The more I (begin to) understand the American mindset when it comes to church planting, it becomes clear that many (not all) of our cousins differ to us on the notion of success. How do we know when we have made it? How do we gauge when we have been successful in planting? Some think […]

In my last post, we looked at the issue of stress and burnout. We looked at some of the ways in which over-tiredness can affect us and those around us. Today, I would like to offer some practical tips to help us. Rest is such a hard thing to achieve in our frenetic culture. Finding […]

We all know that feeling: when Monday morning feels like Friday evening, and the energy levels are at an all-time low. The question of how we recharge our batteries spiritually, physically, and mentally is important for church planters, pastors, and inner-city church workers. I have just spent some time with a dear friend of mine, […]

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 […]

So, I’ve discovered Jared C. Wilson quite late. Up until recently, he wasn’t a person who had entered my radar. I then saw his name on a Matt Chandler book (Explicit Gospel, I think) and then one day, completely out of the blue, he emailed me to write one of those thing-a-ma-jigs people write on […]

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 […]

This is a popular question when I speak in churches or with those who have an interest in mercy ministries or social justice issues. Here’s my own personal response to this: 1. Is the person saved? In other words, have they believed and understood the saving gospel of Jesus Christ and are now producing fruit […]

“We may cut off our aid only if it is unmerciful to continue it. It is unmerciful to bail out a person who needs to feel the consequences of his own irresponsible behaviour. Sometimes we may have to say, ‘Friend, we are not withdrawing our mercy, just changing its form. We will continue to pray […]

How has 20schemes become so linked to 9Marks? That is probably one of the most popular questions I get on my travels. The answer, in short, is down to our shared convictions on the role of the local church within the world. Here is their mission statement: 9Marks exists to equip church leaders with a biblical […]