In depth | Evangelicals Now

It's crucial to know the places we are called to reach

Jonny Pollock

Most of us can tell people how many people were at our service on Sunday. We are usually less certain of how many people live in the housing estate beside us, what languages they speak, or how far someone in the next town would need to travel to find an evangelical church.

We know a lot about ourselves as Christians, but our neighbours can remain something of a mystery! I wonder how that affects how we view mission as Christians?

Beyond the algorithm: Faithfulness in a 'viral' age

Jonny Pollock

My son does social media for his part-time job. Part of the task is creating posts for the business's social media account.

The hope behind so much online activity is shared by many: that one day a post will "go viral", meaning that a post catches the algorithm, the numbers rise, strangers pass it to other strangers, then suddenly, thousands of people are paying attention (and buying stuff!).

Are you limiting your ministry trainee?

Jonny Pollock

One of the uncomfortable tests of leadership development is less about whether people grow under us, but whether we are willing for them to grow beyond us.

Most church leaders would say that we want to raise up leaders as a core conviction, yet sometimes we can unconsciously shape people only to the size of our own ability. We develop leaders who can help us, but perhaps not challenge us. We want Shetland ponies—loyal, manageable, small—whereas God may be giving us racehorses. And racehorses are sometimes hard to handle.

'Ordinary faithfulness'

Jonny Pollock

Every generation of Christians is tempted by causes. Ours is no different. We long for something to rally around, whether it is a campaign or a crisis. Something that will lift us out of the mundane of ordinary obedience and give us the sense that we are finally "doing something big for God".

It explains why sometimes Christians can mobilise more quickly around political slogans than around the basic command to love our neighbour. Or why our churches get excited about national campaigns rather than meeting a fellow Christian for prayer over a cup of tea.

Place matters: Today's church-hopping problem

Jonny Pollock

There was a time when evangelical Christianity carried a value for place. Churches belonged somewhere. Not just in terms of a building in a location, but emotionally and relationally.

Pastors knew the weight of local stories from local people. Congregations carried shared memories – both the joy and pain of an area’s history.

Does the gospel make you dance with joy?

Jonny Pollock

When our family watches social media reels together, there is one clip that reliably makes me groan: The Forrest Frank dance.

Perhaps you know the one; it’s a viral Christian dance that has spread across social media complete with arms flailing, legs bouncing, and faces radiating a grin so wide it seems smug. My children smile at me every time it pops up. I, on the other hand, mutter something about the true nature of Christianity and scroll on. For reasons I cannot quite explain, the sight of that carefree jig makes me a bit grumpy. My kids see joy. I see silliness. They laugh. I roll my eyes.

Is nostalgia fossilising your church's ministry?

Jonny Pollock

The other week I watched the new Jurassic Park movie with our eldest son, and as soon as the movie finished (and it was ok by the way!) a curious thought entered my head. How many times has Jurassic Park been rebooted since the first movie in 1993?

There was the original, then the remake, now another reboot, and never mind the kids' Netflix series. I definitely think that velociraptors have now lost their sheen. I remember vividly watching that first movie and yet it has been rebooted more times than I have renewed my passport!

Leading through letting go

Jonny Pollock

This summer saw a team effort in our back garden as my 12-year-old son and I prepared to build a raised garden bed. I am not in any way "handy" like this and had some doubt, but he was just so excited to be included and “grown-up". Then came his inevitable request: “Can I do it, Dad?”

Efficiency told me to say no. I had things to do: boards needed cutting, screws needed putting in with a power tool. But something nudged me... This moment wasn’t just about wood and soil. So I let him try. Of course, the initial measurements were off, and all the screws fell on the floor. Tears welled. “I can’t do it,” he loudly announced. My hand twitched impatiently, ready to take over. Yet the real project was not a garden bed but a boy learning perseverance, and a father needing some humility! If I stepped in too quickly, I’d definitely save the project but perhaps stunt the growth of my son. I could easily take over, but lose the real lesson for him and for me.

We must watch how our leaders respond to failure

Jonny Pollock

I think we might have a problem with how we measure Christian leadership.

Our contemporary frameworks feel inadequate when we turn to Scripture's most celebrated figures.

Mission isn’t easy – but isn’t that the point of it to start with?

Jonny Pollock

In Western Europe, the refrain is common: mission and evangelism are hard.

It’s an oft-heard lament, one that sparks endless discussion, strategy sessions, and even discouragement among Christians. But what do we really mean when we say it’s “hard”? Beneath the surface, it often seems we’re using “hard” as a catch-all term for something deeper – uncomfortable, difficult, and complicated. These realities, while challenging, are not legitimate reasons to abandon the Great Commission, or to throw in the towel in despair. Instead, they demand that we reframe our approach, recalibrate our expectations, and reaffirm our commitment to the task at hand.

In Depth: Jonny Pollock

It's crucial to know the places we are called to reach

Beyond the algorithm: Faithfulness in a 'viral' age

Are you limiting your ministry trainee?

'Ordinary faithfulness'

Place matters: Today's church-hopping problem

Does the gospel make you dance with joy?

Is nostalgia fossilising your church's ministry?

Leading through letting go

We must watch how our leaders respond to failure

Mission isn’t easy – but isn’t that the point of it to start with?

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