11Jul 2009 by Nigel Ring

Co-operating with the Holy Spirit

Administration in the Church, Biblical Administration, Equipping
Mar 6:35-37 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?" As we look further into these verses we see that, in administrative terms, Jesus was presented with a huge task. Organising and feeding 5000 men (who knows how many women and children were also there) is no small matter. First, clarity of definition was needed. Without such definition how will we know that the project…
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08Jul 2009 by Nigel Ring

Administration helps God-encounters

Administration in the Church, Conference Administration, Equipping
Breakfast in Brighton I have just had breakfast at the Brighton Conference Centre! This is the venue on Brighton seafront for many political party conferences and prestigious pop-concerts, but this week the gathering place for over 2000 church leaders and 1500 students and twenties from around the world. Each morning the Management Team meets for breakfast to review the previous day and fine-tune the new one. Under the title Together on a Mission (TOAM) – which describes the purpose of this Newfrontiers gathering – the week combines two conferences. One, Leadership, is to equip and envision church leaders in the fulfilment of their local and our corporate vision. The other, Mobilise, is to equip the next generation of leaders and church planters. Sometimes the two conferences meet separately and at…
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06Jul 2009 by Nigel Ring

On-the-job training

Administration in the Church, Biblical Administration, Equipping
Mar 6:35-37 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?" When Jesus found his plan to debrief the disciples had been hindered how did he respond? Because he was clear about his calling and knew his job description, as defined in the Kingdom manifesto of Is 61, he went ashore and began to teach the crowd. He also saw this as a further training opportunity.…
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03Jul 2009 by Nigel Ring

Do you know your priorities?

Administration in the Church, Biblical Administration, Equipping
Continuing our examination of Jesus as Administrator… Mk 6:33, 34 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. Following their first ministry trip the disciples needed to ‘off-load’. They had experienced some tremendous healings and so on, and Jesus determined to hear all about it and to draw out lessons to help them grow in their gifting. To do this he needed a place where he could have their undivided attention. Being on the edge of the Sea of Galilee the logical way…
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26Jun 2009 by Nigel Ring

Do you learn from experience?

Administration in the Church, Biblical Administration, Equipping
Mar 6:30-31 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. The first ministry trip of the early disciples must have been both exciting and ‘heart-thumping’. They had never been in the front line before – they had always watched Jesus ‘do the stuff’ (as our dear friend John Wimber used to say). After several days they came together again with Jesus. Can you imagine the stories they told one another? First one would tell of a healing, then another of a wonderful deliverance. No doubt each disciple tried to ‘cap’ the previous…
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17Jun 2009 by Nigel Ring

Jesus – The Administrator!

Administration in the Church, Biblical Administration, Equipping
Mark 6:7-14  And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in their belts-- but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.…
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