Open up The Bible

The Good Book Company have expanded the Open up the Bible campaign. They have launched a new website – www.openupthebible.com – so that “wherever you are, whenever you can, open up the Bible”. The website is packed with articles, video interviews and free downloads to get people started. Check out the video below.

Going Deeper

Here’s how it works in general but please adapt it to suit you.

Get yourself a notebook or journal (I got myself one of those nice A5 Moleskine ones. Seriously, a nice notebook will actually help a little).

Ask God to lead you to a part of Scripture that you’d like to read through for a couple of months or so. (I started with 1 Samuel 18 following on from a recent preach I enjoyed, to walk the walk with David – and God of course. Is there a Bible character you’d like to get to know and walk with them, as together you walk with God through your highs and lows, challenges and joys?) It would be helpful to do a bit of background research to get some idea of the context. For example, check out the introduction to the book in an ESV Study Bible, or you might even want to get yourself a good Bible Dictionary and Commentary (the IVP ones are a good place to start).

S is for Scripture

Ask God for revelation, that he would illuminate the Word and emboss his now message to you. Read a set portion of Scripture, a particular paragraph, a section of a narrative or just read until you are drawn to a particular verse or part of a verse. Study the text. Read it and re-read it. Note down and even write out the particular bit of Scripture you are looking at (don’t forget to date the page too, so you can look back on it).

O is for Observation, Observation, Observation

Study the passage in detail. Write out what is happening. Don’t be afraid to state the obvious and then build on that. Write what you see/observe. Ask yourself and God questions about it. Who were the original audience? What did it mean for them? What challenges did they face? Why was it written? Why had God included it in the Bible? What is the human and divine author’s intent? What is different (and similar) about the original context compared to our culture and post-resurrection/pentecost life today? Keep looking. Can you see a foreshadowing of Christ in the passage? Can you see the scarlet thread of the gospel that runs throughout Scripture? There is more to be gleaned from a few words in Scripture than we typically realise.

A is for Application

What principles does the passage contain that could be applied today in our town/day/generation? Try to apply the passage to yourself, not just people generally, writing out a bullet point list; if it helps use your name, rather than you/us. What is God saying to you through his Word? What advice/guidance does God have for you in this passage/verse? What attitudes, behaviours should you change, do differently, start or stop?

P is for Prayer

Now write out a prayer to God from the heart in response to what you have learned, thanking him for what he has revealed, what he has done for you and asking for forgiveness, help and grace to change, overcome sin, and become more like Christ. Try to be specific. Pray the prayer out loud and use it to kick-start further prayer and supplication (and even sung worship).

This has been a real blessing to me, hope it will be to you too!

If you want to get into the Scriptures in a little more depth check out the next post.

If you’re a Christian outside of London or the UK who uses our website and/or our podcast regularly we would appreciate your support to build upon the excellent foundations laid by respected bible teachers, such as Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones and Dr RT Kendall, to establish an Antioch church (see Acts 11 and 13) where every member plays their part to facilitate gospel mission across London and the world. To find out about more ways to give, click here.

Check out the video below to get a better understanding of how it works.

What is fasting?

Fasting is a biblical practice, not a biblical command. It means ‘going without’, which can include all food, luxury foods (e.g. chocolate, see for example Daniel 10:2-3), television or a favourite hobby. It is the principle of denying yourself a good thing in order to attain something better. It is a good exercise in self-discipline that helps us to rely on God and experience greater intimacy with Him. Francis Anfuso says, “I don’t fast to see how spiritual I am; I fast to see how spiritual I’m not. Fasting peels off the veneer of godliness. All pretence is starved out, and I’m left with the real me. Fasting helps to loosen me from those things to which I am attached.

Why fast?

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said “when” not “if” you fast, indicating that he assumed fasting was a regular practice (Matthew 6:16).

In Disciplined for Life John Loftness identifies a number of reasons to fast: it yields insights and understanding from God (Daniel 9:23); it helps us master the desires of our flesh (1 Corinthians 9:27); it humbles our souls, it takes away our sense of independence and lets us experience our powerlessness before the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:2-3; Psalm 35:13); it prepares us for challenging tasks (Matthew 4:1-3); it sensitizes us to poverty and injustice (Isaiah 58); it aids us in intercession (Joel 2:12).

On this last point Arthur Wallis says, “Fasting is designed to make prayer mount up as on eagles’ wings. It is intended to usher the suppliant into the audience chamber of the King and to extend to him the golden sceptre. It may be expected to drive back the oppressing powers of darkness and loosen their hold on the prayer objective. It is calculated to give an edge to a man’s intercessions and power to his petitions. Heaven is ready to bend its ear to listen when someone prays with fasting.”

How do I fast?

A normal fast excludes food (but includes water), but you could fast television or something else instead if, for example, you are diabetic, ill or have suffered from an eating disorder (in such circumstances please seek advice from a doctor). Never fast from food if you have a health condition, such as diabetes, or are ill, unless otherwise advised by your doctor. There are other kinds of fasting, if you fall into this category.

If you have never done a fast before, you might want to start small and fast from one meal and work your way to fasting for a whole day or have juice instead of water. Fasting beyond three days is not recommended, unless you feel a very clear burden from God. If you are fasting for more than a day, you may want to tell one trustworthy friend to make sure you are safe.

Always remember to drink plenty of water (or juice) throughout your fast. It’s also a good idea to gradually start eating smaller meals as you prepare to fast, it’s not wise to gorge the night before!

Be aware, as well, that you will likely be irritable or weak as you abstain from food, which makes you vulnerable to the devil, so be on your guard.

Remember to couple prayer and fasting together. It’s important that you do not fast expecting immediate or extreme results. You may or may not feel closer to God during this time. The results of fasting are more long-term and blessings may come later.

Attempting this herculean task of hospitality on her own, this frustrated lady snaps at Jesus. Interrupting His message, she says, “Don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.” In the heat of the moment, Martha, who was already distracted (see verse 40), charged God and then accused and condemned her younger sister, Mary. But what was Mary ‘guilty’ of in Martha’s eyes? Sitting at the Lord’s feet and listening to what He says.

Lord, don’t you care…? – when we haven’t been spending time with God, reading his Word and listening to His voice, we become suspicous of His care and begin to doubt His love for us. Have you ever been tempted to say “Lord, don’t you care…?” Perhaps you’re still single with no prospects in sight or have been overlooked for a promotion. We’ve probably all said it, I’m embarrassed to say that I have.

