Tag: Urban mission

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

A Task unfinished: The city and the Gospel in the UK

This article for The Gospel Coalition reminds us that if we are serious about sharing the Gospel then we need to pay attention to the ongoing growth of cities around the World.  We need to pay attention to those large urban areas because that’s where the people are. The article is I think primarily aimed… Continue reading A Task unfinished: The city and the Gospel in the UK

Why we need to break out of our theological colleges

I’ve been arguing for some time that we need to make some step changes in terms of how we train and equip people for church leadership and paid Gospel ministry. I’ve argued that our methods of identifying potential leaders, pastors and planters exclude far too many and that particularly the traditional seminary route puts up… Continue reading Why we need to break out of our theological colleges

Introducing Church in a box

One of the things you’ve probably heard/seen me keep talking a lot about is the need to do better at planting churches in communities where there isn’t a meaningful Christian witness. At our church’s recent weekend away, Jonathan Bell talked about us planting “swifter, smaller, simpler.” How are we going to do that? Well, actually… Continue reading Introducing Church in a box

Invisible Divides (Book Review)

One of my personal concerns and a significant reason for why Faithroots exist is the desire to see the church and the Gospel reaching into communities and to people where we simply haven’t been very good at reaching.  Here in the West Midlands we’ve seen a lot of church planting and some wonderful stories of… Continue reading Invisible Divides (Book Review)

Swifter, smaller, simpler – How can we help?

I’ve mentioned this theme a few times over the past few days.  It refers to the current focus/desire of the church we are part of to see a greater impact on our city through planting and multiplication.  It resonates strongly with what I’ve been praying for, talking about and seeking to encourage and help with… Continue reading Swifter, smaller, simpler – How can we help?