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'Don't worry. These plans are set in stone'. It's what you might say when something is fixed, immutable, unchangeable. Paper is soft; computer data subject to manipulation; pictures fade. But when something is set in stone well, stone is hard, permanent it ain't gonna change, is it? A few years back I poured a concrete base on the side of our house for a water tank. Befo...

Growing up in a western country, I've seen my fair share of superhero movies. They're all pretty similar in plot, but we keep going back to watch them again and again, because who doesn't like a good hero? And who doesn't like being a hero? Over the course of my time in Nepal, one topic kept popping up again and again in our discussions: how do we help so that it does...

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...