The Pastor’s Blog
A little about Jamie
Jamie was raised in a Christian family south of London, in a loving home. Despite rebelling against his Christian upbringing, God was constantly at work to bring Jamie to faith. After turbulent teenage years and a colourful time serving in the elite Parachute Regiment, Jamie was brought to faith in Christ in his early twenties. During this time Jamie met Amy, a law student, and after a tour in Iraq 2003, they married soon after. After 8 years serving in The Forces Jamie felt it right to leave...
Topics
I hope you find the links below helpful. The idea is to encourage thought and dialogue on up to date issues and not avoid them. My hope is that this would be done in the spirit of respect and love, and I would be happy to discuss them further with you.
Pastor Jamie
God
The Church
Doctrine
The Elders Recommend
If you are interested in any of the below please let us know and we will provide for free.
“Choosing three top books is more difficult than you might think when you’ve been around for as long as I have and the pastor says ‘nothing controversial and they can’t all be written by John Stott’! There are so many good books and authors to choose from and some meant more to me several years ago than they do now but were extremely valuable at the time. So here goes!”
Ron Stout
Issues Facing Christians Today (John Stott) tackles a broad range of social and moral challenges. As a slow reader I particularly enjoy Stott’s economy of words, clarity of thought and practical biblical application.
Matters of Life and Death (John Wyatt) explores what medical science can do, what it ought to do and what it ought not to do. Reasoned, evidenced and sensitively written by a Professor of Neonatal Paediatrics with first-hand experience of the dilemmas. Not just for healthcare professionals.
The Cross of Christ (John Stott) is a continual reminder of the centrality of the cross for life now in Christ and for the hope that is to come.
“C.S. Lewis wrote that ‘reason is the natural organ of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning’. The books which have lit the narrow path for me have been those which ignited my imagination and affections toward Christ. The third book, Calvin’s Institutes along with Jonathan Edwards and John Piper, unveiled the beauty and truth of God’s sovereignty and the eternal security of my salvation.”
Tom Cox
C.S. Lewis – Perelandra. The second part of Lewis’ space trilogy evokes the garden of Eden, tackling themes of original sin, beauty and innocence like only Lewis can, stirring the imagination towards the worship of God.
John Calvin – Institutes of the Christian Religion. A bold treatise of the Christian faith, deeply Biblical. Easier to read than you might fear, surgically relevant to your life in the 21st century, and an astounding showcase of God’s grace.
John Bunyan – Pilgrim’s Progress. Written during imprisonment for preaching the good news of Jesus, Bunyan’s allegorical work has been considered the second most important book for the Christian to read! A readable hero’s journey offering vivid pictures of the Christian’s walk – spiritual warfare, overcoming sin, the experience of suffering are all here.
“There are many books that have impacted on my life as a Christian, these three stand out because they have content that I keep coming back to, practical advice, a reminder of the great faithfulness of God or reassurance that he is always working out his purposes.”
Phil Slack
Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby and Claude V King. I was blessed be taught the Bible from a young age but longed for a closer, personal ‘walk with God’. This study workbook, using Bible teaching alongside the authors experience, helped me more clearly see how God is intimately involved in his world and how he is speaking to his people.
George Muller. Everyone should read a biography of George Muller. This is the version that I read as a young man and was struck by the life of George Muller who was called by God from a troubled childhood and went on to lead an extraordinary example of a life of Trust, Faith and Prayer.
Thank God it’s Monday. Mark Greene. I spend most of my time and energy “at work”, however, I have always struggled with to put into practice my beliefs as a Christian in the workplace. This is a book I found particulary helpful.
“In no particular order, and not wanting to repeat some of the others, here are 3 of many influential books, that have impacted me. “
Jamie Kidd
The Soul winner. Spurgeon. Passionate about evangelism? Look no further than Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, excellent book on the chief calling of the church – evangelism. I found this book greatly inspiring and helpful, as well as a tool to fan into flames a passion and urgency to reach the lost for Christ.
Desiring God. John Piper. Piper for me hammers home, better than most, the glorious truths of Scripture in such a passionate way. That’s usually associated with his preaching, but here in this book I see the same passion written down for us to enjoy. Heaven is not the gospel, good health and no sickness is not the gospel… God and the gift of being with Him is the end goal of The Gospel. Great stuff!
Mere Christianity. C.S.Lewis. There are many books out there that are clear in laying out the simple truths of Scripture. This has got to be right up there for me, Lewis style is well known and thats for a reason. It’s an enjoyable and informative read, helpful for seekers, new christians or those just looking to iron out the basics once again so that they may be more stirred by christian truths and better equipped to reach out to others. Thoroughly recommend.