As BUGB Council convenes again it strikes me that one question lurks behind many of the items on the agenda. Who leads the Union? Or more correctly where does leadership in the Union come from? Do we need to split the governance and management of the BUGB charity from the leadership of the wider Union?... Continue Reading →
Positive intent
In blogging about the life of the BUGB it is always easier seeking to critically evaluate what others do than making positive proposals. So here is an attempt to set out some of the things that I think are important about our life together. Valuing Ministry: A core part of the Union’s life is recognising,... Continue Reading →
Connecting ministers and churches
The BU has a system, led by the National Settlement Team, which seeks to help ministers find churches to settle in and churches find a new minister. Recently the church here has been looking for a new Associate Minister; a process which I’ve found far more stressful than I expected. And it is not over... Continue Reading →
Minister gets it wrong?
An interesting piece in today's Guardian here The comments are also fascinating for the way in which they give an insight into some of the issues the church needs to grapple with if we are to become missional communities of virtue in a post-christian world. Not to mention the observation that as a minister you... Continue Reading →
Learning by preaching
Life continues to be busy with lots of things that it isn’t appropriate to blog about; not least the church’s search for an associate minister. But in the midst of the routine I’ve spotted something I’d not noticed before. Preaching thematically this term about putting God first, I thought it would be appropriate to start... Continue Reading →
Small groups
As I forwarded this link to our small groups co-ordinator I thought I might blog it as well. Those of you who are on the BUGB E-news sweep will know how it came to my attention - thank you to the communications team. On my long list of things to do is to try and... Continue Reading →
The light ahead is….
It is now a month since the summer holiday and, so far, there has been little time for blogging. Truth is I’ve been so busy and too exhausted to blog; which raises the question why? Is it that I’m disorganised or do I have unreal expectations of myself? Perhaps I’ve simply got a death wish... Continue Reading →
Papal Visit
I recognise that the visit is over and most people have moved on but if only to prove I'm still alive I thought I would share some rambling thoughts. 1. I’m not sure why it was made a ‘state’ rather than ‘pastoral’ visit but I’m not convinced this was wise. Notwithstanding the opportunities it gave... Continue Reading →
Holiday France 2010
Having returned from our holiday in France I decided to blog about what we got up to before normal service is resumed. Outward journey: Uneventful drive to Eurotunnel crossing; we arrived early and were able to get on an earlier train. Personally I prefer the ferry but Eurotunnel can be paid for with Tesco... Continue Reading →
Time to bin covenant?
In Baptist life in England there are a number of overused phrases (the Baptist family and deep listening are two that come to mind) whose benefit to corporate discussion is lost by repetition. I wonder if it is now time to add the word covenant. I’m not suggesting the word has no benefit, clearly covenant... Continue Reading →
Distinct Reflections 