Paul's radical outreach strategy!

In Acts 19 we read that Paul based himself in Ephesus. Originally he preached for 3 months in the synagogue but when the Jews refused to accept his message he relocated to the Hall of Tyrannus. It proved to be a strategic move of pure genius! Every day he led discussions about the Gospel, prayed for the sick and cast out evil spirits. This was his programme for two years and it was so effective, that at the end of that period Luke was able to record that 'all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord' (v.10). That's quite a claim!

What can we learn from Paul for our evangelism programmes today? Let me highlight the following features of his ministry...

• Paul took his message out of a religious building and into a secular building (in contrast, much of our evangelism is done within the safety of a church building)


• He presented the gospel through discussions (possibly like modern day Alpha courses)


• He was doing evangelism every day (not once or twice a year at special meetings)


• He was ministering in the power of the Spirit (how often do we pray for the sick and cast out evil spirits in our evangelistic events?!)


• He stuck at it for 2 years (it's too easy to get discouraged after one Alpha course, for example, and give up)

I would venture to suggest that if any modern church followed Paul's strategy they might see a lot more results! So what am I going to do about it? Wait and see...

Job Vacancy

A unique job opportunity has just come up due to the sudden but nevertheless entirely expected departure of the last incumbent. This is a high profile position requiring a thick skin with lots of public exposure. You will be appointed by a team of grey suited men. Your decisions will be scrutinised by every newspaper, TV and radio station. Everyone in the country will know how to do your job better than you and will constantly offer you advice. Relevant experience is helpful but doesn't seem to have been essential in the past. English candidates need not apply

Start date: Any time in the next year or two.

Salary: Around £2 million per year (unless you can persuade the company to pay you more) with a generous compensation pay-off of £2 million if you do sufficiently badly and are sacked

Holidays: Generous holiday allowance with occasional working holidays to other countries.

Please send your CV to the Football Association

If the mortarboard fits...

On Saturday November 17th I trekked up to Nantwich for my graduation ceremony accompanied by two of my family. A combination of degree and postgraduate students squashed into the Parish Church hall opposite St. Mary's Church where the ceremony was held. Putting on a unfamiliar outfit in front of a room full of strangers (mainly) is potentially embarrassing. When I slipped on the gown my hands disappeared until I discovered the openings! But that was the easy bit. The hood was a bigger challenge - I hadn't got a clue how it was supposed to go on - definitely time for some assistance. A couple of friendly college types sorted me out and then I had to work out which way round the mortarboard should be worn. After a few trial attempts and sideways glances at others, I finally sussed it out. It was quite an art to keep it balanced on my head. Then I had the obligatory official photo before gathering with everyone else to be briefed. We had a group photo outside the church and then paraded around the market square (watched by bemused shoppers).

By 2.45pm we entered the packed church and the proceedings began - a mixture of worship, testimonies, speeches and the presentations. I was one of ten Masters Degree graduands who received awards. We felt slightly conned because we were presented with a blank scroll tied with a red ribbon (apparantly Bangor University had not yet sent the certificates through). We were assured that they will arrive soon. It was a joyous occasion infused with expressions of praise and worship.

I am particularly grateful to Dr. Keith Warrington for his teaching and for supervising my dissertation; to Rev. Malcolm Dyer who taught the ethics module and supervised a couple of my research papers and Dr. Neil Hudson whose superb module on Pentecostal and Charismatic church history was inspiring. Thank you all.

'Jelly Fish Man' makes a splash!

Ian McCormack was our special guest speaker at QRC on November 11th. After a short time of worship he told his remarkable story with illustrations to a hushed crowd of about 350. Ian was declared clinically dead as the result of being hit five times by box jelly fish whilst on a diving expedition. His dramatic story about the desperate journey to hospital and his vivid description of losing consciousness and slipping into death was gripping. At the end Ian made an appeal for people to follow Christ. A good number came forwards in response, five of whom made first-time commitments. If you missed this great evening you can find his full story by clicking here.

A matter of perspective...

So was it a try or wasn't it? Anyone who watched the Rugby World Cup Final between South Africa and England would have had an opinion on the disallowed England try. When England player Mark Cueto drove for the line in the 44th minute and planted the ball right in the corner, the video referee's decision was called for. In the next few minutes the tension mounted but ended in disappointment for the England team.

I can guarantee that every England supporter saw a definite try and every South African supporter saw Cueto's foot go into touch before the ball went down. Isn't it strange that so many people can see the same slow motion video evidence and still arrive at opposite views.

It strikes me that something similar happens when we approach the question of God's existence. When I read Richard Dawkins' book The Blind Watchmaker I was fascinated by his chapter on the bat's radar system. He evidently felt that this evidence would offer strong support for his conviction that micro-evolution rules out the need for a Creator. But instead of causing me to question my belief in God by the end of the chapter I found myself worshipping God for his amazing creativity! Presumably this was not the response Richard Dawkins had in mind when he wrote the book.

And that is my point - it depends how you approach the evidence. If you lean towards atheism you draw one conclusion; if you lean towards a belief in God you draw another conclusion. We all have a bias which is shaped by past experiences, education and personal preferences. So who is the video referee? Who makes the final call? Well if God exists He does! If he doesn't exist no-one will care! Personally, I'd prefer to trust the evidence put forward in the bible. Psalm 14:1 offers a pretty straighforward assessment...'The fool says in his heart there is no God.'

Really Useful Christmas Presents!

Want to buy something more exciting for the kids? What about a wind up tarantula from Robert Dyas (only £4.99) - guaranteed 100% safe!

But if tarantulas are too boring you can go one better with this grow your own Flesh Eating Plant Kit!

For sensible people who feel that the above suggestions are somewhat irresponsible how about this battery operated spagetti fork twirler? Be honest, how many times have you embarrassed yourself eating spagetti? Now you can spray spagetti sauce over your fellow diners and the wallpaper by simply clicking a switch - choice!