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Who we are Living Leadership exists to see Christ glorified in the Church through leaders who joyfully abide in Him and faithfully serve Him Our mission is to contribute to growing disciple-making leaders in the Church by providing training, support and resources that promote gospel faithfulness and lifelong fruitfulness in ministry Our values Our values as an organisation are grace, generosity and passion for the glory of God. These values are explained, expressed and elaborated upon in three statements that govern our work. Our Statement of Faith All of our work rests on this foundation, aims to be faithful to this and seeks to promote unity on the basis of agreement with these truths. Our Statement of Faith aligns us with many churches and other organisations with whom we seek to partner. Read our statement of faith Our ethos We want to be and to grow leaders who are: captivated by the glory of God and the wonder of the biblical gospel of Jesus Christ; wise and kind, serving out of a deep relationship with God and love of His Word as the heart of their spirituality; passionate in the belief that taking the gospel of God’s salvation into every corner of the globe is the primary mission of the church; committed to leading out of a clear and life-long enjoyment of God’s grace and dedicated to serving others in love; humble, faithful, prayerful, loving, repentant and forgiving, knowing that secret character before God is more important than skills. Find out about our people How We Work We are committed to serving others with integrity within their needs and interest, and three documents describe how we do that: The Living Leadership Relational Commitments are the set of principles to which all our ministry staff, Associates and Affiliates subscribe. They include principles about how we work with Christians and churches whose theology and practice in matters that are not covered by our Statement of Faith are not identical to their own. The Living Leadership 'Code of Conduct for Interpersonal Ministry' establishes ethical principles and boundaries around the relationships through which our staff and associates provide pastoral care and mentoring for individuals, couples and small groups. The Living Leadership 'Safeguarding Policy ' describes our approach to disclosures about abuse and allegations of abusive behaviour by people working in the name of Living Leadership. Related links What we believe Our People Annual Reports How we work

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Our Staff ​ Filter by country Filter by region Filter by Ministry Areas Claire Reynolds Operations Manager England Ministries involved in: Ministry Support Staff Find out more Marcus Honeysett Executive Director England Ministries involved in: Refresh One to One, Formation Seminars, Refreshment Days, Resources, Refresh Network Online Find out more Wendy King Ministries Administrator England Ministries involved in: Ministry Support Staff Find out more Graham Cooke Ministry Development Lead: South of England England Ministries involved in: Ministry Development, Refreshment Days Find out more Melinda Hendry Ministry Development Lead: Women in Ministry England Ministries involved in: Women in Ministry, Ministry Development, Refresh Groups, Refresh One to One, Refreshment Days Find out more Helen Read Network and Refresh Ministries Manager England Ministries involved in: Refresh Community for Spouses, Ministry Support Staff Find out more Paul Coulter Head of Ministry Operations Northern Ireland Ministries involved in: Refresh One to One, Refresh Groups, Formation Seminars, Formation Courses, Refreshment Days, Formation Residential, Refresh Network Online Find out more Jess Coles Ministry Support & Communications Manager England Ministries involved in: Formation Residential, Ministry Support Staff Find out more Phil Sweeting Ministry Development Lead: Midlands England Ministries involved in: Refresh One to One, Refresh Groups, Refresh Network Online, Refreshment Days, Ministry Development Find out more 1 1 ... 1 ... 1 Related links Frequently Asked Questions What we believe Our People Who we are Annual Reports How we work

