2010

Leaders are born then remade

“Some are born great, others achieve greatness, while some have it thrust upon them.“

Church Planting and the Big Church Syndrome

The States taught me that Church Planting is old news! Campus Church or Satellite Congregation is the new kid on the block.

Heart Felt

What’s on my heart today? Well, just like every other day, a lot!

It’s a big world after all!

Just blown away this week by how wide the grace of God is, and how great His plans for the nations.

I Love Music

I love music. I confess I’m quite eclectic in my tastes.

Where are we making a difference?

I was asking that question this week. If Highfields had not become involved, what would have happened?

Prodigal Church

“Church members are very forbearing and forgiving regarding the neglect of the lost, while extremely impatient and unforgiving regarding the neglect of the righteous."

Sent

Here at Highfields we have just finished a series in John’s Gospel.

The Third Lausanne Congress

On Friday this week I leave the UK for South Africa to attend the third Lausanne Congress on world evangelization.

A pot by any other name

We got rid of hundreds of small clay pots at church on Sunday. By ‘got rid of’, I mean sold, not destroyed!

Phil's Blog

Mission is the focus of Phil Jenkins' blog, plus occasional film reviews

Incredible encounters in Cape Town

Lausanne 2010 in Cape Town has begun. For me it started on the plane between Doha and Jo'burg. My seat was next to two women and I could see they had a Cape Town 2010 information sheet.

Lausanne Hears From The Suffering Church

Yesterday was wet and stormy in Cape Town so my planned trip to Robin Island was not possible - there were no boats sailing due to the weather.

Aren't you glad you're not like David?

This comes from the book, Whiter than Snow, Meditations on Sin and Mercy, by Paul David Tripp, who is on the pastoral staff at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.

Contentment

I am preparing to preach on ‘Contentment in an Age of Materialism’.

What's so great about being fifty?

Well, as Bilbo Baggins said, himself fifty at the beginning of The Hobbit, it is “clearly time for a new adventure!”

Spiritual Nuggets from Cape Town 2010

Lausanne One-Liners:

On a road less travelled

“I shall be telling this with a sigh | Somewhere ages and ages hence: | Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - | I took the one less travelled by, | And that has made all the difference.”

Boring irrelevance or community of hope?

When I think of Church … I want to run away as fast as possible!

Film Review – Africa United

Last week, on my day off, my wife and I went to see the recently released film “Africa United”. It had been previewed at Lausanne 3 in the film festival in Cape Town and I was looking forward to seeing it. We were not disappointed.

The Goldilocks Enigma

After hearing Philosophy Professor, Peter Williams, preach at Highfields last weekend, and like many others enjoying him, I managed to get hold of his book - "A Sceptic’s Guide to Atheism". Read it! It’s a great demolition job of ‘New Atheists’ like Dawkins, Hitchen and Harris.

Communion with God

A Work of Heart: Understanding how God shapes Spiritual Leaders, by Reggie McNeal

The Promise

One Christmas I desperately wanted the deluxe version of the electric racing car game, Scalextric.

Hiraeth

A couple of Sunday’s ago, a woman approached me in Church after the service and said, “I got up this morning and felt a hiraeth for Highfields.”

Like a River Glorious

The prophet Isaiah proclaims; ‘You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you’ (Isaiah 26.3).

Quod in vita facimus, in aeternum resonat

It’s with a very real sense of gratitude that I write a website tribute to Carolyn Jowers, who leaves the Staff of Highfields this month after more than nine years with us.

The Waiting is Over

I’ve never got on terribly well in waiting rooms - doctors, dentists, or airports. Actually waiting in general and for anything is not my gift! So you can imagine how manic I was as a young boy whenever Christmas came around!!