SIMON PHIPPS

This book is a classic on the life of community. I have read it several times and this time I decided to make fairly extensive notes to try and capture more of what Bonhoeffer is saying. I have published these notes for anyone who is thinking about reading this and would like to get an idea of what it says, or for someone who has read it and wants to quickly refresh themselves on it's basic content. For a small book it has a lot to say, so if you enjoy these notes I highly recommend reading the whole book if you haven't. You can get a copy of the book from here (please note this this is an affiliate link which means that I get a small amount from the sale of the book). 20 Things I Learnt From This Book There is so much that this book has to say but here are 20 key things that really stuck out to me: 1 – To dwell in fellowship with other believers is a great blessing . We often take this for granted because we experience it daily, but we should thank God for it ...

In Acts 6:1-17 we see a curious scene. We find ourselves in Jerusalem , and the fledgling church is growing and has set about providing food for the widows in Jerusalem. To be a widow at this time would have been a difficult life. Typically being a widow meant that you were too old to re-marry, and couldn't work. Caring for widows and orphans was a major part of Jewish culture and history (Deuteronomy 14:29, Psalm 68:5, Isaiah 10:2, Malachi 3:5 etc.), and was also a particular concern for Luke - the author of Luke & Acts (Luke 2:36-38, Luke 18:1-8, Luke 20:47, Luke 21:1-3, Acts 9:36-43). The section also distinguishes between two types of people there at the time: Hebraic Jews Hellenistic Jews Hebraic Jews were the natives in that place. They represent the dominant people group in that area. Hellenistic Jews were Jews who had moved to Jerusalem from outside of Palestine (diaspora Jews), therefore their culture and language were much more influen...

THEOLOGY | 3 MINUTE READ As Christians, our theology forms the compass of what we do in our daily lives. If we believe that God is good and full of love then this will be how we treat others. It is the same with regards to environmental concern. If we have a theology that tells us the whole world will be burned up and so there is no point caring for it, then this will be how we treat the earth. Eco-Theology I believe that scripture provides a blueprint for environmental concern that helps to act as a compass in our discipleship journey. The Beginning Right from the beginning in scripture, in the book of Genesis, we are called to be stewards of the earth. We are called to look after and care for the earth. Genesis 1:27-29 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the se...

The Early Church Fathers wrote lots of material to help guide the fledgeling Church in its infancy, something that modern christians overlook. Whilst not equal to scripture, the writings of the early church can help to act as a compass, guiding us in what it means to be the Church today. Luke Wilson’s new book “ 40 Days With The Fathers ” hopes to fill this gap by presenting the works of the Early Church Fathers in an accessible way. I caught up with Luke to look at his motivations for writing and what we can learn by studying the early church fathers. Tell us a little bit about yourself Hi, I'm Luke; I studied theology and biblical studies at Mattersey Hall Bible College . I have a beautiful wife and one-year-old daughter and run my own software company with my dad. When I get time, I write blogs and books! How did you become interested in the early church fathers? It first started a few years back when I felt a little disillusioned about the way church is don...

As the intersection between faith and the environment continues to increase in importance, it becomes more and more important for the Church to take it's environmental responsibility seriously . Church is not a building, and church is much more than a weekly service but the fact remains that most churches are inexplicably linked to a building and utilise services. Much of what we experience and use when we gather as a community has a negative impact on our environment , including our money ; and we can do better . There is also much hope found within the church. This can include churches generating their own electricity , organising beach cleanups , or growing their own food . This infographic provides 11 practical ways that a church can begin to model environmental care to the whole community. I have created a short free e-book that goes into each of the principles in much more detail, with practical ways to implement them. Click here to get your copy . ...

I have decided to start a new section for my blog – What I have learnt this month . It is a great place for me to reflect upon the things that I have learnt but I hope that it will also be useful to you in finding interesting resources to help you grow . I will be covering pretty much anything I use to learn such as books, podcasts, videos, articles and courses . So what have I learnt in the month of November 2017? Rejection Proof – Book I Read This Month Most of us have an inbuilt fear of rejection . It stops us fulfilling our dreams. It inhibits our ability to act. It thwarts our goals and desires and paralyses us. We worry about humiliation and how the rejection will affect our confidence. This was also the case for Jia Jiang (who wrote this book). He desired to be an entrepreneur, but due to fear of rejection he never made the leap and continued working for someone else. After researching fear of rejection he came across “ rejection the...