Church We Can All Do

I follow Rachel Held Evan’s blog and I’m grateful for her pointing to this church in New York (a city I’m so excited to be visiting at the end of the year with Zoe). [vimeo 42866194 w=500 h=281] What a great idea – Dinner Church! Who do you think they got that from? I can see this working brilliantly here in Manchester. Sounds, looks and tastes a lot like how church started, and grew – and maybe it holds a big key to how we can once again build movements that don’t depend on ‘Who’s your Pastor?’, but rather ‘How’s your Pasta?’ More about St Lydia’s here. 

Ems Hancock at @myivychurch Esther 1 A Culture Of Honour.

There is a way to talk to and be with people that honours people or dishonours them. Ems has a daughter called Esther and she was born ‘for such a time as this.’ It’s a very biblical thing to exercise a culture of honour. Around 470BC the Jews were taken into exile and now they were under the power of Xerxes who ruled 120 provinces from India to Ethiopia. For 6 months he threw a party to display his wealth and power. It was very ostentatious (think footballers mansion). The royal wine flowed freely and he got ‘very very drunk’ – after a 7 day binge he called his wife in to show her off She refused and he got very insulted. So did all the men. Let’s get a new queen! That’s how Esther got a crown later Xerxes was a man without honour Rich, yes – but… Insecure Drunkard Big ego Communicates through eunuchs Not a job you’d want He’s surrounding himself with men less manly to make himself bigger. The queen was from a royal line in […]

#NTGlobal, in Nairobi. Day One, Session one – Who’s In The Room? New Thing Global

Pastor Oscar Muriu from Nairobi Chapel introduces his team and various movement leaders: Nick – Executive Pastor Bejee – she leads the leadership development program for NC Esther – hosts teams and conference Pastor Morafi – leads a planting movement across Africa (9), ready to plant in Burundi, Ethiopia and now in Germany (with Chogo and Kevin) Pastor Collins – slum churches in Nairobi (36) – 14 planted this year. 16 ready to start soon. Pastor Luke – oversees planting from Nairobi Chapel Tobias – in Mombasa Steve, Richard, Ngari, in Nairobi, Albo too – but he’s going to Milwaukee soon. Lamaz – in Botswana And they are looking to plant in all 54 capital cities in Africa, at the moment they have planted in 3. And are working to plant into London & Germany. Oscar: God has placed his power in us. This is an important international meeting – heaven is watching! Joe Wilson – started 34 churches so far, 15 on the way, in former Soviet Union. Great work happening – especially in Albania. With him is Altin, […]

Why Should England Tremble?

I went for a run again this morning. I turned onto Spath Rd, on the way to the park – and saw a clump of reflective jackets and a Police Car on that quiet suburban street outside a house. ‘Oh no,’ I thought, ‘What’s happened?’ I’m aware of various sexual assaults, robberies and other major incidents locally in recent months so I sent up a quick prayer. Then I saw that in the midst of the four jackets, the purpose for the surfeit of uniformed manpower. One of the four was holding a speed camera to point at passing cars. I found it hard not to shake my head as I ran past and carried on for my run. When I came back a little while later (I don’t run that fast), the four were still there together. I decided I should voice my opinion as a local person to them. i realised as I was closer that all four were actually PCSOs rather than Police Officers, though one of them had a white cap on which used to be […]