Field Notes of an Ordinary Pastor
“Your church website needs to accomplish four things. It needs to:
By church-hoppers: “Church-hoppers are those who have been to every church on the block (often more than once) and never seem able to settle down.”
By church-sharers: “Church-sharers might well be faithfully connected to your gatherings and even your mid-week activities. However, if they are also faithfully attending another local church(es) then there’s likely be problems down the line… sheep need to know who their shepherds are and that they need to be able to submit to those shepherds.”
By church-changers: “They are, if you will, theological consultants that you didn’t ask for! Literally, one minute you’ve never met them before, the next they are rocking up at your church on a Sunday, but they are not there to worship, they are there to change things!”
(Photo: wallyir)
By procreation: “Having babies is arguably the most fun way to grow a church!”
By salvation: “To grow as people respond to the gospel and are born again.”
By relocation: “People have to relocate for all kinds of reasons… this will mean moving away from one church and wanting to reconnect with a new church family that is more local to them.”
By commission: “Sometimes Christians might move from one local church to another for the purpose of mission.”
(Photo: KYAWTHET)
Every Tuesday I want to highlight on this blog a great resource that is available from 10ofthose.com and some great deals for you to check out.
This week’s resource are two great books for Mother’s Day from Clare Heath-Whyte: Old Wives’ Tales and First Wives’ Club.
Each book looks at the lives of six women (from 16th century and 18th century) and what we can learn from them for today.
As a special offer for Mother’s Day, you can get them both for £10.
Old Wives’ Tales and First Wives’ Club are available to buy HERE and when you do, you will get a free ebook of each of them.
And while you’re visiting 10ofthose.com you might like to check out the latest offers on a number of resources including other deals for Mother’s Day.
“The only good notebook is the one you’re carrying.
It’s no use to you if it’s still sitting at home because you don’t want to bend it or it’s too difficult to carry or you can think of any other excuse to not have it with you at all time.
It doesn’t have to be an expensive or fancy notebook.
It just has to be the one that doesn’t leave your side.”
(Photo: marihasilvia)
Sermon I preached on Acts 18:1-17 at Banstead Community Church on 1st March 2015.
1. Be encouraged by God’s people
2. Be encouraged by God’s provision
3. Be encouraged by God’s promises
More sermons can be found HERE
(Photo: hilarycl)
At Banstead Community Church, we are continuing to read the Old Testament as part of The Big Read and are reading through Isaiah together as a local church during the month of March.
Here’s an overview talk on Isaiah I gave and the accompanying handout.
More talks in the The Big Read series can be found HERE.
“It is almost always in the nature of Gods word that whenever it goes forth, Satan wakes up and starts to skirmish.
This is a very mark which distinguishes it from all false teaching, which is easily identified by the fact that it is willingly received by all, and is to everyone’s liking.”
(Photo: heirbornstud)
Resources, by category, I’ve highlighted over the last month that are worth a look:
1. Books etc
2. MP3s
3. Videos
4. Music
5. Conferences
6. Links
(Photo: ilco)
“Books don’t change people, paragraphs do — sometimes sentences.” (John Piper)
Notes I’ve made this month by category.
1. Pastor
2. Preaching
3. Leadership
4. Training
5. Church
6. Eldership
Mere Church:
Dai Hankey:
Dai Hankey:
Warren Ellis:
John Calvin: