I would like to begin with an APOLOGY to all those who, in the past, have looked at this website from time to time, and have noticed that I haven’t actually put anything new on it for some considerable time. In one way, that doesn’t matter, because the site is not intended to be a weekly or monthly ‘blog’, but a ‘library’ of articles that might be encouraging or helpful to Christians serving the Lord outside the Institutional Church. However, people rightly expect a library (even an internet one) to make reasonably regular additions to… read more →
I haven’t contributed anything new to this website for quite a while. This is because – all along – I have been determined never to write “for the sake of writing”, but only to put something online if it has been laid powerfully on my heart. Over the past week however, the sense of “really having something to say to my fellow out-of-traditional-church Christians”, has returned to me. Five words, spoken by Jesus, have gripped my spirit: “Take my yoke upon you”. (Matthew 11:29.) Those words caught my attention when I first became a Christian,… read more →
A few months ago, I was asked to make some comments on a question that was being asked by a group of believers who had withdrawn from the “Institutional-Church Scene”, and were wondering what to do next. They asked: “What SHAPE should a local church have?” Whenever I have been prompted and inspired to make comments on a question, I have put my thoughts on this website. So far, I have submitted two articles on the subject of the “Shape”. What follows here is a third train-of-thought that I believe to be very relevant. (It… read more →
When a group of believers – even a very small group – get together to talk about forming, in their area, a new “Called-Out Group” (the literal translation of “Ecclesia” or “Church”), I notice that they usually assume that some kind of “worship services” will be an essential part of their future together. I HAVE SLOWLY, BUT SURELY, COME TO THE CONCLUSION, OVER MANY YEARS, THAT NEW GROUPS SHOULD STEER COMPLETELY CLEAR OF INTRODUCING “WORSHIP SERVICES” INTO THE CHURCH-FAMILY LIFESTYLE THAT I WROTE ABOUT IN THE PREVIOUS ARTICLE. I KNOW THIS IS A HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL… read more →
Recently, my attention has been called to a number of groups of Christians who have been discussing – in connection with the future of their own particular group – the above question. Someone, from one of these groups asked me if I have any comments to make on the subject. My first reaction was to say: “You don’t need to know what shape your local group-of-believers should take. A local church should never be a human creation. It should be the creation of Jesus, the Builder of the Church. It is not necessary, or even… read more →
