Queen's Road Cell

Edmund Chan speaks of these competencies as: 1. Shepherding : caring through words and presence counseling with identifying the root problem coaching by giving principles and skills to point people in the right spiritual direction. 2. Teaching in the most efficacious ways for all learning types. 3. Leading . God-centredness causes mentors to bring mentorees to encounters with God and to lead with examples of 'passion, purpose and pursuit.' I felt that it was worth looking at Psalm 23:1-4 to ask ourselves how as undershepherds under the 'Chief Shepherd' (Eph 4:11, 1 Pe 5:1-4) we should be relating to the sheep under our charge. A shepherding ('pastoral') relationship is characterized by the exercise of oversight, meaning responsibility and authority. Ps 23 can be divided (if it is divided!) into 2 or even 3 sections. Some regard the whole Psalm as speaking only of the Lord's shepherding care, although v. 5-8 seems to switch to a picture of a guest...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.. (Heb 12:1-2, NIV) Introduction The letter to the Hebrews was written to people that had become spiritually tired. They were believers of Jewish heritage who were unsure if their Christian faith was really the right way to go. They were getting discouraged (10:24). People in their midst had suffered physically and financially for their faith (10:33-4). So throughout the letter the author gives them motivations to help them recover their direction and purpose. We, too, can become unfocused; even bored with our Christian life. We just coast along, in the same routines of life, without...

Eugene and Joyce shared stories of how people ill with advanced cancer had turned to Christ. I asked whether it was right that Christians should share the gospel with those who were physically weak and emotionally vulnerable - would this not be wrong? Our answer was that we are not told to stop sharing the gospel with people. Who knows but that it was God who granted them an illness out of loving grace, rather than out of anger and judgement, if the illness led to their salvation? We are to " be ready in season and out of season" (2 Ti 4:2) - not to say we preach and share at times inconvenient to people, but times inconvenient to us. I shared the touching Christian story of the birdcage: There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Several eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak.   "I w...

Edmund Chan stresses the importance of not only knowing the truth in mentoring, but of applying it and reaping the benefits of application before passing it on. His famous aphorism is, "Truth doesn't change lives. Truth applied changes lives". He asks us to put in the perspiration needed to discover truth. My first question is, "What is truth?" Broadly defined, truth is that which is in accord with objective reality. God is the ultimate reality, in the sense that He stands unchanging outside the universe He created. God made all that is 'real', both physical and spiritual. Truth is that which is consistent with His mind and character and being. Spiritual truth is present in creation  (Rom 1:19-20), from which we know about His eternity, His power and His transcendent nature. Truth is supremely contained in the Scriptures (Jn 17:17) and it is to there we go to judge  everything. Creation (= 'general revelation') is as valid a witness to truth as...

Edmund Chan identifies substructures in our Christian life, that if handled poorly, will 'destroy the credibility and effectiveness of God's servants'. We only asked ourselves why it is that some people (and we) live double lives. We noted that this is because we have sins to hide, and yet want to have a reputation that does not match our true self. Edmund Chan's point is that families are more likely to see our true selves. We said this was because families saw us more often and saw us from the time of birth/childhood onward. We may also feel more open with our families because they will not reject us as friends might. And yet some made the observation that many times youth also lack a good relationship with their family and will conceal their true selves from both family and non-family members. Our marriages and our small groups are meant to be safe places where we can be ourselves. I shared a short insight into Ps 63 and noted that I have never been truly thirsty i...