Have you ever attended a service celebrating a minister who’s stepping down after many years of service? I heard this tribute that one speaker gave during such an event. ‘Listening to the congregation today, you have clearly taught us all to sing!’ It’s a strange compliment, perhaps, but an insightful thing to say, for you can tell a lot by the singing of a congregation. There’s an old story of a king who asked his stewards to go round the towns and villages to listen to the singing of the people. If the singing was healthy and joyful, so was the town. If the singing was feeble or mournful, then the king knew there was serious malaise within the community. JOY Congregational singing enables the local church to express one of the key marks and fruit of the Christian life—joy. ‘Joy’, wrote C.S. Lewis, ‘is the serious business of heaven’. Joy—that is, rejoicing, exulting, and praise . . . is the proper expression of the human heart when it sees with clarity the magnitude, certainty, and permanence of our salvation. But often ‘the music’ is a cause of conflict in church, and the minister knows this more than anyone. Whether it’s working with a music director and band or just a pianist/organist, there is often a struggle over songs and hymn selection. It could be over a new song, or the lyrics, or the placing of the song in the service. And there is one other significant–and often unrecognised–factor. Our own sense of self. BEWARE YOUR OWN IDENTITY If the minister’s identity is wrapped up in how well the service goes, then that comes out in tell-tale ways. When I was pastor of a large church, my friends noticed how often I felt the urge, mid-service, to go to the back and fix the PA system! Similarly, a musician’s sense of self-worth can be affected by a request to play a difficult piece of music or a song that requires a challenging musical style. When a musician’s vulnerabilities are exposed, we have a recipe for frustration and anger. THE PURPOSE OF MUSIC So, it’s worth asking the following question. What, biblically, is the aim of congregational music? One answer is provided by Eugene Peterson. Music enables a congregation to be attentive to God. We are moved from our own preoccupations to look to the one who made the heavens and the earth, our Redeemer and Saviour. But there is a horizontal connection too. Recently, after a service, someone complained, ‘I simply couldn’t hear the congregation sing!’ My mind went back to the services I attended as a child with my father in the RAF Wattisham chapel. It’s now a museum. Even on parade days, my father and I and the Station Commander were the only ones making a sound. ‘How can they not sing?’ I said, with all righteous indignation of an eight-year-old! The command to ‘sing to the Lord’ is joined by ‘sing to one another’. A couple of verses in Ephesians come to mind: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Eph 5.18-19a When we sing, we speak out our hidden, heartfelt convictions about our God, and by singing them, we declare them loudly to each other, involving our heart, mind, and soul. In this way, we ‘gospel’ each other through a unique, reverberating means of communication—singing. It’s a beautiful gift from our heavenly Father. The question of ‘the music’ now becomes much clearer. THE CHALLENGE Both leaders and musicians must answer the following question. What can we do to help our congregation sing with all their heart, mind, and soul? With this servant-hearted aim, we will grow in wisdom about which songs to sing, and where to place them. When we are other-focused, we will discover an appropriate way to play, and at a speed that helps the congregation offer their hearts to the Lord. If the aim is to encourage the congregation to ‘gospel each other with the gospel’, then musicians will choose a key that suits most of the people, and not simply the vocalist. In a nutshell, the right hymn/song at the right time, with the right tune and pitch, is like a sharp arrow that penetrates the heart with the truth of the gospel. RIGHT SONG, RIGHT TIME On the first day after the Covid lockdown, when congregations were finally allowed to sing, I was at the Keswick convention. The band stood up to play the first song, and the opening strains of ‘Great is thy Faithfulness’ rang out. When we reached the third verse, the band stopped playing their instruments. The vocalists stepped back from their microphones, and hundreds of voices blended in harmony as the entire gathering sang a cappella. We declared to each other God’s faithfulness for the first time in many months. It was the right song, at the right place, played in the right way. In that moment, our horizontal encouragement raised our attention vertically towards our God. And it was beautiful. There was health, and wonder, and tears of joy among the King’s people.

