The myth of the swiss-army-knife pastor
Dan Steel
Date posted: 18 Nov 2024
Have you ever been in one of those meetings where a church is looking to recruit a new pastor, and the leadership opens it up to the whole church family to share their priorities for what they think should be sought in a candidate?
It would be an understatement to say the list can get quite long, quite quickly! For some, it’s preaching; for others, a love of evangelism; for some, administrative strength; and for yet others, pastoral warmth and the ability to handle complex, nuanced situations. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!
Sport proves our inherent need to worship
Luke Randall
Date posted: 16 Nov 2024
We were on a family holiday in Newcastle years ago, and this of course meant we had to visit St James’ Park. We didn’t manage to watch a match or do the stadium tour, but upon visiting the club shop, we came across some thought-provoking memorabilia in the form of a t-shirt which featured the phrase, ‘Newcastle United is my religion. St James’ Park is my church'.
Now, you could tell by looking at my dad, who is a church minister, that he had already come up with a sermon illustration for his return to the pulpit. And who could blame him, as this sentiment reveals more about our human condition than the designers of the t-shirt could possibly have imagined.
bridging cultural divides
The ministry of eating together
Jason Roach
Date posted: 15 Nov 2024
One of my favourite recent television shows was a series called Travel Man, which featured the UK comedian Richard Ayoade.
The premise was to watch two comedians (Richard and a special guest), experience the culture of a city somewhere in the world for 48 hours. Recognising the rising popularity of city breaks, they aimed to avoid tourist traps, give practical advice and soak in something of the local culture. They would take in some sights, sample some food and try out some more outlandish things before heading home. Somehow they edited all that fun down into 24 minutes.
youth ministry
Youth ministry: 'Am I making a difference?'
Jonny Woodbridge
Date posted: 15 Nov 2024
If you've ever climbed a mountain (or even just a good-sized hill) you'll know that it can feel like hard work and it's not long before you start to question whether it's worth it. But on a clear day, what can really make a big difference, is after putting some serious effort in, looking up and seeing some good progress made and knowing you are nearer to the top.
However, the danger comes when you're desperate for that burst of encouragement and you keep looking up at every opportunity you get. But each time you look up, the top looks just as close as it did last time. Plus with your eyes up, you're more likely to miss something on the floor and trip up.
Mission among Welsh speakers: an urgent need
Gwilym Tudur
Date posted: 13 Nov 2024
In mid-October, Wales held its annual Shwmae Su’mae Day. Translated roughly as ‘hi there’, both shwmae (pronounced shoe-mai) in south Wales and su’mae (pronounced see-mai) in north Wales are colloquial greetings used to start a conversation.
Held since 2013, the purpose of Shwmae Su’mae Day is to encourage people to begin conversations in Welsh and promote its use in everyday discussions. Now in its 11th year, Shwmae Su’mae Day has become a national occasion as businesses, workplaces, and universities host events to motivate employees and students to practice the language.
sport watch
Football and faith: the importance of being present
Graham Daniels
Date posted: 11 Nov 2024
Last weekend marked the FA Cup First Round Proper - a significant event as professional teams from Leagues One and Two enter the fray, often facing non-league and semi-professional squads that have battled through the qualifying rounds. For football fans, it can be both thrilling and nerve-wracking.
I was delighted when my team, Cambridge United, secured a close 1-0 victory against Woking. Sunday evening found me in my favourite armchair with a comforting cup of tea, eagerly tuned in to the BBC highlights programme. I looked forward to that forty-five-second recap of my club's hard-fought win. However, as the highlights dragged on - 90 minutes covering 40 matches - boredom overtook me. I fell asleep, blissfully unaware that my team had been drawn against Wigan at home in the second round.
5 ways to enjoy Jesus more
Tim Chester
Date posted: 10 Nov 2024
Christianity is all about Jesus. That’s not the most controversial statement! And yet Jesus can seem strangely absent from our lives.
We celebrate His character. We talk about His work. We’re grateful for His love. But Jesus Himself can feel far away, and His work can feel as if it belongs in the distant past.
How churches can avoid accidental financial crime
Paul Houghton
Date posted: 9 Nov 2024
Misunderstandings and compliance issues have strained the relationship between churches and banks.
Let's delve into the most critical concerns: financial crime exposure and the need for better understanding and communication.
youth ministry
Why it matters where your youth group meets
Robin Barfield
Date posted: 9 Nov 2024
Over the last few months, I have suggested that we need to rethink a dynamic that is focused on being ‘top-down’, so focused on teaching the Bible that we may have lost sight of the needs and views of the young people.
This shows itself in what we think our role as adults should be. This could also be understood by considering whether we are ministering ‘to’ the young people, or whether we are ministering ‘for’ them or ‘with’ them. Each will suggest radically different approaches.
Ten Questions: Natalie Williams
1. How did you become a Christian?
culture watch
Learning from Hollywood's remakes
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 7 Nov 2024
Have you noticed that cinema and TV today is dominated by remakes, sequels and spin-offs?
