The rewards of self-denial

Effective Leadership 1: Committed to Personal Health

Back in its 1996 report to the General Assembly, Stress in the Ministry, the Board of Evangelism and Christian Training of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland  revealed that as many as 1 in 4 serving as Ministers in the Presbyterian Church have been off work, or have considered leaving the ministry altogether, because of the […]

HGLT 3: Forming the Covenant

Despite the fact that the idea of covenant is a constant and vital element in the bible’s narrative, many of us journey quite some distance into our Christian lives before we ever realize it. It’s a real pity because there are few aspects to the Christian message that are more revolutionary and transformative for both our thinking and our praxis as followers of Jesus. The God who has revealed himself to us is a God of covenant and as those created in his image, we have been made to be people of covenant.

The Attractions of the New Perspective(s) on Paul – Lignon Duncan

Ligon Duncan, a former moderator of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), came to the attention of many of us on this side of the pond in 2007 when he was quoted at the start of a Christianity Today article about the ‘New Perspective’ on Paul. The quote goes, ‘new perspective theology undercuts the certainty […]

Developing Young Leaders – James Lawrence

James Lawrence is the Director of the Church Pastoral Aid Society development team and the Arrow leadership programme.  This audio is an interview with him that was first used at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit in 2011. It is a great discussion about how we can go about encouraging and developing young leaders in our […]

There is nothing more important

“You can do more than pray after you have prayed; but you can never do more than pray until you have prayed.”   A.J. Gordon

The Marks of Effective Leadership

In his book, Dying for Change, American author Leith Anderson recounts the story of the battle of Saratoga, west of the Hudson River, during the American War of Independence. It was a confrontation that many historians consider to have been the turning point of the Revolution. In purely numerical terms the American patriot troops faced […]

Tim Keller on Church Planting

HGLT 2: Creating an Environment for Growth

We have seen that effective discipleship can best be achieved when believers meet together in small groups as well as in the larger context. However, it is important to realise that not just any type of small group will do.  People can meet for prayer and Bible study for years yet never grow to trust […]

HGLT 1: The Biblical Basis for Home Group Ministry

The biblical basis for Home Group ministry begins in the very nature and character of the God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It continues in the strategy of Jesus and in the life and witness of the early and contemporary church. When we read through the scriptures and the history of the church around the world we see that Christians meeting together in small group communities has been one of the key elements in the building of the church…