Newfrontiers Bloggers: 2008

Introducing: Theologising

So I'm still catching up with the letter A, we're over 70 blogs now so I think it will be some while before we get down to Wendy! So introducing Theologising, the blog of Adam Bradley. Do stop by, have a look around and leave some comments which is a great way of encouraging a fellow blogger.

Location: Attleborough, Norfolk, UK
Church: Christ Community Church, Attleborough
Blog Birth: By the look of the archives, August 2008
Frequency: Something most weeks, often several times a week
Content: Preaching, leadership, theology, church life
Post length: Good mix of the short paragraph post to the longer interviews with leaders like Greg Haslam (amongst others)
Blog Type: One for the WordPress fans among you
Design: 3 column main posts in the middle, white background, with a grey & black text scheme

Introducing: A Path Less Followed

A problem has developed in my blog review methodology, we're discovering more blogs than I'm reviewing. So I have to backtrack to a few more 'A's or I'll get very confused. I've also changed it from 'Review' (which it wasn't really) to 'Introducing' (which it is really). So introducing Ali, Emily and Jess who together blog at A Path Less Followed. Do take a look and leave an encouraging comment

Location: Brighton, UK
Church: Church of Christ the King, Brighton
Blog Birth: 18th August 2008
Frequency: At least 2 or 3 posts a week
Content: theology, faith, spirituality, life
Post length: Some punchy posts but definitely some scrolling required for others
Blog Type: These are Blogger girls
Design: 2 column with a green feel and a big picture of a path

New Church Planting Website

Newfrontiers have launched a new website to encourage the development of church planting. It looks good and has some good stuff on it. You can do two things to support it -1) Head over there and take a good look around. 2) Make it known, share it on your blog and get others to prayerfully think about church planting

Messing with the blog

As you may have noticed the look of the blog has changed, in fact yesterday it changed at least twice. The culprit, or legend depending on your feelings about the new look is one Mr D Bish. Do leave comments along the lines of 'much better - really like it' or 'what's with all the yellow?', please be nice.

New Newfrontiers blogger

I've discovered a new Newfrontiers blogger by the name of James Farrer from Loughborough. Do stop by his blog and say hello, make him feel welcome. Don't be lazy.

HT: Tim Simmonds

"The best dead Frenchman I can think of is a man called John Calvin."

Joel Virgo on the NewDay Blog about Calvin's observation that the human heart is a factory of idols

Get into Calvin at Theology Network

Blog Review: Andy Robinson

Slowly working our way down the As in our blog previews we come to Andy Robinson's blog. As always, go and take a look, broaden your horizons and leave a nice comment of encouragement to a fellow blogger.

Location: Horsham, UK
Church: Kings Church, Horsham
Blog Birth: September 2008
Frequency: Averaging about 1 post a week but sometimes there are more
Content: Andy has his own sermons for download available which makes it a good resource blog, plus, top 3 categories are relationships, current affairs and miracles! So quite varied.
Post length: Some are short and snappy and well, some are a quite a bit longer than that
Blog Type: Andy uses WordPress
Design: Clean 3-column design with a blue feel (officially known as Andreas09)

Communities of Grace

Tim Chester:

Communities of Performance (of Disgrace?)

the leaders appear sorted
the community appears respectable
meetings must be a polished performance
identity is found in ministry
failure is devastating
actions are driven by duty
conflict is suppressed or ignored
the focus is on orthodoxy and behaviour (allowing people to think they’re sorted)

Communities of Grace

the leaders are vulnerable
the community is messy
meetings are just one part of community life
identity is found in Christ
failure is disappointing, but not devastating
actions are driven by joy
conflict is addressed in the open
the focus is on the affections of the heart (with a strong view of sin and grace)

I know which kind of church I love to be part of.
I know which kind of bride Jesus loves to show off as beautiful.

newfrontiersbloggers.blogspot.com

FYI, about 60 people a day using this site:

Mostly from the UK:

22 ways to blog better

Abraham Piper offers 22 very simple ways for a new blogger to improve. Helpful advice.

