Paul Rees is the lead pastor of Charlotte Chapel, a large independent Baptist Church in the centre of Edinburgh. This was the church that invited me to take over the revitalisation of Niddrie Community Church in 2007, and they have played a large part in growing a thriving gospel ministry. We are also immensely thankful […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]