Invite A Generation: Run Alpha 166 different nations 110 languages 24 million people have done the course 20 to 50% express that they’ve fully come to faith. A – for anyone L – learning and laughter P – Pasta/ food H – Helping each other A – Ask anything This was a great session, where we were shown how to run an Alpha course by the man himself, Nicky Gumbel. Went through some icebreakers; 1) What’s your name, and a positive adjective? 2) You’re stuck on a desert island – what two items would you take with you? Then they get a little more pointed… 3) How did you end up coming here to Alpha tonight? 4) If it turned out there was a God after all and you could ask God any question, what would you ask him? Write down the questions! You hope to answer them as the weeks progress. NB. The leader is not the main conversationist here. The guests are there to pass it around each other. This […]
Tag: Christianity
Casting Crowns ‘Set Me Free’ & edit from Passion Of The Christ. #bgbg2
Powerful! This is what Easter means. Nobody took His life, but He lay it down for you and me.
The Beautiful Gospel – Brad Jersak at Ivy – #Bgbg2 for @wtctheology
Brad hails from Canada and teaches Gospel Studies on the faculty of Westminster Theological Centre (which I am delighted to be a trustee of and teach on). My notes from his talk last week. He talks fast so I got as much as I could!! The beautiful gospel is of a God of unfailing love. It’s not a sales pitch I have to convince people of. A presentation that prisoners and the poor say ‘YES!’ to because it’s good news to them. The gospel in itself does not need upgrading. It’s a faith once delivered to the apostles from the Lord Jesus. But we need to be careful how we tweak our presentation of it, for every generation – so they hear it. We can have approaches, but it’s not steps. He then showed us the gospel in chairs: with two chairs (one black and one white chair). How I heard the gospel first off: the version I came to Christ through – was the legal gospel. Composed by Calvin. Courtroom image. Sin is lawbreaking that must be punished. God can […]
Mike Starkey at Ivy – Fashion, Introspection and Providence. #Bgbg2
The journey of faith is not me inviting God into my story. It’s me looking outward beyond myself. And saying ‘I want to play in your story.’
Blah Blah Blah Preaching
You get no credit for looking in the mirror and knowing you’re a mess. What will you DO? You can memorise 12 great principles of successful marriage and still be instant messaging behind her back to that young girl in the office. It’s the same with money, parenting, or business. The blessing doesn’t come because I know. Or don’t.
A God Shaped Dream – and how to hold onto it. #Bgbg2
Talk by Alan Taylor at Ivy Manchester Genesis 21:1-7 Sarah called her son Isaac because what they heard from God seemed so ridiculous to her, she laughed at the idea. Abram was promised a family, though his wife could not conceive. He would have lived in a place with a lot of stars out every night. His descendants would outnumber them. What do our dreams look like when they are fulfilled? It may be you’re in a hard time, struggling to hold on to your dream – hold on! God wants us to dream along with him, a good dream, a big dream – that brings joy to our hearts. When you read the Bible, ask; 1) Where does this story fit into the bigger story? 2) Where do I fit in this story? God’s dream for Abraham and Sarah was way bigger than a family, it was for them to be blessed to be a blessing – a family on mission. That’s our story now. We carry that too. Called out to bless the world. Isaac was laughter […]
Where Are The Apostolic Leaders? #bgbg2
While 82% didn’t, 18% of churches grew.
Now I see why that is slightly encouraging.
Five Years in prison taught me…
What My Daughter Learned From Five Years In Prison
Principles For Healthy Church Growth (From Acts 1 & 2) – Dave Smith #bgbg2
Luke’s description of the work of the Spirit – it’s a prophetic empowerment for ministry, not lying down.
STOP PLANNING, START PREPARING
(Thanks to Dan Reeves for working on the blog – looks a lot better now!) Jesus indicated that it is more important to be ready than know what’s going to happen. During World War II General MacArthur called one of his engineers and asked, ” How long would it take to throw a bridge across this river?’ ‘Three days’ the engineer told him. ‘Good,’ said the general, ‘have your draftsman make drawings right away.’ Three days later the general asked the engineer how the bridge was coming along. “It’s all ready Sir,’ he was told. ‘You can send the troops across right now, that is if you don’t have to wait for the plans – the plans aren’t done yet.” Look at the world around you with open eyes. The only thing that’s certain is that we live in a world of radical and acute uncertainty, so we need to be ready to see what’s working and what isn’t working, to adapt and change and be flexible and if it doesn’t work one way we go, go another – or […]