In the months before Christmas, we’ll see Moana 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Gladiator 2 and Mufasa: the Lion King. Then 2025 will bring us the eighth Mission Impossible movie, another Avatar film, a new version of the Fantastic Four – I could go on. In 2026, a remake of The Goonies is even set to be created, 40 years on from its release!
the pastor's toolkit
Church leaders: should you be more open to change?
Phil Moon
Date posted: 6 Nov 2024
I admit it. I love change. I recognise that most people find it far more of a struggle than I do - strange I know - so I’ll try and go gently.
A part of who we are
You’re a Christian? That does mean that you have experienced the greatest, most significant change that anyone could ever experience. You’ve started a new life. You really have. So, change is not altogether alien to us, is it? And as the Holy Spirit works in us, He is changing us, often very slowly, to become more and more like Jesus. Real change. It’s just part of who we are.
Want to help young people follow Jesus? Talk about sexuality and gender
Andrew Bunt
Date posted: 6 Nov 2024
A young woman visited a local church one Sunday morning. As she met members of the church, reflected on the words of the songs, and listened to the preacher, she encountered God and decided she wanted to become a follower of Jesus.
After the service, she approached a friend of mine who was one of the leaders of the church. As the young woman started talking, she broke down and began to sob. When she had managed to compose herself a little, she explained her tears: ‘I want to become a Christian, but you’re going to hate me because I’m a lesbian.’
sport watch
Should we play for #ao1?
Jonny Reid
Date posted: 5 Nov 2024
Is there a problem with playing for an audience of one?
Scroll through any Christian sports players’ social media and you’ll likely see #ao1 in their posts. It stands for ‘Audience of One’ and is a phrase that has been around for a few decades. It started in America with the organisation Athletes in Action saying:
Learning from Taylor Swift’s plausible language of lament
Matt MacGregor
Date posted: 5 Nov 2024
We need to talk about Taylor Swift. Much ink has been spilled as to how appropriate her music is for Christians; I am not getting into that debate here. Instead, my attention is on the incontrovertible fact that Swift’s music is beloved by a phenomenally large number of people.
In a culture that is hallmarked by individualism and fragmentation, Taylor Swift has garnered an unprecedented popularity and ubiquity. Her impact has been compared to that of the Beatles, an impact she has sustained for 18 years, eight years more (and counting) than the Fab Four. The New Yorker goes even further, saying that she is best compared to the likes of Napoleon or Julius Caesar.
everyday evangelism
Evangelistic despondency, seeds of hope
Mike Hood
Date posted: 4 Nov 2024
I don’t know about you, but my life has been full of evangelistic disappointment. With person after person I’ve got my hopes up as they’ve moved towards Jesus, but then somehow it’s all petered out into awkward nothingness.
If I’m honest, I sometimes wonder whether all the time and emotional effort was actually worth it.
everyday theology
'We should not be content with bare doctrine'
Michael Reeves
Date posted: 4 Nov 2024
Evangelicals are never about propositions alone: we want the theological truths of the gospel to transform us by the renewing of our minds (Rom.12:2).
We want to know God, in a personal way. We don’t simply affirm that Scripture is our supreme authority and that we are justified by faith alone through Christ alone. We actually submit to Scripture as our supreme authority and enjoy Christ as our only Saviour, praising Him from our hearts for His all-sufficiency and grace.
the ENd word
Listening leads to change
Lizzy Smallwood
Date posted: 2 Nov 2024
We thought last time how, in his letter, the apostle James has a lot to say about how we use our mouths and ears, and what that reveals about our hearts.
He challenges us to be much better listeners – slow to speak and quick to listen to each other but, much more importantly, to God.
Now This
The pace of change
Bill James
Date posted: 2 Nov 2024
We can sometimes be bewildered by the speed at which the world changes, and new ideas and fashions take root.
In the West there has been a headlong plunge towards identity politics, and a promotion of ideologies of sexuality and gender which seemed unthinkable just one or two decades ago. At the turn of the millennium it was ‘normal’ to talk of two genders, and of marriage between one man and one woman. Now the new ‘normal’ is very different.
everyday evangelism
Why the exclusivity of Jesus is so wonderful
Glen Scrivener
Date posted: 1 Nov 2024
Recently Pope Francis was fiercely critiqued for his teaching at an interfaith event in Singapore. Both Protestants and Catholics have charged him with the serious error of ‘indifferentism’.
Indifferentism is the belief that all religions are alike in their ability to bring you to God – it doesn’t matter which path you’re on, they all reach the top of the mountain. Whatever his corrections and clarifications later, his words at the Singapore conference sounded suspiciously like that teaching. ‘Every religion is a way to arrive at God’ he said. At the same time he made fun of the kind of person who says: ‘My God is more important than your God’. ‘Is that true?’ he asks the audience, expecting the answer, ‘No’.
