Here is Charles Spurgeon speaking to other pastors at the end of the 19th century: “Brethren, we shall never see much change for the better in our churches…till the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians.” While the prayer meetings in his own church at the Metropolitan Tabernacle flourished he was […]
My colleagues are always wary of me returning from sabbatical. That may simply be that they have enjoyed a working environment that features a bit less of me. But I guess it is also reflective of the fact that I tend to return with ideas. (“Hey- let’s plant a church!”). This time has been different. […]
I mentioned last week that my tendency in the opening week of a sabbatical is to focus on my own relationship with the Lord. This week I wanted to reflect a little bit more on the life of the church whilst reading and walking in various beautiful places. On previous occasions, these have been times […]
A few weeks ago I wrote on why the church here belongs to a fellowship of independent evangelical churches- essentially because we believe the Bible’s pattern for the local church is to be evangelical, independent and in fellowship with other churches that proclaim the Gospel. I made the point that each church should be free […]
How should churches be structured and governed? I am aware that is probably not the most immediate question anybody asks when they rise in the morning- but churches do have to make decisions. So I wanted to write a couple of pieces to explain why I believe Woody Road’s approach is biblical- and not simply […]
Last term in our homegroups we spent time reflecting on the character of God. There is a limitless wealth of material when you do that and, inevitably, you cannot say everything. But there is one reality that I wish I had focused on more because I am not sure it is a strength of conservative […]
Earlier this week I wrote a general reflection on 2018. However, before the old year fades completely from our minds, I thought it might be useful to write something more specific to Woody Road. What have been the key events of 2018 and what are the lessons to learn? Farewells One of my chief reflections […]
Normally this blog contains my vague ramblings. However, this week I wanted to post a document that the church elders here at Woody Road put together. It is on the topic of baptism. The intention is not to launch an internet discussion on the subject so much as to help church regulars understand our convictions […]
A friend once described me as a sentimental old fool. I plead guilty. One of the signs of that is that I tend to notice anniversaries. For me, this September has marked fifteen years as a pastor at Woodstock Road Baptist Church. I am aware that is not a major anniversary but it has been […]
This Sunday represents a year since the first meeting of Grace Church Kidlington. We had a staggered start- three weeks of not very visible services in September to make sure we knew what we were doing before a public launch at the beginning of October. However, the events of this coming Sunday make this an […]