Mission – Ministry – Life
In this third in a series of blog posts looking for a theological grounding to global mission I want to think about reconciliation and eschatology. In the two previous blogs I’ve looked at invitational community and Missio Dei & the resurrected Christ. These three things can be thought of as the legs of a stool,... Continue Reading →
My previous post suggested that invitational Community should be seen as one foundational aspect of a theology of global mission. Moving on from this I want to suggest that the second leg of this theological stool should be Missio Dei and the resurrected Christ. As before, what follows are suggestive thoughts rather than a worked... Continue Reading →
One unexpected bonus of Christmas under lockdown has been the opportunity to think, reflect and reread some theology books. So much is changing and the pace is likely to increase next year. It’s a mark of success to be agile and to change tack as circumstances change, but it’s not enough to traverse the storm,... Continue Reading →
How does Christianity keep people from Jesus? That’s the radical question this book considers as it examines the factors that keep Indian people from becoming disciples of Jesus. The book considers 9 different barriers; the first three: cultural separation, “Christian” and Church being the most fundamental. The separation that comes from believers seeking to withdraw... Continue Reading →
Last week I went to a lecture put on by the Centre for Theology and Justice in Manchester (the annual David Goodbourn lecture). The speaker was Michael H Taylor, one time principal of Northern Baptist College, subsequently CEO of Christian Aid for 12 years and now, among other things Emeritus Professor of Social Theology at... Continue Reading →
We can’t talk about global mission without talking about the local church. When all the paraphernalia of mission agencies is removed the call to share the good news and make disciples is a call to the church. I’ve blogged before (here) about some practical steps churches can take to get involved in global mission but wanted... Continue Reading →
Moving house has meant little time for blogging but I’ve continued to process thoughts and ideas from the Thinking Mission symposium. It’s a bit disjointed but here are some of the things bubbling round my mind. While Stroope is right that using the word ‘mission’ is problematic it is here to stay. What will be... Continue Reading →
I had the pleasure of chairing a conversation day run by the Baptist Ministers’ Fellowship this week. Entitled “Pathways for Baptist ministry” speakers shared their varied experience of ministerial life, training / formation and ways of working. Although the conversations ranged wide, two things stood out for me from the day: 1. The majority of... Continue Reading →
One function of blogs is to share half-baked ideas. The weekend saw blogs by Richard Littledale (here) and Vicky Beeching (here) exploring issues of digital legacy. Does an excessive use of social media drown out the awareness of our own mortality and finitude? Is the presence of an on-line self after death helpful for people? What... Continue Reading →
I’ve spent an interesting afternoon with a group from the mission department of the German Baptist Union. I was curious to learn how they structure and resource mission in Germany. In general they seem to have adopted a regional approach where the group gather together a couple of times each year (this time for a... Continue Reading →
