Three years ago I moved from being the minister of one church, that the BUGB count as a smaller church, to Poynton (which is described as a larger church). Initially it was a steep learning curve, but here are some reflections on what I learnt. 1. Clarity of speech. In a smaller church the same... Continue Reading →
Lessons on being a minister 1
I’ve been a minister for 10 years now so thought I might post a couple of blogs about being a minister, this one being general reflections and the next one on moving from a ‘smaller’ to a ‘larger’ church. Then, if I get the time, I might blog some more about specific points over the... Continue Reading →
Innovating the Church
I went to a seminar this week led by James Emery White, Senior Pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church, Charlotte, North Carolina (here); put on by the Willow Creek Association in the UK. I’ve not been to any of the Willow Creek seminars before but it was a worthwhile day and touched on many of the... Continue Reading →
Good preaching: Mapping reality
While preparing a sermon it struck me that preaching is like map reading. Sometimes people read the Bible as if it is a road map, a series of lines which connect up to take us in a particular direction; our job is to get on the motorways and stay there till we reach our... Continue Reading →
What every church should know about their minister
My week has been busy preparing services for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Since Christmas we have been working our way through Luke’s gospel; we started in advent and have now come to the closing chapters. One thing that struck me afresh is how, particularly in events surrounding the last supper (Luke 22),... Continue Reading →
What is preaching?
I guess I typically preach about forty sermons a year and sermon preparation is part of my weekly routine. However, occasionally a passage comes along which brings home some of the key questions that preachers face but often remain in the background. This week, I’m preaching on Luke 17:20-37, as part of our sermon series in... Continue Reading →
A positive vision?
Following some of my earlier comments I’ve been having some more thoughts about vision, partly prompted by a book Lyle Schaller. The premise is that most ministers spend the majority of time focused on front line tasks. Preparing sermons, pastoral care and the basic organisation / administration required to keep the church going. Some... Continue Reading →
Living what you believe
I’ve been fascinated by what the Cappadocians (Basil the Great, Gregory Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa) understood about the role of ministers and, for me, three things stand out: 1. Contemplating the fullness of God. Pointing people towards God so they apprehend Father, Son and Spirit; or, as Ephesians 4 puts it, so we might grow... Continue Reading →
Ministry: remember who you are.
Will Willimon notes the main danger in ministry is not ‘burn out’ but rather ‘black out’; it is not that we run out of energy but rather we loose consciousness of why we are here and what we are called to be. What ministers do is a function of who ministers are. St Basil... Continue Reading →
Distinct Reflections 