In Depth:  Jonathan Carswell

With my job, I have the joy of visiting many churches around the country, encouraging people to read Christian books.

A few weeks ago I was handed the order of service which those leading were using, and was looking out for where my slot was in the service. The church had kindly given me four minutes to excite the congregation about reading and using books. As I perused the schedule further though, I saw next to several items lower down the words, ‘(If we have time)’…

Wayne Grudem, well known for his writing, has been a leading light in reuniting charismatic and Reformed churches. In 2010 Wayne will be speaking at New Word Alive. He talked to Jonathan Carswell for EN.

JC: It was announced recently that the NIV is to be updated — what do you think of that news?

Bob Kauflin has become a familiar name to church leaders and music groups in recent years. His songs, books and CDs, through Sovereign Grace Music, have been some of the most helpful resources for churches. Jonathan Carswell interviews him exclusively for EN.

EN: You’re Director of Worship Development for Sovereign Grace (SG). Can you explain what SG is, and what your role involves?

Over the last few years there has been a fresh passion for evangelism and a start made to employ full-time evangelists.

EN grabbed a few minutes with Nick Howard, the son of a former Tory Party leader, Michael Howard. He recently started working as an itinerant evangelist, partnering with the Association of Evangelists.

98% of us feel stressed; 86% depressed; 83% are angry; 63% feel lonely; and a third of us are thinking seriously about leaving our job. So who are we? We’re the ministers and vicars of your local churches!

Frightening isn’t it? They say that statistics can prove anything you want them to, but who would want to prove that our church leaders are tired, downhearted and desperate to ‘get out’. What’s worse is that the situation isn’t improving; in fact it’s spiralling downwards faster than ever and it’s hardly surprising when the average age of a minister is over 50 and increasing each year.

Third Day has fast become one of America’s best and most popular Christian rock bands. Jonathan Carswell picked up his press pass and headed off to Belfast’s Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle to interview the band exclusively for EN.

Five guys; nine albums; three Grammy awards; one common purpose.

‘The best of times and the worst of times’: most of us can associate with Dickens’ words at some period.

For me it was my three years at Durham University. The amazing highs of new experiences, friends, and opportunities all sadly twinned with lows of wasted time, missed chances and wrong decisions. Without a doubt they proved vital in my Christian discipleship. I owe a huge debt to those of an earlier generation who decided CUs should be student-led.

The Irishnman, Andrew Trimble, has quickly become a household name in the rugby world.

Thanks to his speed, agility and tough tackling, the young rugby giant has propelled himself to the centre stage of both club and international rugby. As the Six Nations Championship drew to a close with Ireland’s defeat of England, Jonathan Carswell, caught up with him to find out what the real ‘Trimble’ was like…

I’m not a fan of the phrase ‘doing church’, but, for want of a better phrase, can I ask how you ‘do’ church?

There appears to be a new trend, especially in cities, for churches to be structured around ‘congregations’ rather than the church family. Many churches have decided to run a Sunday service designed exclusively for one age group or another; whether for students, young people, or, as I saw recently, just for those of Asian origin.

The radio was still on when I opened my bleary eyes. I must have dropped off to sleep the night before without turning it off. The last few weeks of term had been hard work. I rolled over, giving myself ten more minutes under the duvet. Then it hit me ? ten more minutes wasn?t an option.

Andy Shudall was one of UCCF?s first Relay workers. He went on to join their staff, first working directly with CUs, then as a regional team leader, and most recently as Relay Co-ordinator. He and his family, along with Nigel Pollock (director of training and development), leave UCCF and the UK this summer to join the IFES movement in New Zealand.

JC: Where did you study, and in one word, how would you sum up your experience there?

?I wish I?d known it would be like this; I would have brought a bus load!? This was just one comment from a student after attending the recent missions conference for university students at New Tribes Mission, North Cotes.

Students gathered from universities all over the UK and indeed Europe, to be part of it. Until they arrived they were not quite sure what they were letting themselves in for, as it was the first conference of its kind ? but a pleasant surprise for waiting ? it was a super weekend.

For Christian students who are a part of the 2.7 million in Further Education (FE) colleges, CU life can be a hard slog.

The group is almost always small in number, they are less well-resourced than school or university CUs, and colleges are often deeply secular environments not used to the concept of a CU. However, as we have seen in recent years the labour is producing fruit, even if progress is slow.

John Wesley arrived in Newcastle upon Tyne on May 28 1742. He noted the following in his daily journal: 'We came to Newcastle about six, and after short refreshment, walked into town. I was surprised; so much drunkenness, cursing and swearing (even from the mouths of little children), do I never remember to have seen and heard before in so small a compass of time. Surely this place is ripe for Him who came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.'

250 years after Wesley arrived in the North East, it is fair to say that little has changed, perhaps it is even worse. Visit any of the university campuses, not just at the weekend, and hundreds of students will be consuming copious amounts of alcohol, having numerous sexual relationships, but having little or no regard for their Creator. However, surely we must respond, not with condemnation, but like Wesley did, with the attitude that these people are 'ripe for him'.

Phil became a Christian at university in Brighton. After meeting and watching another group of real Christians he realised that he wasn't one, despite attending Crusaders courses for years on the Isle of Wight. Phil is now the minister of a small church in Brighton, Calvary Evangelical Church. Jonathan Carswell finds out about his joys and struggles in a small church.

JC: Phil, how did you actually start in Christian ministry?

Hugh Palmer has been the Rector of Christ Church, Fulwood, in Sheffield for nine years, but will be succeeding Richard Bewes as Rector of All Souls, Langham Place, London, from January 2005.

In the first of a three-part series looking at different church situations, Jonathan Carswell speaks to Hugh about the challenges and blessings of working within a large evangelical Anglican church:

During a recent trip to the UK, Phillip Jensen, Dean of Sydney, was involved in various student evangelistic outreaches.

Prior to speaking on 'Atheists are fools and agnostics are cowards' at Durham University Christian Union, Jonathan Carswell caught up with him in a Durham coffee shop.

As the black cab swung into the long drive of Pennyhill Park Hotel, Bagshot, Surrey, I saw this was no average hotel. The ivy-covered outer walls along with the open fire and lush, red leather sofa in its grand reception room, confirmed my suspicions. Why should this be an average hotel though? After all, it was housing 35 athletes and a managerial team who were the best English side for many years - England's Rugby Union team.

I was there to meet one man, Jason Robinson. His skills on the pitch, his private life and belief in God, have been well documented in recent weeks and I was looking forward to discovering him for myself.