 District Evangelism Bulletins
District Evangelism Bulletins are distributed once a week (except during holidays) and contain news, information, challenges and stories from around the district |
Evangelism Bulletin 171 : The Lord helps those who
Published on : Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000
I read with some interest the article in The Times recently entitled "Christian couple 'murdered daughter by prayer'". "An American couple face a 25-year jail sentence for praying for their dying daughter's healing instead of calling a doctor. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 170 : The Power of Negative Thinking
Published on : Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000
I remember that back in the 1970s, many Christians were reading Norman Vincent Peale's book "The Power of Positive Thinking". Vincent Peale claimed to be a Christian but some critics suggested his book was strong on motivational psychology but weak on theology. However, there was a real need in those days to find something positive to say and think about life. There were many books written about spiritual depression and it seemed as though some Christians were struggling to cope. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 169 : Reinvent Yourself
Published on : Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000
For many years I have enjoyed playing squash, although I have to admit, I have not reached a particularly high standard. This is in spite of the fact that a few years ago I had a series of lessons which only allowed me to raise my game marginally, often slipping back into my old habits instead of retaining the new skills I had been taught. Recently I have migrated towards tennis and have just started to take lessons. The difference between the two games couldn't be greater. The way you hold the racquet, the way you strike the ball, the way you position your body and so many more aspects are totally different. I have finally understood the truth in the old cliché 'it's a whole new ball game'. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 168 : Fresh Expressions Phase II
Published on : Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000
Taking a break from the Methodist Conference in Wolverhampton, a number of Methodists and a sprinkling of others gathered in the Novotel for a presentation of Fresh Expressions Phase II. Fresh Expressions is a national initiative supported by the Anglicans and Methodists but it now embraces many other denominations, especially the URC. Back in 2004, Rev. Dr. Steve Croft headed up the Fresh Expressions National Team and since that time, around 3,000 new forms or styles of church and church worship have emerged. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 167 : A gap in the schedule
Published on : Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000
In the never-ending procession of work, work and more work, we can so easily become detached from ourselves and God. Without realizing it, the way we live our lives today often forces us to neglect those times of peace and quiet which are essential to our well-being. Some people therefore deliberately create a gap in their schedule - a time set aside for doing nothing. It could be argued that this is an idle waste of time. On the other hand, it could be the very medicine we need in order to be more effective and productive in our daily work. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 166 : Worship in the URALs
Published on : Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000
To most people, the Urals are a mountain range running through western Russia. For me it's become an acronym for the way I seek to lead worship, especially for those who are on the fringe of Church or have no Church background at all. The problem we, as Christians face, is that we are so steeped in what we believe, it can be hard to unpack it to those who don't share our faith. So what does the acronym URAL stand for? |
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Evangelism Bulletin 165 : Be sure your sins will
Published on : Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000
We went last night to see J. B. Priestley's excellent play, 'An Inspector Calls' at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham. For those who haven't seen this, the play revolves around the shameful acts of a family being exposed by a bogus police inspector. Bit by bit the sordid tale of their seedy private lives is revealed leaving the family in a state of shock and shame. There is, of course, a nasty sting in the story's tail as well as a sober warning to us all. I bumped into some old friends after the performance and wistfully mused, 'be sure your sins will find you out'. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 164 : Cappuccino Christians
Published on : Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000
These are without doubt turbulent times in the UK. We are still catching our breath as we assess the damage done by the 'credit crunch' and wonder what affect the billions of pounds which have been thrown at the financial crisis will have on our long-term prospects. And then, before we have time to hold our politicians to account for being too short-sighted to foresee this crisis, we hear of corruption on a major scale as some MPs have been claiming inappropriately through their expenses - money which we, the tax payer provide for these so-called honourable men and women. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 163 : God at Work
Published on : Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000
Those amazing words of Jesus, where he stared Simon Peter full in the face and announced to him, "You are the Rock, and on this Rock I will build my Church" (Matthew 16:18), must have left Simon Peter shocked and awe-struck. Not only did Jesus see in Simon Peter something which he had failed to see in himself, but the very idea that the future of Christianity would rest on the shoulders of this impulsive and error-prone individual would have been beyond imagining. But it's true. Jesus invariably sees in each of us more than we see in ourselves and is the one who, if we let him, will enable us to fulfill our God-given potential in the work of the kingdom. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 162 : Learning from Football
Published on : Sun, 03 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000
Without wishing to turn off all those who detest football, I have to say that I think the church can learn a great deal from the way a successful football team operates. It is fascinating to watch the post-match analysis and to see how the losing team's defense has been torn to shreds by a well organized, well disciplined, attacking team. Defenders are left stranded in no-man's land as attackers run into yawning gaps in the penalty area and pounce on the ball, slotting it home with precision accuracy. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 161 : Ahhh go on wiya!
