Let me start by saying that this is quite a chunky book, considering the strap line: ‘Reintroducing the Doctrines of Church Membership and Discipline.’ 350+ pages on the topic of membership and discipline seems a bit on the extreme side! However, despite initial misgivings, I have to say that this is an absolute gem of […]

I was deeply saddened late last year to hear of an extremely close pastor friend of mine who had succumbed to temptation and committed adultery. He has not been married for very long, he was pastoring a growing church, and he was also the vice president of a Bible College. I have yet to ascertain […]

Let me start by saying that at 170+ pages long, this book by Tim Chester is a short, sharp read on what is often quite an involved topic. For those of us who have read anything written by Ron Sider particularly, it is not going to add anything new to our armoury, but it is […]

When we look at the NT, and the book of Acts in particular, we see that the gospel spread and the church grew through the proclamation and teaching of the ‘Word of God’ (Acts 6:7; 12:24; 19:20). That, surely, must be the basis for any and all ministry in our congregations—we must be ‘Word based’. […]

This is the title of an article I wrote a year or so ago and then adapted for my friend Brian Croft at Practical Shepherding Ministries. Click on the link here to read the article in full. Practical Shepherding is a Gospel-driven resource center for pastors and church leaders to equip them in the practical […]

Very often, I am asked what my ‘position’ is on social justice and/or mercy ministry and the gospel. Usually, I will feign a quizzical look before asking said person, ‘what do you mean by that?’ Generally, what they mean to ask is how I balance ‘loving people and providing for their needs over and against […]

When was the last time you met a person who took a decision in their life based on how it would affect their Christian community? As a pastor, I am often informed about decisions to move house, job, etc. and my immediate response is always twofold: What is the motivation behind your decision?  Where will […]

Is the idea of treating addiction as a disease preventing addicts from overcoming their problems? Daily Telegraph writer and recovering alcoholic Damian Thompson, who has written a new book on the subject, explains that what worries him is the way addicted behaviour is “spreading around society”. “There is an acceleration of addictiveness”, he told the […]

I live in a scheme which is blighted by drugs. Children as young as seven and eight years old are smoking Cannabis regularly (I smoked my first joint at 12). Heroin is as easy to get as a pint of milk from the local store. Crack, Coke, E’s, LSD, you name it and it can […]