Martha was distracted by her many tasks – CJ Mahaney writes, “When we don’t make time to listen to God, we are easily distracted. Our perspective becomes distorted, our emotions are in turmoil, and anxiety begins to build…When we stop listening, we start worrying, and worry is a serious affront to God. Worry is, in effect, saying to God, “I don’t trust you.”" (Disciplined for Life)

My sister has left me…so tell her – When we stop listening to God’s voice we can become critical and make comparisons with others. We can end up resenting others, particularly if they appear “more spiritual”.

Jesus’ response is amazing. He doesn’t say “how dare you command me! I created you!” He graciously unmasks the real cause of Martha’s frustration: “you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”

It was not her serving that got Martha in trouble, it was her attitude. Activity that is not born of the Spirit can imprison believers in fruitless legalism and dead works, which lead only to frustration and disappointment. Sometimes we busy Christians rush around dutifully, trying to please others, and impress or win approval, prioritising activity over obedience, when what is really needed is a listening ear. What is really needed is a commitment to hearing and obeying God’s voice.

One thing is necessary – waiting on God and listening to His voice daily should be a top priority for every Christian. We must not be mastered by the tyranny of the urgent. We should refuse each day to rush into activity and daily devote quality time to deepen our intimacy with God.

Mary has made the right choice – the decision to listen often requires more discipline than the impulse to serve. Listening is not effortless. It is a disciplined practice. It is a choice, a daily choice, to accept God’s invitation to intimacy.

Have you been making that daily choice in recent weeks? If you feel distracted, anxious, upset or troubled, perhaps this is a sign that you need to spend more time in His presence, listening to His voice as you read and meditate upon Scripture. You can start again today! I believe that God wants to speak to you today but will you stop, sit at His feet and listen?

(Adapted from Disciplined for Life)

Our giving should be sacrificial

The Macedonian church gave generously out of the most severe trial and extreme poverty (8:2). When money and resources were scarce they still gave, even at personal cost to themselves! They clearly did not give from their surplus, they gave sacrificially. It cost the Macedonian church to give. Does our giving cost us?

Our giving should be in proportion to our means

The Macedonian Christians gave as much as they were able (8:3). See also previous post.

Our giving should be motivated by friendly competition

Paul challenged the wealthier Corinthian church to review their giving in light of the excellent example of the poor Macedonian church (8:13-15). Sometimes comparisons can be helpful, as long as they don’t provoke unhealthy competition and legalistic drivenness to be the best. How does your church’s giving compare to others?

Our giving should be done with a willing cheerfulness

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (9:7). Our attitude should be one of joy and expectancy that we get to give not that we have to give.

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Good stewards should also budget and manage their finances wisely. Here are some biblical guidelines:

Good financial planning makes sense. “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5). “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.” (Proverbs 27:23-24)

A budget includes paying taxes (Romans 13:7) and setting aside our giving to God and His church first, before other expenditure (Proverbs 3:9-10).

Live within your income and do not take on debts that could be impossible to pay: “Render to all men their dues. Pay taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due…Keep out of debt and owe no man anything…” (Romans 13:8) (See also Proverbs 6:1-3, Proverbs 22:7).

Have money in savings and take out good insurance (Proverbs 30:25). Have funds available to provide for family, grandchildren and relatives (Proverbs 13:22 and 1 Timothy 5:8).

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If you have further questions and issues in relation to giving including objections still lurking at the back of your mind read Lead Pastor at Mars Hill, Jamie Munson’s article, ‘How to Talk About Money in Church’. Below are a few highlights. You might also benefit from reading The Gift of Giving by Dr RT Kendall.

“I’m ashamed of my debt and poor management | Talking about money makes me feel inept

As Christians, because our identity is secure in Jesus (not in our portfolio) we need not feel shame for the condition of our finances (Col. 3:3). Rather, we are free to bring all our iniquities into the light without fear (1 John 1:7).

I need to save money before I can give any

It’s not wrong to save or spend, but neither should replace giving. When the economy lags, our idols tend to shift from rash spending to incessant hoarding. Regardless of circumstances, God is trustworthy, so we mustn’t trade over-consumption for excessive self-reliance (Ps. 73:23–26; Mt. 6:28–33; Luke 13:21).”

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For the lazy reader and/or for a helpful short sharp summary on tithing watch the Driscoll video below, ‘Should Christians Tithe?’

How should we serve God with our money? How can we be good stewards of the money God has given us? The Bible has ample answers to these questions. Let’s look at some reasons for giving, some guidance on how to give and budget our money and then deal with some common objections to giving (over the next couple of posts). I say “some” because there will undoubtedly be more than this post permits and this simple mind understands!

Reasons for Giving…

Reason one: it’s not MY money

Our money is earned with hard sweat and labour so we like to think that it is ours. We think of our income as MY money when actually it belongs to God. “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18a) Every good and perfect gift comes from God, including our finances (James 1:16-17). As Paul asks, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7) Answer; nothing. We are stewards not owners. And so, when we give we are not determining how much of our income to give. Rather, we are deciding how much of God’s wealth to keep for our own uses. Let us not rob God of what belongs to him (Malachi 3:8).

Reason two: because He gave

For God so loved the world that He gave (John 3:16). God is the most generous giver. He gave us this world (Genesis 1). He gave us life, dignity, liberty and the capacity for rewarding work and meaningful relationships (Genesis 1-2). He gave us His Son, who unfathomably gave us His righteousness. Jesus took our death and gave us His life. And He keeps giving; He gives us the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts today for ministry service. God is generous and therefore we should be generous too, as we are conformed to the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29). To be like God is to give – generously. And this was the counter-cultural practice of the early church, who sold their possessions and goods, land and houses, and gave to anyone as they had need (Acts 2:45; 4:32-35). What a powerful demonstration of the authenticity of the gospel message they lived and breathed. Surely it must have contributed to the Lord adding to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:47).

