In the early days of lockdown, people were quickly talking about a possible revival. Surveys suggested that a high percentage of people had accessed online church content, the number of views of our Facebook and Youtube streams were double, if not quadruple our normal Sunday morning attendance. The problem is that there is a huge… Continue reading Lessons in lockdown 1. Reach and Engagement are not the same
Tag: Coronavirus
Coming out of lockdown may require a re-plant mindset
One of the responsibilities of leaders is to see and prepare for what may lie ahead. That’s a double challenge because we are not given infallible foreknowledge, we are dealing for possibilities and probabilities. That means we have to be ready for multiple scenarios. It also means that we will need to be ready to… Continue reading Coming out of lockdown may require a re-plant mindset
Lockdown -an opportunity to relearn how we do forgiveness and reconciliation
Lockdown -an opportunity to relearn how we do forgiveness and reconciliation In Sunday’s Zoom talk I talked about moving from submitting to the ruler of this world to submitting to Christ. One aspect of this was that we should move from holding onto bitterness and hate to learning to show compassion and forgiveness. This led… Continue reading Lockdown -an opportunity to relearn how we do forgiveness and reconciliation
Did the Church miss an opportunity during lockdown?
It’s locked in my memory, my first ever Bradford City game. The year is 1986 and our next-door neighbour agreed I could go with him to see City play Huddersfield Town. We are stood in the crowd behind the goal, the ball is played into our centre forward, he is a couple of feet out… Continue reading Did the Church miss an opportunity during lockdown?
A top down approach won’t get us out of lock-down
The Government’s proposals for ending lockdown suggested that it might be possible for places of worship to open again from July onwards. Back in May, I wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister encouraging him to engage with local churches on the ground and to provide a clear, phased plan for leaving lockdown. In… Continue reading A top down approach won’t get us out of lock-down
A phased return out of lockdown for churches (a draft proposal)
Over the past few months, churches have willingly complied with COVID-19 lockdown measures. We have done so because we believed it was the right thing to do as we sought to love our neighbours. Throughout the lockdown we have sought to continue to care for the communities around us often providing practical and emotional support… Continue reading A phased return out of lockdown for churches (a draft proposal)
Some things take priority over the fear of Coronavirus
What would you have broken lockdown for? Is there anything that would have pushed you to move beyond the 2 metre distancing rules? We were told that these rules were essential, that we should not under any circumstances break them or risk spreading the virus, getting ill of even dying ourselves. People have expressed their… Continue reading Some things take priority over the fear of Coronavirus
Kings and nations tremble at his voice
I’m reposting this article from 2016. It offers reflection on how we respond to geo-political turmoil. The opening paragraph refers to the Brexit referendum, to David Cameron, Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump’s election as US President. It seems pertinent today as we reflect back both on 4 years of turmoil. Brexit eventually happened… Continue reading Kings and nations tremble at his voice
The Lord of the Church
As we continue to live through Coronavirus, here are two questions to ask ourselves How are we going to get through the year ahead? How do we face A Troubled World – not just with reference to the virus, but the ongoing fear of terrorism, the challenge of Climate Change, a potential economic crisis, tensions… Continue reading The Lord of the Church
Protest
Here’s our #AfternoonTea discussion on protests. Key points include There is a long tradition of marching and demonstrating as a means of making our voices heard. There are democratic freedoms allowing us to do this and benefits include that it gives a sense of action and participation beyond simply marking a cross at the ballot… Continue reading Protest
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