Matthew Roberts writes in The Critic Magazine “If there is one thing which has typified the collapse of confidence of Christian churches in Britain in the last century, it has been the strange assumption that Christian worship is not for children.” There are a few presumptions in that statement which I’m going to look at… Continue reading Have we given up on children and Church?
Category: Church life
Church leadership should reflect not mitigate the home
I’m a complementarian in regard to church leadership because I believe two things, first that this label best describes the pattern for relationships between husbands and wives in the home. Secondly, that the local church is mean to function as an extended family. Let me expand on that a little. First, complementarianism is based on… Continue reading Church leadership should reflect not mitigate the home
Unexpected twists and turns in the baptism conversation
Someone has approached you about getting baptised. You sit down to talk to them about why they want to get baptised, what it means and to get a sense of their profession of faith. As the conversation goes on, it becomes clear that they are not there yet in terms of clear profession. They have… Continue reading Unexpected twists and turns in the baptism conversation
In defence of the Reformed Charismatics
At the back end of last year I offered a brief response to an article in Evangelical Times called “Why I escaped the so called Calvinistic charismatics”. The article seemed primarily to be focused on New Frontiers, the family of churches which our church is part of. I wrote to the newspaper asking for permission… Continue reading In defence of the Reformed Charismatics
Blue Christmas … What I need for Christmas
Some people have started a tradition of using the shortest day and longest night to specifically mark the occasion for those who for various reasons will find Christmas especially hard. I wrote this article two years ago in the face of raw grief. I am reposting it today hoping it will be of help to… Continue reading Blue Christmas … What I need for Christmas
Leaving and cleaving: Reflections on questions that don’t seem to get as much attention in the current debate about Anglican futures.
I posted this question on Facebook the other day Why is the case for evangelicals in the Church of England always put in terms of why they shouldn’t (or even sometimes, should) leave the Church of England and not why they should/shouldn’t join with other Evangelicals? I’m planning to write a bit more about this… Continue reading Leaving and cleaving: Reflections on questions that don’t seem to get as much attention in the current debate about Anglican futures.
Why the next Archbishop of Canterbury shouldn’t matter anymore to Evangelicals
The debate and speculation has now moved on to who the next Archbishop of Canterbury will be. I think the one rule of thumb is that they will probably not be one of the people who have been identified as a potential successor, especially if they are seen to have been maneuvering for the role.… Continue reading Why the next Archbishop of Canterbury shouldn’t matter anymore to Evangelicals
Do you have an anchor?
I hope that the immediate answer is that “yes, Jesus is my anchor.”. However, I’m thinking of something slightly different here. Most good football teams have a player whose position is “anchor midfield” or sometimes “holding midfield.” Their job is to sit in front of the defence, protecting the back four. They anticipate danger, break… Continue reading Do you have an anchor?
The numbers game: The Good, the bad and the ugly
How many people are in your church? How many conversions have you seen? What are your finances like? How many baptisms, small groups,staff members, church plants? How long have you been a pastor? One way or another, we often find ourselves talking numbers. We often do so nervously because we see the pitfalls and dangers… Continue reading The numbers game: The Good, the bad and the ugly
People in your church that you should be talking about at elders/leaders meetings
I recently saw a post from Steve Kneale about who you should talk about at elders’ meetings. I did not disagree with the post but rather I thought it might be helpful to show another way of cutting things. Those moving in These are people who are new to the church or not yet members. … Continue reading People in your church that you should be talking about at elders/leaders meetings
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