Reason three: it’s an established principle

Abraham gave ten percent of his income from a victorious battle to Melchizedek, 430 years before the Mosaic Law (Genesis 14:18-20). Abraham gave voluntary and gratefully, acknowledging that God gave him victory against the odds. His motive was that of gratitude alone. The principle of tithing then was established before the Mosaic Law by Abraham’s example. It was codified for the people of Israel for their time and context. It was endorsed by Christ in the New Testament (Matthew 23:23). And it was alluded to by Paul (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:9) and implied in 1 Corinthians 16:2. On this verse RT Kendall argues that the phrase in keeping with his income “is about as clear a reference to tithing as one could get without actually using the word.” (The Gift of Giving) Tithing then “is a minimum standard for Christian believers” (Keller, Counterfeit Gods). However, God does not enforce tithing today. But I do believe He longs for every believer to discover this eternal principle and to resolve to give God one tenth of their income as a starting point, since grace-giving should exceed the requirements of the law.

Reason four: it facilitates gospel work

Herein lies a mystery. God owns everything. The cattle upon a thousand hills belong to him (Psalm 50:10). And yet, He chooses to depend on us to tithe. He wants us to excel in giving (2 Corinthians 8:7). This irreconcilable tension – that God owns everything but will have nothing unless His people give to Him – is hard for our human minds to comprehend. Nevertheless, it is true. We give money to support gospel work, to sow into the Church in faith that our money will reap a gospel reward of converts to Jesus and mature disciples. Imagine what could be done for the Church of God were every believer to tithe. Christian Smith, sociologist and expert on American Christianity did some research on this and asserts that if committed Christians in the US gave 10 percent of their after-tax income it would provide an extra $46 billion per year. Some of the things this money could fund include, 150,000 new indigenous missionaries and pastors in nations most closed to foreign workers, triple the resources being spent on Bible translation, and provide food, clothing and shelter to all 6,500,000 current refugees in all of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East! Imagine what could be done in the UK or even Westminster Chapel if every church member tithed.

Reason five: it pleases God

Giving done in faith pleases God. Our obedience pleases God just as Abraham’s obedience in being willing to sacrifice his son delighted God (Genesis 22:12). Our trust and dependence on the Lord to provide pleases our Heavenly Father.

Reason six: it benefits us

Giving benefits us materially and spiritually. Spiritually, it benefits us by releasing us from bondage to greed; it brings us freedom from anxiety about our finances, as we learn to trust God for our provision. Giving stores up treasures in heaven where our investments will not take a downward turn or be effected by economic recession (Matthew 6:19-21). It also benefits us materially. But we need to be careful here not to take a wrong turn down Prosperity Gospel Avenue. Why? There are no guarantees that a cheerful giver will not experience financial difficulties because God sometimes “hides His face to test our motives” to quote Dr RT Kendall. See the book of Job if you’re not convinced that holiness and obedience don’t always result in blessing and prosperity. But God does have a way of blessing us materially: the 90% that we keep for ourselves has a way of going far beyond what the 100% could have purchased had we kept it all. You cannot out-give God. Kendall writes, “Until we are consistently, regularly and faithfully tithing there is something defective about our Christian life that will not be remedied by any other form of Christian obedience. But when that area of obedience is dealt with, the reward will be wonderful indeed.” (The Gift of Giving)

So if Jesus talked about money a lot why do we talk about it so little? Three reasons come to mind (but there are almost certainly more). (1) Culture: We Brits are shy and somewhat secretive about money. (2) Suspicion: Ministers and pastors are uneasy taking about money because they are concerned that people will be suspicious of their motives. (3) Denial: Keller writes, “even though it is clear that the world is filled with greed and materialism, almost no one thinks it [greed] is true of them. They are in denial.” (Counterfeit Gods)

That last point is a little hard to swallow so let’s give it a bit more thought. Jesus warns people far more often about greed than, for example, sex. “Watch out!” He cautions, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15) Why does He single out greed? I believe it is in part because greed is a subtle, pernicious sin that tends to hide itself from its victims.

The average UK salary is £26,510 (ONS). Is that enough to live on? Most people I know, including myself, would not be satisfied with it but how much is enough? “A recent poll revealed that Americans who earned $25,000 dollars a year believed it would take $54,000 a year to fulfil the American dream. Those who made $100,000 believed it would take $192,000. In other words our contentment requires about twice as much as we currently have.” (Discipleship Explored) I know people who earn more than £100,000 a year who say that money is tight. It is hard to accept since such an income is almost 4 times the national average, a wage which some would be incredibly grateful to receive. Our dissatisfaction with what we have and desire for more can be a sign that greed has us in its clutches. Keller sheds some light on how this can come about when he writes, “Everyone tends to live in a particular socioeconomic bracket. Once you are able to afford to live in a particular neighbourhood, send your children to its schools, and participate in its social life, you will find yourself surrounded by quite a number of people who have more money than you.  You don’t compare yourself to the rest of the world; you compare yourself to those in your bracket. The human heart always wants to justify itself and this is one of the easiest ways.” (Counterfeit Gods)

In a busy city, like London, that idolises money, greed can so easily entangle us. Keller asserts that money is the most common counterfeit god there is. Jesus’ preaching emphasis confirms this. So we would be wise to begin with the possibility that this could be a problem for us.

Greed is a form of idolatry. We can become servants of money believing that it – and not God – will provide us with significance and security. It can make us anxious and fearful and no matter how much money we make it never delivers what it promises (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Let us take heed also of what the apostle Paul said about money: “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10)

There is a way out from greed, a path of freedom from living in fear of financial adversity; it is to give generously. We cannot serve God and money but we can serve God with money. Giving liberates us, it delivers us, sometimes from bondage that we did not even realise we were in until we were released. OS Hawkins, US Baptist pastor, says this about greed: “The principal hindrance to the advancement of the Kingdom of God is greed. It is the chief obstacle to heaven-sent revival. It seems that when the back of greed is broken, the human spirit soars into regions of unselfishness. I believe it is safe to say that there can be no continuous revival without ‘hilarious’ giving. And I fear no contradiction: wherever there is ‘hilarious’ giving there will soon be revival!”

Has greed subtly crept upon you? Is it time you prayerfully reconsidered your giving?

My name’s XXXX. I’ve been coming here for about 3 months after completing the Alpha Course, and this is my testimony: I thought I was happy before… I had dreams, most of which changed on a daily basis. CEO; Club-Owner… I remember one of my mates back at uni saying I should become a WWF wrestler once. It didn’t stick!

