Isolation & Imitation
We all need a role model – someone who shows us how to live life well. Ultimately, our role model is Jesus, of course. But the Bible encourages us to have godly people to look to as well. So, in this season where Covid-19 is grabbing headlines at every turn, where can we look? Maybe […]
Handling Criticism
Criticism is part of ministry life. Not the most pleasant part. And, hopefully, not the most dominant. But it’s there, as anyone who has been in ministry for a few years can attest. Sometimes it’s the gentle rebuke of a loving friend; on other occasions, the disgruntled moans of a member of the church – […]
Am I a second-tier Christian?
Am I a second-tier Christian if I’m not a set-apart gospel worker? No! Definitely not. And here are three reasons why. 1) All Christians share an incredible privilege. Under the old covenant, the priests were ‘set apart’ to serve God – first in the tabernacle, and then in the temple. They were the only ones […]
How Do You Spot A Gospel Minister?
Rector of St Ebbe’s Oxford and one of our co-founders, Vaughan Roberts takes us back to basics with some cutting observations from Colossians 1 on the nature of genuine gospel ministry. 1) The authentic gospel minister serves God’s people. “I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is […]
What Is Pastoral Ministry
Richard Coekin is the Senior Pastor of Dundonald Church and the Director of Co-Mission, a church planting movement in London. This post is an extract from his book Gospel DNA (pages 104–107), published in 2017 by The Good Book Company. You can buy a copy here. When the Bible praises God as the “Shepherd” of Israel, he’s praised for […]
Starting Out in full-time Gospel Ministry
In 2009, Reuben Mann wrote an article for 9:38 on starting out in gospel ministry. Since then Reuben and Hannah have had another son; Reuben has taken on pastoring a church plant, Emmanuel Marlborough; and Mike Ovey, Reuben’s principal while at Oak Hill, has gone to be with the Lord. But Reuben’s original article, reposted below, […]
Make A Difference In Small Towns
Most of us hope, when we become followers of Jesus, that He will use us to make a difference for His Kingdom. Some of us realise we need some experience and equipping to maximise the effectiveness of our Christian witness. But most of us also feel that as well as training, we’d like to start […]
The value of doing a ministry apprenticeship in a church plant
In 2003, my wife and I moved from Brazil to the UK. Soon we began to study the Bible with some friends at home. In 2005 this group of friends grew, and we decided to plant a church. However, I made some mistakes during the process of planting a church which resulted in the death […]
Self-Management and Productivity
Introduction Christians, perhaps more than most people, get stressed about time. This is not surprising, given the combination of the urgency of gospel ministry and the finite length of available time, which we find in passages like this: “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a […]
Doing Youth Work Without Changing Shoes
Doing youth work without changing shoes Recently, a few minutes before an evening service, a teenager complimented me on my shoes. “I like your shoes, Chris! You’re down with the kids.” There was, as far as I could tell, no hint of irony in his tone. Indeed, glancing across to his shoes, I saw they […]
Fruitful Ministry
How do you lay the ground for a fruitful ministry? Spiritual fruit was certainly what Paul longed for in the visit to Rome he was planning. He’s very clear about his motivation or the trip ahead: ‘in order that I might have a harvest among you…’ (Romans 1:13). And the first fifteen verses of his […]
The Smaller Church Option
SMALL CHURCH = NO CHANCE I first looked at the 9:38 website seven years ago. I saw smaller churches, in smaller towns with MT openings and I moved on past them. I settled upon applying to Christ Church in Cambridge. Fast forward seven years, two spent in Cambridge, four working with UCCF in Manchester and […]