Another new blog

Kevin Gill from Church in the Peak has joined the growing ranks of Newfrontiers bloggers. Stop by his blog, read a post, leave a nice comment and encourage a fellow blogger...

A New Leadership Blog

Following hot on the heels of Matt Hosiers new blog The Leaders Poole comes this new blog from Steve Tibbert of Kings Church Catford.

Steve says, "The Leadership blog has just been launched and I am outlining the lessons we have learnt from moving to multiple meetings, which I believe will be helpful to a number of our churches."

Do go and have a read or better yet get your elders to read it...

On Men and Women

Emily Woods writes from a woman's perspective about men and women.

Luke Davydatis writes from a man's perspective about men and women.

The Leaders Poole

In a one man mission to write as many blogs as possible and get Poole to the front of everyone's mind, Matt Hosier has launched his 5th blog The Leaders Poole on funnily enough, leadership. Check it out...

Christians and Arts

David Capener interviews Mike Gough of Sparks Arts

ESV Study Bible

Ian Jukes has his new ESV Study Bible...

Pic: Tony Reincke

Engaging with Culture

UCCF releases an evangelism podcast regularly to equip students to live and speak for Jesus as they're involved in Christian Unions, united in evangelism to grow the local churches. I'd think they're also a good service to the wider church. Latest podcast: "ENGAGING WITH CULTURE"

How do we glorify God when playing football, cooking, studying and going to Church? How can living lives that glorify God help in evangelism? Clive Parnell chats with Julian Hardyman (Author of Glory Days) and music comes from Charlie Hall and The Dave Crowder Band.

Download | Subscribe with iTunes

A new affection!

I'm preparing to preach at Frontiers Church Exeter in a couple of weeks time on 2 Corinthians 3. Approaching that I've found myself drawn back to Thomas Chalmers' famous sermon on the expulsive power of a new affection (pdf) if you've not read it, I'd highly recommend it.

"The best way of casting out an impure affection is to admit a pure one; and by the love of what is good to expel the love of what is evil. Thus it is, that the freer gospel, the more sanctifying is the gospel; and the more it is received as a doctrine of grace, the more will it be felt as a doctrine according to godliness."

"...when God sees sinners as though they are saints they actually are saints"

Terry Virgo says we need to pin down our doctrine... we have theologians amongst us!

"Since a believer is in Christ then their standing before God is based on Christ’s standing. The believer is only viewed in the light of Christ’s obedient life, atoning death and resurrection.This union’s outcome, in terms of a believer’s righteousness, is that God views them not on their own in their unrighteousness, but in Christ with his righteousness.

Again, this is not a righteousness within the believer; it is still Christ’s. It is a reality because, as Calvin puts it, we are ‘engrafted into his body – in short, because he deigns to makes us one with him.’

The believer appropriates this righteousness by God counting it to them, which becomes a truth in the context of their union with Christ. When God looks at a believer, because of their positional security in Jesus they actually do have the standing before him that he declares them to have."

Tim Suffield, Clothed in Righteousness. More at TimSuffield.com

Terry Virgo responds to Driscoll

If you haven't already read this, then correct that now...

Blog Review: Andy Moyle

Next up for a blog review is Andy Moyle and his blog Adventures of a Church Planter recounts just that. As always, take a look, leave a nice comment and take the chance to encourage a church planter.

Location: Kings Lynn, Norfolk, UK
Church: Gateway Church
Blog Birth: January 2007
Frequency: Average about 1 post a week for the last few months
Content: preaching, church planting, evangelism, some multimedia
Post length: Pretty snappy. 5 short paragraphs was the longest
Blog type: Powered by LifeType
Design: 2 column, white background with tab headers, giving it a more than a blog not quite a full website feel

Lex Loizides

Lex Loizides blogs highlights from church history....