No matter where I was going in my life, or what was the top of my list for that day, God never featured. I believed there was something out there, but was never sure what, and it didn’t bother me. I had heard the name of Jesus, but he wasn’t a part of my life.

I was always quite a spiritual person, but I thought that religion and faith were sets of rules and regulations that would get in the way of success and recognition. That was what mattered to me the most. It was all about me.

I became obsessed with self-improvement, because I never thought I was enough. My self-image was a wreck, and my confidence was non-existent. I kept all of this hidden as I didn’t want to be seen as weak. All my friends and family saw was the fallout of me trying to plug a hole I felt I had in my life.

I drank a lot and even tried drugs to try and escape feelings of loneliness and worthlessness. I felt like I had wall in front of me that I had to climb in order to get anywhere – career, money, love. It’ll never happen I told myself. This was despite having a wonderful family, and some amazing friends supporting me all the way. I ended up getting depressed. I was lucky to graduate in the end!

I got help with everything, and managed to quieten, but not silence my drinking. But something still wasn’t right. I still had that hole in my heart. And I thought I knew what would fill it!

So I got a job after I graduated. Some order to my life. I loved it! They couldn’t get rid of me at the end of the day! I didn’t realise it of course, but I’d found another, albeit more sensible, substitute for what was really missing. And then I thought I’d hit the jackpot! I was put up for a promotion, and even landed myself in a relationship… with a colleague. It wasn’t the brightest thing I’ve ever done! I thought THIS WAS IT! Life was looking up. Girlfriend… career prospects… it was all happening! Alas, no…The relationship was short, and ended very badly. It also led to me leaving the job. Unworkable conditions, I’m sure you get the picture! I hit bottom again. Then a friend spoke up.

“I think you should try an Alpha Course.”

I had nothing to lose at that point, so I went along. I was challenged over the weeks, but it started falling into place. One thing I struggled with was “How could it be so simple – to believe in what Jesus did at the Cross? There must be something more to it than that?” No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t really understand that other side of the fence. It never penetrated my heart.

Although I wasn’t sure if anyone was listening, I gave prayer a try by myself, and with others at the course. My prayers were answered, and my heart was opened up to the truth. Suddenly, one morning I felt different. It’s the only way I can describe it! I no longer felt empty, and all of this ‘faith’ business not only sounded right, but also FELT right in my heart! It was almost as if a blindfold had been whipped off! I was on that other side of the fence. This was the truth. Jesus is the truth, and that’s all I could see.

I became a Christian just over three months ago, around the time I started attending services. I don’t struggle with drinking anymore. That wall in my head… demolished! Loneliness… I’m never alone anymore. That CEO and Club-Owner? Nah… His will, not mine. That hole in my heart… It was a God shaped-hole, and He filled it! Whenever I can now, I go to my Bible, or read books on faith. I listen to, and watch, sermons online to learn about Jesus. My music is pretty much nothing but worship songs now! Nothing else seems to satisfy!

So that’s why I am here today: to declare in obedience, and acknowledge, that He is Lord and master of my life, and He is the only one worthy of that place because He made me, and He died for my sins to bring this all about. I’ll never stop thinking of that incredible love!

Thank you Lord!

“When people living far from God throw open the door and ask sincere questions about your faith, you don’t need to freeze up. You also don’t need to fire off machine-gun bursts of Scripture verses that make no sense to them. Or jump on a soapbox about how they need to start flying straight. Or launch into any sermonettes…Instead, you can train your mind so that your default response exhibits … “radical inclusiveness” … Then, with that heart posture fully engaged, you can learn to tell your story – your simple, personal story that conveys the impact Jesus Christ has had in your life. Who knows? You might just give the Holy Spirit something to work with in drawing that person to God.”

At Willow Creek Community Church, Hybels’ church, he once challenged every member with an assignment to write out their story in a hundred words or less. “Before they could groan about the hundred-word thing, I explained that my story – the one about my errant belief that I could gain God’s acceptance through spiritual striving – contains exactly seventy-nine words. I counted. Takes forty-five seconds to tell, and I would guess I have told it more than a thousand times…The response to that homework assignment was wonderful. Hundreds of Creekers took me up on the offer, proving their desire to get better at sharing God’s impact in their lives.”

Two pertinent tips Hybels mentions are to avoid religionese and fuzziness (i.e. keep the story simple so that it contains one clear plot line that appropriately conveys the heartbeat of your faith journey). Hybels has some further encouragement: “I promise you this: you will be absolutely amazed by the power of your own story once you have been diligent to hone and shape and refine it. When you communicate your personal faith story with sincerity, you will see supernatural sparks fly as God uses it for his glory and your listener’s good.”

Here are two of our church’s attempts, you’ll have to guess the authors…

Before I met Christ, I had this plaguing sense of aloneness and lack of material possessions. I was adopted and grew up in a broken and dysfunctional family. My days were spent alone and my nights isolated and crying almost every day. I had no friends, no sense of belonging to anywhere or anybody. I had this profound sense of emptiness. But then I met Christ. Somebody shared with me that Christ did care about me. He actually adopted me into His family and now I know what it means to be wanted, to be cared for, to be loved.

I hated my face and put my life on hold. I thought good looks would make me happy. But plastic surgery did not lead to contentment and acceptance but to a Prozac prescription and expensive counselling fees. I then tried to find significance in Eastern mysticism and martial arts but was disappointed. Finally, at University I met Jesus and felt an amazing love and acceptance for the first time. My whole life changed as I became more and more secure in my true identity – joy and happiness in knowing that I am a precious child of God.

Is it time for you to prepare or fine tune your own before and after story?

The Greek word for administration that Paul uses in 1 Cor 12:28 is kuberneseis. It is a nautical term meaning navigation; it describes the role of a ship’s helmsman. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament states: “The reference can only be to the specific gifts which qualify a Christian to be a helmsman to his congregation, i.e. a true director of its order and therewith of its life. What was the scope of this directive activity in the time of Paul we do not know. This was a period of fluid development. The importance of the helmsman increases in times of storm. The office of directing the congregation may well have developed especially in emergencies both within and without…”

Elsewhere in the NT the official who carried out this role is translated (in the NIV) as ‘pilot’ (Acts 27:11) and ‘sea captain’ (Revelation 18:17). “So the underlying idea”, John Truscott writes, “is a leader of people more than a behind-the-scenes paper-pusher. This is no doubt why the AV translated it ‘governments’.” (Open Bible Institute Short Course on Administration). This fits well with other uses of the word, such as the ‘Obama administration’ or the highly respected qualification for business leaders, the MBA, Masters in Business Administration.

