Being Strategic with God in 2022
It’s the start of a new year, and that always makes me think of the fantasy story book, Alice in Wonderland. Not because a wonderful new year full of potential and possibilities lies ahead – although that’s certainly true and is a good reason to start the year full of faith and hope. No, I […]
New Year’s Resolutions
So, it’s the time of year again when everyone around you shares their New Year’s resolutions with enthusiasm and energy. And we all have moments to ourselves where we think about those proclamations and promises we repeatedly make to ourselves – and we dream about them being life changing. “Hopefully, this time around I will make it.” […]
Margins: Are yours sufficient?
To enable everyone to stay safe during the past twenty months, we’ve become familiar with social distancing and keeping the right margin between each other. (Although these guys aren’t wearing their masks!). I want to think about the word ‘margin’ in a different way though. For this couple to sit talking on these benches, there […]
Family Life and Ministry – Finding a Rhythm that Fits
I’ve heard Darlene Cunningham teach us, “We have often been told, ‘God first, family second, ministry third.’ While this is well-intentioned, it should be, ‘God first, God second, God third…God everywhere, and in everything first.’” I like this approach which doesn’t compartmentalize our lives into categories. Family and ministry are linked. According to 1 Timothy […]
Reading your team: understanding the personality and perspective of your team members
“That’s what I am saying the whole time” “Yes! Me too” Have you ever had the infuriating experience of ending a long debate with a team member only to realise that you were agreeing the whole time? Almost certainly there was a lack of understanding from one or both sides. Sometimes our misunderstanding comes from […]
What needs a ‘necessary ending’ in your life?
Do you need to end something? I think we would all agree that that the end isn’t in sight for the COVID pandemic yet. Some endings are out of our control. Some of us like to end things that are in our control, but perhaps a little too quickly – like important but tedious activities, relationships that […]
Are you making the most of your meals?
If you’re like me, you look forward to Christmas partly because of the delicious food that is connected with that season. Like so many Brits, I love Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, mince pies and of course turkey & stuffing, cranberry…
Entertaining Angels
Mosaic from the Papal Basilica of the three visitors to Abraham As we moved into a new way of blessing others through our zoom connections, I was surprised at how so many strangers became dear friends over the course of a two-week training. Staff worked so hard to provide a welcoming atmosphere as they focused […]
Sex, True Purity, and Almost Jumping Out of a Moving Car
—by Eric Demeter. Adapted from the book, How Should a Christian Date? It’s Not as Complicated as You Think (Moody Publishers, September 2021). https://amzn.to/3BE5Iyy I was eighteen and stuck in my mom’s car when out of the blue, she hit me with, “Eric, I have something to share with you. When you date, remember two things: keep it […]
Restoration after Moral Failure
Procedure for responding to situations of Moral Failure Introduction God is a God of redemption and restoration. This is His heart and history reveals to us it is also the action He takes. As His followers, we must always have both redemption and restoration at the heart of our actions towards those who have failed. […]