The other day, this article was posted on The Gospel Coalition website. The article drew quite some ire. In fact, some of the responses on twitter may even ironically have been of the exact kind that the article has in its sights. I understand that there are some reasons why some people may have struggled… Continue reading On not throwing people under the bus -why you need to give that TGC article a second look
Tag: pastors
For him
Let’s return to that question of what happens when we see people fall either due to false teaching or to moral failure. I’m thinking specifically of religious leaders here. Some people have argued that because Romans 11:29 describes God’s gifts and calling as irrevocable that even when a leader falls, they can and should be… Continue reading For him
Lack of consistency is often the killer
If you are thinking about introducing something new into your church, then before you do, ask the question “Can we keep this up week after week, through the winter and into the summer over the next few years.” You see, often we rush ahead with a great idea and either we do something as a… Continue reading Lack of consistency is often the killer
Finding joy – an answer to exhaustion
I recently shared a few articles about the Christian Sabbath. In one, I talked about how we shouldn’t be looking at how many meetings a person attends on a Sunday but whether the Sabbath is fulfilling its intended purpose. My dad who has served as a lay pastor (unpaid whilst continuing in secular work), itinerant… Continue reading Finding joy – an answer to exhaustion
Why stripping back Sundays is helping me to think about Sabbath
I’ve recently commented that having been in a position for most of my life where I’ve attended church at least twice on Sunday, sometimes more, that now being in a place where we are only attending once, it feels in some ways that for the first time, the Christian Sabbath is doing its job. Now,… Continue reading Why stripping back Sundays is helping me to think about Sabbath
The pastor’s Sabbath?
Most pastors have something in their contract to the effect that they should have one day a week completely clear of work. Some contracts will refer to it as the pastor’s sabbath. I’m deeply uncomfortable with that language because it suggests that the pastor should have his sabbath away from God’s people. It also begs… Continue reading The pastor’s Sabbath?
On younger pastors and preachers
I preached my first sermon when I was 19, I preached for a few years in our small Brethren Gospel Hall in Bradford and a couple of other local churches including a struggling AOG church which I helped out with getting my first experience of revitalisation/replanting. The elder there wanted to try and use some… Continue reading On younger pastors and preachers
Teaching right worship and right feelings: The pastor’s responsibility as worship leader
If “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever”[1] then that tells us a little about what the primary role and duty of pastors is all about. If we were made and redeemed to worship God, to praise him and to enjoy and delight in his presence, then the pastor’s… Continue reading Teaching right worship and right feelings: The pastor’s responsibility as worship leader
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?
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