Nigel Ring (former administrator/ “’armour bearer’ to Terry Virgo”) sheds further light on the role: “In New Testament times a merchant who wished to take his cargo between two ports would hire a vessel and a navigator. In modern terms the word ‘pilot’ conveys his role. He (or she) understands the tides and currents around a particular harbour and goes on board an oil tanker, say, when still some miles from its destination to bring it safely to the dock. During that time he has full authority on board. Such was the case in the Mediterranean. The merchant would be on board with his cargo and state the destination. But the kubernesis would then take control in order to reach that destination with safety and speed, and direct the crew to set the sails and steer the vessel appropriately.”

This dovetails with definitions of second chair leadership responsibilities: “Effective second chair leaders in the church understand God’s vision for their congregation, and they embrace it wholeheartedly. They are able to see ways to accelerate progress toward the vision. They can design and implement new ministries and overhaul old ones to keep the congregation on track. They can share the vision with others and expand the foundation of committed leaders and followers. They can lift the leadership burden from the first chair without usurping authority.” (Bonem and Patterson, Leading from the Second Chair)

Understood this way, administration is not a necessary evil but a necessary gift for Gospel advancement. But what about administration in the sense of a behind-the-scenes servant helping things to run smoothly? The gift of helps/helping comes before the more leadership-administrative one in 1 Corinthians 12, perhaps suggesting special honour for the gift of helps. “The root meaning of this Greek term, antilempseis, is ‘those who take their turn’. You might think of those on a rota. The same kind of word comes in Luke 1:54 when God is described as helping Israel, and in Acts 20:35 when Paul shows how to help the weak. So perhaps there is here the kind of behind-the-scenes administration that you may be more familiar with: those on the coffee rota, those who write the minutes of the meeting, those in the church office.” (Truscott, see above)

This tentatively leaves us with what might be described as an administrative spectrum, from the strategic navigation of all church activity to the humble organisation of one aspect of it; all important for the effective and efficient organisation of a church.

Perhaps you, like me, would do well to heed these challenging reminders:

“Our relationship to our heavenly Father, though secure, is not static. He wants his children to grow up to know him more and more intimately. Generations of Christians have discovered that the best way to do this is to spend time with him every day in Bible reading and prayer.

This is essential for the Christian who wants to make progress. We are all busy nowadays, but we must somehow rearrange our priorities in order to make time for it. It will mean firm self-discipline, but granted this, together with an alarm clock that works, we are well on the road to victory…It is important to maintain the balance between Bible reading and prayer, because God speaks to us through the Bible while we speak to him through prayer. It is also a good idea to be systematic in our reading of the Bible…Pray before you read, asking the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and bring light to your mind. Then read slowly, meditatively and thoughtfully. Read and reread the passage. Wrestle with it till its meaning becomes clear…Then go on to apply the message of the verses you have read to your own life. Look for promises to claim and commands to obey, examples to follow and sins to avoid. It is helpful to keep a notebook and write down what you learn. Above all, look for Jesus Christ. He is the chief subject of the Bible. We can not only find him revealed there, but can meet him personally through its pages.” (John Stott, Basic Christianity)

“Visionaries, surprisingly, live disciplined lives; they are not impulsive, flighty and uncommitted types. They get up early. They read and study voraciously everything pertinent that they can get their hands on to nourish their vision. They pray as a priority, not just when they get round to it. They eat correctly, usually wholesome, nourishing food that keeps their bodies fit and their minds alert; and they exercise regularly to clear their minds and prevent weariness and depression. They avoid toxic, dissolute lifestyles that dissipate energy and fog the mind. They keep away from poisonous gossip and frivolous occupations. Their Bibles are worn out with daily use.” (Greg Haslam, Moving in the Prophetic)

“Let your sermons be full of Christ, from beginning to end crammed full of the gospel. As for myself, brethren, I cannot preach anything else but Christ and His cross, for I know nothing else; and long ago, like the apostle Paul, I determined not to know anything else save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. People have often asked me, ‘What is the secret of your success?’ I always answer that I have no other secret but this, that I have preached the gospel – not about the gospel, but the gospel – the full, free, glorious gospel of the living Christ who is the incarnation of the good news. Preach Jesus Christ, brethren, always and everywhere; and every time you preach be sure to have much of Jesus Christ in the sermon.” (C.H. Spurgeon, The Soul Winner, 1992, p.79)

Check out this excellent video.

Let’s hope and pray that God uses it to bless many people looking for meaning and purpose in life.

If you don’t feel excited about it yet, check out the promo video below and think about who you could invite to find out more about the most loved and hated person in history, Jesus Christ.

More info. about our Alpha Course is available by clicking here.

Caretaker (Part or Full-Time)

To provide practical support facilitating the smooth running of services, meetings, events and conferences at Westminster Chapel (WC), including: room set up/set down, serving as the fire safety officer, premises lock up/opening up, preparing the Auditorium for Sunday services and basic maintenance.

Must have the ability to physically perform the responsibilities of the job, including lifting a minimum of 50lbs on a regular basis and a hearty endorsement of WC’s Mission, Vision and Values and the biblical and theological orientation of its leadership. A combination of carpentry, decorating, plastering, electrical and plumbing knowledge, skills and qualifications preferred but not required.

Salary: £12,600-£18,000 (depending on hours worked) | Hours: 28-40 hrs per week (subject to skills and experience) | Closing date: EXTENDED to 3 October 2010 | Duration: 1 November 2010 (or later by agreement) – 31 October 2011 (with the possibility of extension or progression to an open ended employment contract)

Children and Families’ Director (Full-Time)

To oversee WC’s Children (age 0-10) and Families’ Ministry. He/she will be responsible for the development and implementation of an annual Children and Families’ Ministry Strategy. He/she will provide leadership and direction to volunteers and represent the interests and concerns of children and their families in WC and the local community to WC’s leadership. He/she will also be expected to support 1-2 other ministries, in line with his/her gifting and experience, such as Alpha, CityLifeGroups, Parenting, Marriage, and Mercy Ministries.

