2025 Spring

£5.00

The current and most up to date version of Transforming Ministry magazine in electronic format. This could be especially useful if you have just taken out an annual subscription (as the printed option) but were too late to receive the current copy.

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We all do it don’t we – stand up at the front of our churches and preach to the converted. But Jesus told us to make disciples of all nations – to reach out beyond the known limits and bring more people into his great circle of love. How can we do that, now that the world around us is apparently so unconcerned about spiritual matters, and so many people have no idea – or, worse, a completely distorted idea – of who Jesus is?

If we are to communicate well with others, we need to understand something of how ‘they tick’. David Heading’s article gives an insight into different ways of thinking. Gillian Newton writes about showing by example – ‘walking the talk’. Then we have two articles – by Andrew Nicholson and Paul Birch – about creative ways of engaging interest. There is an article from the Mothers’ Union demonstrating the power of loving, social action as testimony, while Alan Stanley reminds us that ministry offers opportunities to meet people at moments of deep need (specifically, in this case, when standing alongside bereaved relatives as a funeral minister).

As the established Church, the Church of England has a special relationship with representatives of civic and political authority and Richard Hall’s examination of the relationship between Parliament and Christianity reminds us of this. Richard Janes describes a successful Lent course, involving local or well-known speakers, and Richard Spencer encourages us to pray. As we look ahead to Holy Week and Easter, Richard Appleton’s examination of Pontius Pilate and Diana Barsham’s article on Mary Magdalene and the Resurrection give much food for thought.

Our regular book feature is particularly topical, referring as it does to the return of Donald Trump to the White House. It is followed by an interview with author/editor Helen Paynter.

Themes for the remainder of this year are God and the mystery of illness, the relevance of the first five books of the Bible, and teaching and mentoring new disciples. As always, I would be delighted to hear your ideas on these or any other topics that might be of interest to other Readers and lay ministers.

With every blessing as we approach the holy season of Lent.

Richenda

Editorial
RICHENDA MILTON-DAWS

THEME: MAKING CHRIST KNOWN IN A SECULAR SOCIETY

Theology – left or right hemisphere?
DAVID HEADING

When I needed a neighbour …
GILLIAN NEWTON

Walking towards the Divine
ANDREW NICHOLSON

Theatre as Kingdom work
PAUL BIRCH

The role of the Mothers’ Union: being the hands and feet of Christ
MOTHERS’ UNION MEMBERSHIP TEAM

Making Christ known through funeral ministry
ALAN STANLEY

 

FEATURE ARTICLES

The Palace of Westminster, Parliament and Christianity
RICHARD HALL

Church growth, discipleship and social action
RICHARD JANES

Praying for revival
RICHARD SPENCER

Pontius Pilate: an eternal villain?
RICHARD APPLETON

Holy Week sensory meditative pathway
GILL BARRETT AND MICHELLE PICKERING

Encounter in the garden
DIANA BARSHAM

Justified by scripture
DAVID FULLER

 

BOOKS

Book extract: The Church, the Far Right and the Claim to Christianity
HELEN PAYNTER

Meet the editor of The Church, the Far Right and the Claim to Christianity
HELEN PAYNTER

Book reviews

 

 

CRC NEWS

News and notices

Gazette

In Memoriam

Letters

Postscript: PETER CLOUGH

 

 

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