THANK YOU! Last year was amazing. Your gifts enabled me to spend time in Turkey, China, Indonesia, Egypt, and Eastern Europe to equip missional leaders and their networks in those countries. And because we traveled most of those countries in our 4×4 overlander, the whole family could come along for free. It was a great…
Read MorePassionFest this week
There is a huge marquee on the field next to our yurt. Thats because PassionFest happens this weekend. Its a small, intimate, social justice festival for about 300+ people. We were here last year and loved it. So if you are in New Zealand then come on over and bring your tent. Read more about…
Read MoreIs the number 666 really on our barcodes?
A blog reader asked if the number 666 is somehow integrated into the barcodes. This has been a discussion for over 30 years among Christians. I asked my friend David Allis who is not only a Christian man but is also a leading seller of barcodes, to reply to the question, “Do all barcodes have…
Read More40 days of Lent
Ash Wednesday kicks off 40 days of Lent, leading to Easter. I recommend getting in the mood by: 1. Playing Si Smith’s video of Jesus in the wilderness called “40” 2. 1. Reading Tim Kimberley’s History of Lent and the number 40. “Interestingly, the earliest of Christians believed Jesus was dead in the grave for 40 hours.…
Read MoreRemembering the Christchurch earthquake
One year today, since the Christchurch earthquake. Today we are having a one minute silence at 12:51pm to remember the 185 people who were killed that day. Stuff.co.nz is running live updates of the anniversary today. We were in Wellington, NZ last year when it happened and raced down there as soon as we could to…
Read More2012 Report: Emerging churches in deprived communities
Somebody say H.O.S.P.I.T.A.L.I.T.Y . . . “There were two messages about how the groups understood mission. First, mission meant an incarnational presence in the everyday life of the community. Second, mission meant engaging with residents to restore their capacity to act, to articulate needs and to seek to have those needs met. Hospitality was the…
Read MoreSo what do Aussies REALLY think of the church?
A recent survey from Olive Tree Media shows what Australians think about Christianity. Here are the main reasons why Aussies say they don’t go to church: Here’s some doctrines and practices that Australians say block them from church. However, the survey showed a surprising knowledge of what Jesus said. Read the whole thing or download…
Read MoreThis Gypsy Life
“This gypsy life must of necessity be a simple one”, A Thousand Sunsets, 1944, page 19 If you have been following our journey, you will know we just spent almost 3 years on the road in a 4×4 overlander motorhome. We traveled through 30 countries from North Africa across to the edge of Asia. Some…
Read MoreAmerican church: Not dead yet
“Most of our churches are built around feeding consumers.” Mike Breen My English friend Mike Breen just wrote an article called “An Obituary for the American Church” in which he outlines 3 problems he believes could kill it: a culture of Celebrity, Consumerism and Competition. Well said. I agree with Mike and recommend reading his article. But…
Read MoreWedding today: Chris and Sophie Sylvester
There is a marquee next to our yurt. Chris and Sophie are getting married today and our family, having helped to set up the wedding space, are taking off for the day. Chris and Sophie – congrats on your special day. Every blessing for your future together. By the way, this is the yurt that…
Read MoreIn Search of Masculine Christianity
Rachel Held Evans issued a challenge to male bloggers last week in response to John Piper’s suggestion at the Desiring God conference that “God has given Christianity a masculine feel”, which she thought was “a strange way to talk about the Bride of Christ.” I didn’t have time to write anything but I noticed that 150…
Read MoreWhat Dorothy Day might teach bloggers
Dorothy Day once described herself as “a journalist and a diarist pure and simple” as opposed to a writer of books. As a young girl, she kept a diary and later became a journalist to pay the bills. I would like to think, based on her approach to writing, that she would be a blogger…
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