backyardmissionary

Either that or he’s a lucky bastard.
Go to his blog and find out that he won a car thru the Sunday Times.

Having heard him ruminate for over a year now about buying a newish car its great to see him not even having to worry. Of course I doubt he and Mrs G & […]

I think I used to be an evangelist… but even then I’m not so sure…
You see when you are a youth pastor, especially one with significant influence there is a very strong ‘power’ relationship with the young people in your care and their desire to emulate you can make them quite easy to influence towards […]

Jarrod McKenna’s Wednesday’s with Gandhi:
 “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall — think of it, always.” -Mohandas Gandhi
I’m off to Indonesia this Friday […]

In the few short weeks I have been running the retic business I have seen how easy it would be to be shonky and take advantage of people. It makes me wonder how many times in the past I have been shafted and not even known it.
On a couple of jobs there has been extra […]

All the talks from this Forge WA Training Day have now been uploaded.
If you’re interested in the nuts & bolts / practicalities of starting a missional incarnational community then you ought to tune in here. It was a great day and really worthwhile for those on the journey.
I also noticed that because it was very […]

I posted recently about hard soil and my conclusion was that in ‘hard soil’ you just keep chipping away…
Well, today I went to a reticulation job where the soil was like rock. After 10 minutes of ‘chipping’ I concluded that in the absence of something more substantial it was going to be a very […]

Jarrod McKenna’s Wednesday’s with Gandhi:
“Today I rebel against orthodox Christianity, as I am convinced that it has distorted the message of Jesus.  He was an Asiatic whose message was delivered through many media, and when it had the backing of a Roman emperor it became an imperialist faith as it remains to this day.”
-Mohandas Gandhi, […]

 Guest blogger in the backyard: Jarrod McKenna
Our friend Shane Claibourne, that mega-phone of amazing grace is at it again, this time campaigning for “Jesus for President”!
 
to read an Australian take click here
For a video explaining why you shouldn’t vote for Jesus this election click here
So as we go into this weekend, big respect to […]

As I told Sydneysiders that I was running a retic business they looked at me in disbelief.
These guys are allowed to water their lawns twice a week with a hose… so there is absolutely no need at all for a business like mine in the East.
It makes you realise the fragility of these kinds of […]

I was surprised by this place.
I expected a grimy industrial city with a bunch of rednecks!
It was a beautiful place and I got to hang with some wonderful people from the local church down there. Even better, they were coffee nuts and ‘home roasters’, so I was kept in good coffee by those around […]

Sick people on airplanes have really messed with my sleep lately!
First it was my wife and then last night it was someone else’s wife… (so I do have great sympathy!)

After sitting still at the airport for 45 mins waiting for baggage to load, the plane finally left. Then we got 200 kms west of Adelaide […]

Here’s a useful site.

It asks you 20 questions then gives you a ‘how to vote’ card for your own electorate based on your answers.
Great if you’re lazy or finding it hard to decide.

I think Sam will love the book I bought him while I was out walking today.

Its been a really good few days here in Sydney.
I love the northern beaches area and the feel of a place like Manly on a Sunday morning is something pretty unique. Below are some pics from both the intensive and from my walk this morning.
This afternoon I head down to Wollongong to speak […]

I am in Sydney for a few days staying with Pete & Katrina Horsley and taking part in the Forge intensive over here.
We have the intensive today and tomorrow, Sunday is a day off when I’ll probaby join them at their church gathering (SmallBoatBigSea) before heading down to meet with a bunch of people in […]

Hi there, Hamos wife here. Blogging is not my medium by any stretch but it is Andrews’ and there is one important thing that has happened that will not make it to his blog unless I write it so … I thought you may like to know that he was awarded (along with a […]

There is a new mission agency on the block and their stuff is excellent!
Although GIA (Global Interaction) sounds like an insurance company they are actually the rebadged and revamped ABMS (Australian Baptist Mission Society). Its not often a rebranding comes off so well, but I have to say I am really […]

Here’s a new blog by a person I fondly refer to as one of my ‘old youth group kids’. He was that but Harry is so much more.
And hardly a kid anymore as the subtitle shows…
“Theological musings in the fertile spaces between economics, sectarian community, anarchism, permaculture, communalism and agrarianism.”
If you can understand all that […]

No… Its not a post on suburban mission…
Its a bit more literal than that. I have started the retic business I mentioned previously and today was digging in very hard soil. After a 40 degree day yesterday where I was outside and installing a couple of systems I decided to leave today’s job until […]

Wess Daniels is sharp, articulate, intelligent, prayerful and looks like Brett from the Kiwi comedy duo “Flight of the Concords”.  If you’re a fan of getting ‘feeds’ from blogs, Wess’ gathering in light is one that doesn’t disappoint.
He’s recent post on leadership, payed roles and pastoral gifts is thought provoking:
“We also need to come to […]