News Round Up
Coming up in Preach 37
The winter issue of Preach magazine ( 37 ) is on the powerful theme of Encountering Jesus . What compelling encounters with Jesus are there , both in scripture and in today ’ s context ? How do we effectively preach Jesus and in what way does he change his people ? How can we , individually and corporately , communicate Jesus to a sceptical yet curious world ? If you ’ d like to contribute , or know of a church initiative we could highlight , please email editor @ lwpt . org . uk
Trustee Opportunity
Could you be a trustee for LWPT ? Do you share our desire to see Christian leaders well trained and supported for local ministry in the UK ?
We ’ re looking for people who can offer their experience , wisdom and skills for this vital ministry . Email our CEO , Ian Buchanan , for an information pack or to arrange an initial chat at ian . buchanan @ lwpt . org . uk
Read our latest impact stories from our growing bank of LWPT Alumni – those who have been helped directly from your support and generous donations .
Building Church and Community - Heather Pocock
My Masters at WTC this year has had a significant impact on my ministry at Kerith Community Church . In February 2023 , I became the Teaching Pastor at Kerith , responsible for preaching content across our four locations as a church community . I create the curriculum of sermon topics , shape the individual preaching series and resource preachers with message drafts , commentaries and summaries . The subjects I studied at WTC have greatly resourced the teaching that the congregations have received .
Studying Haggai in my Old Testament module provided an entire series of content to inspire the congregation . Since we , like so many , are still rebuilding our community post-Covid and we are also in the middle of a church building project , Haggai offered many familiar parallels that resonated with us : the
Israelites were returning from Exile , only a portion of them returned , and the Israelites were rebuilding their temple . This often-overlooked minor prophet offered prophetic encouragement for our situation as a church community .
We have also launched a campaign educating the congregation about the importance of creation care and ecology in our worship as Christians . I was able to draw from content in my Ethics class , and studies in Genesis .
In Autumn 2023 , I will be preaching on divorce as part of a series on relationships . My ethics module offered me a framework in how to faithfully read what the bible says about divorce , and provided me with a spectrum of views and counterarguments . After shaping and delivering the message , many divorced individuals revealed that they had never heard a preach on divorce before . The silence from the wider Church or traditional judgment about divorce had left them feeling condemned , shamed and rejected by Christians , thus they felt the Spirit used the message to bring healing .
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