In order to secure the long-term viability of ministry on a scheme, we have to raise financial support. It is very rare for this to happen overnight, and so requires both faith and patience. Therefore, we need to be on the lookout for funding avenues at all times. This can come in the shape of […]

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1) At Niddrie, we are having our annual ‘prune’ as we review our ministry across […]

I got this book from a pal who handed it to me saying: “Not quite sure what this was all about. Have a look and let me know.” Let’s just say that it wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement! What I discovered was a book about leadership, influencing and“creating in a cultural storm” that opens with […]

So, I have a spare hour or so to write a post about my ongoing trip to the States. I write this in a big house in Jackson, Mississippi. So far, I have travelled to Omaha and Louisville, and the experience in all three places couldn’t have been more different. In Omaha, I stayed at the […]

This is a book that quite simply introduces us to the devil. Who is he? Where did he come from? We learn that his main job is to destroy and undermine the goodness of God’s creation. “He defaces the image of God in human beings”. (p.23) Mike looks at Satan’s strategies in the world today, […]

I picked up this little book (and three others in the series—reviews to follow) on my recent trip to the States. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect given the evangelical church’s ‘pass the hand grenade’ approach to dealing with this topic. But what a great little book it is. Allberry reminds us from the […]

Church planters and pastors of all ilks are united by the fact that they (normally) have strong personalities. This is doubly so for those of us who work in housing schemes and/or other similar situations. We have to lead, often make snap decisions, and carry/encourage/develop/mentor a group of people seeking to live for Christ in […]

Yesterday we looked at a series of questions I would consider to be fundamental when seeking to work in partnership with voluntary groups, mission teams, and individual donors. Today, I would like to reverse the questions. So, if you are an individual seeking to support a work like ours (or any work for that matter), […]

Here in Niddrie, we have found the following questions to be very helpful (from a local church perspective) when considering if and when we should receive outside ‘teams’ of young people who come to Niddrie Community Church for a 2 week ‘mission trip’. Obviously, they need to be contextualised to every situation, but they are more […]

Long-time followers of this blog will be only too aware of my opinion(s) on the reason we have such a shortage of healthy gospel churches and trained, indigenous leadership in the poorer areas of the UK. Pretty much all of the internships, training pathways, and leadership development initiatives are aimed at, and packaged for, the […]