Published on : Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000
My wife grew up in an area of Nottingham known as 'The Meadows'. It has an idyllic sounding name but a rather different character. One of the characteristics of 'The Meadows' is its dialect. I particularly like the phrase, 'ahhh go on wiya' which is literally translated 'ahhh go on with you'. A more accurate translation would be 'frankly, I don't believe you'. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 160 : Did Darwin kill God?
Published on : Sun, 05 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000
This is the 150th anniversary of the publication of the earth-shattering book by Charles Darwin 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection', a work which suggested that all species evolve over a time through a process of 'natural selection' or 'the survival of the fittest'. Therefore it should come as no surprise that there are a number of TV programmes exploring his work and its impact upon Christian faith. Darwin's work caused enormous outrage, especially from parts of the Christian Church, because it directly contradicted the notion found in the book of Genesis which states that God created living creatures each 'according to its own kind' (Gen 1:24). |
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Evangelism Bulletin 159 : Im a Celebrity get me out of here
Published on : Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000
I spent last night at the Malt Cross, a pub-café in the centre of Nottingham which is managed by a Christian community and sponsored by various denominations. The occasion last night was a visit by Pete Ward who teaches at King's College, London, where he is involved in research into popular theology and culture. He is probably best known today for his book, 'Liquid Church' which has steered many in the Fresh Expressions movement to think more creatively about how we 'do church' for those with no understanding or experience of our traditional church culture. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 158 : A fish sees water last
Published on : Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000
I have no idea who originally coined this phrase but it has stayed with me ever since I first heard it. Imagine a gold fish swimming around in its tank, admiring the view of your living room and the various ornaments which you have provided for it to make its environment more exciting and decorative. I wonder what it makes of its surroundings as it weaves its way through the little arches and the vegetation and dives aimlessly towards the stones at the bottom of the tank. And yet, does it actually see the water in the tank? |
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Evangelism Bulletin 157 : Calm in the eye of the storm
Published on : Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000
A final reflection on bereavement.
The past few weeks have been a difficult time for my family with the loss of a dearly loved relative. Bereavement is a difficult, unpredictable and often lengthy process and the slightest thing can unbalance you and evoke an unexpected emotional outburst. But it is a time when support from the people around you is so valuable and sustaining. One email I received recently said, "I hope you find some calm in the eye of that storm." |
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Evangelism Bulletin 156 : Saying Sorry and Being Sorry
Published on : Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000
We had the sad misfortune this week of being called to the hospital late at night because a close relative had taken a turn for the worse. When we arrived we were heartbroken to find that we were just minutes too late and were consoled by the doctor who had tried desperately to save our relative's life. We sat with her in the side room as she sensitively took us through the last moments and how they had done all they could to save her. At the end of all this she said, "I'm so sorry." |
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Evangelism Bulletin 155 : Gods Bailout
Published on : Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000
The world has gone crazy! Banks right across the globe are in turmoil because they have mis-managed their business and yet, what do governments do? - they bail them out with billions of pounds of tax-payers' money. Now the car industry which is responsible for much of the pollution which threatens the future of the planet is struggling to sell cars. What do governments do? - they bail them out! |
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Evangelism Bulletin 154 : In God we still trust
Published on : Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000
Well, the American people have made their choice and Barack Hussein Obama has been sworn in, somewhat awkwardly if you watch the TV footage, as the 44th President of the USA amidst the euphoria from a crowd estimated at 2,000,000 in front of the White House. In his speech, he commented on the fact that only 40 years ago, he would have been denied service in some restaurants because of his colour and here he is, the most powerful man in America and probably the world. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 153 : Its Scandalous!