Must have proven experience of working with children, good organisation and administrative skills, a hearty endorsement of WC’s Mission, Vision and Values and the biblical and theological orientation of its leadership.

Salary: £22-28,000 (subject to qualifications and experience) | Closing date: 3 September 2010 | Start date: 1 November 2010 (or later by agreement)

Further information, detailed job descriptions and application forms for either job can be obtained by emailing office@westminsterchapel.org.uk.

The main quality/comeback characteristics they identified were: leadership, three faith factors (renewed belief in Jesus and the mission of the church, renewed attitude for servanthood, and strategic prayer efforts), worship and preaching, intentional and strategic evangelism, connecting people to spiritual maturity, motivating and mobilizing people out of the pews (helping people discover their spiritual gifts), and connecting people through small groups.

Leadership

Proactive Leadership: “Comeback leaders took the initiative for change” (praying Matt 9:37-38 regularly and passionately and model evangelistic passion). pp.39-41

Sharing Ministry: “Comeback leaders shared the ministry…made choices about those in whom they invested their time and how they invested their time…[and] quickly gave away nonministry tasks.” pp.42-43

Intentional Planning: “Comeback leaders intentionally used their time and the time of others differently…[and] intentionally planned to spend more time doing “people stuff.”” pp.44-45

Vision: “Comeback leaders agreed that having a clear and compelling vision was foundational in the transformation of their churches.” p.45

Developing Leaders: “Comeback leaders multiplied themselves.” p.50

Three Faith Factors

Renewed Belief in Jesus Christ and the Mission of the Church: “Comeback churches got back on mission” and grew “deeply in love with Jesus” and comeback leaders “helped churches grow in love with the community through their preaching, teaching, and praying…[and] helped their churches grow to love the lost…turned their churches outward.” pp. 58-61

Renewed Attitude for Servanthood: “Comeback leaders led their churches to develop the same passion, having a heart for service…comeback churches led people to care more about their communities than their preferences…comeback churches don’t focus exclusively on their own spiritual maturity or demand their preferences.” pp.63-67

Strategic Prayer Efforts: “Comeback churches are praying churches…Comeback leaders led their churches to pray, especially for their communities and then act on those prayers.” pp.68-71

[Extra factors: Goal Setting (comeback leaders made plans) and Valuing Relationships and Reconciliation (comeback leaders saw the value of reconciling relationships). pp.71-73]

Worship and Preaching

Worship: “Almost all comeback churches identified their mood of worship as celebrative and orderly…with a significant emphasis on being informal and contemporary.” p.78

Preaching: “Comeback churches practiced biblical preaching…” that is “more than just persuasive speech.” pp.90-93

Intentional and Strategic Evangelism

“Principle #1: The greatest motivation for evangelism is our own relationship with God, compelling us to love those He loves. Comeback pastors are able to case a compelling vision for outreach that is shared by the leadership and then the congregation.” p.100

“Principle #2: In order to train people to “go and tell,” we will need to teach them to live like Jesus-to live like a messenger of God in this world.” p.101

“Principle #3: Organize for evangelism using multiple methods.” p.102

“Principle #4: Comeback churches have learned that it takes a whole church to win a community, but it takes a leader to helm them do so.” p.103

“Principle #5: Comeback churches know that the whole church has to embrace the mandate for evangelism. Everyone can be involved as a prayer, bringer, and/or teller, and should be trained and mobilized in one or more of these areas.” p.104

“Principle #6: Comeback churches said that creating an environment in which spontaneous and planned evangelism can take place is a key.” p.105

“Principle #7: Comeback churches recognized, purposefully planned for, and utilized “doors of entry” [e.g. outreach events] to the church.” p.109

Connecting People to Spiritual Maturity

“Comeback churches used strategies that help people stay and grow…When a guest fills out a card, the first follow-up should include-at the very least-a letter and a call from the pastor or outreach leader. However, follow-up is not complete until the guest connects with a small-group leader.” pp.118-119

“People need to connect in community to consider the truth claims of the gospel…There really are two conversions – the first to community (“I like and trust these people and want to learn with them) and then to Christ (“I make a dangerous decision for Christ in a safe community of friends”).” p.121

“William Hendricks argues that new Christians are likely to leave the church within the first six months if they don’t develop at least seven significant relationships in the congregation during that time.” p.122

“Many comeback churches – 53 percent – raised the requirements of membership, challenging people to live out the privileges and responsibilities of the covenant community described in Scripture.” p.124

Motivating and Mobilizing People Out of the Pews

“For churches to be able to grow most effectively and reach their full potential, a change has to take place in the role of the pastor, and the people have to step up and use their spiritual gifts.” p.132

Create an Atmosphere of Expectation: “In many comeback churches, the people were taught that they were responsible for the ministry of the church.” p.139

Create an Atmosphere of Equipping: “Comeback churches utilize a strategy, or process, to identify and equip people for ministry as servant leaders. Part of that equipping is discovery of gifts…churches must help people discover their spiritual “equipment” and give them opportunities to use it.” p.140

Create an Atmosphere of Empowerment: “an environment where people feel empowered or enabled to do ministry. In many cases, empowerment occurs through preaching, teaching, and training. Don’t expect people just to “get it.” If you are like most of us, you want to ask people to do things and have them run off and to it. Comeback leaders understand that people have to be taught, trained, and encouraged to be effective ministers…Comeback churches understand that communication is a big part of empowerment…Comeback churches explain biblical guidelines, expectations for people in ministry, awareness and identification of gifts, and available training. They appreciate people in simple ways.” p.142-143

Connecting People through Small Groups

“Comeback leaders exemplified the power of small-group community.” p.147

“Comeback leaders multiplied their ministry through small-group leaders.” p.155

“Comeback leaders made it a priority to start new groups.” p.157

Other Comeback Factors

Facilities: “Comeback churches often changed their facilities to help facilitate their growth.” p.161

Marketing: “38 percent of comeback churches indicated that marketing had a significant impact upon their revitalization”. p.166

Staffing: “six of seven comeback churches experienced staff change prior to their comeback. It is an escapable fact that most comeback churches changed staff…63.6 percent of the respondents indicated that the church’s turnaround coincided with a change in the role of lead or senior pastor.” p.177

In 1994-1996 a major research project was conducted on the causes of church growth: 32 countries, 30 members from each participating church, 4.2 million responses (Schwarz, Natural Church Development Handbook, 1998). It enabled a “quality index” to be developed, based on 8 quality characteristics: empowering leadership; gift-orientated ministry; passionate spirituality; functional structures; inspiring worship services; holistic small groups; need-orientated evangelism; and loving relationships (see below for a summary). Schwarz argues that measures should be developed for each characteristic based on quality not quantity:

“The point of departure for natural church development is, therefore, not goal setting in the area of quantity (3,400 in church by 2002), but in the area of quality (By the end of November, 80 percent of all regular attenders at worship services will know their spiritual gifts). In this area, we dare not neglect setting challenging, attainable, time-bound, and measurable goals.”

