Monthly Archives: June 2009

No offence

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In this blog + discussion on the Sola Panel, there’s a good question/comment: how to ‘gently’ give your minister a book called Why Johnny can’t preach?

It’s really a good question for any ministry leader: paid, volunteer, full-time or part-time.

I suspect the key (for a whole organisation) is that the senior ministry leader can and does accept criticism and feedback without getting all defensive. If you’d like to test me, I won’t be offended. Honest!

PS Pity all the preachers called Johnny. Perhaps the publishers have a new marketing strategy to adopt – personalised books. “For just $20 set up fee plus individual book price, you can print as many copies as you like of Why Chris Little can’t preach.”

Book reading questions

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I’m reading a book with Rob from church. As we discuss it, here are some questions I want to keep in mind. My hope is that they are helpful for reflection on any (Christian) book.

1. What is the message (ie, content)?

2. What is the argument (method, authority, emotional range, etc)?

3. How do these ideas express themselves in Christian ministry?

4. Where do we see these ideas at Albury Bible Fellowship Church, or any of our specific ministries?

Anything I should remove/add?

 


 

Family challenge

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OK, here’s the plan. I just asked Nahum & Ruth if they’re keen to work up to a local fun-ride, of 40km. They both have road bikes now. We even went out this morning for 10km along the frost-lined Albury-Thurgoona bike path.

The date is Saturday 24 October 09, and you can have a look at the map and profile. I promised to ride with them too! Do you want to join us?

This is run by Bellbridge Rotary. They’ve run these events for a while now. It’s called the Lake Hume Challenge. More details of the three options here.

This is the same Rotary crew who provided so much help to run the local Amy’s Ride (for the Amy Gillett Foundation). I did the 124km option.

That’s enough URL links for now. Time to check if they work.

The most important thing

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I often say, in church meetings, that the most important part of the whole get-together is the public reading of the Bible. It’s humbly letting God speak. Only because God speaks can we do anything else: preach, pray, sing, know how to love our God & our neighbour, …

So I was encouraged & challenged again when I read this blog post: reading scripture corporately. (Which in turn quotes someone else, the estimable Oliver O’Donovan.)

Here’s just one great quoted line, the one that convinced me to blog and link:

many a church may stay alive by the ministry of its readers which would otherwise die by the ministry of its preachers

Let’s read well, then!

Sports words

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A second post in one day. I felt the need for something less frustrating, more funny.

I was reading a description of a professional bike (here it is) – it’s unlike any bike I will ever ride. It’s a new model, with secret blah blah blah. You know, technical stuff that makes a difference of 0.1%. Fine for professionals, fine for me to look at pictures, but the team/manufacturer go all secretive about the development.

And I read this:

Trek [manufacturer] and Astana [cycling] team staff would not permit close photos of the frame, as it is likely to change going forward.

So here’s a bike frame that, when going forward, changes? Into what? Perhaps a species of frog, or roast vegetables. I wish the journo read the piece before, to avoid such a crazy unintended joke.

Reminds me of one of cycling’s bigger drug scandals in recent years. Operation Puerto blew up just prior to the 2006 Tour de France. The best response I heard, from more than one cyclist and commentator: yes it’s unfortunate, but we must all stay positive.