Category: Leadership

Board games and the missing step when interviewing potential pastors

My friend Richard Baxter has suggested that pastoral interviews should include a game of monopoly. He is not being completely serious about having board games but he is arguing that we need more than just an interview and a preach to get a feel for potential pastoral candidates. As it happens, whilst the interview process… Continue reading Board games and the missing step when interviewing potential pastors

The key difference between the volunteer and the staff worker

I saw this helpful thread from Tim Wilson, the other day about how to volunteer in church life without burning out.  One useful observation he made was that church members shouldn’t compare what they are able to commit to with what a paid member of staff such as the pastor or youth worker can do. … Continue reading The key difference between the volunteer and the staff worker

Before you warn about danger first make sure there’s an ark ready

Noah was called by God to be a witness to the world around d him as the day of judgement drew near and the Flood was about to come.  It’s clear from the New Testament that Noah was preaching to the people, warning them of coming danger. This warning came through the fact that he… Continue reading Before you warn about danger first make sure there’s an ark ready

How do we relate to Anglicans and the Church of England?

The main protestant church here in the UK is the Church of England.  Its status owes to three things. First its size, it is the largest, secondly its prominence, it is the established church and so, it’s what most people thinking of when they think about church and thirdly it has influence. The Church of… Continue reading How do we relate to Anglicans and the Church of England?

Friendship is not the same as fellowship

Fellowship is one of the most overused and misused words in Christian conversation.  We talk about “sharing fellowship” to refer to having a cup of tea and chat after the church service.  Fellowship should be way more than that. We also talk about friendship and fellowship between Christians from different churches and denominations as well… Continue reading Friendship is not the same as fellowship

Stephen Sizer, antisemitism and church discipline

In this article, I wrote about why the church seems to have dealt badly with the problem of antisemitism, particularly in relation to the Stephen Sizer case.  Before going further, I should also mention again that this is not just about the Sizer case.  As I commented in the previous article, a couple of years… Continue reading Stephen Sizer, antisemitism and church discipline

The sheep with a broken leg? The danger of embellishing Scripture

I’ve only heard the claim once from a pulpit but perhaps that was already one time too many. I’ve since come across other people who have heard the claim.  A preacher talking about the Lost Sheep in Luke 15 claimed that after finding the sheep, the shepherd would then break one of its legs. The… Continue reading The sheep with a broken leg? The danger of embellishing Scripture

Is narcissism the problem?

The Gospel Coalition have just published this article offering further engagement with Chuck De Groat’s book “When narcissism comes to church.”  The writer, Dan Doriani, is positive towards Chuck’s work but has some concerns, particularly with the thesis that: narcissism is especially common among pastors because they often enjoy a high profile. Narcissists crave power,… Continue reading Is narcissism the problem?

He’s the good good shepherd

I love Psalm 23 and it was really helpful to hear a speaker talking about this at a recent church leaders’ retreat.  On Sunday I shared my own attempt at a paraphrase of the Psalm. It’s been particularly on my mind over the past few days as it seems to link with a few particular… Continue reading He’s the good good shepherd