Published on : Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000
I could hardly believe my ears when I listened to the news this morning. The Brazilian football player, Kaka, who currently plays for AC Milan is reported to be moving to Manchester City for in excess of £100 million. "What kind of a world do we live in?" I asked myself. What is this going to do for football? What is it going to do for the state of the nation as a whole? What does this say about the value we place upon ordinary, dedicated, hard-working people whose primary concern is the welfare of other people? |
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Evangelism Bulletin 152 : Look to the Rock
Published on : Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000
A few months ago, when the credit crunch was beginning to bite, I was in Birmingham New Street station with an Anglican colleague. We sat in a café waiting for our train. The café was surrounded by a large mall of shops and as I looked around at the shops, I said to my colleague, "I can imagine that half of these shops will be closed by this time next year." Afterwards I thought I was painting too gloomy a picture but here we are on the threshold of a new year with the banks in chaos, high street stores closing by the week, the pound at parity with the Euro and a dramatic collapse in confidence in the business world. In the main shopping area of West Bridgford we spotted another shop, Max Spielmann, with a 'closed down' sign in the window today. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 151 : Tails of the Unexpected!
Published on : Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000
As the proud owners of a bird feeder which sits conveniently outside of our kitchen window, we regularly look at the variety of birds which flock to our garden to feed on the seeds and nuts - sparrows, chaffinches, robins, an occasional greenfinch. You can imagine my surprise when, as I made a cup of coffee and looked outside, two bright green parrots suddenly perched on the bird feeder. It took a few nano-seconds for me to realise that I was not dreaming. Hurriedly I ran for my camera and shot a few pictures with my 28-80mm lens just to prove I was not going bonkers. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 150 : Advertising Christmas
Published on : Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000
t always surprises me the way the church seeks to advertise itself to society at large. No matter what the church does, someone will take exception for one reason or another. It makes me wonder whether advertising our message is of any value whatsoever. Take the latest attempt by the Churches Advertising Network to promote the Christmas Message, does this help or hinder our attempts to encourage people to take Christianity seriously? |
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Evangelism Bulletin 149 : Movement, Institution, Museum
Published on : Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000
I recently visited the Industrial Museum at Wollaton Park and was fascinated by the items on show there. There were old bicycles (penny farthings), old motorbikes, telephones and a whole host of machinery used in days gone by. It made me reflect in particular on the telephone and how things have moved on since they were first introduced into the public arena. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 148 : Damascus Road Inexperience
Published on : Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000
One of the better known incidents in the New Testament is the one we call 'The Damascus Road Experience'. People outside of church will know what it means but may not know who it was who experienced it, in what circumstances, nor the outcome of that experience in his life and its impact on the world. I don't need to remind readers that we are talking about an incident which happened to Saul of Tarsus (later to change his name to Paul) as he journeyed towards Damascus with letters of authority to arrest Christians and imprison them - such was his hatred against this new movement within Judaism. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 147 :
and a time to die
Published on : Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000
Listening to an armed forces chaplain reflecting upon Remembrance Sunday it struck me how significant this time of year is for people of faith and no faith in terms of reflecting upon our mortality. He said that hardened soldiers, when out in the battle zone, will regularly attend a Sunday Service but when they return to civilian life, they stop going also lose their focus on religious things. It's at times when life could be snatched away from us that we reflect upon its significance and what lies beyond. No wonder Jesus warned against storing up treasure in this life and focusing only on the 'here and now' as if that is the only reality. No wonder so many are indifferent to the gospel when they are planning their summer holidays and enjoying life at the leisure centre. It's an unwelcome intrusion to those things which are important to them. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 146 : Behave, believe, belong
Published on : Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000
In bygone days the church tended to operate on the basis of 'Behave, believe, belong'. In other words, only people whose life-style conformed to a certain standard and whose beliefs were within certain boundaries could belong to the church. The upshot of this was that people were either 'in' or 'out'. There was a clear definition of what it meant to be a Christian. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 145 : You have heard it said
Published on : Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000
Are you ever perplexed by the questions that non-believers ask you about the Bible? For instance, why is the Old Testament so barbaric whereas the New Testament is more forgiving? Has God changed his nature over the centuries? Did the writers of the Old Testament get it wrong or does Jesus paint too soft a picture of God in his teachings? |
