Today I went for my normal walk along the canal path behind Alexander Stadium. Actually due to trips away and family visits, I’ve not been down that way for a few days. So, it’s fascinating to see the changes since the Commonwealth Games. At the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, there’s pretty much always a promise… Continue reading Something that will last
Category: Leadership
What is the point of the Frankfurt Declaration?
Over the years I’ve seen various “Declarations” and resolutions from groups of Christian leaders on all kinds of issues. In fact, these seem to becoming more and more common. The latest offering is The Frankfurt Declaration. If you’ve not yet come across it, you can have a read here. “The Frankfurt Declaration of Christian and… Continue reading What is the point of the Frankfurt Declaration?
A lesson in how (not) to communicate
If you watched the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony on the BBC then you’ll have benefited from a running commentary about what was happening, particularly the symbolism of the giant raging bull. Live in the stadium (certainly for the dress rehearsals), you would not have had that benefit. Instead, you would have simply seen the amazing… Continue reading A lesson in how (not) to communicate
You don’t need to speculate
This week, Matt Chandler, pastor of the Village Church and president of Acts29 announced that he was taking leave of absence from preaching and teaching at the Church. The reason given was that he had been direct messaging a female on social media and had been confronted about this by one of her friends. An… Continue reading You don’t need to speculate
Are you ready to have the tough conversations?
If you are a pastor or elder in the church, then your responsibility is to provide and protect. We see this in Acts 20:28-31 28 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood[h]—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.[i] 29 I know that false teachers, like… Continue reading Are you ready to have the tough conversations?
Ministry nuts and bolts: Space to Grow?
The other day, I wrote about whether or not churches should expect to grow and if so whether pastors and elders are responsible for that growth. My view is that, Biblically we expect God’s kingdom to grow. That’s not the same as saying that every individual church will be growing all the time but it… Continue reading Ministry nuts and bolts: Space to Grow?
Ministry nuts and bolts: Who should be trustees on your church leadership
Most churches in the UK are set up as charitable trusts. There are a number of ways to do this but increasingly, the most common is as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. This then raises the question of who should serve as trustees for the church. There seem to be three main options that churches run… Continue reading Ministry nuts and bolts: Who should be trustees on your church leadership
Is the church meant to grow and if so, who is responsible?
In his recent article for Evangelicals Now, Matt Paterson challenges pastors for what he refers to as “visionary dreaming.” Matt seems to have in his sights a mechanicalistic approach to church growth, particular that associated with US pastor Rick Warren. Now, I’m familiar with pragmatic church growth theories and I’ve heard some of the things… Continue reading Is the church meant to grow and if so, who is responsible?
Ministry Nuts and Bolts: What does the pastor need to know about employment and HR?
A pastor is first of all likely to be an employee if they are paid by the church. Traditionally, this was not always considered the case, rather they were defined as office holders and considered to work directly for God. However, many will have an explicit employment contract now and the courts, tribunals and Inland… Continue reading Ministry Nuts and Bolts: What does the pastor need to know about employment and HR?
ministry nuts and bolts: What does the pastor need to know about the law?
Guest Post from Richard Pennington I’m grateful to Dave Williams for letting me contribute to his series of articles about ministry nuts and bolts, although this a a very general note as the detail would run to too many pages! I write as a retired solicitor and I dealt in my career of over 30… Continue reading ministry nuts and bolts: What does the pastor need to know about the law?
Faithroots 