Pastoral Burnout: Its Causes & Cures — 9Marks Journal

The latest issue of 9Marks Journal turns to the question of pastoral burnout.

“Every job has its occupational hazards. Loggers lose fingers. Businessmen go bankrupt. Wrestlers grow cauliflower ears.

What about pastors? Pastors experience burnout. Burnout isn’t so much about physical depletion, though that may be a variable. It’s about spiritual depletion. You spend all day ministering to people. But now you don’t possess the emotional and spiritual resources to continue ministering. You’re like a gas station with no gasoline left. Or a candle whose wick has burned down low. …”

– Read or download it from 9Marks.

Wanted: A party to stand up for parents

“The row at Heavers Farm Primary School in Croydon, south London, caused by the head teacher’s plan to parade pupils as young as four on a homosexual pride march, illustrates a terrible truth: British state education has now become an engine for imposing anti-Christian cultural Marxism to the spiritual and moral harm of children…”

– Julian Mann in South Yorkshire wonders which British politicians will stand against the tide.

Further background in this earlier article by Anglican Mainstream’s Andrew Symes.

(Photo: Julian Mann with Archbishop Ben Kwashi.)

Praying for George Whitefield College

This introductory video to George Whitefield College is a good reminder to pray for that strategic college.

Not familiar with GWC? Learn about their history:

“David Broughton Knox came to South Africa – from Sydney, Australia – in 1989 to establish George Whitefield College and be its first principal.

Arising from his conviction that Christian ministers are primarily teachers of the Word of God, he laid the foundations of a college that would have as the focal point of its study program the ‘whole counsel of God’. …”

The Mark Drama returning to Moore College

The Mark Drama – a fast-paced reenactment of Mark’s Gospel – is returning toMoore College on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd August.

“A production of the Moore College community, the Mark Drama turns Mark’s biographical account of Jesus into a 90-minute, theatre-in-the-round stage production. Fully immersed in the action, here you can decide for yourself – is Jesus just another guy with imaginative ideas about God, or is he truly the King of the universe?”

– Details from Moore College.

Oxygen 2018 talks available

The main talks from this year’s Oxygen 2018 conference have been made available by KCC.

Check them out here.

Whatever happened to that same-sex marriage boom?

“Now that all the glitter has settled after last year’s non-binding voluntary postal survey – remember, we couldn’t be trusted to have a plebiscite, let alone a fair dinkum referendum – just exactly how many of the LGBTIQ community have tied the knot?

Well, rather than being the over-whelming flood, it has turned out to be nothing more than a trickle. In short, we were conned.…”

– At The Spectator Australia, Mark Powell asks the question.

Have a Fun Event – Like on National Ice Cream Day!

“Getting visitors does not guarantee that your church will grow. However, I guarantee that your church won’t grow without getting visitors.

I agree with those who argue that the ‘Attractional’ model of church growth is no longer the best model in our largely post-Christiandom culture, and that we must take on a more ‘Missional’ model where we go out into our surrounding communities to connect with non-believers.

Once you connect with them, you still, eventually, have to invite them to something. You still must bring them into the church where, in community, they will be transformed to be like Christ. So inviting people to church remains an essential component to church growth.

Yet, even with all the preaching, teaching, poking, prodding, and even sometimes guilting that church people receive about inviting others to church, most of the time they don’t.…”

– Here’s some encouragement from Canon Mark Eldredge of the American Anglican Council.

Andrew Atherstone on C H Spurgeon

Take the time to watch this talk by Andrew Atherstone on C. H. Spurgeon, with a wonderful account of Spurgeon’s conversion.

The big point: Preach Christ, and preach the Cross!

From the 2018 Evangelical Ministry Conference in London. Very encouraging.

Can we learn from ancient prayer books?

“Why would a 21st century evangelical be interested in liturgy?, asked Mark Earngey as he began his talk at Wycliffe Hall (on 11 June).

An extrovert Australian, Mark is definitely not a nerdy academic, fascinated by church history for its own sake. His time in Oxford working on a DPhil and a book (both just completed) hasn’t affected his accent, his regular use of words like ‘mate’ and ‘ripper’, or his commitment to see the church reflect Christ better.

