A word of wisdom that has stuck with me for years is that church leaders often want to make themselves into a ‘name’ when what they should be pursuing is becoming a ‘voice’. The most obvious biblical comparison is John the Baptist who is said to fulfil the prophetic words of Isaiah;

“A voice calling in the wilderness ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him’”( Matthew 3.3) 

 and who compares himself to Jesus with this statement;

 “He must become greater and I must become less important.” (John 3.30)

           John the Baptist is a good model for ministry in the present time- we still have the same responsibly to prepare the way for Jesus, this time to come again, and have to exercise the prophetic voice for which John was known. I believe that in our current climate, there are three key conversations that are currently ongoing and which the church must earn the right to speak into. They are conversations that the church throughout history has always had something vitally important to say, yet we are in danger of being marginalised, of having our voice drowned out, ignored, or worst of all not speaking up at all.

         It seems to me that the Lord has initiated these three conversations worldwide, and is expecting, even relying, on us to be His prophetic voice. These conversations are happening in governments and authorities, in communities, amongst friends and families, and throughout the media. I’m defining these conversations as follows:

1. Life/Death, Fear/Hope.

         Covid 19 has forced many people to face the prospect of their own mortality, or the mortality of a loved one, in a way in which society as a whole probably hasn’t had to do since World War 2.

       Add into that the trauma of not being able to visit dying relatives in hospital, not being able to say a proper goodbye, and  having very limited numbers at funerals, have left thousands of folk in the UK alone in a sense of grief, shock and despair that they don’t know how to deal with.

One of the biggest challenges facing us is that the church needs to reclaim its voice as the body that offers people hope when they face despair, that offers comfort when they are broken, and invites them into eternal life when they face death. Matters of life and death, and more importantly eternal life, are back on the agenda-  for how long no-one really knows! Church leaders in New York said that after 9-11 they had a limited window of opportunity to pastor and support people, and speak into their grief and pain, before the busyness of going back to life as normal took over.

Let me remind you of a conversation between Jesus and his disciples:

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life……Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  (John 6.63 and 68)

If Jesus lives in you and me by His Holy Spirit, then we too have the words of eternal life! 

It seems that prayer is on the rise, and that many churches have seen visitors aplenty to their online services- some people at least are searching for answers to life’s big questions- and online Alpha has exploded onto the scene.

Our communities will need valid ways of giving thanks for loved ones who have died and for which families weren’t able to pay their respects. Our communities may well need a way to join together for a moment of remembrance and reflection once we are through the pandemic. These could be great opportunities for us to speak life and hope in the name of Jesus.

2. Caring/Serving/Compassion.

            Who could have imagined 4 months ago that for 10 or more weeks, at 8pm on a Thursday evening the vast majority of the population would gather on their doorsteps and clap for carers?

Who would have imagined that frontline healthcare professionals would have become today’s heroes? Who could have imagined Capt. Tom Moore would have energised the nation into raising over £33M for the NHS? It’s taken a worldwide pandemic, but for the moment at least we have put a high premium on those who selflessly serve and care for those in greatest need. Through foodbanks, helplines, and other creative ways of serving their communities, some churches may have been shut for worship, but have remained active in caring and serving throughout the lockdown period; yet many churches have slipped into online anonymity and have been out-served by other groups and organisations in their communities. Rather than be idle on furlough, many people have volunteered in whatever why they could in order to help others and to make a difference.

           Jesus describes the scene when he comes in glory, the nations gather before him, and he separates the sheep from the goats:

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  (Matthew 25.35-36)

          Christians who have been demonstrating the love and compassion of Jesus, who faithfully serve in the caring professions, or who have volunteered for this particular season, have earned the right to be that voice which speaks eternal life.

3. Black Lives Matter, Justice/Righteousness

             Although not directly Covid 19 related, this is a massively important conversation that is demanding response and action. To the extent that some specific ethnic groups in the UK are suffering proportionally higher than others from Covid 19 this conversation is doubly important.

             I’m thankful that I served on the leadership of City Church (formerly City Temple) in Cardiff for 15 years or so, and that for most of that time there were regularly over 50 nationalities represented on a Sunday, with significant numbers from Asia and Africa. Whenever I hosted American friends and they came to church, they felt they’d had a glimpse of heaven- often churches in the USA didn’t see anywhere near as much ethnic diversity. Many other city centre churches around the UK could tell the same story, but there is still much to be done to eradicate racism, to contend for justice  and to stand up for righteousness.

           As professional sports teams return to the field, many are wearing Black Live Matter logos on their playing attire, demonstrations have taken place the length and breadth of the UK, most have been peaceful, some have erupted into violence. Many churches have spent time in their online services, or convened special forums to discuss this issue, but we must aim to be a voice that speaks of God’s justice, God’s love, and to raise up the marginalised and the oppressed, to readjust centuries of bias and inequality not just for this season but until Christ comes again!

