Twelve Months, a transfiguration

November 1, 2016 Mark Edwards Leave a comment

Today someone reminded me that 12 months ago my Church, Inglewood Church, held its last service at the Bob Daniels Centre.

Our Worship Pastor Jess sung this song at our opening service a few short weeks later.

It was a wonderful occasion. This song is a beautiful rendition of the story of Jesus’s transfiguration, when the disciples were fortunate enough to have a peek of Jesus glory. How awe inspiring it would have been to experience that.

Our churches transformation over the past 12 months is obviously nowhere near as dramatic as that incredible moment. Still, it is worth celebrating and remembering. God is good.

Church, Leadership, Spiritual Thoughts, Theology

So many church plants

October 31, 2016 Mark Edwards Leave a comment

There is a plethora of church plants occurring in Perth at the moment. It seems like every week on Facebook there is a new shiny church springing up at a community centre or high school near you. The websites look good, the worship team seems fully formed and the pastors are passionate about reaching our city for Jesus.

Studies tell us that percentage wise more people become Christians during the formative years of a church than at any other time. So perhaps this is a good thing.

Some in church leadership have the gifting and the charisma to be effective in church growth. One easy measure of effectiveness in ministry is people on pews. This measure is not to be disregarded. Generally speaking we count what is valuable to us. Indeed the early church was well aware of the number of people who came to know Jesus on a particular day (Acts2.41).

New churches springing up is something we should celebrate, just as we mourn the passing and closing down of churches. Unfortunately in a dying churches history they have moved from vision and growth to management. Once a church has moved away from the upward scale of mission they plateau and move into the downward cycle of maintenance. Creatives move from such churches and are naturally attracted to the new, the fresh. They take their energy with them. Those who stay in dying churches decry this but only have themselves to blame. For them, the pain of change is too much to bear, so they choose the pain of slow painful death. Without change, a church will die. And the life will go elsewhere.

Likewise though, we cannot only keep moving from the new thing to the next new thing. That is exhausting and a waste of hard gained resource. Instead, somehow, the vision and the mission must be kept in the drivers seat. Creativity and passion must be stoked.

Character is actually the answer for balance. Character will cause you to make decisions which are contextual and yet have the same result. In some case, new life must rise from the ashes. In other cases strength will push new life out in new ways. In other cases the little strength you have will be able to be harnessed through deep painful change.

Leadership

Baptist Assembly 2016

October 24, 2016 Mark Edwards Leave a comment

I attended the Baptist Assembly at Carey Baptist Church. It was a significant meeting.

The fact we could even have the assembly at Carey, a fantastic facility, is because of much of the leadership change we have seen brought in at Baptist denominational level. Healthy accountability structures enabling people to be creative and spirit led. Carey was founded upon sound leadership principles which came out of the whole leadership structure that has been brought in.

Worship time was great, Jett and his team of hipsters led us well, and to hear a Elevation song done, well that is always going to make me happy.

It was very interesting to see in reality the change in the face of people who came to assembly. There were a lot of women leaders, Pastors and associates and and others. The person who was accredited to be a Pastor in the Baptist Family of Churches was an Asian woman. What Mark Wilson said in regard to the changing role of women in church leadership was excellent. There was also a lot of younger pastors and leaders there, engaged and interested which was very interesting and encouraging to me. They feel the WA Baptist Family of Churches is a denomination they want to be a part of. I don’t think we can underestimate the change in culture that has taken place in ten years. To hear people laugh and enjoy assembly. That just didn’t happen before.

I think back to over ten years ago and Steve Smith was up against it. I don’t think we can underestimate the platform he brokered that enabled Mark Wilson to be able to come in. God has gifted Mark with the ability to bring reality, realness and social intelligence to a gathering. The meeting was good humoured, passionate and focused on mission. People don’t like change, but the change at denominational level has been necessary and incredibly positive.

It was great to see Mark Wilson get a overwhelming majority vote for him to continue in his role for the next five years. Mark presented some videos and thoughts on what Baptist Churches in WA get involved in and run. Like Sportsfest, Leavers at Dunsburough, Baptist Care, Baptist Schools and churches growing and being planted.

The Next Season

With all the changes taking place in our denomination there is a wonderful opportunity here for our Baptist Family of Churches to continue to to shine a light now and for generations. The reality is that in our post-christian generation our Baptist Churches continue to grow and be vibrant places of spirituality, shaping culture and communities for Jesus.

Church, Leadership

Ministry with friends

October 17, 2016 Mark Edwards Leave a comment

Yesterday was a great day in the life of my church, Inglewood Church.

I had some good friends come and do ministry at both our services. Afterwards we shared some food and laughs together.

It reminds me of a principle another good friend always reiterates. He leads the Mighty Mens Conference in Australia, and I help with promotion and web support. Like me, he is a pastor. One of his favourite sayings is that he chooses speakers and people to minister with on the basis of relationship.

As people we are made for relationship. As a Pastor and leader I choose to minister with friends and people I enjoy being with. I choose those who will come and share the platform I have been given with those I like and know.

So often when you have a platform, people want to come and be given it. With no understanding of the work and trust they are just asking you to give them. Because they have something they feel is important. Often times that ends in disaster.

But when you minister and lead with friends, with those who you know and trust, there can be true joy and trust. Like yesterday.

A good day.

Church, Spiritual Thoughts

Joy and Dance

September 30, 2016 Mark Edwards Leave a comment

God has made us all unique with different gifts.

I love some of the joyful and passionate songs coming out of the heart of the global church at the moment. Songs with a beat, songs to dance to. Songs to play loud.
God has made us to dance, to be filled with exuberance.
I can imagine David dancing to these two…..

Bible, Leadership

Anonymous

September 30, 2016 Mark Edwards 1 Comment

Gutless

Unbiblical

Weak

No conviction

Afraid

No love

Filed in the bin

I have been on the receiving end of anonymous critique before. Thankfully not for some time.

Is there anything more hypocritical than an anonymous critique citing biblical sources for their authority?

Jesus is so clear. If you have a problem with your brother, go to them in private. Then take a friend, then take it before the church. (Matthew 18)

To cite your fear at being exposed or perhaps being disadvantaged as reason to remain anonymous perhaps informs you that you should not be writing and distributing such a email.

Grow up

Be loving

Be courageous

Confront biblically

Or be quiet

Theology

Loving Jesus. Not the Bible.

September 22, 2016 Mark Edwards 1 Comment

Provocative title. Yes. And of course we discover so much about Jesus through the primary source of the Bible.

Yes these words of Jesus provoke something in me.

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life…..”John 5.39

How much study do we do compared to how much time we spend just praying, listening, hearing, meditating.

How much scripture do we exegete before sitting down and thinking about how the Holy Spirit wishes to transform our lives, and the community around us. It is safe to study. It is safe to know the construct of the Greek words. It is not safe to be born along as the Spirit leads.

Seems to me there is a holy war going on at the moment. Some are worshipping at the idol of knowledge and attacking those seeking to know Him.