What will you find here?
This site started out as an archive of ideas on some of the Bible’s chewier parts, in the old testament. But you’ll also find reusable resources on homegroups and training group leaders (there doesn’t seem to be too much available on that); on why we believe, and answering difficult questions; on what God means for western culture and literature; a Foundations discipleship course you can adapt for your own situation; and resources on lots of other aspects of church leadership and personal discipleship. (And plenty more will appear in the coming months, God willing.) Please feel free to circulate, adapt, preach!, or translate anything you feel might be useful to other people. (If you change it, please leave Pete’s name off.)
Pete worked with the international student Christian Union movement IFES for 23 years, first editing its global magazine IN TOUCH, and then, after the exciting days when the Soviet Union first opened up, coordinating the pioneering of CU movements in the three Baltic republics, Belarus, and Russian cities west of the Urals, such as Moscow and St Petersburg. He really misses these countries – and Ukraine which he visited less often! But working with IFES gave the opportunity to share with students in nearly 30 countries globally. He loves Bible exposition, and after leaving IFES had the privilege for 15 years of co-pastoring Wycliffe Church in Reading, England, a church of (at that time) 600+ adults and 35-40 nationalities. He next enjoyed ministering with Operation Mobilisation, looking after some of OM’s partnerships with churches in London and Berkshire.
Pete’s books published in London and Moscow include A Guide to the End of the World (which is what it says on the tin); Gateways to God, on how we can renew our personal spirituality through `pioneering’ in the Bible; A Long Way East of Eden, on the loss of God as the crucial key to grasping what’s happening in contemporary western culture (also accessible on www.bethinking.org); The Day of His Power, a history of the student CU movements worldwide, recently republished; and Perceptions of a Great Country, a study of Russian culture published in Moscow. Pete also did a doctorate on God and the novel, and adapted versions of that have been published as Fictional Absence and Chronicles of Heaven Unshackled (particularly on Tolkien and C S Lewis), both of which are currently accessible on www.bethinking.org. Extracts from several of these are on this site.
Pete is married and has two adult children. His ideal way of relaxing is travelling with his family or swapping stories with friends in Chinese restaurants…
PS These posts surely embody a grateful indebtedness for things learned from other people in many, many sermons, Bible study discussions, written materials and conversations with friends. Hopefully credit has been given wherever credit is due, but if anything has been missed, please get in touch and it will be rectified as quickly as possible! And any inaccuracies, and the reflections and also perspectives on events used as examples, are my own and nobody else’s unless clearly stated otherwise!