What do you think of when you think of youth ministry? I suppose it depends on what kind of church tradition you are used to. Many think of a high-tempo time of singing, something like a concert. Others think of a series of social activities run each week. There are all kinds of structures, and …
The collection of songs typically sung in Christian churches are heavily weighted towards praise songs. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It is a fundamental truth that Christians will want to thank God for what He has done! It is great to be given thoughtful words to sing that express our thankfulness to the One …
One of the strangest things for newcomers to church to grapple with is a group of people singing aloud together. If you’ve been a churchgoer for a long time, maybe that doesn’t strike you as unusual. It is just something churches do. But think about it: where else in our cultures do groups of people …
God is in complete control of the world. Yes, complete control. There are no surprises to God. Everything He wants to happen does happen, just the way He wants it to. We see this in all kinds of places in the Bible, including: Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every …
Some people like to plan for the future; others just seem to deal with whatever might happen to them. I am a planner. I like to make lists. I like to know what my diary is likely to look like next week, and what major events are planned next month. I realise that not everyone …
While I was on Sabbatical recently, I took the opportunity to visit a range of churches in my city. I chose churches that I had not visited before and where I had some kind of connection. Some of them were very good and taught from the Bible, welcomed me warmly, and told me the gospel …
We live in a world which values extroverts very highly. School children are marked on contributions in class. Job interview processes always include evidence of teamwork. TV shows and movies portray typical social lives as being dominated by attending parties and large social gatherings. We all love someone who loves people and is in their …
Sometimes the right words, said at the right time, can change someone’s life. Encouragement has the power to really make a difference to people, yet it is a rarer thing than it should be. Christians live in a world that is not our home, a world full of discouragement. We feel the pressure of our …
While I was on Sabbatical, I had the opportunity to visit other churches in my city that I usually am not able to visit. Usually, I attended by myself, as my family had rostered commitments at our home church, and mostly I went to churches where I did not know many people. Some of them …
By the time you read this, I will be on a Sabbatical from my usual ministry. I have been pastoring now for almost 18 years, and ironically after a time of significant growth and encouragement in the church, I am feeling a bit run down and tired. My denomination allows pastors to have a Sabbatical …