How do you view the word, ‘inclusion’? The other day, I scanned a leaflet from a a church outlining its principal beliefs. Jesus was mentioned a couple of times, but there wasn’t a single reference to sin. The words ‘include’ or ‘inclusion’, on the other hand, appeared twelve times. So, what impact does ‘inclusion’ (AKA ‘inclusivity’) have on the church? So widespread is the promotion of ‘inclusion’ that every day, most people either see, read or hear some kind of message promoting this value. And if not active promotion, then scathing criticism of anyone who doesn’t buy into ‘inclusion.’ This is having an impact on church members, whether we acknowledge it or not. WHAT IS INCLUSION? At first glance, inclusion looks wonderful. What’s not to like about a value that envelops everyone and accepts everyone? The problem, however, is that if you don’t buy into this aspect of the modern zeitgeist, well, you’re excluded. So, inclusion turns out not to be as inclusive as we might hope. Not only that, it is extremely ‘group-sensitive’. Certain groups are definitely ‘in’ while other groups are roundly rejected. How does this affect a church leader? Our church members may listen to our sermons (30 minutes on a Sunday), but for the rest of the week, wherever they look, ‘inclusion’ is actively promoted. In some workplaces, employees are expected to show visible and tangible support for the value. So, it’s hardly surprising that a significant number find themselves absorbing the following ways of looking at the world. They are uncomfortable about the idea of judgement. They much prefer God’s love to any talk about sin. They don’t like people to feel excluded. They want to be inclusive and to be seen to be inclusive. They like the world’s approval. TRUTH FIRST Truth should be very important to Christians. Hardly surprising given that we follow a man who claimed to be the Truth. For us, truth is revealed through God’s Word, the Bible, and it is beautifully exhibited in the life of Jesus. So, what do we discover about God’s view on inclusion? He’s inclusively exclusive. The Scriptures are absolutely clear about this. By ‘exclusive’, I mean he desires exclusive worship from his followers. Therefore, other gods are excluded. You shall have no other gods before me. Ex 20.3 God refuses to share his glory with other gods. He never, ever, includes other gods. The same theme continues into the New Testament. Jesus’ statement in John’s gospel is famously exclusive. Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ John 14.6 So, God is fundamentally exclusive, in the sense that he doesn’t share his glory. He seeks true worshippers who will worship him alone. Exclusively. When we think about God’s inclusion, however, we discover an expansive, authentic expression of the word. God’s inclusion means ALL are invited. ALL are welcomed, whatever race or background. And he has made this possible through the sacrifice of his beloved Son. That’s why we read so many ‘whoevers’ in the Bible. ‘Whoever’ includes ALL people. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6.35 In summary, the problem with a worldly version of inclusion, is that it’s not really inclusive at all. It’s simply an expression of our rebellion. We don’t want to honour a holy God. We want to frame the world in our own image—and that means including those we like and excluding those who offend us. We therefore lie to ourselves about our own sinful rejection of God’s extraordinary love and sacrifice. We think of ourselves as inclusive, but we won’t include God. How ironic that our rejection of God is so often driven by the belief that he is insufficiently inclusive. SOME INITIAL RESPONSES May I suggest that it’s wise to exercise caution in the area of politics? Inclusion is a hotly contested word in our culture, and once we venture into the world of politics, especially party politics, we could find ourselves in trouble. For us, this isn’t a political issue, it’s a spiritual issue. Worldly ‘inclusiveness’ that downplays the seriousness of sin, and runs counter to the Bible’s teaching about God’s character, is very damaging to our spiritual lives, because it affects how we view our good and holy God. Second, in spite of the pressure to be inclusive, I urge you to continue to preach the gospel of grace, rooted in the truth. How gloriously inclusive our gospel is, offered to everyone we encounter. Third, never, ever, bow to a worldly pressure to conform. Meditate on Romans 12.2: Do not conform to the pattern of this world. Our job is to preach Christ crucified, and as long as we’re doing that, we won’t go far wrong. What are we to do, however, about the problem of sin? By this, I mean the very idea of sin and how we talk about it in our services and in our evangelism. Because, nowadays, sin is a tough sell. In fact, it’s worse than that. Many people simply can’t grasp the concept at all. In response, there’s a move to emphasize God’s love, watering it down into a wishy-washy ‘inclusive’ message, that omits the gravity of our rebellion. The answer is to keep preaching the gospel. Our