In Context

This week Ian speaks with Jon Norwood one of the elders of Beechwood Chapel in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Jon shares about his experiences of church revitalisation and how sacrifice and humility is essential for a successful ministry. You can find more about Beechwood Chapel here https://beechwoodchapel.org/ and you can follow Jon on Twitter here @JSNorwoo

This week Ian speaks with Sam Wilkins, a pastoral assistant at Niddrie Community Church in Edinburgh, Scotland. Together they discuss how sanctification can be scary and how when you become a Christian, the biggest battle is often in your head.

Nicky grew up on a tough council estate without a father and lived a chaotic lifestyle until finding faith in Jesus. Nicky shares how God has used his upbringing, mistakes and hardships to prepare him for ministry and how he and his wife Krista run a gospel outreach called the Open Well in their home town of South Bank in Middlesbrough.  

Ian and Robin discuss discipleship, hospitality and church planting in areas of rural deprivation. Find out about the church that Robin pastors here: Grace Community Church https://www.gracechurchloftus.co.uk

This week Ian speaks to Joel Kurz about the challenges and joys of ministering in an inner city church in Baltimore, USA. Joel is the Pastor at The Garden Church and the Director of ONE HOPE a church planting ministry for inner cities. Find out more about his ministry here http://thegardenbaltimore.com ~ http://onehope.gives  

Ian interviews Steve Bray, Lead Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in St. John’s, a small but growing Church with a passion for biblical preaching, missions and church planting in one of the most unchurched provinces in Canada

Ian and Eddie talk about growing up in the North East of England, ministry in the Ivory Coast, the disconnect between mission and the local church and how unity is threatened by theological tribalism. Check out Eddie's ministry website here https://www.kouya.net Check out his running blog here https://oldmanintights.blogspot.com Follow him on Twitter @kouya

In this weeks episode, Ian and Acts 29 European Director Phil Moore, discuss how churches affiliated to A29 are collaborating for mission in Europe and beyond. Follow Phil on Twitter @moore_philip Find his article on Brexit here https://www.acts29.com/gospel-reflections-on-brexit/ Find out more about A29 here https://www.acts29.com/who-should-apply/

This week Ian speaks with Mario Maneville. Mario has been serving as Pastor-teacher at Reformed Faith Mission Community Church in Cape Town, South Africa, since 2013 and is also a co-hort leader for Church in Hard Places. You can support Mario here https://20schemes.infoodle.com/f/OnlineDonationsFormInspired Find him on Twitter and email here @MarioManeville mfmaneville@gmail.com Find his church h...

Over the coming weeks we will be speaking with each of the trustees that serve on the Medhurst Ministries board. This week we are speaking with Matthew Spandler Davison.

On this weeks episode Ian speaks with Joel Morris about how taking risks and generosity is at the heart of the gospel. Joel is the Executive Director of Union School of Theology and is the author of the books Big Hearted and Revolutionary God and you can buy his books here: https://www.10ofthose.com/uk/authors/joel-morris and you can find out more about Union School of Theology here: https://www.u...

Chris Davidson is the nicest church planter with 20Schemes and the Free Church of Scotland and this week he spends time with Ian talking about his experience of discipleship, disappointment and death.

This weeks guest Dr. Matt Searles, shares his love of the Psalms and covers topics such as; finding comfort in the Psalms, the difference between joy and happiness and why is it so hard to admit you are miserable if you're a Christian. Matt is an author and musician and he is currently Director of Training for the South Central Gospel Partnership, primarily overseeing and teaching courses in Bible...

This weeks guest Dr. Robert Smith Jr, shares his wisdom on preaching and covers topics such as  preaching to the heart and head, preaching through tragedy and finding your identity as a preacher. Dr Robert Smith Jnr. holds the Charles T. Carter Baptist Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School where he teaches Christian Preaching and is the author of Doctrine that Dances and The Oasis God. You c...

This weeks episode is an interview with Jason Nelson. Jason is a church planter serving at Niddrie Community Church in Edinburgh, Scotland. He and his family are from Laramie, Wyoming. Jason is married to Gretchen and they have five children. You can support his ministry here  https://20schemes.com/give/ You can watch Jason and his family serving with 20Schemes Music here https://youtu.be/GXvtCcv1...

Dennae Pierre shares about her role as a board member of the Crete Collective and the executive director of the Surge Network and how an addiction to comfort and idolatry of personal and cultural preferences are some of the reasons why the church is failing to reach the forgotten black and brown communities of the USA.  The Crete Collective https://thecretecollective.org The Surge Network http://s...

Jeremy Marshall is an author, preacher and philanthropist who talks about how having cancer and being a former banker has equipped him to support ministries in deprived areas. You can find  Jeremy's books here https://www.10ofthose.com/uk/authors/jeremy-marshall His Twitter account here  @jeremysmarshall Kingdom Bank https://www.kingdom.bank Stewardship https://www.stewardship.org.uk

This week Ian is joined by two women called Cat and the hosts of the Plumb Line Podcast and as well as constantly complementing each other on their podcasts,  they discuss Banter, Gilets, women's ministry and the motivation for podcasting. You can find their podcast here https://theplumblinepodcast.buzzsprout.com and you can follow them on Twitter and Facebook here https://twitter.com/PlumbPodcast...

Ian, Shane Goodyear (London City Mission) and Johnny Prime (The FIEC) talk about the difficulties of being raised without a father, the blessing of having a good father and the joy of knowing adoption by God the Father.

Mez McConnel is a Pastor, Author, Director of 20schemes and Global Urban Poor Strategist for Church in Hard Places. Both he and Ian discuss some of the problems and solutions of gospel ministry in deprived areas. www.20schemes.com

John Onwuchekwa, author and lead pastor of Cornerstone Church in Atlanta, Georgia, speaks with Ian about the need for mentors who look like their mentees, diversity in the church and winning allies instead of arguments. Follow John onTwitter @JawnO Buy his books here https://www.10ofthose.com/uk/authors/john-onwuchekwa Find his podcast and business here https://linktr.ee/jawno

Ben Falaja a former boxer, grew up in a fatherless family in the 90's and has been mentored by Eric Young a former pro-footballer and policeman. They both talk about how their love of Jesus, sport and experiences of fatherlessness has led to friendship between two men of differing ages, ethnicities and cultures.

Ian and Nathan talk to Steve Kneale about how you have to shout loud if you want to be heard,  the danger of small churches having to fight over the scraps and how promoting  the gospel needs of Northern England can often lead to people taking offence. Steve's blog and podcast can be found here https://buildingjerusalem.blog More info about the church plant in Rochdale can be found here https://ww...

Find out how Sam "Speeks" Anderson, a London born Husband, Father and Rapper, somehow ended up north working as a gospel worker in Oldham. CHECKOUT HIS MUSIC HERE https://lnk.bio/SpeeksUK CHECKOUT HIS CHURCH AND SUPPORT HIM HERE https://www.oldhambethelchurch.org.uk/give/

From discipleship to ministry opportunities, Sue, Rachel and Jude talk about what it is like to be a lone parent in the church.