Marcus Honeysett's blog
We all have patterns and systems in our lives. Christian leaders are no different. Some of our habits are helpful for our growth, some are a hindrance.
Do our patterns lead us to wisdom, prayfulness, scripture and sabbath or do they lead us in the opposite direction? How can we change them? What patterns might actively help us led wisely?
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One day it finally dawned on me: my life in ministry had got unstructured and chaotic. Not unperforming, but driven and frenetic. And I started to believe that the casualty was prayerfulness and wisdom.
I'm far from sorting everything out yet but I don't think I'm in denial any more. My guess is that lots of people in ministry might suffer from some of the same issues. You're probably not as bad as me but maybe, like me, you need encouragement to live a more discipleship-oriented life.
Read moreDo small groups grow churches? Should small groups grow churches? Are they for something else? Might small groups even prevent church growth?
It all depends...
Read moreI last blogged almost exactly three years ago. Three years of ministry, teaching, busyness and a fair amount of tragedy. When I have been writing it has been curricula, Masters teaching, sermons and co-authoring a book.
But for nearly a year the number of things I want to blog about has been building up. So I hope this is the start of more regular blogging again. The blog might well get a refresh soon but I want to start the writing before getting tied down in techy stuff.
So, first post here we come!
Is the church a safe place to lay bare your soul?
That is the question posed by my friend Tanya Marlow in a recent article on the PremierChristianity blog. You can read it here: http://www.premierchristianity.com/Blog/Can-you-wear-a-bikini-to-church.
She asks a number of uncomfortable questions: can I show my whole self here and still be loved? Which would you find more vulnerable - turning up to church dressed in swimwear or admitting to your home group that you have a problem with alcohol; would I still be welcome if people knew my faults?
Tanya concludes with a plea for pastors and leaders not to communicate or model that we have to be perfect. Surely if they are prepared to model vulnerability it becomes so much easier for everyone else: “ If a pastor can lay bare her or his soul, with all its cellulite and sin, then the church may feel they can also be honest.”
I think that’s a crucial question.
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