Evangelism through making Christianity Strange
“Is secularism all bad? Does it always have to mean an increasing hostility to Christianity and resistance to the gospel?
Maybe not. One possibility is that it might be (at least partly) a blessing in disguise. As Perth minister Rory Shiner put it a few years back:
People are so post-Christian that the gospel is fresh and interesting. They know so little that there’s less prejudice. And if they have an impression of Christians at all, it’s so outrageously negative that all you have to do is offer them a cup of tea and not punch them in the face, and you seem like Mother Theresa.
In The World Next Door: A Short Guide to the Christian faith, Shiner and Peter Orr (NT lecturer at Moore College) have turned this theory into a book; a book that celebrates the weirdness of Christianity; a book that aims to intrigue and surprise non-Christians as much as explain, challenge and persuade.”
– At The Australian Church Record, Andrew Moody introduces The World Next Door by Rory Shiner and Peter Orr.
The book is published by Matthias Media.
How do you find a good church?
In the latest Q&A video from Moore College, Lionel Windsor, Jane Tooher, Dan Wu, and Chase Kuhn talk about church. Good to share and to provoke discussion.
The trans culture wars vs lovingly pastoring gender incongruent church members – with Rob Smith
At The Pastor’s Heart:
“Sydney Missionary and Bible College Doctrine Lecturer Rob Smith submits his PhD this week on ‘Identity and Embodiment’ asking ‘How significant is our embodiment to our identity? How significant are our bodies to our gender identity?
There’s a new Matt Walsh Daily Wire documentary ‘What is a woman?’ that is causing a stir across the world. We ask Rob ‘What is a woman?’ and for his review of the new Matt Walsh documentary. Plus how do we best care pastorally for the gender incongruent church member.
Dominic Steele chairs the Sydney Anglican pastoral ministry Living Faith. Rob is a member of the Living Faith Council. Living Faith’s ‘Developing Discipleship in Identity and Gender’ with Sam Allberry and Rob Smith is scheduled for Tuesday 2 August 2022. Register at http://www.livingfaith.online.”
– Watch or listen here. Very helpful.
What I learned from 35 years of running evangelistic courses
“In the 1980s the thinking was that, given the reduced level of biblical literacy, non-believers needed more than a one-off presentation to properly appreciate the gospel. Perhaps in the 1950s, when non-believers still had a fairly good Bible knowledge, a one-off presentation could be effective. …
Things have moved on since the 1980s.”
– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Stephen Liggins points to the different context in which we share the gospel today – as well as some ideas which may help.
Old Books
At the Church Society website, Chris Moore and Lee Gatiss discuss why we should continue to read ‘old books’.
How do we deal with anxiety in the Christian life – with Paul Grimmond
From The Pastor’s Heart –
“‘Do not be anxious about anything’ says the Apostle Paul. But Paul Grimmond says saying that to an anxious person is a bit like telling an ice-cream not to melt in summer. How do we think biblically about anxiety while taking on board what else is happening with a person’s biology and environment?…”
Suffering – Moore Q&A Video
“What does the Bible have to say about suffering?
A Q&A with me & my Moore College colleagues Jane Tooher, Dan Wu, and Chase Kuhn.”
– Lionel Windsor writes at Forget the Channel.
Speaking Appropriately
“Rev. Thomas Scott was a clueless Anglican minister located near to Olney, where John Newton pastored.
Scott was clearly not a Christian as this stage, and in 1775 had said that God would not condemn a sincere Socinian (one who only believed that Jesus was a great man). In reply, Newton pointed to Matthew 7:7-8 and John 7:16-17.
Scott was spoiling for a fight, but Newton replied with great patience and kindness to him, and by 1758 Scott was attending Newton’s mid-week meetings, and writing The Force of Truth, which is the story of his conversion. …”
– Peter Barnes, Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, has some wise words concerning our speech.
The problem with ‘You be You’ – with Brian Rosner
From The Pastor’s Heart –
“‘You be you.’ It’s the catch cry of a generation. But Brian Rosner says it’s also the new definition of sin. Many people today believe that there’s only one place to look to find yourself and that’s inward. Personal identity has become a ‘Do it yourself Project’. This strategy of identity formation is sometimes called Expressive Individualism. The view that you are who you feel yourself to be on the inside, and that acting in accordance with this identity is living authentically.
The Principal of Melbourne’s Ridley Theological College Brian Rosner has super helpful critique in his new book, ‘How to find yourself: Why looking inwards is not the answer.’ Dr Rosner joins us this week on The Pastor’s Heart.”
Peter Jensen asks for your support for Moore College
“Moore College stands for the Bible. And we stand for the truth of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Hear from former Principal Dr. Peter Jensen about the worldwide impact of Moore College, and why he believes it’s “certainly worth supporting”.
Dealing with Difficult People in the Church
In a recent sermon in Chapel at Southern Seminary, Dr Rob Plummer turns to the letter of 3 John for wisdom and encouragement in the face of difficult people in the church.
This sermon may resonate with many, but it also lifts our eyes to the Lord Jesus. Most encouraging.
(Dr. Plummer also runs Daily Dose of Greek.)
Being Who You Are: Considerations for Contemporary Dilemmas
Rob Smith concludes his series at The Australian Church Record:
“In my last article, I outlined the four biblical lenses necessary to answer the question “Who am I?”
Putting these four lenses together, I hope now to draw out four implications particularly relevant for our present time. …”
Telling the Story of Jesus
“Have you ever been in a situation where you would love to leave a gospel message with someone but had nothing with you to give? Or the person didn’t read English and that’s the only language you have available? Global Recordings Network has a unique solution to this dilemma: 5fish! …
The International Orality Network tells us that 4 out of 5 people in the world communicate primarily or exclusively through oral, not textual means. This means that only 1 out of 5 people are happy when you give them something to read – regardless of whether it is a book, magazine, or tract. Everyone else wants to listen or watch!
The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted a survey in 2006 that informs us that approximately 7 million (46%) Australians aged 15 to 74 years did not reach the minimum standard required for individuals to meet the complex demands of everyday life and work in the emerging knowledge-based economy. Almost half of the Australian population would struggle to read and understand the Bible if you handed them one.”
– At AP (The Australian Presbyterian), Global Recordings Network’s Christine Platt makes a case for 5fish, now in its tenth year.
Pursuing Revival While Avoiding Revivalism — 9Marks Journal
The latest issue of 9Marks Journal is now available for download.
Holy Holy Holy
Emu Music have released a new arrangement of ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’.
“This is the third single from our upcoming album ‘Songs of Grateful Praise’. We don’t often sing about the trinity, so this is an important song to keep in our church song list! We hope you enjoy our version.”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…