“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 […]

A ‘celebrity’ preacher, probably American, is preaching across the street from my house. This geezer is one of the top three ‘greats’ in the Christian world right now. But, on the same Sunday morning, one of my best mates is preaching hundreds of miles away from my house. Hardly anyone’s heard of him. He’s a […]

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 […]

A good planter and revitaliser will have to be a first-rate communicator. They must be able to explain their vision, excite and stimulate people, and incentivise them to join his team. A good leader will need to communicate the following in the early days: Explain the gospel Explain what healthy church should look like Explain […]

So do not confuse the tender-hearted nature of kindness with weakness. Man, if you think Jesus’ kindness makes Him weak, you don’t know Him.

One of the most difficult pastoral questions we get asked on a scheme is: ‘Do I have to forgive my abuser?’

Do movement leaders, para-church leaders and theological institutions have the courage to call a moratorium on outreach into council estates and housing schemes?

The following article was written by Gustav Pritchard. He is an elder at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Johannesburg, South Africa. Electricity is not always in constant, predictable supply here in South Africa. Even in the major cities, we face power failures for parts of the day, sometimes for days on end. Sadly, it is far […]

“Women participate equally with men in the priesthood of all believers. Their role is crucial, their wisdom, grace, and commitment exemplary. While Scripture teaches that a woman’s role is not identical to that of men in every respect, and that pastoral leadership is assigned to men, it also teaches that women are equal in value to men.” […]

If we’re going to tell someone that Jesus loves them, we should be able to explain why and how.