In an interview with Julian Hardyman published in British newspaper Evangelicals Now this week, well-known author and evangelical leader Vaughan Roberts has described his long-term struggles with same-sex attraction.
The very honest, personal, and candid interview explains how Vaughan views this as a temptation to be resisted, and does not seek to self-identify as homosexual or gay.
Vaughan, who is the minister of St Ebbe's Anglican church in Oxford, published a book called Battles Christians Face which included a chapter on homosexuality. In a revised edition published in 2012 he said in the introduction that he had struggled with all eight temptations in the book.... continue reading
Hugo Charteris gives a small church perspective on ministry trainees.
Why does your church take on Ministry Trainees every year?
At Christ Church Newcastle, we take ministry trainees because we think we’ve got some good training to offer. In fact great training because, as with most smaller churches, the trainee has regular access to the regular staff & key church leaders. So I take our trainees for a walk every week (whatever the weather) to chat through ministry and personal issues. I enjoy it and so do they. It's good training! They also get to experience and engage with a breadth of church life, not just one sector.... continue reading
New Archbishop of Canterbury to be chosen
Was America Founded As a Christian Nation?
President Obama Declares The Future Must Not Belong to Practicing Christians
How evangelicals are making children their missionaries in public schools
Let churches hold gay weddings, says Miliband
Judge in abortion case is part of religious group
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Thierry and Antonia Richards
What have your experiences of 9:38 been?
First, as a student, I had the privilege of meeting up with a 9:38 ministry trainee weekly to study the Bible. After 4 years, in which my understanding of God’s Word and his purposes deepened, I attended the 9:38 Student Conference, which helped me think through the possibility and practicalities of different types of long term paid gospel ministry. After university, I worked as a 9:38 ministry trainee at St Ebbes church in Oxford for two years - which provided me with a real experience of the day-to-day life of church work. I particularly valued seeing from the inside what others on the church staff did, and came to appreciate much more the wide range of ministries the church ran.... continue reading
In this post, Mark interviews Danny Rurlander on why he sees ministry trainees as a valuable and important part of church life.
Why does your church take on ministry trainees every year?
Our biggest motivation for running our Ministry Training Scheme at Moorlands is to seek gospel growth by multiplying gospel ministers. Recruiting, training and sending out gospel workers seems to be a natural component of normal gospel ministry, and a basic activity of any healthy church. This is because, through the teaching of his word, God produces servants of that word who further spread the word and, by God’s grace bring others into his Kingdom. An organised Ministry Training scheme provides a degree of intentionality to something that ought to be happening all the time already.... continue reading
Edited by Vaughan Roberts and Tim Thornborough, this excellent book describes the nature of full-time Christian ministry. For anyone thinking about whether ministry is for them this is a must read.
If you, or someone you know, is seriously thinking about ministry you can get this eBook at an amazing 50% off! Simply use the code worker at checkout to redeem this offer. The offer is available in the UK and the US.
Offer expires 05/10/12.
Hannah Williams
I decided to do a ministry training scheme because I wanted to be able to do good children’s work. With a full time job and limited children’s workers in my church I felt like I didn’t have enough time, knowledge or experience to help out in church as much as I wanted to.
Now I’m a ministry trainee I’m involved in Sunday school, an after school club, toddler groups as well as being able to see and get involved in other ministries such as one-to-one work and small groups. I’m getting a lot out of my training: I get to meet wonderful people. I am able to spend the time I want and need in God’s Word to make me better equipped to do children’s work. I am getting the chance to see real life ministry daily; the ups and downs, the hard effort and also the joy that comes with it. 9:38 has been very useful.... continue reading
Yesterday morning's post reflected on how the victorious risen Lord Jesus Christ generously gives gifts to his people to use for building up his church.
Those gifts are discerned as they are used by his servants and so people trying to work out what God is calling them to do will want to take every opportunity to have a go at ministry and to get good feedback. Both of these are vital and as we do so our goal is to answer the question:
‘How can I, as the person that I am, with the gifts God has given me, best advance the glory of God?’... continue reading
Nick Algeo
I worked in banking for 5 years, and while it had its ups and downs, on balance it really was a great job. But I was constantly frustrated that the day job was getting in the way of being able to explain the gospel to unbelievers in depth, or serve in more areas of pastoral ministry.
Through the Workers Conference, the Workers for the Harvest Field book, and another audio CD, 9:38 helped me to think through the need for church leaders and planters in this country and beyond. 9:38 also informed and challenged me on the character requirements of anyone in Christian leadership.
Having thought through the issues at some length, I left banking and worked part-time for my church in Dagenham for a couple of years. I have now just begun my theological training for ordination in the Church of England.