         Lest we be too self-righteous let us remember that although the church historically played a significant role in ending slavery for example, it has often been the perpetrator and instigator of inequality and oppression. In the early chapters of Acts, the concept that God could love Gentiles as well as Jews was a radical one. Paul had to reconcile a split in the Roman church:

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, (Romans 10.12)

And remember the words from Isaiah with which Jesus announces himself in the Nazareth synagogue. What would it look like for the Spirit of the Lord to release us into a new season of ministry as described here by Jesus:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4.18-19)

We must begin to have these conversations inside our church family- partly to demonstrate how important they are, partly to make sure our own thinking and practice in these areas is honouring to God, and partly to equip our people to engage in these conversations OUTSIDE the church sooner rather than later. These conversations can and should happen at every level of life and society. Some Christians will be influential in national dialogue or with local councils and authorities, for others it will be an ‘at the school gate’ or ‘over the fence’ conversation. Right now we need to be asking the Holy Spirit to lead us to whichever of these conversations most needs our contribution in our own situation, and pray that we will use our words and our actions to demonstrate the faith, hope and love that only Jesus can give.

As a friend of mine said, after reading an early draft of this post: ‘Hope, Compassion, Justice. Praying today I lend my voice to nothing less.’

  There has been so much talk in lockdown focusing on the fact that the local church will be different when we eventually re-enter the building. Right now most of us Elim pastors are caught up in risk assessments, deep cleaning procedures, and trying to imagine what the new normal looks like.

Larger churches are weighing up the most sensible way to accommodate their congregations into a worship space that will have to be socially distanced- multiple services? A booking-in system? Online services to continue as a priority and a preference for many?

           I want to suggest, or even implore, that now is the optimum time for leaders of larger churches to specifically encourage some of their people to literally go back to a different church. I’m talking about redistributing our people resources, so that larger churches don’t get overrun, and that smaller churches can benefit from a boost of energy and resource that new faces would bring. Let me make this clear- I’m not talking about propping up small and struggling churches (although these aren’t necessarily there same thing) for the sake of it, neither am I talking about getting rid of some of our problem people! I’m talking about strategically, deliberately and prayerfully redistributing our people resources for the sake of mission and for the Kingdom.

         Although it might not be a popular image in this day and age, but scripture tells us that the church can be likened to an army. No army commander would accept the lopsided way the church now deploys its troops. It reminds me of that old joke that tells of a visitor asking a local ‘How do I get to the city?’ And the local replies ‘I wouldn’t start from here!’. If we wanted to draw up a strategic plan for Elim to play its part in reaching the UK , then the map of churches we drew up would look very different from what we currently have.

        It has become accepted practice for large city congregations to draw from a wide radius, with many members travelling in a fair distance and often passing several churches on the way. Here in Wales at the moment, we can’t travel further than a 5 mile radius, so if that rule still applies when churches re-open some folk might have a problem. Churches and communities across the UK would look and feel very different, if every believer worshipped in the church that was nearest their own house regardless of denominational affiliation. Yet that is NOT what I’m suggesting.

      What I AM suggesting, however, is that larger Elim churches who will struggle to get all their attenders into the building whilst socially distancing, do a long-term lend of a few families and individuals to other Elim churches nearby who might well have a decent building but few enough people not to have a socially distanced service problem.

      In close to 10 years working in a support role to Regional Leaders in Elim, I’ve got to know smaller churches and their pastors pretty well. Since moving to the Elim Church on Barry Island, I’ve become one of those pastors myself. I say again that small doesn’t always mean struggling, but I do know too that if you asked any pastor of a small church what they’d most like for Christmas, the answer would be more people resource, and almost specifically in the area of worship music and youth/children ministry. A group of 4 families, let’s say, willing to travel 4 miles one direction to a smaller church for the next 18 months, rather than 4 miles in the other direction to a larger church, could make a massive impact in the life, ministry and witness of that smaller church. 

         Often larger churches, even with a good leadership training and development structure, can’t always offer the regular serving and leadership opportunities that people need.  If we stop just thinking local church but think Elim area, then the opportunities and the needs, are plentiful.

     We know that the early church didn’t operate anything like the way we do now, and that the concept of local church for them would have been strange- they met mostly in homes, worshipped in the temple, and identified with other believers in that city or geographical area.

     In my time helping lead the Waleswide church planting movement, alongside leaders from across the evangelical spectrum in Wales, we often reminded churches to look at Wales as a mission field, and that mission fields need missionaries sent to them. I would often say to leaders: ’What would it take for you to send one of the hottest coals from your church to rekindle a fire somewhere else?’  It was an Elim pastor who replied to me in personal conversation once: ‘I intellectually agree with you but find it so hard in my heart to give people away!’

