What is in Kelvin's Head?

Candidates for the Sin Against the Holy Ghost

03/12/2016
People sometimes ask me (and no doubt other clergy) what the sin against the Holy Ghost actually is – the one which cannot be forgiven.

Mark 3:28-29
Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.

Now, there is a great deal of confusion about this, but I think I have narrowed down the possibilities.

I’m pretty sure that it is one of the following:
- Brown Shoes in the Sanctuary
- The Sunday Before Lent/Sundays Before Advent/The Kingdom Season
- The Invention of the Christingle Service
- The Wrong Colour of Candles on the Advent Wreath
- Seafood

7 responses to “75 questions for people who want to help churches to grow”

Richard Ashby

22/09/2017

Kevin, that’s very interesting set of questions. Can I shamelessly steal some for something I am working on in Chichester? Thanks

Reply
1. Kelvin
  
  22/09/2017
  
  Feel free to share – please give a link to the website where appropriate.
  
  Reply
Alan McCulloch

22/09/2017

Very thought provoking set of questions applicable in large part to many walks of life as well as the Church.

Reply
Richard Haggis

22/09/2017

I should like to share it with my Baptist masters in Oxford if that would be OK. We’re in process of deciding who we are, before starting to look for a new minister to work with and lead us.

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1. Kelvin
  
  22/09/2017
  
  Of course.
  
  Reply
Markus Dünzkofer

22/09/2017

76. What role does Jesus play in your preaching/formation/proclamation?
77. Can you wrap your reasons for going to your church into a joyful and inviting “elevator speach” (a speech taking the amount of time you need to ride a lift/elevator)?
78. Do you know what your neighbourhood is looking for, what its needs and desires as much as its joys and hopes are?
79. What would you miss if your church would close? Would you neighbourhood miss you?
80. How does your church get its “hands dirty” with creating a just society and preserving creation?
81. Do you undergird all you do with prayer and worship?
82. Do you willingly and joyfully give of your time, talent, and treasure to your church?
83. What role does discussing your own resources play in the formation of your church? (Stewardship)
84. Do you share details you spiritual and church life joyfully with friends and neighbours?
85. Do you share the concerns and worries of your friends and family with the responsible people in your congregation?
86. Are there church events happening outside your buildings?
87. Are children neither seen, nor heard; seen, but not heard; or seen and heard?
88. Do you pray for growth?
89. Do you pray for your city and neighbourhood?
90. What role does the cross play in your identity and formation?

Reply
1. Kelvin
  
  27/09/2017
  
  It seems to me that people can help churches grow with the most varied theological presumptions. I’m not convinced that any particular one leads inevitably to growth.
  
  Reply