Photo by Nathan Cowley on Pexels.com 'Management' is not a concept that sits well within the Church. After all, church leaders are called to be priests, pastors, and preachers, not CEOs of mini-corporations. But over the past 20 years, in attending, working for and with many churches and Christian organisations, I have consistently seen the… Continue reading Grace, truth and the tricky task of people management
Author: Jon Kuhrt
Jon Kuhrt has worked with people affected by homelessness for over 30 years. He is a former government adviser on how faith groups address rough sleeping and is now CEO of Hope into Action. He lives with his wife in Streatham, south London and they have 3 children. He likes football....but loves cricket.
Eugene Peterson’s Subversive Spirituality
Twenty-five years ago I bought Eugene Peterson's book Subversive Spirituality. I had not heard of Peterson at the time as it was before his paraphrase of the Bible, The Message, became popular. I only bought it because I was intrigued by the title. It turned out to be a great purchase. It's a book that… Continue reading Eugene Peterson’s Subversive Spirituality
Bridging the gap between churches and professionals: the complexity of compassion #3
Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com There are now over 100 night shelter schemes in the country where groups of churches work together to provide accommodation - last year these schemes helped an estimated 3000 homeless people. Alongside this there are the many soup kitchens, drop in centres and huge amount of informal one-to-one support that… Continue reading Bridging the gap between churches and professionals: the complexity of compassion #3
Carrying burdens, maintaining boundaries: the complexity of compassion #2
Photo by lalesh aldarwish on Pexels.com One of the most important truths I have learnt from the last 25 years of working with people is this: Nobody can change anyone else. People must want to change. Remembering this truth enables us to help people in a way which truly helps them. Accepting this reality helps… Continue reading Carrying burdens, maintaining boundaries: the complexity of compassion #2
The need for grace and truth: the complexity of compassion #1
Photo Tina Nord on Pexels.com When I was in my twenties, I lived in Kings Cross in London and was a member of a local church. There, I got to know a man who was a former crack addict. We'll call him Ian. He was doing his best to put his life back together and… Continue reading The need for grace and truth: the complexity of compassion #1
Steve Chalke speaking at WLM’s Annual Meeting
Regular readers of R&R will know that I often post articles which relate to my work at West London Mission. We are part of the Methodist Church and run a wide range of social and community projects for people affected by homelessness, poverty and trauma. Activism and controversy One of the 'big characters' from WLM's… Continue reading Steve Chalke speaking at WLM’s Annual Meeting
Royal wedding sermon: stop the internal church critique & use the opportunity
Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels.com At my church on Sunday afternoons, I lead a youth group which mainly consists of children whose families don't go to church. Most of them are boys aged between 12-14 and many know me from a football club that I have run for many years. Types of love This… Continue reading Royal wedding sermon: stop the internal church critique & use the opportunity
Rev. Curry’s sermon summed up why I am a Christian
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com There has been an incredible reaction to Bishop Michael Curry's sermon at the Royal Wedding today. Both the content and the manner of his talk broke the formality which so easily straight-jackets Anglican services and especially any religious events involving the Royalty. There was power, authority and a bold… Continue reading Rev. Curry’s sermon summed up why I am a Christian
The nonsense surrounding weddings undermine marriage
Photo by Asad Photo Maldives on Pexels.com A royal wedding is simply the über example of the extravagance, hype and nonsense that has overtaken the contemporary concept of getting married. This culture is fuelled by an industry dedicated to ramping up costs. It knows how much money people are willing to waste for ‘the perfect… Continue reading The nonsense surrounding weddings undermine marriage
The Only Way Is Ethics: ‘Christian Today’ has to drop dodgy adverts
Over the last few years the website Christian Today has grown in prominence in the UK. It carries a wide range of religious news and commentary and high profile Christian leaders, like Krish Kandiah and Youthscape's Martin Saunders, regularly write on the site. Ruth Mawhinney, a former Editor, is now Head of Media for Justin Welby,… Continue reading The Only Way Is Ethics: ‘Christian Today’ has to drop dodgy adverts
Grace + Truth 