All articles by John Buckeridge – Page 4
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Get Creative
When it comes to evangelism, John Buckeridge argues, one size doesn't fit all.
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Sing Up
Watching your favourite football team can be difficult, especially if they are losing.
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Justice At A Price
The three aims of Make Poverty History (MPH) 'trade justice', 'drop the debt' and 'more and better aid' sounds great. MPH has got to be a good thing - right?
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Holiday Reading
Want a good novel to read this summer? John Buckeridge looks at the growing range of Christian fiction titles available.
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Help Or Hindrance?
John Buckeridge asks, is the name of your church relevant or rusty?
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Heart of Worship
Just a month after releasing a song about worshipping God in the midst of pain, Matt Redman's newborn son was rushed into intensive care. Matt talks to John Buckeridge about praising God in the bad times and why his latest songs focus on reverence.
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Making Space For God To Fill
What do you do to get away from the daily routine and make space for God? John Buckeridge asked 10 Christians to share what works for them.
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Easter Opportunity
Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ provides an unusual opportunity to share the gospel this Easter. John Buckeridge highlights 20 ways to harness its gospel potential. Mel Gibson in his own words describes his motives for making this extraordinary movie.
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College Knowledge
John Buckeridge thought Bible College wasn't for him - so what changed?Resisting God is tiring as well as dangerous. For 18 months or more I had felt increasingly sure that God wanted me to go and study at a theological college, but this thought frightened and appalled me. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to cope with the academic studies, would struggle with the spiritual disciplines, and end up drowning in debt. So I resisted.
I felt so unsettled that I left my job drawing maps for the Ordnance Survey and took a job at a supermarket. Eventually, I realised that if I was going to continue to regard myself as a follower of Jesus, I'd have to do some following. But my prejudice and ignorance about theological colleges meant that the prospect of enrolling at one was about as appealing to me as contracting mumps or having a green heart tattooed on my left buttock!
Having sent off for, and received information from various colleges, I applied for the one I considered might be the 'least worst' option. At my interview I was deliberately abrasive and negative when asked to describe how I thought I'd cope with the studies. I expressed my doubts and fears and left the tutors in no doubt that I thought I'd be likely to drop out early on. Hence my surprise when they accepted me. I was even more surprised when the County Council approved my application for a full grant. But the biggest surprise of all was waiting for me at the college.
Having been there for about a fortnight, I realised that I was actually enjoying the lectures, while meeting and making new friends with students from a wide range of denominational backgrounds was stimulating and fun. The daily rhythm of chapel services, prayer and reading was building and stretching my faith The essays still seemed daunting, but I started to relax into what God had obviously wanted me to do. I stopped resisting. That said, I knew I'd never make a Hebrew or Greek scholar – in fact the only college prize I won in three years was for,Best contribution to the social life at the college!
I'd been prejudiced and ignorant about what Bible/theological colleges were really about. If I had continued to rebel against God's call I would have missed out on a life changing three years of fun, friendship and faith stretching that were pivotal to what God subsequently called me into.
Whatever age or stage of life you may be in, I encourage you to read the special supplement on training in this issue. Ignorance isn't bliss and maybe you might have some prejudices about what goes on in a theological college, I used to. I hope reading what college staff and students have to say about the quality and range of training options available today, will give you a broader understanding and a deeper appreciation of what a precious resource these places of learning and growth are. -
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25 Years And Still Going Strong
J John - the UK's best-known evangelist, celebrates 25 years of Christian ministry this month. In a wide-ranging interview with John Buckeridge, J John describes how his communication methods have changed in the past quarter century, highlights spiritual hot spots and signs of spiritual awakening in the UK, and defends proclamation-style preaching to a post-modern audience.
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Sunday School In The 21st Century
Sunday Schools have been around for hundreds of years – but are we teaching 21st century children with 19th century methods and curriculum? John Buckeridge investigates.
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Youthwork Works!
Over 6,000 youth workers are employed by local churches, John Buckeridge analyses a recent survey which reveals the impact this small army is having.
