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Lessons From a Garden Bed

When we started a vegetable patch in our backyard, our two toddlers were so into it. Squishing the seeds into the dirt and drenching the soil in water were the perfect ingredients for an unbelievably wholesome afternoon activity. Predictably, the afternoon turned into an evening of imagining: How tall will they grow? How good willContinue reading “Lessons From a Garden Bed”

How Many Pizzas Should I Buy for Youth Group? (And Why You Might Need Tertiary Training to Work it Out).

At one level, the formula is pretty simple. Ready? P = (f/3+m/2)x1.2 Whoop. There it is. The pizza formula.* Based on years of refinement across multiple cities, demographics and group sizes – the pizza formula has never let me down. It’s simple, scaleable and adjustable based on the size of pizza (this one being basedContinue reading “How Many Pizzas Should I Buy for Youth Group? (And Why You Might Need Tertiary Training to Work it Out).”

Predestination Derailed My Small Group Again. Here’s What I Wish I Said.

It took one week. There we were on the first Friday night Bible study of the year, a perfectly innocent circle enjoying a casual conversation about Genesis 1. Then, like a tiger, leaping out of the weeds to tackle an unsuspecting baby zebra, it happened. The Predestination Question. I’ve seen this before, and I’ve beenContinue reading “Predestination Derailed My Small Group Again. Here’s What I Wish I Said.”

WISH: A Review

I love kids films. I didn’t used to. As a kid longing to be older than I was, they felt too childish for my PG- rated palette. Now that I’m not a kid any more, turns out injecting a little dose of child-like wonder every now and then is good for my soul. So, IContinue reading “WISH: A Review”

Sleeping

“Let’s Begin by taking a smallish nap or two.” — Winnie the Pooh I can fall asleep anywhere, anytime, on demand. Perhaps having small children helps, putting me in such a perpetual snooze debt that I can cash in at will. Or maybe I’m just lucky. Either way I try not to take it for grantedContinue reading “Sleeping”

The Futility of Proper Praying

‘Pray until you pray’. It’s an old puritan saying – nobody seems to know where from. But I hear it every so often. The idea is that you should pray deeply. With focus, and tenacity, and patience. That you should persist in your prayers, until eventually you find yourself praying differently somehow. That eventually, yourContinue reading “The Futility of Proper Praying”

Psalm 23 for Grown Ups

For months, Psalm 23 was our evening routine, and I didn’t love it. Each night, I’d read it to my daughter from her kids Bible. When she’d inevitably point at the pictures of the sheep, and say ‘woof’ – I’d start to wonder if she was missing something. But at least her enthusiasm was high.Continue reading “Psalm 23 for Grown Ups”

Sister, Brother, Muddle Through your Prayers

Since the news of our latest lockdown has hit, most of my conversations with people have been tinged with grief, disappointment, frustration and fear. And as we contemplate the renewed restrictions ahead of us, it strikes me that cheap joy is a little bit like cash these days – not many people are willing to accept it anymore.Continue reading “Sister, Brother, Muddle Through your Prayers”

5 Things My Birth Class Taught Me About Welcoming People to Church

To an introvert like me, three hours in a closed room talking about intimate things with a group of random strangers sounds about as enjoyable as swallowing a fork. But when you’re thirty-something weeks’ pregnant like my wife and I, birth classes become a necessary part of life. So that’s where we went. After weContinue reading “5 Things My Birth Class Taught Me About Welcoming People to Church”