“Throwing the baby out with the font-water”?

This week we'll be having a conversation in College about a Baptist Theology of Children’s ministry

Here are some questions we'll be asking

• What Gospel message should we tell children?
• Should we seek to convert children?
• What should we tell them about sin?
• How do we understand ‘belonging’ in a Baptist Context?
• In what way do children ‘belong’ to the church?
• Should children take communion?
• Is there a minimum age for baptism?
• Is there a difference between the standing of children with Christian and non-Christian parents?
• How does your theology of children relate to your belief about God?

• How would you tell the story of the feeding of the 5,000 to various age groups?
• How do you present the gospel in a school as opposed to a church?
• Can you think of some examples of appropriate and inappropriate teaching with children in the church?
• What do you intend children to hear, and what do you think they actually hear?

Further Reading:
Fiddes, Paul S. Tracks and Traces: Baptist Identity in Church and Theology. Vol. 13, Studies in Baptist History and Thought. Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2003. pp. 131-9, 151-2, 183-5
Wright, Nigel G. Free Church, Free State - the Positive Baptist Vision. Milton Keynes: Paternoster Press, 2005. pp. 138-158

Four men and a bridge in the dark

Here's a puzzle which kept our pastoral group happy for a few hours last week...




When you've got it - don't post the answer. Just comment in a smug way that you worked it out!

• Four people have to cross this bridge at night.
• There cannot be more than two people on the bridge at any one time.
• It is too dangerous to be on the bridge without a torch, but there is only one torch, so two people crossing together will move at the speed of the slowest walker, and one must then bring the torch back.
• The four people walk at different speeds - taking 10, 5, 2 and 1 minutes to cross the bridge.
• How do they all get across in 17 minutes?

Anger

This week the College will be welcoming Revd Dr Craig Gardiner to preach on the theme of 'Anger' at our Wednesday service. In preparation, Craig has asked the College community to think about three questions:

1. What makes you angry?
2. What does society think makes the church angry?
3. What do we think makes God angry?

We will be talking about these with Craig on Weds - but if anyone wants to have a preliminary discussion here, feel free...

FWIW, here's my initial thoughts:
1. I get angry at so many things, I'm afraid. I'm angry that there are people living in starvation and poverty while I struggle to keep my weight down, and I'm angry that I don't do enough about either of these! I'm angry that the church so often seems to think the gospel is about good news for the saved, not good news for the whole world. I'm angry that we obsess about personal morality while failing to condemn systemic and corporate immorality. I could go on and on ranting, but I'll stop before I turn into Mr. Angry.
2. This is a harder one for me - as I'm such an 'insider' that it can be difficult for me to see the church as those beyond the boundary we put around ourselves see us. But I fear we are often perceived as a collectively angry group who rage against 'sin', while hypocritically implying our own sinlessness. I hope that the fair trade, trade justice, and environmental movements have led to society grasping our anger at injustice and the abuse of creation.
3. What makes God angry? I'll go out on a limb here and put in just one word: Idolatry. Make of that what you will...

Lord Mayor of The City & County of Cardiff

Councillor Kate Lloyd MBE, JP, one of the members of Ararat Baptist Church, Whitchurch, is currently the Lord Mayor of Cardiff. I have the privilege of moderating Ararat during their current pastoral vacancy, so this morning, along with many city dignitaries, I will be joining the congregation at Ararat for Kate's 'Civic Service'. It is a significant moment in the life of the city to have a committed Baptist in such a senior political position, and I'm sure Kate would value the prayers and support of all those who care about Cardiff.