Author Archives: The Briefing

All the way to 11 …

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“The numbers all go to 11. Look, right across the board, 11, 11, 11 and …” Nigel Tufnel, the lead guitarist for the fictional rock band Spinal Tap, is explaining to the reporter that unlike other rock bands who only have amps that go to 10, theirs go all the way to 11. When the reporter stops and asks, “Why don’t you just make 10 louder and make 10 be the top number and make that a little louder?” there is a long pause followed by “These go to 11”.

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Mission in the 21st century

Everyday Ministry

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We are used to thinking of missionaries as westerners going off to exotic locations to share the gospel with the natives. But what does mission look like today, and how can we be part of it? David Williams investigates.

A friend of mine is a missionary. He is working on the African island of Madagascar, serving the local Anglican diocese in a church planting initiative, which they hope and pray will see many thousands of people come to know the Lord Jesus. He is helping to train evangelists, and is investing much time and energy in learning the local language so that he will be able to teach the good news of the Lord Jesus properly. His home churches are supporting him, giving generously and sacrificially to a mission agency that is coordinating his financial and prayer support. (more…)

Is the gospel still first for the Jew?

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With so much gospel need in the world today, it can be hard to know where to begin. But, as Martin Pakula argues, the Bible makes it very clear: mission starts with the Jews.

There are a billion Chinese people in the world, more than a billion Indians and a billion Muslims. There are also many courses, books and seminars on how to reach them, and the church is right to make mission to them a high priority. In contrast, there are only 14 million Jews in the world. Evangelical Christians may be convinced that Jewish people need to hear and believe the gospel. But when we do the math, Jewish mission often falls at the end of the queue. Well, not if you believe your Bible! (more…)

The church on the move: An interview with David Cook

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David Cook, Principal of Sydney Missionary and Bible College (SMBC) in Croydon, NSW, Australia, recently authored an excellent guide for those wanting to preach through the book of Acts: Teaching Acts (Christian Focus, 2007). Peter Hastie speaks to him about preaching, mission and what the book of Acts has to say about church growth.

Peter Hastie: The book of Acts is said to be a ‘tonic for the soul’. What are some of the things that Luke says are crucial for our spiritual strength and vitality? (more…)

Oops! Did we just start a denomination

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David Shead tells the story of how he was forced to change tactics while doing ministry in Slovenia.

“We got more than we bargained for”. It’s a lovely phrase, conjur­ing up images of unsuspecting tourists trying their hand at a bit of marketplace haggling. However, when they examine their purchases later, they get a nasty surprise: weevils in the food or a visit from the constabulary about stolen goods. Getting ‘more than you bargained for’ pinpoints that sobering moment when your lack of control is exposed: you planned and prepared well, but somehow—and you’re not too sure how—things didn’t turn out the way you expected. (more…)

A scary, prayer-rie verse

Up front

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For the last few months, I’ve been catching up weekly with my friend Alex. We meet to pray and read the Bible together, and, like a plague of two Egyptian locusts, to raid the contents of my fridge or the local takeaway (depending where we meet) for something resembling lunch. (more…)

Anglican family

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You can’t split a marshmallow. You can melt it—you can even cut it—but marshmallows are too malleable to be split. Something has to be brittle to split. (more…)

Moving beyond the shock absorber: The place of youth ministry—past, present and future

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Introduction

Western societies like Australia are living through times of rapid change. Revolutions in technology create new ways of living that in turn create new ways of thinking. Young people grow up in environments very different from their parents, and so often develop different values. This makes the passing on of biblical values from one generation to the next difficult. The technologies that shape our lives give us amazing freedom of choice, and relative independence. But this is creating a growing, transient, consumer-driven individualism in our societies.

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