Lord and Saviour didn’t die to express his love in a feel-good, comfort blanket sense, but to rescue us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Never lose sight of this. CLARITY ON METHODOLOGY One of our challenges relates to methodology. What are we actually doing when we read the Bible? If a significant number of your church members view the Scriptures as a guidebook to help them navigate their difficulties in this life, then that’s what they’ll get—a book of wisdom, with wise suggestions to aid their own self-realisation or provide some comfort in times of trouble. As a consequence, they’ll tune out the challenges and lap up the comfort. But that’s not why we read the Bible. We read the Bible in order to encounter God’s revelation of himself within a story of restoration and salvation into the kingdom of his Son. The truths we read about God will often clash with our modern sensibilities—especially inclusion—but that’s because his ways are not our ways. We can only grow, therefore, through submission to the truth about God, or we will live in a world of lies forever. Our church members must be reminded of this. Submission to God is hard. It is not a popular concept nowadays, but it is necessary. God isn’t asking for their vote. He wants their worship. He offers the truth in his Son. So, be bold in challenging your people with these kinds of questions. Will you submit to God, as revealed in this passage, even though you may not fully understand it or even agree with what it teaches? Will you allow your current views on inclusion to be challenged by this passage? Will you accept that God’s ways are not your ways? Will you submit to the truth that God’s holiness entails judgement of sinful human beings? HOLINESS Finally, holiness. In truth, the Bible’s central theme isn’t our sinfulness, it’s the holiness of God. Everything—absolutely everything—begins with God’s holiness. It is his most important attribute. He is holy, and we are not. This is the fundamental reason why he’s exclusive. Beautifully, wonderfully, inclusively exclusive. Reaching out with a message of love and grace to all who would respond. For one day, we will see him face to face. His glory will be beyond our ability to express in human language. This is why here today, this very week, we must place him first above all things in our own lives. Central to our every decision; offering him our exclusive worship. His holiness demands nothing less.

I caught you! It’s the cry of the child, discovering someone hiding under the stairs during a game of hide-and-seek. Or the yell of triumph when a homeowner discovers a dead rat in the jaws of a mousetrap. It’s even a phrase that might come from the mouth of a conman, who’s tricked his victim into handing over some cash. But, in what circumstances would a minister possibly say, ‘I caught you’? Yet, like all the other phrases in this series, it is among the apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians. He writes: Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 2 Cor 12.16 (NIV) Is this Paul’s big reveal? Is he finally admitting that he’s been manipulating them all along? Sadly, some ministers are indeed guilty of manipulation. Worse still, this often comes to light only when they are exposed by courageous victims rather than by their own admission. But that’s not what’s happening here. Paul isn’t making a confession. That is clear from the context of his statement. Earlier, he reminded the Corinthians that he’s planning to visit them for a third time and assures them he won’t be a burden to them and does not want their possessions. So, Paul’s statement in verse sixteen is not his confession but the words of some in Corinth who were questioning his actions. The ESV inserts the words ‘you say’ to help us see this. I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. 2 Cor 12.16 (ESV) Despite all he had sacrificed for them, some believers apparently believed Paul had manipulated them for his own gain. Paul goes on to remind them that he had never taken advantage of their hospitality, nor had any of the others, including Titus, who he had sent to them. Paul was not ‘crafty [ panourgos ]’. Quite the opposite! He had written, ‘We refuse to practise cunning [ panourgia ] (2 Cor 4.2). How painful it is for a servant of God to be wrongly accused of deception and manipulation. Especially when that servant has sacrificed so much for the sake of the gospel. Is any pain known to the human heart worse than betrayal? Yet, Paul’s experience – himself following in the footsteps of his Master, who was betrayed with a kiss – is shared by many faithful ministers today. Let me absolutely clear. There are ministers who mistreat God’s people, who use them as a means to an end. The word translated ‘crafty’ or ‘cunning’ in 2 Corinthians literally means ‘all deeds’. We might say ‘by any means’. It refers to people who will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. They often think the end justifies the means. Their vision, usually presented as God’s will, drowns out others’ insights and overrides