The Bible says if you want a great church – do nothing! The Bible really says that. We are in a series at Ivy right now called the Summer of Joy, going through the New Testament letter Paul wrote to the Philippians. As I continued to study it, something he wrote to that church (which we learn later had false teachers coming from the outside and fall-outs on the inside) jumped right out at me. What you have to do, to build a great church, perhaps the best thing you can do if like the people he was writing to you have disunity, dissensions and factions starting to develop – DO NOTHING. It really is! Maybe some of you are really glad I say that because that’s what you want to do. But I don’t mean what you think I mean. Maybe some of you Type As are mad now, and you think that can’t be in the Bible. But it is. The Bible says if you want a great church, Do Nothing. Don’t believe me? Read it for yourself. […]
Dave Ferguson"A short but insightful read that can change lives forever – Anthony proves again that deep truths don’t have to be complex."
Carl Beech"Anthony is the real deal, a leader full of keen insights into how to unlock the gift and calling God has placed in you. Read this, then get hold of a bunch for your friends."
Dr. Krish Kandiah"Anthony Delaney is a gifted communicator and leader. He has an infectious passion for God and is making an outstanding impact in his community."
The Independent“Delaney is 'above all' a follower of Jesus: he has successfully utilised his engaging, measured manner to grow Manchester's Ivy Church to more than four times its size since he joined as leader five years ago. So significant today is the congregation, that events are now held several times a week at venues across the city, including Cineworld, a warehouse and even a nightclub...”
Dave Ferguson“Anthony Delaney is one of those amazing leaders who loves Jesus, loves the mission and is truly authentic in his faith. I love how Anthony is impacting his community and putting into place a network of reproducing churches to reach the UK. I'm truly inspired by his get-it-done attitude while totally depending on God.”
Mike Breen“Anthony is a rare kind of man. He’s a great leader but he’s honest about his weaknesses. He’s a charismatic personality, but he’s surprisingly self-effacing. He comes from an ordinary background but has never settled for mediocrity. He’s a strong man with a tender heart.”
Tim Morfin“So many people talk leadership theory but are not leading in significant ways. What Anthony brought to the TLG managers was so directly from his personal leadership experience. We were inspired to bring who we are to the leadership opportunities we have, to overcome opposition and build passionate teams who are focused on achieving goals. Inspirational and practical – a great combination!”
Thinking about leading...
Good Questions (2) Who is Good?
Your Bible might headline the meeting in Mark 10 as the rich young man, he’s also referred to as ‘The Rich Young Ruler’. He is everything our culture aspires to be wrapped up in skin and riding a posh donkey with go-faster stripes, but really he’s a self-satisfied, self-centered seeker. The gospels say he’s rich, but he probably didn’t think of himself as Rich. We never do. Materialism hides well in a heart and keeps you from seeing yourself as rich, however much you have. If someone from my world were to go to the poor parts of the same world – you discover you’re a world apart. In Haiti where I have been a number of times and will visit again next year, if you’re ‘Blanc’ – they see you as a millionaire. Why do we never see ourselves as rich? Because of who we compare ourselves with and come into contact with. We compare up not down, and feel better about ourselves as a result. I’m not as rich as Beyonce, Rooney, lottery winners, or MPs. They should do something! […]
Good Questions (1) What is Good?
