Mike Frost shared at a recent Simple Church Network online gathering the idea of the church as a round table. He spoke of the community of faith connecting their life and faith in both action and reflection, working for justice for those marginalised by society, and welcoming all as fellow sojourners in God’s mission. Mike … Read more
Finding a person of peace has one of the topics that has kept coming up in missional circles over the 10 years. But what does it really mean? A person of peace is from Luke 10 where Jesus sends out his followers. He tells them to look for peaceful people who accept their message in … Read more
What Bible verses come to mind when you think about funerals? I think of John 14:1-4. It’s the one about Jesus preparing many rooms for his followers in his Father’s house. It’s an appropriate use of the passage. It brings us comfort. It encourages us to see those we love in God’s presence. But when this … Read more
I would start with people who are doing it already. Go find the open doors; a chaplain in the local prison, the lady that helps our at the local food pantry, the guy who is always hanging out with the homeless… these champions are out there all the time. Join them in the journey. Take … Read more
The new unreached people group in America is a land called The Margins. These are a people group that have grown up in a land that is vastly unfamiliar from the America I grew up in. The cultural norms for them is a world of violence, sexual exploitation, abandonment, rejection, addiction, poverty, racism, and the … Read more
‘What’s your name? And what do you do for work?’ These are two questions you inevitably get asked when you meet someone. It’s tempting to get all indignant, ’I’m more than just my job,’ but the heart of the question is identity. And it’s worth remembering that identity determines actions, not the other way round. … Read more
There is a friend of mine who was working as a night security guard. And a second security guard came to him at about 3:00 in the morning and just said, “You’re a Christian, aren’t you?” It was accusatory, right. So, my friend did not assume what would happen next was going to be, like, … Read more
Christianity doesn’t enjoy the place in my society now as it did in the past. Christianity has moved from shaping our society to becoming that weird uncle you try to avoid at family gatherings. Many Christians are left fearful and with the longing for peace. But how does Jesus respond to the fearful? Christians believe … Read more
So often Jesus’ words seem to be contradictions. He brings a gospel of opposites. Everything is upside-down, backwards, and the opposite of what it should be. He says, ‘The last shall be first’ (Mark 10:31). Give if you want to receive (Luke 6:38). Living means giving up your life (Matt. 10:39). To be a leader, … Read more
Life is full of tremendous joy and also great pain and loss. There is no greater heartache than that caused by death. I walked along its paths this past week with my Nan passing away. Yet grieving the death of my Nan allows me the privilege of grieving in a different way – a Christian … Read more