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Evangelism Bulletin 144 : Dealing with Healing
Published on : Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000
We recently had a man in to do some decorating for us. As sometimes happens in these situations, conversations lead to the question, 'what do you do?' From here things led naturally to matters of faith and our decorator, who also happens to be a children's entertainer and magician, encouraged me to watch the Channel 4 programme 'Derren Brown:Messiah' featuring the illusionist Derren Brown. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 143 : Putting the Customer First
Published on : Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000
Saturday Morning has become Photo Marathon morning for me lately. This Hope 08 outreach event is looming and I make a customary early morning trip to the PO Box to pick up bookings followed by a trip to the bank to pay them in. This Saturday, both trips opened my eyes. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 142 : UN-ity and Diversity
Published on : Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000
Last week my wife and I were in Vienna visiting our son who recently started work at the United Nations. As a consequence we decided to take the official tour around the buildings with a trained guide who explained the workings of the organisation and showed us the huge conference rooms (pictured). As you can see, we took this opportunity of chairing a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). |
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Evangelism Bulletin 139 : God in Everything
Published on : Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000
I've just returned from a staff meeting where the opening devotions centred upon the theme 'God in Everything'. People shared how they had experienced God in the simple, everyday things of life. We reflected upon our journey to the meeting and the way in which we had been surprised by a special moment in which God's presence came upon us unexpectedly. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 138 : Photo Marathon
Published on : Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000
As part of Hope08, Churches Together in West Bridgford, Nottingham, have organised an event called the West Bridgford Photo Marathon. The idea came from my visit to Vienna last autumn when I took part, along with over 1,000 other photographers, in an all-day event where we had to take 24 photos on a set of themes handed to us on the day. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 137 : Un-learning
Published on : Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000
Some of you will no doubt be lapping up the tennis at Wimbledon over the next couple of weeks. If you've ever played tennis, you can only watch and marvel at Federer, Nadal and all the 'ovic people from Serbia. Their technique and agility is in a class of its own. But how did they learn to do that? |
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Evangelism Bulletin 136 : Revival and Healing
Published on : Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000
From time to time we hear of places where revival and associated healing miracles break out in profusion. A few years ago we had the Toronto Blessing, a manifestation which surrounded the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship. Church leaders debated long and hard about its authenticity and reflected upon the division caused within the Vineyard movement as a result of this. Peculiar stories emerged about how people were given gold fillings, experienced unusually bodily actions (shaking, laughter, quaking and so forth) and this naturally put some Christians on their guard about the whole thing. However, Toronto Blessing hotspots broke out in this country too. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 135 : iMatter
Published on : Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000
iMatter is a beautifully filmed DVD designed to explore issues of hopes, dreams and aspirations. Several real-life stories are weaved together from the perspectives of those with faith and those who are still searching. A short animated film featuring 'Jack' working on a production line raises questions on the value and purpose of our lives while an interview with artist Charlie Mackesy gives a stunning conclusion to the production. Each of the stories is also provided separately. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 133 : Ordinary Day at the Office
Published on : Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000
I sometimes wonder if I am guilty of over-glamourising the Bible when I read it. When I read accounts from the Gospels, I wonder whether I see them as so detached from my everyday experience that I miss the significance of them for my own life. When Jesus called his first disciples, was there a magic ingredient in the air which compelled them to 'down-tools' and follow or was it more mundane and gradual than that? |
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Evangelism Bulletin 132 : Being Yourself
Published on : Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000
I really enjoy a good game of squash, even though I'm not particularly good at the game. A few years ago, I bought a video featuring the former world number 1 player, Jhanghir Khan. He glides around the court with such poise and control and, with a flick of the wrist, projects the ball to exacltly the place he wants it to go. With feline nimbleness he is able to reach into every corner of the court and still return to the centre, ready for the next shot. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 130 : In God we Trust
Published on : Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000
If, like us, you go overseas for a holiday, then you get a chance to see the news through a different set of eyes than BBC1. We had the pleasure of CNN and the BBC World Service. I was particularly taken by the coverage of the Presidential Elections in the USA which is now a battle between the Republican, John McCain and the two Democrats, Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 129 : Nothing happened?
