Mission – Ministry – Life
Global mission is in a time of change; while most of the resources are still held in the west the dynamic mission movements are increasingly non-western. We might anticipate that over the next decade sending from the UK will continue to reduce (except for short term visits), incoming mission into the UK will increase and... Continue Reading →
“Mission is something we do with God, we can be the catalyst God uses” is my quote of the day from day 3 of mission training. However, the effectiveness of a catalyst in a reaction can depend on several factors and we want to create positive reactions and much of today revolved around how we... Continue Reading →
How fast can you stuff a tiger? Each session of the short term volunteer training comes up fast on the last. From 8:30 am to 8pm at night, with little time between the sessions, in the last 24 hours we’ve considered questions ranging from “what is the gospel” – which got people really animated –... Continue Reading →
Mission is an extreme sport. And to help me get in shape I'm spending this week at the BMS World Mission training centre in Birmingham (UK) doing the course they run to prepare people for going overseas as short / mid term volunteers. It's a strange experience being a student, these days I spend lots... Continue Reading →
In Luke 10 Jesus doesn’t just send the 72 out – he gives them a strategy to follow. It’s the same strategy he gave the apostles when he sent them in chapter 9; it’s a strategy Jesus uses in his own ministry and which Paul and others copy. The difference is that here in chapter... Continue Reading →
It risks stating the obvious but engagement in mission is part of discipleship. That’s to say that because we are followers of Jesus we will participate actively in his ministry; not least because he calls us to. Preaching from Luke 5, where Jesus calls the first disciples after their all night fishing trip had caught... Continue Reading →
I’ve just returned from my latest trip to Peru: teaching at the BMS supported training centre in Nauta. As usual it was a great time. The main aim of the first week was teaching at one of the regular training weeks. The idea is that the centre provides basic training for pastors and church leaders... Continue Reading →
I was shocked how long it’s been a while since my last blog. I’ve not given up on blogging but it has taken a back seat whilst I recover from my cardiac event and, if I’m honest, the swirl of questions which accompany getting back to work after a heart attack: ‘what am I doing?’... Continue Reading →
Before I last went to Iquitos I agreed to write about it for the Baptist Times. The article's now on line: training pastors in Peru
I’m currently back in Iquitos, the heart of the Peruvian Amazon jungle, where I’ve been teaching and encouraging church leaders (well trying to anyway). But time here always prompts me to think of home and the differences between the church in the UK and here. Whilst there are many things people lack here, decent medical... Continue Reading →
Distinct Reflections 