Worship Works

13Aug 2021 by Mark Lawrence

Abide in the word to grow as a disciple

teaching

Over the next three months we will be looking at some of the characteristics of how to grow as a disciple in the marketplace. We are starting with the word of God. Abiding in the word John 8:31 (ESV) 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples" In the gospel of John, we have the first mention of “disciple” in Chapter 8. Here Jesus is clearly speaking to believers, those who have trusted in Jesus for their salvation. Now He wants to challenge them in how to have that closer fellowship with Him, how to continue in their belief. Firstly they had to believe, the first step in faith and obedience to Jesus; now He gives…

28Jul 2021 by Mark Lawrence

What does being a disciple for Christ mean?

teaching

Is there a difference between just believing in Jesus and living totally for Him? Where do you think you are in your journey as a Spirit-filled believer? What can you do to receive all of what Christ has for you? Jesus sets out a challenge in the Gospel of John. “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him.” John 12:25-26 (ESV) In the previous verse, Jesus has just spoken about His upcoming death; that He will give up His life so that sin can be overcome, and spiritual fruit can flourish. …

30Apr 2021 by worship

What Kind Of Clay Will You And I Be?

ekklesia, teaching

I was encouraged recently to receive this message from David Foster, who is Senior Pastor at Manor Park Christian Centre and Chaplain to the Metropolitan Police in Newham, London. It is reproduced below with Pastor David's permission: As we continue to navigate the days ahead, the most important thing we can do is to keep our eyes focused upon Jesus. Many Christian leaders are in agreement that the Lord’s desire over the past 13 months of the Covid-19 pandemic has been to continue to change His Church into what He wants us to be. This means that the Church as we have known it in the past will be changed to look and to be something different in the days ahead. He wants “to make her [His Church—believers in Christ]…

17Apr 2020 by Mary Kangley

The Word of our God endures forever

In practice, teaching

The importance of being rooted in God’s Word as a Marketplace Minister “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”Isaiah 40:8 This verse has enchanted me ever since I was young. The grass and flowers: part of God’s awesome Creation, things that we appreciate for their beauty but equally we take for granted, even they fail. But, we can choose to root ourselves in something that is everlasting, that which will challenge us, grow us and never fail us: God’s Word. In my role as a Marketplace Minister, all I do begins with my foundation in scripture. It has to be, because what I am called to do, I cannot do with my own strength and understanding. For transformation that begins in the…

10Mar 2019 by worship

Get the App: Transform Our World

teaching

There is a world-changer inside of everyone that needs to be activated. This app will equip and empower you on your journey to operate as the Ekklesia - God's vehicle to transform the world through the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. You will receive daily devotions, weekly podcasts and powerful video testimonies that illustrate what it looks like. Find out more or download the app here. Then once you have installed the app, click the 'Join the Community' option to receive premium updates.

29Jan 2019 by worship

Books to inspire your Ekklesia journey

teaching

Ed Silvoso’s book, Ekklesia, is the core textbook for term two of our marketplace ministry training curriculum. Silvoso opens with a statement that when Jesus announced the Church, he described it not in religious terms but as his ekklesia - a secular term used by the Greeks and Romans to describe an institution operating in the marketplace in a governmental capacity. The implications are immense, as the author explains: “The Temple and the synagogue were static institutions that functioned in buildings that members had to go to on specified occasions, whereas the Ekklesia was a building-less mobile people movement designed to operate 24/7 in the marketplace for the purpose of having an impact on everybody and everything.” The book provides a glimpse of what God is doing in this generation…

18Nov 2018 by worship

Praying with watchfulness: Korea

chronicles, In practice

We have recently been learning and applying principles for co-creating with God, and praying with watchfulness. We have seen how God, who made us in His image, gave us the ability to create - to envision something and to produce it. And we do this best when we do it not independently of Him, but co-working with Him. We see that this can shape how we pray, too. I believe that in one sense God is waiting for us to agree with Him in prayer so that He will act. In our workplace ministry setting, we apply the model that Jesus taught his disciples in Luke 10, to enter a house and first say: “Peace to this house”. Then where the disciple was welcomed, to stay there, eat with their…

14Nov 2018 by worship

Prayer changes things: addiction

In practice

In Maidstone, Kent, a quarterly prayer walk takes place in the town centre where believers from across the town gather to pray over the community. When not prayer walking, many of the group meet weekly at the start of each week to listen to the Lord speak as He puts issues on their hearts and then pray with watchfulness and thankfulness. During the town-centre prayer walks, we noticed the prevalence of betting shops in Maidstone, which led us to pray for those addicted to gambling in the community. Christians in Maidstone pray regularly through the town centre (this photo from 2014) Then just two weeks ago when UK Sports Minister Tracy Crouch resigned in protest at the government's delaying of a new law to curb the lure of fixed odds betting terminals, it…

24Oct 2018 by worship

Working with Jesus

chronicles, In practice

It was 1997, and the Internet was coming. In fact it was already here, in the UK, but few people or companies seemed to realise what a difference it was about to make. I had spent the first six years of my career since leaving school working with computers in various ways, learning to program and developing technology for managing data and business processes. The company I now worked with was a start-up in print management. The founder had previously led a larger company where I had worked as a programmer, and when he left to form a new business he invited me to join his team. It was a perfect environment for me to learn fast, and after three years we had a powerful technology platform up and running…

17Aug 2018 by worship

The Ekklesia at work: reflections from a marketplace minister

In practice

After the completion of a recent course following Ed Silvoso's book Ekklesia, Adam, a marketplace minister and research analyst, wrote this reflection on his personal application of Ed's teaching. Read on to discover how understanding Jesus' Ekklesia as the vehicle for transforming nations affects our whole life as his followers. Jesus did things differently, so should I. When Jesus set out the heart and purpose of His ministry vehicle, the Ekklesia, it deeply challenged the social norm. The Ekklesia challenged the traditional religious structure of the synagogue as the place or worship, sacrifice and teaching by taking a familiar concept and turning it on its head. Jesus demonstrated throughout his earthly ministry that he would constantly challenge mind-sets in order to bring people back to the Father’s heart. In his…