Published on : Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000
If you ever go to Lee Abbey, the retreat centre in Devon, you may see this sign in an adjacent field. I've no idea who put the sign there and no idea what they were expecting should happen - but whatever it was, it didn't! |
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Evangelism Bulletin 128 : Weighing the Evidence
Published on : Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000
Today is Palm Sunday and the first instalment of the new BBC TV drama "The Passion" has been shown on prime-time TV. Millions of people across the nation will have seen this episode. Two thousand years ago, crowds of people watched as Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday. Different people in the crowd would have had different views as to what they made of Jesus as He made his dramatic entry into the town of his crucifixion. No doubt the same mixed feelings would have been expressed by today's TV audiences. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 126 : And the winner is
Published on : Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000
No doubt you have watched one of those TV programmes like 'Strictly Come Dancing' where, after the contestants have performed their act, the winners are announced. It has become the norm for the presenter to say those immortal words, "And the winner is ...". This is followed by a seemingly eternal silence, just as long as the shaking during last night's earthquake, after which they announce the name of the winner. If you're anything like me you're saying to yourself during the silence, "Oh, get on with it". |
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Evangelism Bulletin 125 : All I once held dear
Published on : Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000
God said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you" (Genesis 12:1). When the first disciples were called by Jesus to be His followers, they had to leave behind their fishing boats and nets in order to become 'fishers of men' (Matthew 4:19). It seems to me that Christians in the UK are being called to let go of things they once held dear in order to become effective followers of Jesus. Here are just some of the notions we, as church people need to let go of:- |
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Evangelism Bulletin 122 : Did Jesus have a diary?
Published on : Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000
When we started back to work in the new year, no doubt many of us were grateful to Santa for having brought us a crisp, new diary with absolutely nothing written on any page. How wonderful it would be to keep it that way but sadly most of us will have bombarded the pages with many entries already. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 118 : The Overhead Projector
Published on : Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000
I was leading a service many years ago in a Methodist chapel not far from here and I was preaching on how we percieve God in the Old Testament. I had with me a group of people who were helping with the service and they had brought an Overhead Projector (OHP) - the sort of thing we used before Powerpoint took over the world. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 113 : Getting out more
Published on : Sat, 06 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000
Have you ever been in the situation where you're sharing with a friend about how stale life has become and how the enjoyment has gone out of your life? Usually the advice we receive in situations like this is, "Well, you ought to get out more!" For some people, the same applies to their church life. They find themselves in a rut and their Christian life and Sunday worship have lost their sparkle. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 112 : Measure your Effectiveness
Published on : Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0000
A few weeks ago I was asked to attend the Missions Committee of a church in the district to help them move forward in their ministry. In order to help people focus on the subject, I asked them to discuss in pairs the question, 'How do you measure the effectiveness of a church?' This led to a vibrant discussion and made people reflect upon what is most important about their life and witness. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 111 : The Heartbeat of the Spirit
Published on : Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0000
I didn't take kindly to be awoken at 5:45 am by my PDA's alarm but it was necessary for the journey I was about to make. So after swiftly getting dressed, I climbed into my car and drove to a prayer meeting at Melbourne Methodist Church which takes place each Wednesday morning at 6:30am. It's only a small gathering but it has been meeting faithfully for some years to pray about church and circuit, people and events. My reason for going was to add to the prayers for the November 3rd Fresh Expressions Vision Day which they are hosting. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 110 : Nothing to prove?
