backyardmissionary

One of my consumer weaknesses is new electronic toys. I am always impressed by new technology and better functions etc. I try not to be sucked in… but sometimes I just can’t resist.
As much as my old Nokia 6230i has been a great little phone, I was quite bored with it and wanted a change. […]

Ok - so Kev’s not that big…
I’m sure you have probably already got the email by now, but in case you haven’t, there is a webcast of Jonny & Kev addressing the Christian voters this Thursday night.

You can login here and have your own private viewing.
It starts at 7.45 in WA and importantly, should […]

I’m thinking of starting a collection of these and then using them at his 21st birthday.
If we could get one a year it’d quite amusing I reckon!

A few weeks back I went into Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital for a sleep study. That’s where they wire you up with about a thousand electrodes and then make observations on how you sleep during the night.
It was in response to this dilemma, which was particularly bad around this time last year. I still have […]

So reads the title of Hugh Mackay’s Saturday column in the West Australian (Click on the image below to read the full story)
In this short piece about the nature of community Mackay describes the fragmentation of western society and the loss we suffer because of our individualism, transience and busyness.

He goes on to say that […]

I wrote about this here.

This weekend was further evidence. Admittedly it was Geelong they were playing, but it was still pretty awful.
Maybe its not the coach… (or the senior pastor for that matter!…)

If there is such a place as ‘Danelle Heaven’ then she is about to arrive there in 4 or 5 hours.
This morning we took Danelle to the airport where she got on board a flight to Bali so that she could do some work in orphanages with her sister. She left with 40 kilos of […]

This was a wonderful weekend spent with a real quality bunch of people.
I love how we seem to be able blend both a laid back vibe with some serious theological rigour and a liberal dose of humour!
I have uploaded the recorded sessions to our forge website if you are interested in hearing them. Geoff […]

TSK posted a whole series of images poking fun at emerging church folks, via our reformed friends. Very well done and quite funny.
I had thought of creating some fun in reply but it seems they have done it themselves!
I had an email come in today from someone I don’t know and when I checked […]

Right, wrong, or culturally determined?…
What do you think?
I’m not being silly. Its a missionary question…

Thanks Bek (If this works then Russell is a lucky man)

I’ve offered some of my thoughts on kids in mission but I must say that it is my beautiful wife who really is the expert here.
On Monday she presented a session at our Forge intensive entitled ‘Risk & Reward - Families Together in Mission’ where she spoke about what she has learnt about nurturing […]

Terry’s comment below was an excellent one.
He reminded us of the old African proverb - ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. Its a proverb I often use and I have to say I am very grateful for the ‘village’ we are a part of who help us with the job of raising […]

In venturing out from the familiarity of the established church environment to start again and re-imagine church, one of the core issues for Danelle and I to consider was how we would look after our children away from Sunday schools, kid’s ministries and youth groups. It’s a question overseas missionaries have been facing for years, […]

Giardini’s - Oxford Street Leederville - Now… I had better be careful because this is where I work (meet people) and I wouldn’t want to offend those fantastic staff who are there! They use Vittoria coffee and do a pretty decent job with it, but it does mean they start a few steps off the […]

Its been a great weekend at the Forge WA intensive!
We have had around 25 of us down at Subiaco enjoying the rich theological insights and challenges from Geoff & Sherry Maddock and the inspiration and creative engagement of Olivia McClean and Stuart Davey.
We have been privileged to have such quality people come and meet with […]

“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead

At a recent Forge National directors meeting one of our crew shared this insight from American church leader Erwin McManus. During his time in Australia, McManus urged Aussies to be more diligent about responding to their own context and doing their own missiology. He insisted that we have to stop following what is happening in […]

This weekend sees the start of our second Forge Intensive for 2007 and it will be fantastic.
We will be exploring what it means to follow Jesus in a consumer culture and discussing issues of discipleship, spirituality and sustainability in a missionary context.

We have Geoff & Sherry Maddock coming to join us for the 3 days […]

Why wasn’t Albert a church leader?…
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex and more violent. It take a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.”
Albert Einstein