Looking at Christ

  Acts 18:24-26 gives a window into leadership mentoring, a window into an important biblical theme, and perhaps a window into the intended audience and use of Luke-Acts. Mentoring Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, able in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in [the] spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. (Acts 18:24-25) There is a lot of potential here. He knows his Bible He’s been catechised in the way of Christ He is fervent – literally boiling – passionate, fearless, committed, all in  H e does a good job of teaching people Jesus That is a hugely promising profile. That’s the sort of profile of knowledge, heart and ministry instinct we need to be looking for to encourage into church leadership. He's not previously know to the disciples in Ephesus. He's just arrived from northern Africa. But he...

In an increasingly mobile, ethnically diverse, socially divided UK (and world) we need gospel workers who are sensitive (people-orientated, humble and compassionate), skilled (equipped and practiced in culturally-aware gospel ministry) and serious (both in zeal and knowledge). The question is, where do you find people like that? Are they born (born again) like that? Is there a training course or seminary programme that can produce that kind of person? Of course first and foremost we must pray for these workers (Matt. 9:38). Only God can give the life and heart and boldness and joy and gentleness necessary. But how, humanly speaking, do these workers arrive? Is there anything we can do to be part of that raising up? I'd suggest that a big part of the answer is: cross-cultural gospel ministry apprenticeships . Just to define that: Gospel = the news of the Son of God dying instead of wrath-deserving sinners and rising that we can be united to him by his Spirit as forgiven a...

Last month we were privileged to do an Utumishi Course training for pastors and gospel workers in Mutomo, Kitui County. It was a long drive to get there - almost 2 hours of murram road after turning off Mombasa Road. But it was well worth it to meet with these dear brothers and sisters who are striving to serve their congregations and communities in very difficult conditions. It was a joy to interact together and look at preaching the gospel from Old Testament narrative, servant leadership, the pastor's family, and above all to go back to the good news itself of the one who became utterly poor that we might have the riches of adoption to sonship. Fidel, James and Daniel did a great job delivering engaging teaching and training (katika Kiswahili) and it was wonderful to see the pastors working hard in groups, digging into Genesis 27, seeking the big point and crafting a sermon outline. But this is dry ground - not just literally - the soil here in south Kitui is very sandy -...

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This is an excerpt from the first chapter of the forthcoming Utumishi wa Neno book (working title: Let the Bible Speak) which will accompany the course : There is no shortage of sermons in our African context. There are sermons everywhere. Sermons in church, sermons on TV, sermons on the radio, sermons on street corners and buses. There is a lot of preaching going on. But what is being said? There is a lot of preaching going on but at the same time there doesn’t seem to be a corresponding amount of life change – repentance and faith and obedience. In countries with high percentages of professing Christians and church goers there are still very high rates of corruption, immorality and, sadly, even genocide. Churches are often infected with the cancers of division, unforgiveness, discrimination, power struggles and pride. The lives of Christians and their non-Christian contemporaries are often indistinguishable. While the church in Africa is growing at a high rate compared to many o...