Published on : Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0000
We have just returned from a brief holiday in Vienna visiting our son, Andrew who lives and works there. This visit, however was different because Andrew had entered me into the Vienna Fotomarathon along with himself and nearly 1,000 other budding and not so budding photographers. In the morning they give you a list of 24 themes and you have to go around Vienna taking one photo per theme in the order they appear on the list. After 12 hours you must submit your photos and the judges will decide the winners. As we walked into the Rathaus (Town Hall) courtyard at the start of the day, I was somewhat overawed whereas Andrew walked in with an air of confidence and the sense that he had nothing to prove. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 109 : Dealing with Doubt
Published on : Sat, 08 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0000
Scarcely a month goes by without a story of a high-profile Christian figure hitting the media headlines for what might seem to be the wrong reasons. I remember the excitement over Glen Hoddle, the former England Football Manager who professed to being a Christian and then a little while afterwards he was sacked because he expressed views which reflected his belief in reincarnation, offending people with disabilities and alienating himself from the Christian community in the process. After that we had the story of Jonathan Edwards, the world triple jump champion and former presenter of Songs of Praise who has now moved away from the church. As if all this isn't bad enough, we now have a book being published which features life-long faith struggles of the late Mother Teresa (click here). |
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Evangelism Bulletin 108 : Hebridean Revival
Published on : Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0000
Well, we are back from our short break on the Outer Hebrides, somewhat tanned, somewhat tired after the 2,000 mile drive but deeply impressed by the sheer beauty, remoteness and tranquillity of the islands of Skye, Lewis and Harris. One thing which stood out for me was the way in which church life is so dominant in these parts of Scotland. I am reliably informed by my Scottish colleagues that church attendance in Scotland generally is much higher than in England. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 106 : Close up or heads up
Published on : Mon, 06 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0000
Having worked for a number of American companies in the past, I tend to get irritated by the way in which 'americanisms' creep into our every day vocabulary. Not only did I find that many senior people who travelled regularly over to the USA would develop a 'mid-Atlantic' twang (half English and half American) but that they would bring back with them a host of words or phrases which have now supplemented our own language. However, one such phrase which I actually like is the term 'heads up'. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 101 : Great Expectations
Published on : Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0000
Friends of ours had a new born baby the other day. I went up to them and said, "in five years time I expect this baby to be fully mature with GCSEs and A levels under his belt plus a degree and be ready to start his first job". Well, this is of course untrue, but if it had been true, my friends would rightly have referred me to the psychiatric ward. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 100 : Jesus and the Mobile Pulpit
Published on : Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0000
When we read the Gospels, we can be excused for supposing that when Jesus toured around his home region of Galilee and then to Jerusalem, that he carried with him a mobile pulpit. In other words, when he addressed the large crowds he would take out His mobile pulpit, climb its steps, and start to preach, just like we do in church today, to the crowds which followed Him around. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 99 : Theological Dyslexia
Published on : Wed, 30 May 2007 00:00:00 +0000
I was listening this morning to the BBC news and was grabbed by the article on dyslexia. Some people have suggested that there is no such thing, but this was strongly refuted by one of the interviewees. His defence was that when a person struggles with dyslexia, before they discover they have it, they doubt their own ability and think that they are stupid when, in reality, they are quite bright. Once they discover that the problem is dyslexia, a great weight is lifted from them. Today we know how to deal with this condition. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 97 : Church of the Headless Chicken
Published on : Fri, 18 May 2007 00:00:00 +0000
Matthew's Gospel concludes with what we have come to know as 'The Great Commission'. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20). |
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Evangelism Bulletin 89 : Needless Alley
Published on : Mon, 05 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0000
I crossed over the road from Birmingham Cathedral where we had just met for a gathering of Midland Missioners - a most inspiring and fruitful time. On the other side of the road was an alley way leading off towards New Street station. Its name was "Needless Alley". |
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Evangelism Bulletin 48 : Cafe (Style) Church
Published on : Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0000
Many Christians today are really taken with the idea of Café Church. The thought of this relaxed approach to worship seems to be drawing people into a new experience. But there is a difference between Café Church and Cafe-Style Church. |
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Evangelism Bulletin 44 : Revenons à nos moutons
Published on : Fri, 10 Feb 2006 00:00:00 +0000
Imagine for a moment that one of the junior staff working at Marks and Spencer went to the board of directors and said, 'I want to start a new initiative by opening a Marks and Spencer stall on Sneinton market. It's where the ordinary people do their shopping and we don't attract these people into our big, expensive stores.' Can you imagine the reaction of the directors? 'But it won't be M&S as we know it', 'It will cheapen our brand name', 'How will it make a profit?' and of course, 'Where will people try things on?' |
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