Empowering Leadership

“Leaders of growing churches concentrate on empowering other Christians for ministry. They do not use lay workers as helpers in attaining their own goals and fulfilling their own visions. Rather, they invert the pyramid of authority so that the leader assists the Christians to attain the spiritual potential God has for them. These ministers equip, support and motivate and mentor individuals, enabling them to become all that God wants them to be.”

Gift-orientated Ministry

“The gift-orientated approach reflects the conviction that God sovereignly determines which Christians should best assume which ministries. The role of church leadership is to help members to identify their gifts and to integrate them into appropriate ministries. When Christians serve in their area of gifting, they generally function less in their own strength and more in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Passionate Spirituality

“The concept of spiritual passion and the widespread notion of the walk of faith as “performing one’s duty” seem to be mutually exclusive…The nature of this quality characteristic becomes evident by examining the prayer life of the Christians surveyed. While the amount of time (quantity) a Christian spends in prayer plays only a minor role with regard to the quality and growth of a church, the question as to whether or not prayer is viewed as an inspiring experience, has a significant relationship to the quality and quantity of the church.”

Functional Structures

“One of the 15 sub-principles comprising the quality characteristic functional structures is the “department head principle”. I have chosen this sub-principle because it typifies the core of the quality characteristic: the development of structures which promote an on-going multiplication of the ministry. Leaders are not simply to lead, but also to develop other leaders. Anyone who accepts this perspective will continually evaluate to what extent church structures improve the self-organisation of the church. Elements not meeting this standard (such as discouraging leadership structures, inconvenient worship service times, demotivating financial concepts) will be changed or eliminated. Through this process of continual structural renewal, traditionalistic ruts can, to a large extent, be avoided.”

Inspiring Worship Services

“The word “inspiring” deserves clarification. It is to be understood in the literal sense of inspiration and means an inspiredness which comes from the Spirit of God. Whenever the Holy Spirit is truly at work (and his presence is not merely presumed), he will have a concrete effect upon the way a worship service is conducted including the entire atmosphere of a gathering. People attending truly “inspired” services typically indicate that “going to church is fun”.

Holistic Small Groups

“They must be holistic groups which go beyond simply discussing Bible passages, to applying its spiritual message in daily life. In these groups, members are able to bring up the issues and questions that are their immediate personal concerns…The meaning of the term “discipleship” becomes practical in the context of holistic small groups: the transfer of life, not rote learning of abstract concepts…it allows us to infer the level of importance given to small groups in growing churches: they are not a supplement, like a nice but dispensable hobby. No, much of the essence of true church life is worked out in small groups. Our research confirms that the larger a church becomes, the more decisive the small group principle will be with respect to her further growth.”

Need-orientated Evangelism

“Our research shows that in churches with a high quality index the leadership knows who has the gift of evangelism, and directs them into a corresponding areas of ministry…The key to church growth is for the local congregation to focus its evangelistic efforts on the questions and needs of non-Christians.”

Loving Relationships

“…it can be demonstrated that there is a significant connection between laughter in the church and that church’s qualitative and numerical growth…Unfeigned, practical love has a divinely generated magnetic power far more effective than evangelistic programmes which depend almost entirely on verbal communication. People do not want to hear us talk about love, they want to experience who Christian love really works.”

Wow…what a GREAT service we had on Sunday evening launching our new, exciting series: Mark’s Gospel – What if God was one of us?

Great preach, great worship, real sense of God in our midst.

Last Sunday (for those not in the know) we changed our service time from 4pm to 5.30pm to provide more time for people (especially those involved in serving/ministry teams) to rest and relax and enjoy fellowship with each other before the afternoon service, launching a 12 month series (interspersed with Christmas, Easter, etc.) on Mark’s Gospel.

This is a response to our ever-increasing desire for the Gospel to be preached (and thereby for Christ to be exalted) at every Sunday service. We want all our services to be both edifying to the church and challenging to non-believers, clearly presenting the Gospel and providing opportunities for non-believers to repent and accept Christ. We are convinced that God wants to build Westminster Chapel on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we want to make this Gospel central to everything that we do. And what better place to start than in Mark’s Gospel, written by young John Mark who rose from obscurity to worldwide influence in writing an entirely new genre of literature – the first Gospel.  His aim was to racily describe what the world would be like if God became one of us.

Greg has also written an outstanding guide to Mark’s Gospel (I’ve had a sneak peek and it is not to be missed) that will be available for free on our website soon!

There is rising faith amongst us as a leadership and staff team, as well as our members, to see many come to faith, recommit to God and to pray for the sick and see them healed at all our services, so please be bold in inviting friends, colleagues and neighbours to attend. Let’s pray, pray, pray and believe God to do amazing things in our church in the season ahead!

“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” (Machiavelli, The Prince)

“In building a great institution, there is no single defining action, no grand program, no one killer innovation, no solitary lucky break, no miracle moment. Rather, our research showed that it feels like turning a giant, heavy flywheel. Pushing with great effort – days, weeks and months of work, with almost imperceptible progress – you finally get the flywheel to inch forward. But you don’t stop. You keep pushing, and with persistent effort, you eventually get the flywheel to complete one entire turn. You don’t stop. You keep pushing, in an intelligent and consistent direction, and the flywheel moves a bit faster. You keep pushing, and you get two turns…then four…then eight…the flywheel builds momentum…a hundred…moving faster with each turn…a thousand…ten thousand…a hundred thousand. Then, at some point – breakthrough! Each turn builds upon previous work, compounding your investment effort. The flywheel flies forward with almost unstoppable momentum. This is how you build greatness.” (Collins, Good to Great and the Social Sectors)

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” (Roosevelt, Speech at Sorbonne, Paris, 1910)

