The Simple Pastor

The battle for faith in the public square currently has an interesting twist to it in the UK. It’s not just about who can (or can’t) be married. There is a contest for the freedom of Christians to practice their faith in regard to healing. Now admittedly there are significant differences within the Christian church [...]

Take a look at this parody of Hillsongs. I don’t know enough about the ministry of Hillsongs to know whether this parody hits the mark or not. I don’t know how focused on money they are or how generous to the poor they are. In some ways that’s not really the point. They have clearly [...]

I was privileged to serve a church for ten years that highly valued children. Our second paid staff member was a gifted children’s worker. Many of our key investments of time and energy went into children and young people. A Kids Club that gathered (at its peak) around 60 children every week from the surrounding [...]

Recently I read two different posts on the issue of denominations and I thought I’d repost them here. First I read Andrew Wilson’s what’s wrong with denominations? which articulates some of the conversations I’ve had with friends in the past. I’ve passionately argued that Newfrontiers is not a denomination and yet the differences haven’t been [...]

Every now and then one of the hot topics bursts into life on some of the blogs I read and over the past few weeks that’s happened with the issue of the role of women in the church. This post gives the links to who said what and where. I think it may have started [...]

In the very near future I will be working on a website for our new Stockholm church and as part of that research I’m looking at as many church websites as possible. I’m looking at others too, but I’m starting here. So here’s the question, which are the best church websites you’ve seen and why? Good [...]

A while ago there was a storm in an internet teacup about the second Elephant Room conference over the invitation to TD Jakes, who it is said, holds heretical views on the Trinity. It was quite a big hoo-ha. But that wasn’t the only thing they should have made a fuss about. In his original invitation (no [...]

Take a look at the following infographic about mega-churches in America. It’s all quite interesting about membership and size and so on. What really grabbed my attention was the box at the bottom right about staff pay. Have a look and digest those figures for the moment. I’ll make some comment below. So, what did [...]

“Kingdom people seek first the Kingdom of God and its justice; church people often put the church work above concerns of justice, mercy and truth. Church people think about how to get people into the church; Kingdom people think about how to get the church into the world. Church people worry that the world might [...]

Yesterday I reviewed What they didn’t teach you in seminary by James Emery White and there was one topic that really got under the skin. Should a church go for excellence as a value? Here’s what White had to say in a chapter on values called ‘hills to die on’: “Our eighth value is that excellence [...]

Now I’m not particularly known for being the sentimental sort but there are a few times when shedding a tear or two is appropriate and fitting. I guess if one is publicly repenting of sin and misconduct that would be appropriate but that’s not what I’m thinking of here. I should add that since having [...]

It’s not often I’m going to be able to say that but I think I can now and with some justification. You see Carl Trueman has jumped, Jonny come lately like, on to a bandwagon I jumped on more than two years ago. Of course I’m happy he’s joined there’s room for more. Back in [...]