Category Archives: Church
Podcast: Countercultural rebellion: An interview with Carl Trueman
Audio
Paul Grimmond catches up with Carl Trueman, Academic Dean and Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, to chat about the local church, evangelism, ministry training, evangelicalism, the uniqueness of Scripture and Anglicanism (MP3).
Introverts in the church
Sola Panel, Up front
Is the coffee hour after church your favourite hour of the week? If it fills you with more dread than root canal, then Introverts in the Church: Finding our place in an extroverted culture (InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, 2009) is the book for you. Adam McHugh, a Presbyterian minister and one-time hospice chaplain, shows how introverts can survive and thrive in the Christian community without succumbing to anonymous isolation or burnout. (more…)
Engaging the pews
Life
In the circles I move in, the issue of preaching is, perhaps, top of the list of things churches need to change in order to lift their game. The feeling is that there is a need for more passion, more authenticity, more engagement, and more confidence that God is here, that he speaks, and that his word is powerful to move and change people—whole people, that is, not just their expertise in how to read the Bible.
Now, there may be some truth in these observations. But that’s not my concern here. I want to turn the spotlight around 180 degrees. My concern, as someone who spends my time in the pews, not the pulpit, is that what goes on in our pews is also in need of more passion, more authenticity, more engagement and more confidence that God is here with us as we meet on Sundays.
Fellow workers or office bearers? Thinking missionally about church structures
Pastoral Ministry
Church government, with its talk of elders, deacons, overseers and offices, can be bewildering. But as Steve Cree argues, perhaps that’s because we’ve lost sight of the mission of Christ. (more…)
The Geneva Push
Pastoral Ministry
It is a little-known fact that Calvin and the Genevan Consistory sent hundreds of trained missionaries into France and the rest of the Europe to preach the gospel and plant new congregations of believers. In this interview, The Briefing talks to Al Stewart about the ongoing importance of church planting in light of Al’s work with Evangelism Ministries in Sydney and The Geneva Push, a new Australia-wide church-planting network whose name is derived from the work of Calvin and his colleagues.
Freedom to do what you don’t like
Everyday Ministry, Life
There are two kinds of freedom. Christian freedom is the freedom to be a servant of others (Gal 5:13)—the freedom to do what I don’t like. But the freedom that allows me to do whatever I want is not Christian freedom; it is license and sometimes licentiousness. When in the name of Christian liberty, I am free to do what I wanted to do anyway, a deep suspicion enters my mind; it is not that God wants to deny me any pleasure, but that I know that my motives are corrupted by sin. (more…)
Unity in the gathering or ‘adults only’ church?
Life, Pastoral Ministry
Meeting together is extremely important to Christians. It reflects the wonderful truth that God’s gospel breaks down barriers. When Christians gather around God’s word, all kinds of people rub shoulders who, but for the gospel, wouldn’t be seen dead together. We do, however, allow ourselves one major exception: rather than listening to God’s word together, one group of people —the children—are typically taken out of the meeting to be taught separately. This seems to keep everyone—adults and children—happy, and allows each person to be taught at an appropriate level. (more…)
Does your church believe in the clarity of Scripture?
Pastoral Ministry
I’ve noticed in recent years that, although we can make good and well-intentioned ministry decisions, when combined with other good ministry decisions, these decisions produce a poisonous gas that threatens the wellbeing of our churches. In other words, the way we’ve chosen to work out the implications of our theological commitments can come at the expense of other theological commitments. (more…)
Praying together in light of the gospel
Jeff Read looks at the business of prayer and why it should be a central element of our meeting together. (more…)
A spot of gardening
Resource Talk
I want to be frank with you, so I’m just going to say it. I don’t want any argument, okay? There is nothing—repeat, nothing—more boring on television or radio than shows about gardening. If you disagree with me, then I’m sorry, but you just need to be corrected.
How to encourage your kids’ Sunday school teachers
Everyday Ministry
On Sunday mornings, I come to church wearing two hats: parent and Sunday school teacher. Drawing on my experiences from both roles, I thought I’d put together a few thoughts about how parents can encourage our children’s secondary ‘disciplers’ (in this case, their Sunday school teachers) to keep doing the job with perseverance, diligence and joy. It’s a somewhat random list based mainly on my own frustrations and joys over the years. I’d love to hear your additions to the list.
When it’s time to go: The what, why and how of leaving church
Life
Thinking of leaving your church? Simon Flinders takes a look at what church is, why you’d leave (and why you wouldn’t) and how to leave well. (more…)
Your most important ordinances?
Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel
Think about your denomination for a moment. What are the most important pieces of legislation governing your denomination’s assembly and churches?
We call them ordinances. Not the “ordinances of the Lord which are sure and altogether righteous” (Ps 19:9, NIV); ‘ordinances’ is our fancy Anglican name for the rules that govern our denomination. Every earthly organization (and that’s what denominations are) has to have some sort of rules by which to function.
Now the latest printed edition I had of the Acts, Ordinance and Regulations of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney ran to over 450 pages, and listed 47 ordinances, not to mention several Acts of Parliament and various regulations.
What do you think are the most important ordinances governing your denomination? See if you can write down your selections before reading on.
So what does the gathering look like? (Part 5)
Everyday Ministry, Sola Panel
This is the fifth and final meeting template that I’ve been working on in recent months. (Check out part 1 for the background and the first template, and parts 2, 3 and 4 for the others.)
This meeting pattern is good to insert into the program at least every month to six weeks, in my view. It’s a change of pace—a morning of more extended singing and prayer—an opportunity to pause and give thanks and celebrate God’s goodness. It’s thrillingly called ‘Extra singing and prayer’.