A 'church plant mentality' can be problematic
John Newton Webb
Date posted: 8 Aug 2025
"The reason that we’re so active in evangelism is because we’re a church plant.” “I suppose we do Sunday services this way because we’re a church plant.” I heard many of these sorts of sentiments expressed when I came to pastor Izumi Church, Japan (which started in 2009) in 2016.
Talking to the believers who thought like this, I discovered a mistaken ecclesiology and a large set of unbiblical assumptions about the difference between having a missionary leader and local pastor. Working through these issues led me to reassess the church and church plant distinction.
Lewis Hamilton: The fleeting nature of a career in sports
Graham Daniels
Date posted: 7 Aug 2025
In the high-octane world of Formula 1, few names resonate like Lewis Hamilton's. With seven world championships, he is undeniably a titan of the sport.
Recently, his candid remark about Ferrari potentially seeking his replacement - particularly after teammate Charles Leclerc's surprise pole position at a track Hamilton has long dominated - made headlines.
God cares about our teenagers' mental health
Sharon Stirman
Date posted: 7 Aug 2025
The rise of anxiety and depression in teenagers is undeniable and evident for all to see.
Teenagers live in a modern, fast-paced world with access to 24-hour news, social media, TV, and gaming. They navigate pressures from peers, school, and even family – all of which can be contributing factors to depression and anxiety.
You are God's special possession
Tim Vasby-Burnie
Date posted: 7 Aug 2025
The summertime often has people hoping for significant "before and after" experiences. Perhaps the hope to return from holiday rested rather than exhausted, or tanned rather than pale.
The greatest "before and after" is the one that Jesus gives to His people: “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2v10).
Transformed in, through and for Christ
Tim Chester
Date posted: 5 Aug 2025
Hands up who wants to live for Christ? I see a lot of raised hands.
The natural instinct of a Christian is to want to be transformed so we become like Christ and serve Him. It’s as if a new destination has been punched into our inner Satnav. Instead of plotting a course towards wealth or comfort or career, we’re now heading towards Christ and His kingdom. We want to be transformed. But how?
The false religion of climate alarmism
Paul Mills
Date posted: 4 Aug 2025
“Watch out for false prophets... By their fruit you will recognise them…every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” (Matthew 7:15-17, NIV)
Climate alarmism [1] is often spoken of in religious terms. [2] The connection naturally springs to mind when considering the priestesses of Gaia at "climate" demonstrations, or the cult-like statements of protestors justifying their latest acts of cultural iconoclasm or infrastructure sabotage. Claire Coutinho, the former UK Energy Secretary, noted that the achievement of net zero carbon emissions has become “a religion” for such protest groups. [3] This way of thinking would appear to have become a sub-sect of full-blown Nature worship, or is certainly adjacent to it. Commentators often note that alarmist thinking has filled the religious vacuum in Western societies as adherence to Christianity has waned.
How can the gospel transform our society?
Elizabeth McQuoid
Date posted: 4 Aug 2025
Here, Clare Williams-Sarpong chats with Elizabeth McQuoid about how the gospel can transform our society. Clare Williams is an associate speaker with The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and runs her own apologetics ministry ‘Real Questions’.
EM: How can we make sense of culture today?
When we want to change – but find it difficult
Steve Midgley
Date posted: 4 Aug 2025
“You always do that!” Their argument, and his response, was discouragingly familiar. The same critique, the same sulking withdrawal.
“Why do I always do that?” It had been a few months this time – she was beginning to think she had cracked it. But a couple of clicks and she was back in the mire. Her resolutions, once again, proved no match for the strength of her habit.
imperfect parenting
Parenting: When we’re not there
Katie Holloway
Date posted: 3 Aug 2025
There’s nothing quite like a new experience to reveal our hearts, is there?
As I’m writing this, I’m getting my eldest (who is nine) ready to go to a camp for the first time. I knew she would be a mixture of nervous and excited. What’s surprised me is how I’m reacting to the preparations.
the ENd word
Lead on Good Shepherd
Jon Barrett
Date posted: 3 Aug 2025
As a kid growing up in a Christian family I was always familiar with the 23rd Psalm, although for some while my young mind was confused about who “Shirley Goodness” was, or why she’d want to follow me all the days of my life.
I had a bit of a gift as a youngster for mishearing things, also spending time pondering what a “foggle” was after first hearing the song Bright Eyes – it wasn’t until I was in my 20s that I realised Art Garfunkle actually sang “there’s a fog along the horizon!”
earth watch
Is real change possible in stewarding God’s earth?
Paul Kunert
Date posted: 2 Aug 2025
Is real change possible? That, for those who watch closely our heating world, is the crucial question. If we’re to avoid the worst effects of climate breakdown, we need actual real change.
Or to bring it into the Biblical narrative, if we’re to fulfil our first calling to rule and care for all creation as God’s agents, we’ll need actual real change. It sounds obvious but it’s not always easy to see.
Ten questions with Jonny Pollock
en staff
Date posted: 2 Aug 2025
Jonny Pollock is married to Julie and father to Benjamin, Joshua and Caleb, as well as the pastor of Calvary Church Loughrea in Galway. He enjoys reading, writing, soccer and coffee. One of those fuels the others!
1. How did you become a Christian?
pastoral care
Navigating the workplace as a Christian: When meetings are tense
Helen Thorne-Allenson
Date posted: 31 Jul 2025
Every so often we have a meeting that does not end well – a meeting where tempers fray, division is evident and maybe unkind words are spoken.
Hopefully it does not happen often, but when it does it hurts. Chairing meetings like that can take it out of us. And, once home, it is easy to let ungodly thoughts go round our head.
history
Daniel McPhail and the revival at Osgoode: A ministry marked by prayer
Michael Haykin
Date posted: 30 Jul 2025
Under the powerful ministry of Daniel McPhail’s preaching, the church at Osgoode flourished.
When McPhail became the pastor of the church, there were 60 members. A year later, the membership had increased to 76. By the annual assembly of the Ottawa Association in 1846, at which McPhail preached the introductory sermon, the Osgoode church had 99 members. A dozen years later, this had nearly doubled to 192.
everyday theology
Why a band of brothers is better than a ‘great man’
Michael Reeves
Date posted: 30 Jul 2025
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow... And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecc. 4v9-10, 12).
One of the greatest practical problems I see across the church is the isolation of so many church leaders. There are many contributing factors, but surely one of them is the idea that spiritual growth occurs only or mainly through the purposeful, influential actions of elevated individuals. We might call this the “great man” theory.
Addressing fatherhood Biblically
Richard Underwood
Date posted: 29 Jul 2025
Richard Underwood is a retired pastor, who served as General Secretary and Pastoral Director of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches. Here, he speaks to John Woods, en Reviews Editor, following the publication of the latter’s new book Good, Bad, No Dad?
RU: What’s the first thing that comes into your mind when you hear the word “father”?
the Bible in action
If you could travel in time...
Martin Horton
Date posted: 28 Jul 2025
If you could travel back in time, where would you go? The parting of the Red Sea? Jesus feeding the 5,000? How about the day of Pentecost?
You arrive in Jerusalem – and you can’t understand a word! You reach the upper room just before it happens. The violent rush of wind, the tongues of fire and, in a moment of astonishing lucidity you realise you can hear someone speaking your language.