Born in London and raised in Sussex, Lex Loizides now lives with his wife, Jo, and their four children in Cape Town, South Africa. Lex and Jo have been involved in serving on the staff of local churches and helping plant churches in several countries as well as South Africa. Lex is a popular speaker at conferences and evangelistic missions with a passion and ability to bring people to Christ and equip the local church. He is an elder of the multi-racial Jubilee Community Church, Cape Town.

Where the Hell are you Going?

New blog no 53 and no4 by Matt Hosier (Matt Hosier, The Sermon Poole, The Worship Poole are the others) - this is a great project that invites thinking about ethics through story. First up is SEX. It's raw and readable. Go and read it, and leave Matt a comment about whether it's good, useful and readable...

Street encounters and other stuff

New blog added, this one by Wendy Mann from Bedford. That makes blog no 52 and 8 for the ladies - there's got to be more? Wendy is also the 3rd blogger from Bedford.

Equipping the church to read the whole Bible as Christian Scripture

In addition to blogging I'm involved in the BeginningWithMoses.org project which aims to equip the church to read the whole Bible as Christian Scripture... Among the many articles that might serve you well are:

Tim Keller

"KELLER uses literature, philosophy, conversations and reasoning to explain how faith in God is rational, held by people with intellectual integrity, with a deep compassion for those searching for the truth."

Tim Keller's outstanding apologetic book The Reason for God was recommended at Together on a Mission this year.

He's over in the UK in 2009 for a Newfrontiers leaders event.Also speaking at Oak Hill College in 2008/9 on preaching to the heart and urban church planting (book here).

Connect

We've had the following request for help:

"Connect Enews is a regular e-newsletter that shares news from around the UK in between paper editions of Connect. These often focus on more local events and healings, and aims to encourage us as a family of churches.

We currently have about 2500 subscriptions, but would love to see that go up to 5000, which is where we think you bloggers can help! We have a web banner that can be easily used on a blog or webpage - the link to the image is http://nf1.2xstreamhosting.com/%7Enewfrontiers/connect/Connect-e.news-static-web-a.jpg. We'd like this image to link straight to the subscription page - http://newfrontiers.worldreach.biz/member/subscribe.html.

Please consider endorsing Connect E•news on your blog!"

Interview

Adrian Warnock has posted one of his video interviews today. This one is of a political nature and in it he interviews a friend of his called Phillipa Stroud who is a candidate for the next general election. It's a fascinating interview.

You may know more about who she is, but best to let the video speak for itself.

Follow the blog...

Just to get an idea of who's reading this regularly, I've added the new follow widget from blogger. Normally I wouldn't leave these things at the top, so I might move it later on, but so it can catch your eye...there it is...to the right.

Ian Jukes

Ian Jukes, currently in the USA but coming to lead The Kings Way Church, Exmouth in 2009

Blog Action Day

Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

Surely Christian bloggers can do this?

Steve Tibbert begins blogging

Steve Tibbert, lead elder at King's Church Catford, has just started blogging, you can read his blog here. Steve is planning on writing for his church but also a regular article for other leaders. Stop by and say hello. That makes 50 Newfrontiers bloggers so far, by the way - not bad at all.

(HT: To Matt Hosier for the tip off)

Newfrontiers Amsterdam

New blog with a must read post

Simon Holley from King's Arms, Bedford is the latest to join the Newfrontiers Bloggers (49 now so far) and this post is an absolute belter, literally a must read

Christian Blog Awards

That's right - there are prizes for doing this! If you think a fellow blogger has a great blog, then go ahead and nominate them and if modesty doesn't prevent you then feel free to nominate yourself.

Follow this link to find out more. Newfrontiers blogger Emily Woods won last year with her blog, could we do it again?

A path less followed

Blog Review: Andrew Fountain

Next up for a blog review is our first Canadian Newfrontiers blogger (are there any others out there?) Andrew Fountain. Andrew leads New Life Church, Toronto. I don't know Andrew but its clear he reads meaty theological books and has some good things to say, he just doesn't say them very often! Do have a look, leave a comment and perhaps encourage him to post a few more.

