Question: Tony and Felicity, what was your experience during the emergence and growth of the HC movement in the UK? I’m guessing that it started out in ways that are similar to what we’re seeing in theUS: believers migrating from legacy churches to HCs. But as it progressed, did you see a shift, or signs… Read More
I am currently in Taiwan speaking at a conference. This is a repost. Tim Thompson posted the following great question that I would like to try to answer: “I’m interested in the potential for evangelism in house/simple churches in the USA. Jeff Gilbertson has already reported that most people in US house churches were believers… Read More
Ricardo with veteran missionary to Venezuela, Buck Smith Puerto Ayacucho Prayer at dawn overlooking Pto. Ayacucho Here is another story about Sophie Muller. (For more information about her from people who knew her, check out the comments on the post, “The Amazing Story of Sophie Muller.“) Again, this is in Ricardo’s own words. “I was born in the… Read More
I’m currently in Taiwan speaking at a conference so the next few posts will be reposts. Looking over the Orinoco River to Columbia Earlier this month I had the incredible privilege of visiting the Amazon jungle in Venezuela. Many of those living there were tribespeople recently out of the jungle where they still live very primitive lives.… Read More
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The Holy Spirit and DL Moody
I’ve just finished reading A Passion for Souls: The Life of D. L. Moody, an account of the life of the famous evangelist. I found myself surprisingly moved by his life. DL Moody was born in Northfield, Massachusetts. His father died when he was only four years old and his mother was left caring for… Read More
As I investigated the Scriptures on the subject of commercial fishing in the Gospels, several things became apparent. There are several passages that talk about fishing: Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-19 Jesus calls the four disciples who are fishermen and tells them he will make them fishers of men. Luke 5:1-11 Jesus tells the disciples… Read More
Modern day fisherman on the Sea of Galilee While we were in Mongolia a few years back, I had a dream which over time has had a profound effect on my thinking. In the dream I was handing a small group of people a book. “It’s about how to be a commercial fisherman,” I told… Read More
I was brought up in the UK–a post-Christian culture. To be honest, there are advantages to such a situation. Where there is even mild persecution (ridicule) it produces a different standard of disciple. There’s a cost to becoming a follower of Jesus, and those who do so have counted that cost. I watched the UK… Read More
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Is the church in the West in crisis?
I love the body of Christ in all its different forms. The traditional church has served us well for centuries while society revolved around Christianity. But things are changing. Is Christianity in crisis in this country? The following statistics concerning pastors are not meant to be a criticism of the traditional church, but they are… Read More
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Scary statistics
I’ve been compiling some statistics re the state of the church in this country for a book I’m helping to write. I know you can make numbers prove anything, but is there a general trend? The question I’m trying to answer is this: Is the church in the West in crisis? Here are some I… Read More