Top Ten subscribed by Rev. David Gilpin

December 14, 2007 at 8:57 pm (Top Ten)

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Rev. David Gilpin

Rev. David Gilpin

Senior Minister of Hope Church, Sheffield   Behind everything you see is something you don’t see. This book is designed to outline nuggets of wisdom that often remain invisible behind thriving churches and ministries. Mixed with a touch of humour. Top 10 of Everything looks into the Private Word , the Practical World, the Handy Hints World and the Wide World of Knowledge. It gives advice on many subjects that may prove invaluable to established and up-and-coming leaders. Read it all at once or read it one Top Ten at a time. This book can also provide new preachers with an opportunity to ‘borrow’ some of the Tom 10 outlines to create lively and dynamic sermons.  

Top ten WAYS TO LEAD A SMALL GROUP 

Putting two and two together 

Leading small groups can be a real challenge. Dominating Dave can be hard to quieten down while Senistive Sally needs to put a smile on her face. Pentecostal Pete can be at odds with New Wed Nigel and End Times Enid can always be annoying. The aim of the leader is to unite the group that would never have been together if it wasn’t for Christ. 

  1. TRY TO CREATE A SOCIABLE ATMOSPHERE

 When many groups begin a meting the atmosphere freezes over. The meeting finishes when someone says ‘Let’s begin.’ 

   2. TRY TO START WITH EVERYBODY SAYING SOMETHING

 Don’t let people slip away into their own world. The satisfaction comes from the affirmation of the participation. 

   3. TRY TO START WITH THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE

 Focussing on the victory can be the catalyst for a great night. 

   4. TRY TO AVOID PRAYER TIMES THAT BECOME MORBID TIMES

 Don’t allow melancholy and doubt to infiltrate your times in prayer. Not everything that sounds spiritual has in it the spirit of faith. 

   5. TRY TO QUIETEN THE TIME HUGGERS

 Get them on your side with the chance for you both to unite to bring out the more timid members. 

   6. TRY TO STICK TO THE GOLDEN RULE – NO PREACHING

 Allow the group to come up with the right conclusions and underline what needs to be emphasized. Preaching can kill the small dynamic group. 

   7. TRY TO ENCOURAGE THE GROWTH OF THE GROUP

 Without a progressive vision people soon become inward-looking. 

   8. TRY TO KEEP IT SPIRITUALLY NATURAL AND NATURALLY SPIRITUAL

 The meeting doesn’t finish with ‘Amen’, but with that last coffee mug placed in the sink. The meeting didn’t start with a song; it started when the first person arrived. A Christian who says,’ Let’s get spiritual’ is like a fish saying ‘Let’s get wet’.  

   9. TRY TO DELEGATE PARTS OF THE MEETING TO POTENTIAL LEADERS

 To train leaders is a prime role for every leader. 

  10.TRY TO REMEMBER THAT YOU’RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MEMBERS

 but to the members. Don’t strive to make people attend. Ultimately their Christian walk is their responsibility, not yours. Simply do your best for God. 

Bible Extra: Acts 2: 4-47; Romans 12: 3-8; 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31; Ephesians 4: 1-7   

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News and Views edited by Rev. A. Hocking

December 14, 2007 at 8:49 pm (News and Views)

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Rev. A. Hocking

WHERE WAS JESUS BORN? 1 IN 3 PEOPLE DON’T KNOW

By TOM KELLY –  The Christmas carollers may have already been heard singing O Little Town of Bethlehem the length and breadth of the country. But it appears a huge chunk of their audience may have no idea why the town should be worthy of such reverence.

In an alarming survey published today into knowledge of the Christmas story, it appears that one in four adults do not know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Among younger Britons - between 18 and 24 - the total for those who could not give the correct location rose to 36 per cent. Other religious blank spots included the role of the Archangel Gabriel - more than a quarter had no idea that Gabriel brought God’s message to Mary at her home in Nazareth to say that she would give birth to a son. And the majority of those questioned - 52 per cent - did not know that John the Baptist was Jesus’s cousin.

More than 75 per cent were unaware that Joseph, Mary and Jesus fled to Egypt to escape from King Herod. Most thought they had fled to Nazareth, the family’s hometown. Only 12 per cent of adults could answer all four questions about the Christmas story correctly.

The survey of more than 1,000 adults was commissioned by the public theology think-tank Theos and is likely to reignite debate about the secularisation of Christmas.

It follows the news last week that only one in five schools is planning to perform a traditional Nativity play this year. Paul Woolley, director of Theos, said the findings show that the public’s understanding of Jesus’s birth is “shaky”. He added: “The fact that younger people are the least knowledgeable about the Christmas story may reflect a decline in the telling of Bible stories in schools and the popularity of Nativity plays. “No one seriously thinks that being a Christian or a member of the established Church is the same thing as being British today. “But at the same time, if we are serious about social cohesion, we can’t afford to ignore the stories that have bound us together as a culture for 1,000 years. “Any attempts to play down the Christmas story in order to help social cohesion are likely to be counter-productive.”

Christian churchgoers were the best informed about the Nativity, with 36 per cent answering all questions correctly, compared with only five per cent of atheists.

The survey also showed regional differences in how well people know Bible stories. The South East was the area with the highest percentage getting all four answers right, at 19 per cent. That was followed by the South West, which scored 17 per cent.

Those who demonstrated the worst Biblical knowledge were in Yorkshire and Humberside and London. In both regions, 15 per cent of those questioned answered all four survey questions incorrectly.  

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