What the Church can learn from Downtown Abbey
There is no doubt that the period drama Downtown Abbey has taken the world by storm. Not only has series one and two been very successful but with the production of series three under way, people...
View ArticleMinistry is like herding sheep, cats and sheep dogs
Recently I attended a conference session with Tim Hein which explored stages of faith development. Whilst there were many complex elements to the presentation, a fun image that Tim used was the image...
View ArticleYouth Ministry and the disposable razor theory
We all know that young people are growing up in an era where new consumer products launch or are updated on a constant basis. With the launch of the iPhone 5 last week there will be millions of...
View ArticleIs your ministry getting ready for Christmas?
Is it really time to be thinking about Christmas, it is only September? Before you panic, this post is about working on your environment now so that you are welcoming community by Christmas. We know...
View ArticleHow many people does it take to start a youth group?
How many people does it take to change a light bulb? This is often a joke told where the answer gives an insight into a particular stereotype. Whenever I hear this joke, I wondered how many Catholics...
View Article3 steps of an engaging presentation
What does a scenic flight in an aeroplane have to do with presentation skills? If you reflect on the three stages of giving a presentation, there are a lot of similarities to an aeroplane flight....
View ArticleHow does God speak to you?
In my line of ministry, and because of the events I attend, I meet Christians from a diverse range of backgrounds. This means that I encounter a variety of prayer and worship styles because of all the...
View ArticleBack to writing again
Thank you for your patience, over the past three weeks I took a writing break to prepare for my bible studies exams. It has been well worth the extra study and I have learnt a lot. I look forward to...
View ArticleHow to hold a Church meeting in your home
In ministry we are almost always holding meetings, whether it is a team meeting, a planning day, a discipleship or mentoring session or a pastoral catch up. The space that you choose for your meeting...
View ArticleHow to hold a Church meeting in a Cafe
Sometimes you need to with smaller groups of people in your ministry in an environment where it more personal and the church which seems too formal. The café has become the town square in our western...
View ArticleHow to hold a ministry meeting at church
Sometimes you just have to gather your ministry on your church property for a meeting. You can’t always head off site for meetings as it breaks the connection between the ministry and your church. In...
View ArticleHow to start something new in your ministry
At the start of every year churches seem ready to start something new. The New Year brings a new season in your ministry rather than more of the same old routine. Perhaps there is a ministry that was...
View ArticleWhat was Youth Ministry like when I began in 1991?
Recently I was presenting a workshop at a youth ministry training event and I began by telling the participants that I started in youth ministry in 1991. About half of the participants in the room...
View ArticleWhy I like Vision Sunday videos
It seems to be the season for Vision Sunday videos popping up on youtube and vimeo. They are becoming more and more common as churches use multimedia to share their vision with their members and those...
View ArticleIntroductions at Church events
Over the past few weeks I have been paying extra attention to how ministers, service leaders and worship leaders introduce themselves at church services, prayer meetings and ministry events. Given...
View ArticleIs your church ready for Visitors?
In the New Year people will visit new churches, try out new ministries and attend prayer meetings. So it is likely that there will be visitors hanging around your church buildings this month and next...
View ArticleThe value of positive stories
Leaders spend most of their time either casting vision or solving problems. Casting vision involves sharing a positive vision of the future for your ministry even though you haven’t got there yet....
View ArticleWhat does the Church stand for?
My experience is that many people are against the Catholic Church based on the version of the Church that they have in their mind. So the arguments that many people come up with don’t really challenge...
View ArticleWhy I love Holy Week
Holy Week is a great time of the year because we get to focus on all of the events leading up to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is an opportunity to prayerfully slow down as the Church reflects...
View ArticleA Youth Ministry of Sinners or Saints?
Recently I was speaking at an evangelical youth camp where many of the participants were active Christians. Some of the young people were well versed in scripture being able to quote various sections...
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