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In 1951 the King of Nepal opened his country's borders to Christian missionaries. In 2015 that door was closed as Nepal declared itself a secular state. Despite this, the Nepalese Church remains one of the fastest growing in the world. It often seems as if God has abandoned His people and that the world is winning the battle. But being here in Nepal and seeing all that ...

My maternal grandfather David Bannerman was a hopeful young man in January 1916 when he joined the Australian Imperial Forces. After training he was subsequently sent to France where he served for 3 years. He was away from home for 3 years and 10months. During that time he did not see his family in Sydney and they knew little of his welfare. In fact, they wrote several tim...

Why would a family give up a comfortable life in Sydney and move to one of the more under-developed countries in this modern world? This is what our friends have been doing for the last 14 years - committed to sharing the good news of Jesus to the lost. But living in a remote rural area and running a farm? Not pastoring a church? Not training local Christians? We wanted to...

What motivates your choice of seat at church? Is it prestige and prominence? Or perhaps comfort and a sense of security? Or do you select your seat based upon a desire to be friendly, serve others, and welcome newcomers. To put it simply, is you seat choice motivated by love of others or love of self? Every Sunday morning we seem to form a nice red U of empty seats in the...

We were in the highlands of Scotland ready for a day of sightseeing. We planned to head west to the coastal town of Ullapool and then further north to explore some remote lochs. As we crossed the range, the rain started. It was wet, really wet. Ditching our plans, we decided to follow our noses and head back east. And so we happened upon the Falls of Shin: a most pleasant...

On the comfort of God in our distress...

On my recent sabbatical, I found myself watching more television than usual. My favourite show was 'Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares - USA'. The plot line of this reality TV show is always the same. A restaurant on the brink of closing calls Gordon Ramsay in for advice and a makeover. It's immediately obvious why the restaurant is struggling. Their dreadful food and work pract...

I was chatting with Cameron Eccleston from Baptist World Aid when our conversation turned towards what makes for a healthy, Spirit filled, life-giving church. Cameron visits lots of churches and he always leaves with an impression, imperfect though it be, of their spiritual vitality. The churches that leave Cameron buoyant in faith are not necessarily the biggest churches...

During my recent Sabbatical, Anna and I attended three different churches. I'm almost embarrassed to say it, but at each church, people arrived on time. Our first Sunday was spent at Mortdale-Oatley Baptist Church where my friend, Tim Burns, is Senior Pastor. MOBC is, in many ways, much like Penno. A diverse congregation of over 200 people gathered to worship God and enco...

I'd often go for a walk or run along the track that runs up the headland above East Sands Beach at St Andrews, Scotland. At the height of summer, the track is hedged in by a wild garden brimming with flowers, foliage, and life. A trained horticulturalist would be hard pressed to cultivate a more delightful plot. Blackberries, in flower and with berries in various shades o...