The Longing
Stuff that didn't quite make it into The Briefing
Living with grief: A personal journey
Hugh Begbie / November 2007
Grief is a valley through which we all must walk. But how prepared are we for the journey? Hugh Begbie shares his experiences.
This is my story of grief. I was married in 1975 and I lived for almost 28 years with Helen, a beautiful woman, friend and mother of my children. In 2001, at the age of 49, she collapsed with an obstructed bowel. That evening a doctor told us that the problem was almost certainly bowel cancer, a diagnosis confirmed after major surgery the next day. The obstruction and operation made her gravely ill. Six weeks later
Memo from the boss
The Briefing / November 2007
A Lead Balloon
MEMO: To all staff
FROM: The company directors
Our latest management research suggests that work isn't everything. The best employee is a well-rounded employee, and so that you can become the best employee possible, we are taking positive steps to encourage you to balance out the different aspects of your life—your family life, leisure time, physical, cultural and spiritual well-being. Outlined below is a lifestyle programme which we feel will achieve the best results for you ... and for us.
1. Leisure: seek a relaxing
Can he continue in ministry?
Rob Smith / November 2007
The Stain that Stays: The Church's Response to the Sexual Misconduct of its Leaders
John H. Armstrong
Christian Focus Publications, 2000
One of the saddest features of the contemporary church is that stories of the sexual indiscretion of Christian leaders are exceedingly common. According to an increasing number of surveys, roughly one in four pastors admit to committing some kind of sexual impropriety in the course of their ministry, and one in eight admit to actually committing adultery. Most confess to a great struggle to remain