Despite what many people in our culture may think, anyone who reads the Bible will soon discover that Christianity is NOT a system for Good people trying to live good lives. When people say, ‘I don’t believe in God or Jesus – but I’m just as much a good Christian as you..’ You can be sure that probably through no fault of their own they either missed the point or were given a description of Christianity that was about religion and rules and quite rightly rejected it. But the REAL gospel – the good news, starts with the bad news that you’re not good. You’re more sinful than you ever dared believe; and more loved than you ever dared hope. Because of the cross of Christ, if we exchange our own messed up record, we get his spotless one. That’s how we end up being ‘counted or reckoned as good.’ Justified, the Bible says. Because of Jesus taking the punishment for my sins, I’m justified – it’s ‘justasifI’d’ never sinned. If that’s all news to you, please get hold of […]
The Joy Paradox – Krish Kandiah at @myivychurch @krishk my notes on a great talk
Everyone on the planet is on a search for joy, but paradoxically most of those searching for it end up with broken lives and disappointment. Bertrand Russell had lots of money, sex and power, yet said ‘The centre of me is always and eternally a terrible pain – a curious wild pain – a searching for something beyond what the world contains.’ Where do you find what he (and everyone else) was looking for? Well CS Lewis said, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” Do you find yourself longing for home? Lonely in a crowd? You were made for more! You were made for joy! Joy that’s not dependent on circumstances. Krish once lived in Albania. He saw an eagle – the national bird – but it was in a cage, slowly disintegrating itself because of being bound in its circumstances. The apostle Paul was not confined by his circumstances. We can learn from him. Paul was in prison when he wrote […]
GOOD Friday – Thankfully the middle
Wonderful Good Friday reflection by my daughter Hannah
A Better Way To Celebrate St Patrick…
…than wearing a shamrock or even drinking a Guinness Pray his prayer ‘St Patrick’s Breastplate’! On the day we remember a powerful missionary pioneer. I’m reminded of what a revolution this man of God wrought by reading Steve Addison’s Movements That Change The World, required reading for New Thing Europe! Pray this with me, pray it for me, pray it for you and yours, for your spheres of influence, pray it out loud ( unless it’ll get you thrown off the bus)! I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation. I arise today through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism, through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial, through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension, through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom. I arise today through the strength of the love of cherubim, In the obedience of angels, in the service of archangels, in the hope of resurrection to meet with reward, […]
No possessions?
This coming Sunday I’ll be speaking on the line in Lennon’s Imagine when he said, “Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, nothing to kill or die for, a brotherhood of man.” Is money the root of all evil (as the Bible is often misquoted as saying?). Are poor people in some sense better off? Would the world be better if they just gave everyone the same, whether a little or a lot? How long would that system last? One of my readings is the famous story of the ‘Rich Young Ruler.’ He appears in all three of the Synoptic gospels, went away from Jesus sad, because he had a lot of money. Does more make you miserable? Your thoughts and ideas appreciated, as I try to gather mine.
Our Vision
Can I share with you what the vision of our church is? The Bible says, “Without a vision the people perish.” If we can’t see where we’re going, we’re not going. We need a vision or we’re going nowhere. Here’s what we’re about. To extend the Kingdom of God one life at a time in West Horsley and the surrounding area by becoming more like Jesus Christ one day at a time The Kingdom of God is not seen in the Bible as a limited geographical area, like our little village of West Horsley. Instead the word Kingdom could be better rendered as ‘Kingship.’ The Kingdom of God is wherever God is King. Wherever he reigns and rules. He is God of the whole universe he created. That’s his right, that’s his position. Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of Lords. But non of us are born his subjects. Like a friend of mine has recently rejoiced in becoming a citizen of this country, we have to accept his rule, and say, “My citizenship is in heaven.’ That’s […]
Imagine there’s no Heaven
Next Sunday we start a series of talks (me first) based on John Lennon’s song, Imagine. I do like the song musically etc., grew up with it – but it just says so many things that I don’t think of as actually utopian. CS Lewis had entirely the opposite view: Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither. I’ve been to the top of some impressive mountains, sat on idyllic beaches in various places, bought some cool stuff. But you always end up after the latest adventure or acquisition with the same question – “What’s next?” That longing for something more, better, above…where/Who does that come from? We’re not home yet. Where’s John Lennon now? Lewis said in Mere Christianity something to the effect that if people have no desire for heaven, then their presence there would only spoil it so why would God force them to go? (pg 63) The point is not that God will refuse you admission to His eternal world if you have not certain qualities of […]
Boxing Day
Never feel like doing too much on Boxing Day. Bought a spare hard drive that doesn’t work. 750 GB of nothing! What’s the point of having memory, if it doesn’t work? What’s the point of starting one of these blogs if I don’t remember to do anything on it? What’s your happiest memory? Mine – probably lying on my Dad’s chest when I was a little boy, hearing his heart beat, surrounded by unconditional love. It does NOT get better than that. Good to remember….