Making a Difference

Learning From Other Cultures

Other cultures as we go to them, or they come to us, have much to teach us in our understanding of the Gospel, and about the rich variety of expression in worship.

As We Serve, Jesus Builds His Church

We can learn from mission overseas, in terms of how missioners have impacted other cultures and people-groups with the Good News.

The Adventure & Story of Mission

The missional journey is wonderful - AND fraught with danger.

tree shoot from trunk

The Church is a self-correcting Body, continually changing, continually needing to change; continually reforming, continually needing to be reformed.

Raising the Spiritual Temperature

spiritual temperature quote
Eden Baptist Church

It can be a great privilege and delight to be called to minister and serve within the context of a church in a small town or village.

out for a walk

Are we in danger or have we actually missed the point of why the Church exits, why were called out and into? C. S.

Church Ruin, Nenagh, Ireland

‘If we are not missional, our churches will die?'

cross-hatch window

Today’s church has a strategic problem and a missionary problem, say Dave Ferguson and Alan Hirsch, authors of On the Verge: A Journey Into the Future of the Apostolic Church. 

parish church, Newmarket, England

A Pastor said - "I planted my church, and God grew it big. We've done externally-focused, church planting, and multi-site, and we'll keep doing them.

pathway

It is a joy to examine the many aspects and all there may be of the scope of life on this planet.

On July 31st, 1917, the Allied Forces launched a ten day artillery bombardment using 3,000 heavy guns and 4,250,000 shells.

In Luke 10, Jesus appointed 70 disciples and sent them out to the towns and villages where he intended to visit.

man playing guitar in mall

As we seek to get to know our neighbour, our community, our setting, the culture and the people we long to reach, we need to find out: Who’s already doing It?

Colourful Ribbons

Denominational leaders, whatever else their job may continue to be today, are to be Holy Spirited disturbers and catalysts who also are to exhort and encourage churches towards their missiona

Whether we have ‘come strategies’ or ‘go strategies’ as local churches, we are to consider ourselves ‘sent’ (that is, in apostolic ministry) following the Saviour and with His apprentice-disc

My longing is that we may see in local churches join in the creation of a missional movement, comprised of new mission-shaped atmosphere and ethos.

Nike statue, Ephesus

When St. Paul visited Ephesus and spent several years of ministry there, he would have seen the Nike ‘swish’ very similar to that which has become almost ubiquitous in our day.

What if denominations were clusters of churches bent on being part of  a missional movement, part of a new mission-shaped atmosphere and ethos. To 'get there from here' will involve ch

cross in barn

I was struck and then mused over some words in a review by Claudia FitzHerbert of the book: “Burying the Bones: Pearl Buck in China”, by Hilary Spurling.

rural church

Rural churches have always known that they cannot survive by themselves.

Downtown Trenton, Ontario

Rural churches have always known that they cannot survive by themselves.

Interior of Cork Church: SS Peter & Paul

So, perhaps really just trying to break the ice, I said: “Well, I see that your church sanctuary could seat about 300 people – but somehow you have managed to ‘grow’ it down to 30.

Middle East trees

In the immediate context, Jesus says: Nobody who puts foot to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of Heaven . . .

A Rich Past

old white church

But is there a future?

Repairer of Walls

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Who is My Neighbour?

Should I try to attract my neighbours to my church (building), through all kinds of 'seeker-friendly' schemes (which extract them from wher

sepia church

So, perhaps really just trying to break the ice, I said: "Well, I see that your church sanctuary could seat about 300 people - but somehow you have managed to 'grow' it down to 30.

hanging lights and globules

1. Mission is still best accomplished by the establishment of local indigenous congregations of believers.

gushing waterfall, RBG, Burlington, ON

When Dallas Willard was asked: 'How do you do “evangelism-discipleship?'  he responded with the following: "My short answer? You ravish people with the blessings of the Kingdom.

salmon-coloured gerber flower

The Old Testament prophet Micah reminds us that there are three things God requires of us: ‘to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God." (Micah 6:8)

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