There’s no need to be afraid. It’s the time of the year when more people attend Church than any other. Is that as a result of more people who usually go to churches inviting those who don’t usually go to church? Might be; might not be; it’s not clear.
It is more likely that more people go to carol services as it is a ‘Christmassy’ thing to do…Read More

I have heard various ways over the years of understanding Jesus when he says that we are the salt of the earth in the Sermon on the Mount (Mat 5 v 13).  I have heard that it means we should be making what we say about Jesus interesting, ‘tasty’, linking it with Colossians 4 v 6.  I have heard that it means that we should be making sure our lives….Read More

I recently had the privilege of preaching at 3 churches’ services where the aim had been for the church to invite friends, family and neighbours who do not usually go to the church, along.  They had been encouraged to think about their relationships, build relationships and pray for those people in the months beforehand….Read More

Recently at work I was talking to a colleague about life and faith – he and I have frequent conversations about this at the end of work days.  It had been another tough day in a tough environment with teenagers who are excluded from schools and not engaged with their education, which is a whole other issue.  He said “God’s not in here…Read More

Work and rest.  Rest and work.   What order should they be and does it matter?  Reading Making new disciples (Ireland and Booker), I was challenged by the example of Jesus (nothing new there).  He had time to speak to people, for example the Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4 v 7 – 26.  He was not rushing around ticking off…Read More

Big churches are often seen as:
The place to be
The way it should be
For younger people
Popular places
Having all the resources
Culturally relevant
Lively
Successful
Small churches are often seen as…Read More

Vincent Donovan was a missionary who worked among the Masai people of Tanzania.  In May 1966 he wrote to his Bishop about how after 100 years of missionary work building and running hospitals, schools and mission compounds (which by that very term sound more like defensive fortifications than a welcoming oasis)…Read More

Do you remember the first computer games console, the black and white one with rectangular blocks that you controlled to go up and down to play football, tennis or squash? It had 2 speeds as well. Now you get games on your TV, games on your computer, games on your phone, games in your hand, games in your face…Read More

What can we learn from England’s World cup? Good guys can be respected and win i.e. Gareth Southgate. Waistcoats can be worn. You need to prepare for pressure situations i.e. penalty shootouts. England can win penalty shootouts. Set piece plays are key so good to put some training in. Players can be open and ‘normal’…Read More

Recently when in Chelmsford High St on a Saturday I came across a group of people dressed in plain black, wearing white masks, in a circle facing outwards, holding iPad (other similar electronic devices are available from good retailers) – just standing there.  You could not see unless you went up really close what was…Read More