A big theme over the past 20 or more years has been the importance of churches having mission and vision statements but where should your priorities be?
Category: Leadership
Elder-less Churches? A further response to Steve Kneale
My friend Steve kneale has responded to my musings on whether a church can exist without elders here. I think this is a helpful and healthy debate to have, though I don’t expect it to run on and on. Our disagreement is marginal. However, I thought it might be helpful to clarify a couple of… Continue reading Elder-less Churches? A further response to Steve Kneale
Can you have a church without elders?
This is the latest in my mini-series on elders and eldership. Here I engage with a question raised by my friend Steve Kneale’s book “Independent Elders”
Elders and leadership
Here’s a little series of videos I’ve put together looking at who elders are, what they are meant to be like and what they are meant to do.
Prophecy is not social media data mining
How would you feel if someone who was a complete stranger to you came to you and began to tell you things about your life, perhaps significant anniversaries, key events, memories, details about your life and your family that you did not expect them to know and there didn’t seem to be any way of… Continue reading Prophecy is not social media data mining
Sheep, wolves and proximity
I’ve been picking up recently on the responsibility of elders to shepherd the flock by leading them to shelter and pasture, by providing spiritual food and protecting from wolves. In a recent sermon, I mentioned that Mike Ovey, the late principal of Oak Hill once expressed his desire that theological training would help us to… Continue reading Sheep, wolves and proximity
A message for elders, wannabe elders and those who are led by them (Acts 20:28-32)
Peter closes his first letter with an exhortation to elders to take their responsibility to provide godly leadership seriously (1 Peter 5:1-4) and for the church family to submit to the elders (1 Peter 5:5). Elsewhere, the Bible tells us to make it a joy and not a burden for our elders to lead and… Continue reading A message for elders, wannabe elders and those who are led by them (Acts 20:28-32)
The neglected leadership gift of hospitality
I’ve been thinking quite a bit recently about what we are looking for in elders. You may have picked up on some things I’ve written as well as some videos I’ve shared .This arises out of a theme that if we lead, then it is not primarily to get a church to where we want… Continue reading The neglected leadership gift of hospitality
Independent Eldership (book review)
I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on my friend, Steve Kneale’s book “Independent Leadership” ever since he mentioned a little while back that he was working on something – and it hasn’t disappointed. What is the book about? Independent Leadership is part of a book series from Grace Publications called A people on… Continue reading Independent Eldership (book review)
The silence of the shepherds
I wrote earlier this month about the need for national church leaders to speak up clearly on the issue of Christian Nationalism and why the Gospel and the Cross can have nothing to do with ethno-cultural nationalism, or to give it its proper name “fascism.” I wrote more because this is what should be happening… Continue reading The silence of the shepherds
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