      There is no doubt that post-Covid 19 church is going to be very different. Seizing this missional opportunity now to redistribute our congregations could breath new life across many Elim churches. Larger churches will ‘recoup’ their ‘losses’ relatively quickly, and smaller churches will flourish if they see this as a means to be strengthened  reach out to their community in a fresh way. There will be lots of challenges, relationship growing, structures, planning and prayer for this suggestion to work. Yet on the other hand we simply need to find normal followers of Jesus, ready to obey his command to ‘Go’ for a season, affirm them, encourage them, and send them.

One of the many frustrating side-effects of the Covid 19 lockdown and worldwide social-distancing is that for many students and young adults their plans for an extended overseas mission experience have been shelved. Yet like so many difficult and negative situations, God can redeem this time and turn what would have been a disappointment into something positive and fruitful.

My wisdom would simply be this: Let what would have been overseas mission become home mission, determine that as you can’t ‘go’ far you will ‘go near.   

In the book of Ephesians, Paul talks about Jesus like this: 

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 

The understanding of this verse can be read in a spiritual context or a geographical context. I completely believe in the value of short-term overseas mission experiences to shape and re-prioritise a person’s life, and I know God is still sending his people into the nations. The call of God to go into the world, is always a spiritual call of obedience rather than a geographical wish to see other countries and experience other countries, and I’ve long reminded people that sometimes they can fulfil God’s call to go simply in their own street or their own nation.

So if you were due to head off on an overseas mission trip this summer, but won’t be doing so now, here are some practical steps to take:

• Contact the organisation/church/ministry/person you were due to visit and tell them that although you can’t be there in person you have not forgotten them.
• Find out some ways you can pray for them.
• Send some of the money you would have used for you trip- perhaps find out a specific need you could help with.
• Maintain a relationship with them online- short messages of encouragement will mean a lot. 
• Expect to learn something by reaching out- you can still grow even with online connection.
• If you were travelling as part of a team from a home-based mission organisation, you may want to pray for them and also give a financial donation- chances are they have been hit hard by the pandemic.
• Begin to use the unexpected extra time on your hands to serve locally. Speak to your student leaders/church leaders about the most fruitful way you can serve for a few days, weeks or months.
• You could focus your serving opportunity on the poor, or the elderly, or the marginalised, or on a specific ethnic group. In the world we live in, with so much ethnic diversity in  towns and cities, God has given us ways we can reach the nations literally on our doorstep.
• Begin to think and pray about how you might experience an overseas mission trip in years to come… but don’t miss the privilege and the thrill of extending God’s Kingdom right where you are this summer. 

2019 was a full year of fruitful ministry and memorable occasions, so I’ve chosen to summarise my top 12 Maximum Ministry Moments (in no specific order of priority or date):

1. Teaching pastors in Rajahmundry, India on the Gateway Word and Spirit Bible College ( and being at the Graduation in January 2020).
2. Being in Macedonia with a team from City Church Cardiff and listening to Stuart share powerful testimony of the Lord delivering him from a tragic family background and years of feeling worthless and unloved.
3. A weekend visit with Gill to our friends Matt and Hannah Gregor on the island of Guernsey and seeing Matt thriving as he leads Vazon Elm church.
4. Meeting up with my younger friend Enoch every couple of weeks to read through the book of Acts. We’ve now started Romans.
5. Attending the Elim Ordination service- seeing Arlette, Alan, Phil, get ordained. I’d mentored them all over the previous 3 years or so.
6. Speaking at Arfogi in Bala for the first time. A Welsh language event aimed at equipping student aged Welsh leaders for future ministry and calling.
7. Finally seeing a brand new school bus at the Gateway School, generously provided by the Awakening Foundation.
8. Praying with my younger friend Will in the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, and being overwhelmed by the enormity of the sacrifice of Jesus and the power of His resurrection.
9. Attending the Message Wales awards dinner at the invite of my long-time mate Gary Smith and seeing the wide range of gospel work they do all over Wales.
10. Worshipping in the City Church 90th anniversary celebration, giving thanks for all the Lord has done over 90 years, and rejoicing in the new season of leadership for the church under Dominic and Catherine De Souza.
11. Staying in the mission centre at Saejungang International Church in Korea on my trip with Seung Lee, and seeing the church’s amazing commitment to world mission.
12. Spending extended time with Emmanuel Jonah, director of Ignite Liberia, on his visit to Wales, and talking, praying and envisioning future ministry collaboration.
13. Leading New Life Elim Church Barry Island’s Christmas Carol concert- with guest Korean vocalists from the classical music scene, and with over 80 attending ( not bad for a Sunday congregation of about 25).
14. Visiting the West Bank territory and given the opportunity to speak in a compassionate and loving project to families who have children living with mental and/or physical disability.
15. Planning a significant and strategic new direction for Waleswide, that should be birthed during 2020.