» Steve’s story

painting the house was a great distraction

Sometime in August last year the wheels came off the wagon.

I have a history of depression but I can ‘manage’ it and keep functioning until the cloud lifts. Not this time.

I found myself in a very dark and frightening place, not knowing if I would ever climb out of [...]

Job and his ‘friends’ – Guy Rowe

It has been a difficult last few months. My old nemesis depression returned with a vengeance. I’m through that now and back in the game.

The book of Job has come alive for me. Francis Andersen’s commentary has been a delight. Here’s a sample:
It is one of the many excellences [...]

Looks like the creative flow has come to an end for a while.

I need to take a break from the blog.

Meanwhile there’s still plenty of great material for students of church planting movements, so feel free to explore. . .

I’ve been out and about around Oz lately building support for next1000 initiative with church planting leaders.

Plenty of coffee and lunches with leaders of flagship churches, denominations and movements and some crazies on the fringe.

Somehow we get around to talking about how they’re doing. I’ve been amazed at how many key leaders around the nation [...]

I’ve just spent a day trekking through the Tongariro National Park, New Zealand. Here’s a shot I took from Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom in Lord of the Rings) looking out across to Mt Tongariro.

Lost the trail and wandered through the snow for an hour or so in gale force winds. Terribly irresponsible of me. But [...]

This week I’m in the “land of the long white cloud”—the Maori name for New Zealand.

Had some meetings cancel on me so unfortunately I’ll be spending tomorrow wondering through Tongariro National Park expecting to bump into Frodo and Sam.

Aussies find each other over here. Bumped into a guy this morning I sort of grew up [...]

I’ve been at the Wall lately. Maybe for the last couple of months or years. Who knows.

The Wall is stage five of seven stages on the Critical Journey.

Recognition of God: God humbles usLife of Discipleship: God grounds usProductive Life: God rewards and exalts usJourney Forward: God unsettles usThe Wall: God unmasks usJourney Outward: God transforms [...]

Anthony van Dyck. The Descent of the Holy Spirit c. 1618-20

The older and wiser I get the more I lose interest in the mere technique of ministry. The more I thirst for the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit.

It seems God has had me on a long journey of learning to trust him in weakness. [...]

Greetings from Malmö, Sweden. A beautiful city just across the water from Copenhagen.

I’ve been here for Pionjär (Pioneer), a Swedish church planting conference. This morning I spoke at the Immanuelskyrkan on “Is this as good as it gets?”

I think this is my life message. You can listen in and download if you don’t mind a [...]

Spent this morning wondering around Copehagen. My third visit in recent years. Botanic Gardens, Christiansborg Place, Nyhavn, Holmens Kanal—everywhere I went there were posters of Trygve Frisk. He’s missing and someone called Martlin is looking for him. Probably his father.

We live in a world that has gone missing.

I’m sure the parents of Trygve Frisk care [...]