Category: MIssion

The Leadership Journey Podcast: Jo Frost and Peter Lynas on ‘Being Human’

Posted on by jsalanwilson in authors, books, Christian leadership, Current affairs, MIssion, Podcast

This week we have another book-related episode as I am joined by Jo Frost and Peter Lynas who are talking about their new book, Being Human: A New Lens for our Cultural Conversations.

Jo has been with EA since 2017 and is director of communications and engagement. Peter is UK director and oversees EA’s advocacy work.

In our conversation Jo and Peter talk about their own journeys in Christian leadership and their work with EA (Peter has previously been a guest on the podcast and you can listen to his story here). They also talk about the book – how they came to write it, what the process of team writing was like and some of the basic ideas behind the book.

The book is one part of a suite of resources on the theme of Being Human – details of a podcast and video course are available on a special ‘Being Human’ website.

Peter Lynas and Jo Frost along with Manoj Raithatha, Chairman of the Evangelical Alliance, pictured at a book launch event in September

There is a special bonus for listeners to this episode of the podcast (and to anyone living in Northern Ireland). If you would like to support the work of the Evangelical Alliance, you can take out a personal or family membership: as part of your welcome pack you will receive a copy of the book. To find out more, or to sign up, go to the Evangelical Alliance website.

The guest on the next episode of the podcast will be Jonathan Thomas, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Abergavenny.

The Leadership Journey Podcast: Donna Jennings

Posted on by jsalanwilson in Christian leaders, Christian leadership, MIssion, Podcast

Donna Jennings is Church and Missions Co-ordinator with the Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland and she is the guest on this episode of the podcast.

As she reflects on her story, she talks about early church experiences and the sense that there should be ‘something more’ (a recurring theme in her story). As a young person she had a remarkable experience of the Lord and a sense that he had taken hold of her life. Student years carried their questions about the Christian faith but there were wise mentors who helped as came through this. She talks about life in Bangladesh, where she met her husband and learned how to introduce Jesus into a quite different culture. A diagnosis of autism for their son meant that the family moved to Northern Ireland where part of Donna’s energy has gone into working in the area of disability theology.

Donna talks about some of the resources she has been involved in producing with EA and answers the traditional podcast question of what she would say to her 20-year-old self.

If you would like to know more about the mission resources that Donna mentioned for churches, you can contact her at d.jennings@eauk.org. To learn more about the Evangelical Alliance and its work across the UK, visit their website.

The next guest on the podcast (after Easter) will be David ‘Monty’ Montgomery, Regional Secretary of IFES Europe.

The Leadership Journey Podcast: Kees Postma

Posted on by jsalanwilson in authors, books, Christian leaders, Christian leadership, church leadership, church ministry, mentoring, MIssion, Podcast

The guest on this episode of the podcast is Kees Postma. Kees is a Dutchman living in the northern part of his home country (Friesland) where he is involved in a church plant. He also helps oversee the church planting work of ECM (European Christian Mission) in Holland, Belgium and Germany.

Kees is also an author. His first book, The Retreat, is an unusual combination of humour and spiritual wisdom that tells the story of a fictional group of Dutch pastors who travel to the southern coast of Ireland (Kees used to work in Ireland) for a spiritual retreat.

In our conversation we talk about the book as well as taking about Kees’ own story and we get a preview of his next book which should appear this year.

You can pick up a copy of The Retreat here.

At the end of our conversation, in answer to the question of what he would say to his 20-year-old self, Kees, refers to a song by singer-songwriter (and author) Andrew Peterson. The song includes these words:

You don’t have to work so hard
You can rest easy
You don’t have to prove yourself
You’re already mine
You don’t have to hide your heart
I already love you
I hold it in mine
So you can rest easy

You might like to take a few minutes to listen to the rest of the song.

The Church and Covid-19 – Gemma Brown

Posted on by jsalanwilson in Current affairs, leadership, MIssion, Podcast

My guest in the final part of this mini-series on the Church and Covid-19 is Gemma Brown. Gemma is Communications Officer for Tearfund Northern Ireland.

In this episode of the podcast, she talks to me about Tearfund’s global response to Covid-19.

Here are some useful links it you’d like to follow up what you hear on the podcast:

The Church and Covid-19 – Eddie Arthur

Posted on by jsalanwilson in church ministry, Current affairs, leadership, MIssion, Podcast

Eddie Arthur has been involved in mission for some thirty-five years. This has included time spent as a Bible translator in Ivory Coast, and several years as the UK director for Wycliffe Bible Translators. Recently he has completed his PhD, in which he explored the extent to which the practice of mission agencies corresponds to their theology, and he currently works as a researcher.

Eddie blogs at Kouyanet, and recently he made several observations about how he sees the Church, post-lockdown. You can read his article here.

In this episode of the podcast we chat about his thoughts.

Here is a link to the eBook, Global Transmission, Global Mission that is referred to in the conversation.