What shall we do with Halloween?

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It’s strange isn’t it that October 31st has become quite the big deal in some ways, yet less so in other ways.  In fact, that’s true of this time of year generally.  Back when I was a child in the 1970s-80s, there were things that were big about late October/early November.  Bonfire Night was fast… Continue reading What shall we do with Halloween?

Hope for the City: Urban Subversive Fulfillment

Well, I’ve finally got round to completing the first draft of “Hope for the city.” This was a little project I kicked off whilst on sabbatical back in 2018. I wanted to think a little more deeply about how we approach mission to our urban contexts. Back at Oak Hill when I was studying there,… Continue reading Hope for the City: Urban Subversive Fulfillment

Messy Church

A few years back, I discovered to my disappointment that the label I wanted to apply to our experience of church life had already been taken.  If you hear the term “Messy Church” you are likely to associate it with an all age event, aimed at children but including their parents  with craft, Bible stories,… Continue reading Messy Church

A new hope

After a lengthy hiatus I’m getting back to rounding off “Hope for the City” which will eventually be an E-book on the resources site. A look at subversive fulfilment and urban mission. Sometimes we describe the affect of the Gospel in terms of seeing Eden restored. From this perspective, sin is forgiven and the consequences… Continue reading A new hope

Why I won’t be doing a Passover demonstration

These things have become increasingly popular, particularly around this time of year. The idea is that someone, occasionally a Messianic Jew often a Christian who has done some research sets out a demonstration of a Jewish Passover meal.  As the Last Supper was Jesus’ sitting down to eat the Passover, it is felt that this… Continue reading Why I won’t be doing a Passover demonstration

Showing Off: Proclamation in context

Well, we have finally arrived at the summit of our discussion. This is where we want to be. We’ve stepped in, searched out, showed up and now it is time to show off. The point is not that we now show off our learning or our righteousness. Rather, we get to show off Christ in… Continue reading Showing Off: Proclamation in context

Showing Up – Turning From Idols

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In the last chapter, I identified a number of redemptive offers, alternative hope offered from religious, political, social or economic perspectives.  At the end of the chapter I observed that these alternative solutions have several things in common. They encourage people to assume a victim identity. The world is then divided between a powerful minority… Continue reading Showing Up – Turning From Idols

Showing Up: Alternative Hope

In this chapter, we start to think more about idolatry and the alternative (false) hopes that people living in urban neighbourhoods are offered.  Showing up, is the stage where we start to think about why idolatry offers false hope by showing up its failings and flaws. Idolatry offers false hope because whilst for a time… Continue reading Showing Up: Alternative Hope

Searching Out: Establishing Points of Contact

At this stage we have a generalised understanding of the types of people we are likely to encounter in Urban Britain today. However, searching out requires us to drill down a further level. One of our aims is to establish points of contact with people. This is where we being to talk more about hopes… Continue reading Searching Out: Establishing Points of Contact