Over the last couple of weeks I have been reading Alex Ferguson’s latest book ‘Leading’ Looking past the abundance of anecdotal stories and incessant name dropping I found this book both inspirational and insightful. There is no denying Ferguson has been a hugely successful and leading figure, firstly within English football and more widely within…
Category: Christian Leadership
Lens – life in focus
Recently I have been reading through the book of Job. Whether you subscribe to those who read it as a literal account of an event that took place early in the history of humanity or those who read it as an elaborate parable there are several principles that stand out. The one that really caught…
Book Review
The Seed And The Cloud – The Kingdom Patterns: Alternative Thoughts On Finding Direction. In my experience there is a lot of confusion surrounding figuring out God’s will and direction in life. I don’t think those agonising experiences trying to work out what to do next or what God wants are unique to me. I…
Tour Guide: A Model For Mobilising Everyday Mission
If you were to walk into the local tourist office in the town where I live they might show you some of the local attractions like The Giants Causeway, Mussendun Temple, Dunluce Castle or the Carrick -a- Rede Rope Bridge. They will probably give you some information about them all and if your lucky they…
Sustainable Ministry Pt5 (Soul)
The soul is perhaps the hardest to define. As I understand it our soul collectively surmises that which makes us who we are, our mind, our personality, our character the very essence of us. What does a healthy us look like? It sounds like a very grand and nobel question, but what does it actually…
Sustainable Ministry Pt4 (Body: Rest)
I think rest is a widely misunderstood necessity in our lives. Rest is often understood as an absence of activity. But it is it as simple as that? Ever taken a day to just do nothing and felt more tired afterwards? Ever felt like your stuck in a cycle of fatigue and exhaustion even when…
Sustainable Ministry pt 3 (Spirit)
So lets get a little more practical, how can we cultivate healthy rhythms for our spirit, soul and body? Some years ago I read Courageous leadership by Bill Hybels. I would definitely recommend the book as a whole but specifically he suggests there are 7 different ways people connect and engage with God, he calls…
Sustainable Ministry pt2 (Biblical Case Studies)
Central to our Christian understanding of the mystery of life is that there seem to be three intrinsic parts of human nature. The soul, the spirit and the body. 1 Thessalonians 5 v 12-28 specifically highlights this. “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit…
Sustainable Ministry
Less is more? Whilst I am a firm believer in doing a few things to a high standard rather than lots of things to an average standard something about this common phrase bothers me. I think it sounds very nobel, but in reality less most often means less. The pivotal idea of less is more…