Despite now being in my seventh-year working for a church and being a trained-up Anglican curate (not to mention the fact that I now rock up at church with a couple of my own kids in tow), the very thought of children’s ministry is still enough to bring me out in a cold sweat! So I thank God … More Starting Out in Children’s Ministry by Alison Mitchell – A Review
Full-time theological education is a costly thing. Costly because it will often mean a geographical switch, including moving house and saying goodbye to much-loved friends and family. Costly because it will probably mean leaving behind the particular church you were involved with and at least pressing pause on the ministry opportunities you were part of there. Costly because it literally costs money, … More Why bother with Theological Education?: The Best Possible Gift
Part of the reason I blog is to reflect. Life happens, and sometimes it happens pretty fast. If we’re to learn and to grow and to see the hand of God at work, not least in shaping us, then sitting down, taking a breather and reflecting upon life is pretty crucial. As anyone familiar with the adult learning … More “We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience”
What’s your story, and when you tell it – if you ever do – who gets the praise? Only yesterday I was hearing a veteran ministry couple speak of how personally precious they had found regularly looking back and ‘counting your blessings’ to be. And if that’s a healthy discipline for individuals, it’s also healthy for whole churches. Every church has … More Bearing Fruit in the Shadow of the Gherkin…
Previously I linked to the first-part of a three part video series on ‘One to One Ministry’, or, in other words, meeting up to read the Bible and pray with someone. I think they’re a really handy set of empowering videos, and I’m grateful to the legendary Amy Wicks for doing us a great service. They … More One to One Ministry – The Trilogy is Complete
When was the last time you cried? Ok, so admittedly beginning like this does sound a bit like one of those ‘touchy feely’ weekend supplement celebrity interviews. In fact, perhaps for you it’s all too easy to answer the question. Life is hard right now. At the other extreme maybe you’re struggling to think of an … More When Apostles Cry – where are our tears?
There’s an interesting discussion over at The Good Book Company Blog on how we introduce our preachers in church meetings. I know when I’ve led church services I’ve often used the familiar line ‘…and now X is going to explain the Bible to us’. But is ‘explain the Bible’ really the most apt phrase? Does that … More Just explaining the Bible?
That Happy Certainty 