“People don’t resist change, they resist being changed” and “See managing change as akin to steering a boat across turbulent waters – work with the wind.” (Beckhard and Harris, Organisational Transition – Managing Complex Change)

Change formula (created by Beckhard, Harris and Gleicher and improved by Dannemiller and Jacobs):

Change = (A x B x C) > D

Where:

A = dissatisfaction with the status quo (evidence of the need for change)

B = a desirable future (painting a picture/vision of how things could be)

C = a practical pathway (confidence in the likelihood of getting there, concrete steps that can be taken towards the vision)

D = the cost of changing (resistance)

Excellence on the other hand is: giving your best efforts; going beyond (your) mediocrity; motivated by God’s grace (Romans 12:1); about learning from mistakes how to fail forward (Proverbs 24:16; Psalm 42:5); learning from criticism (Proverbs 9:8-9); deriving our value as people from God (not performance); doing all things well for God’s glory; each believer reaching his/her greatest potential; being better tomorrow than you were yesterday; matching your practice with your potential.

As we pursue excellence together, let’s try to avoid the perfectionist trap by drinking deep from the wells of God’s grace.

Context
Although we cannot be sure precisely where Exodus 18 fits chronologically in Israel’s first year of freedom from Egypt, the significance of it being placed after Exodus 17 (whether in chronological order or not) by the writer is important.

Exodus 17:1-7
Water from the rock. Moses angry and frustrated with the people. Moses told by God to take some of the elders with him and strike the rock.

Exodus 17:8-16
Amalekites defeated at Rephidim. Moses’s arms being held up by Aaron and Hur crucial to victory.

Both of these stories illustrate the heavy leadership responsibility Moses had (a nation composed of nearly 2,000,000 people (600,000 men, cf. 12:37)) (and in the early part of chapter 17, some of his frustrations) and hint at a move towards sharing this leadership burden with others.

Outsider?
Jethro was a “priest of Midian” – not an Israelite. He had not lived under oppression in Egypt and taken part in their miraculous escape. He was not steeped in Israelite culture and history. He was, in this sense, an outsider.

But when Moses was on the run from Egypt, Jethro was the friend and father-in-law (for c.40 years) Moses needed. Sometimes Godly advice can come from unlikely sources – (‘unqualified’) outsiders – are we ready and willing to receive it?

Prelude
Jethro listens and investigates, verses 1-8.
Jethro praises God, verses 9-11.
Jethro gives thanks to God, verse 12.
Jethro observes, verse 13.
Jethro questions Moses, verse 14 (to help him identify the issue).
Jethro challenges (somewhat bluntly), verse 17.
Jethro explains (his previous statement) and identifies the issue, verse 18. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.

Jethro saw and foresaw: Moses and the people over-stretched. Burnt out (consumed by the tyranny of the urgent?) and the mission of God derailed.

Advice
The heart of Jethro’s advice was relinquishing control to empower others to lead. To engage, equip, and disciple the people of God in order to further the mission of God. There are five pillars.

One: Prayer
Verse 19: You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.

Disputes is also translated cases and causes or questions. Jethro told Moses to pray for the people. To do this effectively he needed to be amongst the people, to listen to their needs and understand their issues (disputes, cases, causes, questions) in order to bring them to God.

Moses, by bringing their disputes to God, was to rely on God’s strength and wisdom (not his own). Moses, by representing and interceding for the people, would increase his love and empathy for the people. It would help him to take his eyes off his own frustrations (with them) and be other-centred.

Two: Teach
Verse 20a: Teach them the decrees and laws…

Provide (intellectual) knowledge (through expounding, preaching, etc.) about what it means to live in right relationship with each other and God (since this is the summary of the Law). Explain what righteousness means in words.

Three: Model
Verse 20b: and show them the way to live…

Live the Godly life (the cruciform life) before (in the midst of) the people. Be the model and example they can follow. Help people to see what righteousness means in actions.

Four: Demonstrate
Verse 20c: [show them] the duties they are to perform.

Demonstrate the duties the people are to perform. Help them to visualise their role and responsibilities, their tasks and obligations. Provide goals and a clear job description. Good leadership shows people what is expected of them. Demonstration should come before delegation.

Five: Delegate
Verses 21-22: But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.

Select people in accordance with their capability and character, with more emphasis on the latter: trustworthy (faithful), honest, wise (fear of God). The presumption is that Moses (leaders) should be able to identify other leaders. Leaders recruit others. Appoint leaders in accordance with their ability (over 10s – 50s – 100s – 1000s).

I’ve been at WC for more than 6 years serving in a number of different ministries, hosting, 20:20 Vision, and the Change Team. I thought I knew WC fairly well…and in some ways I did…but in some ways I didn’t.

For example, I didn’t know that one member of staff frequently burps at his/her desk and that two male members of staff are closet Celine Dion fans (in the interests of safety, that is my safety, all shall remain anonymous).

In 24 Redemption, in response to a critic, President Noah Daniels says: “Let’s talk after you’ve been sitting in my chair for a while.” He has a point. It’s easy to be an armchair critic. I become one every time England plays a football match. Armed with only half the facts (and despite appreciating the difficult task that various England managers have had) I sometimes think that I could do a better job, when in reality, I would be terrible!

In the same way that we can be football manager armchair critics, we can be church leader armchair critics too. Let’s be honest, we’ve all done it.

But as the chess player Robert Byrnes said: “Until you walk a mile in another man’s moccasins you can’t imagine the smell.”

Sweaty
Well, I think I’ve walked that mile now (as an insider) in the corridors of WC and I can reliably tell you that the smell is sweaty indeed. Everyone, especially our boss, works really, really hard to build the church God wants here. I certainly put in more hours than I did when I was practising as a barrister.

There’s a lot happening back stage; a great deal of which it’s not appropriate to share because it’s quite sensitive. But rest assured we are listening to issues raised and ideas proposed as plans take shape for a very exciting 2010. But in the meantime please be patient with us.

Sweet
The smell of sweat, however, is thankfully balanced by a beautifully sweet aroma. I’ve been so encouraged by the energy and enthusiasm of our staff and members in recent weeks. For example, the servant hearted way that so many people helped out with Antony and Rebecca Hart’s wedding on 21 Nov was awesome! Not to mention the faithful way that so many people serve at the Chapel every week. You really are a fantastic group of people!