In Depth:  ministry

Dan Steel

In today’s fast-paced world, where productivity usually reigns supreme, the notion of slowness - or of slowing down - can seem countercultural. However, in pastoral ministry, slowness is not a weakness; it is an essential virtue.

Jesus often used agricultural metaphors to explain the Kingdom, not simply because that resonated with the people of His time (though it would have) but also because it explains something of how God is slowly at work in His world; tiny mustard seeds grow into huge trees.

Dan Steel

In a busy, bustling world, healthy pastoral ministry begins not with motion, but with a kind of stillness, an abiding, a willingness to dwell where God has placed you, even when your heart feels tired or stretched thin.

Many pastors and ministry leaders quietly carry the weight of wondering whether they should be doing more, producing more, or moving on to something larger. Yet the gospel’s invitation is gentler than that.

James Burnett

Would you make a good "Traitor"? Have you got the mojo of a chameleon to hoodwink fellow contestants, like the comedian Alan Carr - this year’s winner of BBC’s The Celebrity Traitors?

Game show The Traitors was inspired by the sinking of the Dutch ship Batavia in 1629. When the Batavia sank off Australia, 250 survivors scrambled ashore an island archipelago. Mutinous traitors fought against a small band of faithful soldiers, culminating in a live-or-die boat race towards an oncoming rescue ship. Who would get there first - the "Traitors" or the "Faithful"? A true story!

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!

Howard Satterthwaite

In recent years, many of us have become more aware of the toll that emotional, spiritual, and mental struggles can take.

Christian leaders, of course, are not immune. In fact, some of us are quietly limping through discouragement, or even depression, while still seeking to lead with strength and clarity.

Dan Steel

Pastoral ministry has always been demanding, but our current age presents a peculiar challenge: distraction. (Even as I write this I realise I’ve forgotten to turn off notifications!)

The constant hum of tones and beeps, the relentless pull of emails, the lure of social media, and the subtle pressure to appear productive all conspire to scatter our attention.

Roger Carswell

I wonder how many sermons you have heard in your lifetime. I reckon I have heard at least 15,000. And just a few have left such an impression that years later I can tell you what was said, who preached them and where I was.

Each of those was characterised by an earnestness - an expression of the heart of the preacher. They fed my soul, impacted my will and exalted the Lord Jesus.

Dan Steel

Paul writes to his protégé Timothy in 2 Timothy 3v10: “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance…”

It’s striking to me that Paul doesn’t only point Timothy to his doctrine, to truth, but also to his lived example. Faith is taught and caught. His words and his way of life both bear witness to the reality of Christ.