The Leadership Journey Podcast

Jonathan Thomas is pastor of Cornerstone Church in Abergavenny, Wales. He is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Wales, has written and presents the material in a recent film on ‘Welsh Awakenings‘ and has published ‘Intentional Interruptions‘, a book that challenges us about the interruptions we experience in our distractedness and encourages us to seek the ways that God wants to interrupt us. In this episode of the podcast, Jonathan talks about his journey as a Christian and in leadership, from his early years in a Welsh-speaking chapel, through his conversion and early steps in ministry. He. talks about some of the challenges that leaders can face in remaining focussed on the core of their calling and reminds us of the ‘glorious mundane’ – the sphere of simple service to God, perhaps in smaller or apparently less-spectacular places. He also talks about his book and – of course – what he would say to his 20-year-old self. Watch out for a moment of poetic irony towards the end of the conversation! The book, Intentional Interruptions, is available through various outlets: you might like to consider buying several copies to use with a small group. In December I will be talking with Paul Williams, Chief Executive of the Bible Society.

Jo Frost and Peter Lynas talk about their new book 'Being Human: A New Lens for our Cultural Conversations' and discuss their journeys in Christian leadership. They explain the concepts and ideas behind their book and the Being Human Project. Topics include powerful metaphors, the importance of aligning personal stories with the God story, and obtaining a copy of the book. They also reflect on character, relationships, and God's faithfulness in their own lives.

Retired professor Iain Provan discusses his book Cuckoos in our Nest, presenting a biblical theology of what it means to be human and identifying false ways of thinking. They explore the danger of neglecting the Old Testament, the metaphor of invasive ideas in the church, and the sources of knowledge and understanding. They also discuss priorities for Christian leaders and reflect on their younger selves.

The guest on this episode of the podcast is author, speaker, family man, and outdoors adventurer, Andrew Ollerton. Andrew works with the Bible Society and has written The Bible: A Story That Makes Sense of Life, and Romans: A Letter That Makes Sense of Life. He has also written The Bible Course and The Romans Course which you can discover more on the website of the Bible Society. Andrew’s mission in life is to help cultivate confidence in the Bible. It’s a thread that runs through his own life as well as his work. We develop this theme in our conversation and towards the end Andrew discusses the task as it relates to: Preachers Parents Publishers and professors The digital space (we couldn’t come up with a word starting with P) Personal devotion As with other guests on the podcast, he shares what he would say to his twenty-year old self. Upcoming guests on the podcast include: Ian Provan, talking about his book, Cuckoos in our Nest: Truth and Lies about Being Human Jo Frost and Peter Lynas, from the Evangelical Alliance, talking about their upcoming book, Being Human, and the resources that will go along with it If you have not already done so, why not subscribe to to the podcast via Apple or Spotify? Andrew Ollerton (L) with Bear Grylls: they’re working on a new project together.

Last week Pauline and I had the opportunity to share some thoughts on ministry resilience in the context of a leadership seminar at the Keswick at Portstewart Convention. The overall theme of the convention week was unshakable and the week featured some outstanding Bible teaching from Gilbert Lennox on Daniel, and from Jonathan Thomas and Andrew Ollerton on Romans. In keeping with the overall theme (and with a little nod to James Bond) we called our seminar, Shaken but still Standing. Our presentation took the form of a conversation that we built around a structure that Pauline developed. If you want a quick takeaway, we start with the reminder that we are disciples and followers before we are leaders, and this means learning to walk with Jesus, which in turn means RELATIONSHIP, REST, and ROOTEDNESS. Here is a link to a PDF of the slides we used during the seminar: keswick-portstewart-2023-shaken-but-still-standing-1Download

The guest on this episode of the podcast is Andy Lamberton. For several years Andy has been leading the work of Exodus in the North West. Exodus is a young people’s discipleship movement that each year mobilises some 500 young people for summer missions. Andy’s role in Exodus is currently changing as he spearheads a new ministry called Legacy – a ministry designed to encourage fathers. He is married to a Derry Girl (an actual Derry Girl rather than a TV one) and has recently written his first book – Letters for Exiles: Faithful Living in a Faithless World. In our conversation we talk about Andy’s own story and about his new book.

John Risbridger served for 17 years as pastor of Above Bar Church in Southampton. For most of the past year he has been working on an MA in Global Missiology and he and his wife, Alison have been appointed as the new leaders of the Catalyst Leadership and Theology training course. Previously John worked for several years for UCCF in both regional and national roles. He has also served as chair of the Keswick Convention and is currently chair of the Evangelical Alliance Council and a member of the board. He is a conference speaker and author, having written The Message of Worship in the IVP Bible Speaks Today series. In our conversation John talks about growing up in a strong family of faith and about the importance of forming strong peer friendships. He talks about some of the important lessons he has learned from various ministry settings and shares some of the opportunities and challenges of ministry. He also talks about ‘missional ecclesiology’ and the need for the Church to understand and speak of mission in a better way. And of course he also talks about what he would say to his twenty-year-old self. During the conversation we mention a talk John gave on depression at New Horizon in 2022. You can access the talk here.

On this episode of the podcast I am talking with Phil Knox. Phil works with the Evangelical Alliance as an evangelism and missiology specialist. Phil has recently published his second book, The Best of Friends: Choose wisely, Care well, and we spend some time talking about ideas from the book. To get a copy of the book, you can try your local Christian bookshop, or follow the link to the IVP page where you can purchase a copy – either an ‘actual’ book or an ebook. The podcast will be back in May and I will be talking with John Risbridger. John and his wife, Alison, are the leaders of the Catalyst Leadership and Theology Training programme.

My guest on this episode of the podcast is David (more commonly known as ‘Monty’) Montgomery. Monty is the Regional Secretary for IFES Europe (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students), a role that involves oversight of student work in over forty countries. In our conversation we discuss Monty’s early days (his father was a mission worker) and several key moments in the development of his faith. We talked about his sense of call to ministry and his time in the rarefied spiritual atmosphere of Regent College in Vancouver. This was followed by a season of ministry in several Presbyterian churches on either side of the Irish border before a move to student work with what became known as CUI (Christian Unions Ireland). Monty shares about some of the challenges of and encouragements of ministry, including a helpful and challenging outline of how the nature of internal challenges change over the course of a ministry journey. As ever, we conclude the conversation by hearing what he would say to his twenty-year old self. The next guest on the podcast will be Phil Knox. Phil works with the Evangelical Alliance and is the author of an excellent new book on friendship: The Best of Friends: Choose wisely, Care well.

Donna Jennings is Church and Missions Co-ordinator with the Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland and she is the guest on this episode of the podcast. As she reflects on her story, she talks about early church experiences and the sense that there should be ‘something more’ (a recurring theme in her story). As a young person she had a remarkable experience of the Lord and a sense that he had taken hold of her life. Student years carried their questions about the Christian faith but there were wise mentors who helped as came through this. She talks about life in Bangladesh, where she met her husband and learned how to introduce Jesus into a quite different culture. A diagnosis of autism for their son meant that the family moved to Northern Ireland where part of Donna’s energy has gone into working in the area of disability theology. Donna talks about some of the resources she has been involved in producing with EA and answers the traditional podcast question of what she would say to her 20-year-old self. If you would like to know more about the mission resources that Donna mentioned for churches, you can contact her at d.jennings@eauk.org. To learn more about the Evangelical Alliance and its work across the UK, visit their website. The next guest on the podcast (after Easter) will be David ‘Monty’ Montgomery, Regional Secretary of IFES Europe.