Reaching the UnreachedAn annual conference for churches trying to reach out in the hard places of our land

Watch the first of the sessions from this year’s conference, by Andy Mason.

To watch the rest of the videos from the weekend, go to the 2011 conference page.

Guest post by Neil Robbie

In a setting where reading and study are not the norm, how do we encourage young Christians or unbelievers to engage with God’s Word? Neil Robbie (blogging at transforminggrace.wordpress.com) shares his experience of something called the Swedish Bible Study Method…

We’re launching a network of small groups at Holy Trinity West Bromwich with God’s word at the centre in a way which suits the learning and devotional style of our people. We’ve chosen the Swedish Bible Study Method which appeared in this article in The Briefing a few years ago.

What is this Swedish thing?

The Swedish Bible Study Method, in a nutshell, is self-directed study of a passage with four simple questions:

• Light. What light does this passage shine on God, the world, the church, or me?
• Questions. What questions do I have?
• Change. What should I do or change as a result of reading this passage?
• Speech Bubble. What could I say to someone from this passage? Who will I say it to?

There are several advantages to this method of Bible study. (continue reading…)

A question was sent in via the contact page, and I thought it was worth posting for discussion. Here it is:

Does anyone have any theories about why these areas [council estates, urban priority/deprived areas] are so hard and the people so resistant to the Gospel? The usual response  is a) poverty and b) poor church witness and practice. But I don’t buy this. In many parts of the world people are much poorer, and churches much more corrupt, sectarian and heretical, yet people flock to them because they are desperate for God! They even plant their own churches without having being discipled or without having even heard of Mark Driscoll or Tim Keller! Why not here?

Got any answers? What are your thoughts? Post a comment below.

Guest post by Martin McNeely

Not long ago I was asked to take part in a seminar organized by the Urban Mission group of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland entitled “Keller Unplugged”. It was not, as it might sound, a performance of acoustic tunes extolling the virtues of New York’s Presbyterian pastor, author and teacher! Rather, it was a gathering of like-minded church activists who wanted to see if Keller’s ministry could teach us anything in urban and missional contexts closer to home.

At first glance, some would bypass Tim Keller. He’s working in a context far removed from the UK, particularly our estates and unreached areas. Redeemer Presbyterian concentrates on Manhattan urbanites, post-modern younger professionals in a cosmopolitan and socially liberal city. Without doubt, Keller’s ministry and philosophical style reflects this.

But deeper appreciation of Keller gives us good ground for a study of his teaching, not least because his formative ministry development was forged in Hopewell, a blue collar Virginian town. It was there, for the first ten years of his ministry life, where Keller learned to preach. It was in that setting where his theology of evangelical social conscience was worked through, via his DMin studies at Westminster Seminary.

So what did he learn? In a recent exploration of his life at desiringgod.org Keller shared three main influences. The first was the Covenant theology taught at Westminster by Meredith Kline. Keller has also been influenced by and closely associated with the approach of Ed Clowney and his desire to share Christ in Old Testament preaching. I find this emphasis on covenant, or as others may term it, ‘Biblical theology’ most helpful. In our broken, dysfunctional society it is so helpful for the preacher to know that God does have a plan and that He does not break His promises to His people. What a challenging message in a society where promises are broken all the time.

Secondly, Keller emphasizes the doctrineof Justification by faith. He argues from his reading of Richard Lovelace in Dynamics of Spiritual Renewal, that justification has played a role in every major revival of God’s Spirit in Church history. And again, in our society what a Gospel of hope! Broken people in sinful situations can be forgiven and declared blameless by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Finally, Keller speaks much of the importance of works as a result of our having experienced mercy. The key influence here is Charity and it’s Fruits by Jonathan Edwards. Tim Keller particularly expounds the Good Samaritan parable as evidence of not only God’s great mercy which saves, but of our response as mercy showing people. In his book Ministries of Mercy (P&R), Keller argues that good works provide a “plausibility structure” out of which Gospel relationships and conversations develop. His recent work “Generous Justice” is an extended exposition of the wider Biblical arguments.

Now, I’ve neither studied all of the above names or profess to be an expert on Tim Keller. But neither do we need to be in downtown Manhattan to appreciate him. I find his balanced teaching very helpful in my context. I hope you do too.

Martin McNeely is minister of Ballykeel Presbyterian, a community church based in Ballymena, NI.

Gospel discipleship over the long haul

Council estates, urban priority areas, low income households: the gospel is powerful to save anyone, from anywhere, but what does making disciples look like in the ‘hard places’ of our country, where progress can seem heartbreakingly slow?

For more details and to book click here, or watch the conference trailer below.