Don’t Miss My Latest Podcast Episodes

I’m delighted with how many people subscribe and listen to my “Future Church” podcast, and the last two episodes have featured a couple of people who I’d describe as ‘Local Heroes’ from Ivy Church, whose impact goes way beyond. Click on the link to listen to the latest episode featuring Steve Small, who co-leads Eden nationally (this is a church planting and revitalisation movement in some of the toughest and most deprived urban areas). He’s epitomises the servant leader like nobody else I know. I also recently interviewed Mary Thomason who leads the Manchester Hub of Westminster Theological Centre and has a really interesting life history of how God led her into this role. Have a listen here if you missed it. Why not subscribe while you’re on there so you don’t miss future Future Church episodes (see what I did there?)

Apostolic Church Arise!

‘I really believe God wants you to step up and step into being an apostolic leader in the city here. Gather with other leaders and talk with them about what it means to be the apostolic church for the twenty first century. It’s what he’s put on you for the city and beyond.’  I was meeting in Sainsbury’s café with my friend Rob White, himself one of my key models and mentors for ministry since I came to the city nearly 16 years ago. Every word resonated, I knew it was what the Lord had been saying to me for quite a few years. Now it was being verbalised by someone I knew and trusted really clearly.  I wish I could say I acted on the word straight away. That must have been 5 or 6 years ago!  I could of course point to various other things I have been part of during that time, churches planted, resources produced, relationships developed, LAUNCH starting and continuing – join us here.. the truth however is that I didn’t do what Rob / […]

God knows the plans he has for you – how about you? 7 Reasons you need a Life Plan.

Lots of Christians I know would say your favourite verse is going to be Jeremiah 29:11, (I have it on my keyring!) where we hear that God has a plan for our lives. But how do we find it? Are we living it? Isn’t it astonishing how some of us meticulously plan a holiday, from choosing the destination to scheduling activities, yet we often neglect planning our lives?  Where do you want to be, say, ten years from now? I once heard someone say ‘Nobody ever woke up one day and found themselves on the top of Mount Everest’ so I’m not talking about drifting along, or ‘que sera sera.’ I’m not just talking about a To Do List either. They are often reactive not proactive, that’s why most of us drift through life without a clear destination in mind, only to be surprised when things don’t turn out as expected. But it doesn’t have to be this way.  I’m a firm believer that EVERYONE should create a written life plan. It’s something I have done for many years and though […]

Rich Robinson at LAUNCH – What’s the Story we are telling?

Neither revolution nor reformation can ultimately change a society, rather you must tell a new powerful tale, one so persuasive that it sweeps away the old myths and becomes the preferred story, one so inclusive that it gathers all the bits of our past and our present into a coherent whole, one that even shines some light into the future so that we can take the next step… If you want to change a society, then you have to tell an alternative story.

‘Ministry In The Blood And The Mud.’ Patrick O’Connell, NewThing Global Director on the Future Church Podcast.

My friend Patrick O’Connell is the Global Director of NewThing, the network which I and Ivy Church are privileged to be part of, which exists to partner with movement makers and catalyse reproducing disciples, leaders, churches, networks, and movements.  Here he tells the story of how he came to faith, having met his wife in a punk rock mosh pit, joined the army, he went into business and while finally successful in worldly terms when he finally after 4 years accepted an invitation to go to church and everything changed!  He went from church goer to church planter, now serving thousands of church leaders and planters worldwide through NewThing’s dream – to see a church planted in every community around the world. We discuss, among other things –  How might we help connect people far from God so they don’t just learn to cope, but receive hope.  What army life taught him about teams and sacrifice, and how that applies to the army of God and ministry ‘in the blood and the mud.’  How do we collaborate and form networks that are all […]

We Don’t Need Another Welsh Revival, We Need To Change The Church. Julian Richards. New Podcast Episode on Future Church.

This podcast details a story of miraculous provision and remarkable spiritual openness in our culture but we hear how Julian is convinced the answer for Wales (and everywhere else) is NOT for ‘another Welsh Revival’ dropped down from above, but by disciples faithfully serving, loving and winning their neighbours and nation for Christ.