Born into a Sydney Anglican churchgoing family, as a young man Mark rebelled against the Christian faith, returned to the Lord through a Pentecostal fellowship, and then found his way back to Anglicanism. Liturgy for him used to be associated with older generations, and an inauthentic expression of faith with repetition of words by rote replacing heart worship.

Like many evangelicals he believed that liturgy creates a barrier to mission, an extra layer of weirdness for newcomers. But on reflection he realised that every church develops a worship pattern or liturgy, even if it’s not written down. What matters is preparation, engagement, and worship in the Spirit, irrespective of the form of words…”

– Anglican Mainstream’s Andrew Symes outlines a recent talk given in Oxford by Mark Earngey.

See also:

(Ripper picture of Mark Earngey and Dominic Steele from the GAFCON livestream.)

Two GAFCON summary videos you could show this Sunday

Earlier, we posted a link to “GAFCON 2018 in 90 seconds” from SydneyAnglicans.net, which you might like to download and show in church.

Thanks to GAFCON and Dominic Steele, above is another, which runs for 3:27.

You can also see the assembly on the Temple steps in this video.

Freedom for Faith Conference 2018 audio available

Thanks to the team at Freedom for Faith, you can now hear the audio from their recent conference, Freedom18, on the limits of religious freedom.

Speakers and topics were:

Dr. Alex Deagon: A Christian Framework for Religious Diversity in Political Discourse.

Senator the Hon. Jacinta Collins: Building Constructive Partnerships in Politics.

Dr. Joel Harrison: What is Religious Liberty For?

Hon. John Anderson AO: How Do We Now Understand Freedom?

Prof. Patrick Parkinson AM: The Limits on the Freedom of Religious Organisations to Select Staff Consistent with Their Ethos.

Emeritus Prof. Rosalind Croucher AM: The Role of the Australian Human Rights Commission as the National Human Rights Body in Promoting and Protecting Rights.

Hear the talks at Freedom for Faith.

And be encouraged to pray.

That’s me, 34th from the right

“I am a 2008er. That is, I was probably one of the first Australians to know about the Global Anglican Future Conference and one of the first to register in 2008.

I went to the London leadership conference in 2012, GAFCON II in Nairobi in 2013 and I have just returned from GAFCON III in Jerusalem. As a member of the media team at all three GAFCONS, I have been privileged to see things up close.

I have never been prouder to be an Aussie – given the way my brothers and sisters from Anglican churches across Australia got stuck in to help in Jerusalem. …”

– Russell Powell (who is only 4th from the right in the photo above) shares his reflections on GAFCON 2018 at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Photo: GAFCON Media.

“Letter to the Churches” encapsulates authentic Christianity with clarity, firmness and grace

“The Conference in Jerusalem which has just ended was an extraordinarily rich experience. Not just the dynamic worship, outstanding teaching, and cross-cultural fellowship in small groups and one to one.

A huge amount of information has been presented formally from up front and informally in the form of interviews and blogs. Much of this will be lost in time; the life-changing experience of delegates may fade, but what remains is the Conference Statement. …”

– At Anglican Mainstream, the Rev. Andrew Symes provides some initial reflections on GAFCON’s ‘Letter to the Churches’.

Undivided – An Open Letter to Vicky Beeching

“Vicky Beeching is a relatively well-known Christian singer songwriter who is now better known for being gay and an advocate of the LGBT agenda within the church.

When she came out as gay she knew that her career on the American Christian music scene was over, but she now has a new career as a darling of the regressive establishment, as they continue their ‘redefinition’ of the Christian faith.

Her new career has resulted in numerous media appearances, an award from the Archbishop of Canterbury and a new book. ‘Undivided’ has just been published to a mixed reception. This is my review in the form of an open letter.”

– At his blog, The Wee Flea, David Robertson has published a very thoughtful open letter. Do take the time to read.

GAFCON 2018 in 90 seconds

From SydneyAnglicans.net: A slideshow designed for churches to show during services as a way of informing people about GAFCON 2018. Download here.

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