)

The music is playing loudly, people are dancing, laughing, chatting and drinking. Then someone comes into the room, switches the lights on, turns the music down, looks around scowling and says “please tone it down.” Then the best man goes across to them and says “excuse me but you’ve just interrupted a wedding.” You walk… Continue reading New (Matthew 9:14-17)

On wishing politicians dead

On wishing someone else dead “We should rejoice that this dictator is dead” said the preacher, to audible gasps from the congregation.  “My daughter prayed that he would die at our family prayer time yesterday, and it has happened.”  He then went on to explain his reasoning. The dictator could either die to himself and… Continue reading On wishing politicians dead

How to be a devil’s advocate

To be honest I’d rather that people wouldn’t. The Devil seems to be perfectly capable of being his own advocate and has a whole following of supporters genuinely willing to advocate for him. Furthermore, too often, it seems to me that “I’m just playing devil’s advocate” is what someone says when their argument has been… Continue reading How to be a devil’s advocate

We can’t have “British Values” if we want to be truly democratic, tolerant and pluralistic

What does it mean to be British? If we think about it carefully, there are only two things that make you British. You were either born here or you have been given British citizenship. Now, there may be some things that at a certain level unite us together.  There is a common language and a… Continue reading We can’t have “British Values” if we want to be truly democratic, tolerant and pluralistic

How we respond to asylum policies is likely to depend on our presuppositions

Steve Kneale has argued here that we need a different type of blue-skies thinking to get to grips with the issue of asylum. He helpfully identifies a number of problems with the current situation and some of the suggested solutions. He then goes on to make some of his own recommendations. The challenge with responding… Continue reading How we respond to asylum policies is likely to depend on our presuppositions