Missional Living (Page 4)
What If We based Our Decisions On Community Instead Of Self Interest?
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 informed about decisions to move house, job etc and my immediate response is always, ‘What is the motivation behind your decision?’ For a…
How Do I End a Bad Discussion?
This is always an awkward situation. What do we do when caught up in a discussion that we just don’t know how to end? How do we handle things when we can’t even agree to disagree? There are 4 helpful little pointers from ‘The Cripplegate’ here.
What’s So Good About Acts 29 Western Europe?
I found this video on their website recently. It is informative and helpful. Even though I am personally not involved in Acts29WE, the men that I have met who are, have been top quality. They are also in the process of beginning 1-2 year internships through their partner churches. I will publish…
How To Cope With The Stress Of Ministry
By Andy Constable Life in schemes can be tough at the best of times. It is, sometimes, an extremely face paced, intense ministry. I know today as I woke up that I felt tired and distracted. The business of the next couple of weeks clouded my mind. Now at this point I could (a) get on with the day and get as much as done as possible but keep stressing. Or (b) I can commit…
Why Missional Living Really Sucks & What You Can Do About It!
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit,…
Shalom in our Schemes: Impossible Ideal or Gospel Soaked Reality?
The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern (Prov. 29:7). Shalom has become a popular buzzword in certain evangelical circles, particularly around the whole ‘justice for the oppressed’ debate. What do we exactly mean by the word Shalom? Tim Keller…
Inner City Regeneration: Friend or Foe?
This is an emotive issue for many on our scheme. Much of the old housing and tenements have now gone from what was, historically, regarded as ‘old’ Niddrie. In its place are green fields, building sites, new flats, houses and a variety of government agencies and voluntary services. Almost everything feels new and shiny. The school, the doctor’s surgery,…
How Do We Disciple Former Drug Addicts? (Part 2)
By Andy Constable Last week we started by looking at some of the things we need to know when we are discipling drug addicts who have come to Christ and are rebuilding their lives. We looked at some of the things that you the discipler will need to look out for. This week I want to look at some of…
Multiplying Churches in Housing Schemes!
My team and I were recently discussing one of the units of our current Porterbrook Training course which was looking at the whole idea of reproducing churches, ministries and missionaries. I was personally struck by the catchphrase of the Chinese church: “Everyone is a church planter”. According to our reading one of the key factors in reproducing growing…
The Christian & The War On Drugs (2)
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…