Tag: Prayer

Only The Apostolic Church Can Fulfil The Great Commission

The commission was directly given to the apostles but indirectly given to the ecclesia in every generation. After the early apostles died, the commission remained – and so does the authority, until it is fulfilled it will remain in force. 
So they had a commission and were sent to fulfil it. In their generation the church grew like crazy and changed everything, everywhere. We have the same commission and we are sent to do it. That’s the key, they went, because they were sent. That’s an apostolic church.

‘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 […]

New Podcast Episode: The Life, Deaths, And Resurrections Of A Pastor-Prophet. Chris Wickland Has a Word for the FUTURE Church.

I met Chris Wickland recently when he came as one of the guest speakers at a leader’s retreat. I’ll never forget his incredible story of how he went from witchcraft to Christ.  Having been aware of the supernatural realm and its realities more than most, Chris described seeing and hearing visions and dreams which have led to him publicly declaring major words regarding the church and the nations ahead of time.  These include the rise and fall of various political leaders, Church closures across the world (publicly declared April 2019) to humble the church, providing insight to governments re natural disasters, and predicting economic upheavals and collapse both present and to come;  However as a Pastor-Prophet Chris says in the podcast he always wants to bring hope not fear, so God’s people can be ready!  As we talk I learn more about his story, his life (and deaths), hearing about how he was saved from a suicide attempt when as a new Christian he drove his car off a cliff, and how he has died and been resurrected (not just […]

The REAL Benedict Option

Benedict rose to the challenge (calling others who would awake to it also) of another way than that offered by the Church of his day – creating alternate counterculture learning communities to live simply, biblically and faithfully. He didn’t set out to change the world and had no idea how important these little groups of faithful, obedient disciples would prove to be for generations to come. What might such ‘apostolic hubs’ look like in our day?