others’ consciences. They are often arch-pragmatists, caught in a web of self-deception, insisting that they are acting for the greater good when, in reality, they are acting in their own self-interest. Such leaders are like the ‘super apostles’ Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians. We must be on guard against such behaviour. It must not be tolerated. However, faithful ministers sometimes face unfair accusations. They are not perfect. None of us are. But they are genuine in their faith in God, their love for those they lead, and their desire to be found faithful when they give account to their Master on the last day. I meet many such people in my work with Living Leadership . It is a privilege to walk with them and encourage them on the way. It is heartbreaking to hear how many have been bruised by people who misjudged them. Sometimes, there is a kernel of truth in the accusation, but it has been greatly exaggerated. Occasionally a specific incident—for example, a moment of bad temper— has been generalised into a globalising statement: ‘You lack self-control’ or ‘You are intimidating’. Assumed motives are presented in the worst possible light. There is no attempt to see the good. Always there is a lack of grace. Where are those who will come alongside ministers gently to help them see their weaknesses and grow towards greater holiness? Who will intercede faithfully for them before God’s throne of grace? Where can ministers find a space to be open and transparent about their struggles without fearing graceless condemnation? Living Leadership exists for God’s servants and their families. If God has laid this need on your heart, perhaps you would pray for us, help support us financially, or even volunteer with us? The apostle Paul called out unfairness among the Corinthians. He did not want to defend himself, but he had to. Sometimes a faithful minister will need to do the same. If so, here are some tips based on Paul’s example: 1. REPEAT THEIR WORDS . Repeating exactly what’s been said about you, as Paul did, allows the words to be examined in the light of day. If the accusations are false or exaggerated, this will often become clear. This also allows the minister to respond in humility with an apology if there is anything that rings true. 2. BE OPEN . Approach accusations with humility. Don’t be tempted to generalise. Instead, admit your specific mistakes along with the ways you could have acted better. Remember that the way you confess your sins and limitations sets an example to others. If you think you need to explain the circumstances around what you did or said, don’t turn those into a justification for your wrongdoing. Rather, make a genuine confession of your limitations as a created being and an imperfect person. Paul was open about his weaknesses. We should be too. At the same time, it is right to affirm the actions you took correctly, yet without defensiveness. Sometimes judgements are simply false or unfair. You should not apologise for what is not wrong. The truth matters. 3. REMIND THEM . Once you’ve confessed any wrongdoing, it’s important to remind others of all that you share together. These are your brothers and sisters. They are your family. You can be honest about your flaws while also talking about your sincere commitment to those you lead. 4. INVOLVE OTHERS. It is better to involve others if the accusations are serious. They can help you gain a fair perspective. They can mirror back to you how you come across, and they might see grains of truth that you’ve missed. They can help you not to act from your insecurities or pride and to keep the issues in proper perspective, neither catastrophising about relatively minor things nor minimising what is major. Paul had co-workers like that. People like Titus, who knew his heart could help in his defence. Make sure you have people to whom you’re accountable. These are people who will know your heart, and whose words in your defence will carry weight. But beware. You may be tempted to involve only those people you know will support you – the ‘yes people’ or the ‘inner ring’. That is another kind of manipulation. You need people who will be committed to what is true above their commitment to you. These tips are certainly not a fool-proof safeguard against false accusations. They won’t always work. But we must do what we can to be transparent and accountable in ministry. We must renounce all underhand practices and seek to act and speak in the light. We must eschew the powerful lures of self-promotion and self-protection. We must glory in Christ and help one another on our way to godliness. Brother or sister in ministry, please never reach the point where you have misused or abused God’s people and so need to confess, ‘I caught you!’ And to those aren’t in leadership, may I urge you to encourage the faithful servants of God, and gently help them to be even more faithful. And to you all, as I close this series from 2 Corinthians, let me remind you of Paul’s closing words in this letter. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Cor 13.14