Church life – Page 37

Investigating Church Planting

This is the second part of a look at how pastors move to new posts. It’s partly for those of you who are interested in how I’m spending my days at the moment but also I hope these two articles will be helpful for those who are considering a call to the pastorate or calling… Continue reading Investigating Church Planting

Testing a calling – how decisions are made

As you know, we are in a bit of a transitional phase, on the 31st December, I left my previous pastorate and we are now taking a little bit of time to look at different possibilities to see where God is leading us next. The possibilities really divide into two categories. On the one hand,… Continue reading Testing a calling – how decisions are made

Pandemic or Tsunami proofing Gospel multiplication

The other day, I talked about things that can prove obstacles to Gospel multiplication. At the end, I mentioned something specific to our current circumstance. I do not think that we were Tsunami proof. We were not ready for the crisis of the pandemic. There has been multiplication but it was vulnerable and fragile. Of… Continue reading Pandemic or Tsunami proofing Gospel multiplication

Joining a new church in lockdown

Circumstances have compelled us to change churches. I’m very grateful that there are a couple of other churches that have been very loving and caring, looking out for us as we make that transition but not everyone has that luxury. Ordinary church members are less likely to have church leaders watching out for them specifically… Continue reading Joining a new church in lockdown

Can we make it more Biblical?

I remember a few years back that we had issues with a particularly disruptive church member. They liked to see themselves as the guardian of orthodoxy and so they would regularly find ways to protest and object. They would also write to us to tell us how we were somehow in league with some person… Continue reading Can we make it more Biblical?

If you love Christ then don’t trash talk his bride.

I couldn’t help responding to this tweet with the obvious repost. It would be highly concerning if the bride of Christ were to be caught cross-dressing. Missing the point and the humour, my interlocutor was quick to accuse me of somehow lacking in Biblical manhood and needing to repent. I’m not sure how he determines… Continue reading If you love Christ then don’t trash talk his bride.

Zoom communion revisited

Back when we first went into lockdown, our church decided to use zoom and Facebook to enable us to continue gathering. We recognised that these means were not perfect but we felt that the Scriptural injunction to gather was so important that we should try by every means possible to do so. As a church… Continue reading Zoom communion revisited

Knowledge is power, France is Bacon

This little article had Sarah and me in stitches. Of course we were laughing with the poor guy, not at him because we’ve all been there at some point in our life, completely mishearing something leading to confusion. I remember my mum’s perplexed concern when I arrived home from school fresh from our first ever… Continue reading Knowledge is power, France is Bacon

To open or not to open

This is the dilemma that John Stevens posted following the announcement of lockdown three. “Just because we can open does not mean that we should open” Churches will be permitted to remain open for public worship during the third lockdown, unlike in the previous two. So, how to respond? I must admit that I felt… Continue reading To open or not to open

The Rule of Ten

One of the little thought experiments Chris Green encouraged his leadership students at Oak Hill to do was to think in terms of the rule of ten. Think in terms of ten times less and ten times more. So, if you had a church of 100, then stop and think about what it would be… Continue reading The Rule of Ten