From Secular Work to Full-time Ministry
Rob, what are you doing now? I’m a Curate at St John’s Chapeltown in Sheffield; I’ve been there since July 2015, so I’ve been in full-time ministry for around 18 months. You’re not the youngest of spring chickens, are you? Let’s say mid forties. Just about. I’m married to Caroline and we have three school-aged […]
The 4 Fs a Preacher Needs To Be
1. Faithful Paul was determined to know nothing among the people except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It is the cross of Christ which is to be the theme of our message; from it derive all the blessings which God longs to give to men and women. Preaching is not about telling stories or jokes, […]
Trainee to Maths Teacher
When I left university, I was considering whether or not full-time, paid gospel ministry was for me. So, partly in order to answer that question, I spent two years as a Ministry Trainee at St John’s, Lindow, in Wilmslow, Cheshire. My role mostly involved Bible teaching (sermons, Bible studies, youth groups and one-to-ones etc.), which […]
Writing your first evangelistic talk
The Lord gave the word; great was the company of those who proclaimed it. (Psalm 68:11). I remember hearing Baroness Margaret Thatcher speak for 75 minutes without notes, in Leeds Town Hall. It was an impressive performance. I delight in hearing good oratory. But it is not the same as preaching. It is a thrill […]
Looking Back With Gratitude: life as a ministry trainee
I spent two years working as a Ministry Associate at St Nicholas’ Church, Sevenoaks. As I look back I can already see the many ways in which God used the role to motivate, equip and strengthen me in my Christian faith, and draw me closer to himself. I’m really grateful to Him for the opportunity […]
Starting Well
Fresh from two years as a ministry trainee at St Mary’s Maidenhead, Tim writes… “I’m basically like a church celebrity. Everyone knows me. I don’t have a clue who anyone is. Those I know, I can’t remember their names. Is this really why I’m here? I don’t know how much I like this.” That was […]
Raising Up Godly Leaders
Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington D.C. spoke about Growing Healthy Churches at a one-day conference at Duke Street Church, Richmond-upon-Thames. His final session focused on the importance of Raising up Godly Leaders. Mark has kindly allowed 9:38 to summarise his advice on identifying, training and growing godly leaders. As Mark explained, […]
The Other Lord’s Prayer
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is […]
Clarifying the Call
In summer 2005 a survey, conducted by Generation Next, of 400 men either in or considering word ministry showed significant confusion about what constituted a ‘call’. This is a practical and important question: how do I know that Christ has called me to “prayer and the ministry of the word”? Rather than start with ourselves, […]
How do I know I’m called?
When I was in my 6th Form I took a careers test. The results told me that I should consider becoming, in order of suitability, a barrister, a solicitor, a teacher and a minister of religion. I studied law at University, became a Christian in my final year, decided not to train to become a […]
Lessons about God’s grace in ministry
Have you ever read David in the Psalms saying things like, ‘Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin’, and just thought, ‘well good for you David! I’m not sure I can say that with such […]
Saved by Grace and not by Ministry
I’m pretty sure we all know what it feels like. We’re tired and stressed. We’re too busy and are not enjoying the work. In fact, nothing is fun. We’ve been prioritising serving the Lord Jesus – we’ve taken on all that’s been asked of us, and more besides. But we’re still not doing enough. It isn’t […]