The Bible Society have recently shared an encouraging report suggesting that the church has been growing in England and Wales since 2018. I think it will be helpful to dig a little deeper into the report and see what the detail is saying and I’m hoping to do that in a few articles post Easter. … Continue reading The Quiet Revival? Initial reflections on the Bible Society Report of renewed church growth in England and Wales
Posts
How should we respond to Donald Trump?
Joel Knight, writes for Evangelicals Now about President Trump and UK Evangelical response that: “Much of the response to Donald Trump’s presidency from Christians in the UK has centred on ethical assessment. Christians rightly recognise that character matters and have a concern for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised. Moral clarity is indeed a gift Christians can… Continue reading How should we respond to Donald Trump?
A “King’s” review of a film about the King of Kings
Sorry, I could not resist the word play. This is a guest post from Ryan Burton King (Pastor, Grace Baptist Church, Wood Green) about a new film coming out over the Easter period. It looks well worth going to see “The King of Kings” is the first major cinematically released animated biblical film since The… Continue reading A “King’s” review of a film about the King of Kings
Pastoral Care and Counselling : Avoiding the gear crunching shift to prayer
One of the things that people have shared with me which they find hard when seeking to talk about what they are going through and struggling with is the way in which sometimes, we can be too quick to dive into “let me pray for you.” Of course, prayer matters, of course the person’s biggest… Continue reading Pastoral Care and Counselling : Avoiding the gear crunching shift to prayer
What is fasting really all about? Should Christians fast or not?
We are just over a week away from Easter. In some church traditions, the period leading up to Easter is meant to be marked by fasting during Lent. Similarly, of course, Advent would have marked a period of fasting up until Christmas rather than an excuse for a daily chocolate! Now, I’m from a background… Continue reading What is fasting really all about? Should Christians fast or not?
God, eternity, time and relenting
One of the issues with current debates about impassibility and also immutability (that God does not change) is that we are trying to understand how the infinite, eternal God can relate to finite human-beings. One aspect of this is to do with how we can know God through the language we use about him. We… Continue reading God, eternity, time and relenting
Pastoral Counselling: Take them to God’s Word
The unique thing that Christians have to offer in pastoral counselling is not our experience or wisdom, nor is it the latest methodology or theories in psychology and therapy. I don’t want to downplay those things. We have much to learn from what we may refer to as God’s common grace and general revelation. However,… Continue reading Pastoral Counselling: Take them to God’s Word
Why you should get your pastor a work mobile
My friend Steve Kneale writes here about why pastors should have a burner phone. I want to endorse his recommendation with two tweaks. First, there is a simple solution to his concerns about how he might be perceived (I note he didn’t include ‘double agent’ as one of his possible professions), instead of talking about… Continue reading Why you should get your pastor a work mobile
Should Christians celebrate Seder meals on Maundy Thursday?
The document I refer to in the video from the Council of Christians and Jews can be found here
Let’s talk about God (analogy, metaphor and impassibility)
Ronald S Baines in “Confessing the Impassible God responds to Don Carson’s critique of some formulations of Divine Possibility by arguing that: “The grid through which the confessional doctrine is viewed is not selected apriori asfter which the Biblical texts are viewed through this preconceived lens.”[1] Baines objects to Carson’s suggestion that an arbitrary grid… Continue reading Let’s talk about God (analogy, metaphor and impassibility)
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