Location: Toronto
Church: Newlife Church
Blog Birth: July 2006
Frequency: Not often, only two so far this year
Content: church planting, theology, book reviews
Post length: Spot on - neither too long or too short
Blog type: No idea
Design: 3 column, clean and crisp.

Any other church blogs out there?

Discovered today that CCK have a church blog rather than individual ones...so it's made it on the famous Newfrontiers Bloggers list. If you know of any other churches that have gone down that route, please let us know...

Liveblogging from Newday

See the Newday blog including beardwatch on Joel Virgo.

Mark Driscoll's MP3s from Together on a Mission

Together on a Mission 2008

Main Sessions by Mark Driscoll
Session 1 - on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and the Church and the Holy Spirit.
Session 2 - on making everything missional, enagaging with culture.
Session 3 - on movements and how to avoid becoming an institution or a museum.

Training Tracks by Mark Driscoll - for elders on church planting, ministry, family etc.
Training Track 1
Training Track 2
Training Track 3

The Amsterdam Church Plant

More at Sean Green's blog

Blog Review: Adrian Warnock

Next up is the godfather of Christian blogs - Adrian Warnock has been blogging since, well almost since blogs began (or at least it seems like that). It's a massive blog, with posts going back to 2003 and has loads of quality content - live blogging of conferences including Together on a Mission and New Word Alive, interviews, videos, audio and some really respected names have had the Warnie treatment - Terry Virgo, Mark Driscoll, Don Carson, John Piper, Wayne Grudem...the list goes on. So, for all aspiring bloggers....Adrian Warnock's blog has almost become a must add to your blog feed (whatever you use). Here's the facts:

Location: London
Church: Jubilee Church, London
Blog birth: April 2003
Frequency: Every day (sometimes more than once)
Content: Broad - Church life, wider christian leader interviews, books, quotes, sermons
Post length: Varies - from the very long to the not quite short
Comments: Adrian used to get loads of comments, but have now been removed. Not a problem most bloggers have!
Blog type: No idea...
Design: 3 column, white background and despite Adrian being a committed Mac user personally the design is the least appealing (to me at least) part of his blog. But substance should always be more important that style!

Blog Review: Adrian Birks

Adrian by virtue of his initials, is first up for a blog review. Sean Green made a comment when I first floated the idea, that we all blog for different reasons and we're on the same side. So, I've dropped the score idea and instead thought I'd start with just descriptions....so here goes....

Location: Woking
Church: The Coign Church
Blog Birth: March 2008
Frequency: About 1 post a week
Content: Mix of personal family life, book reviews and thoughts on church
Post length: To the point, no waffling here!
Comments: Allowed (so I've made one!)
Blog type: Blogger
Design: 2 column, using a standard blogger template - rounders 3

Going to Brighton?

So, Adrian Warnock is 'officially' live-blogging at Together on a Mission...
I'll be there too. Anyone else going?

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Blog Review

I've been thinking about reviewing some of the Newfrontiers bloggers now that a list is coming together (30 and counting). Otherwise this blog is simply just a list...

So here are things I'd look for in reviewing a blog, anything to add anyone?

Content
Frequency of posts. After content this perhaps more than anything keeps me interested in a blog
Design
Comments. Allowed? Barred? Allowed but there aren't any?
Widgets. Anything new, interesting, interactive
Links. Does this blog help me find something else interesting...

Hmm, I might reduce that to 5 and score each one out of 10, giving a nice easy score of out of 50.
Ideas?

the blue fish project: "I am wondering whether to write a book entitled Charismatic Calvinistic Church Planters. Do you think it would fly?"

the blue fish project: "I am wondering whether to write a book entitled Charismatic Calvinistic Church Planters. Do you think it would fly?"

Thanks for the promotion Dave...

A blog about blogs

The more I've blogged the more I've read other blogs and here I'm listing all the blogs I can find from the family of churches I'm a part of - Newfrontiers. Get in touch if you want to add your blog

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