A collection of sermons preached by Richard Bewes at Christ Church, Virginia Water.
Category: Evangelism
Richard Bewes: When Revival Comes
In this short interview Richard Bewes spoke of his experience of revival in East Africa and the signs of genuine revival today.
Richard Bewes first experienced revival as a child, to the sound of thousands of African voices singing. In Under the Thorn Tree, he retells this and many other stories from his lifetime of working and living to further the Kingdom of Christ. Revival comes with the sole pursuit of Jesus – He encompasses everything.
Continue readingThe Mark Drama: Andrew Page
A short interview with Andrew Page, creator of The Mark Drama. The Mark Drama is an innovative way of experiencing the Gospel of Mark and communicating it to others, performed as theatre-in-the-round. Find out more here themarkdrama.com/
Compassion UK: Betty Sander’s visit to Columbia
When I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip with Compassion UK to Colombia in Feb 2019, I jumped at the chance. This was the 1stvisit to Colombia by Compassion UK and we were joined by Compassion Netherlands (again a 1stfor Compassion UK to travel with another country).
I have been sponsoring her for 10 years. I told Melanys that I didn’t choose her, because I didn’t know which child to choose. Esther Wood had profiles from Compassion Sunday, and I knew I wanted a girl and preferably from South America. Esther prayed over the profiles and chose Melanys for me.
Continue readingThe Five Marks of Mission
Resurrecting the Soul in a Secular Age
How do we nurture our souls in a secular world? Historically, Christians have responded in two very contrasting ways:
Nurturing the Soul Through Asceticism
The first approach, popular among some early Christians, was to retreat to the desert thinking they could escape temptation and find holiness through asceticism. By the fourth century CE many Christians were living as hermits and monks in monasteries out in the desert. A fifth century monk, Simeon, took this to extremes. To get away from the hordes of disciples and onlookers who came to visit him, attracted by his already extreme self-denying lifestyle, he climbed a pillar and lived there. He once survived 40 days without eating or drinking anything, which made him even more popular. He spent the rest of his life on a succession of ever higher pillars, to try and get away from the crowds who continued to visit him. Food and water were delivered by village boys climbing up his pillar. After he died, scores of others tried to imitate Simeon, and became known as Stylites from the Greek word for pillar, “style”. The problem is that we can never escape from temptation and sin, least of all retreating from the world into the desert. Jesus was himself tempted by Satan in the desert.
Who is my Neighbour?
A sermon preached at New Covenant United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, based on the famous parable of Jesus found in Luke 10:25-37.
Christ at the Checkpoint USA
It has been a delight to participate in the first Christ at the Checkpoint conference in the USA. Hosted by churches in Oklahoma City, the conference was attended by about 150 participants from the USA, Canada, Israel, Palestine and Europe.
The theme of the conference was “Exploring Holy Land Realities and our Response”. Subjects discussed through plenaries and breakout sessions included Palestinian Christianity in the Midst of the Conflict; Jewish and Christian Attitudes to the Conflict; Christian Zionism; Strategies of Nonviolent Resistance; and Promoting Peace. Continue reading
Kagera Christian Theological College (KCTC), Tanzania
In January, I visited Murgwanza in Kagera Diocese as a member of the Christianity Explored team to help train 130 lay leaders and youth leaders to use the course. Arising from that visit, Bishop Darlington Bendankeha invited me to return to Murgwanza to teach ordinands undertaking a three-year diploma course for ministry at the Diocesan theological college.
Kagera is situated in north west Tanzania high on a ridge overlooking the borders of Burundi and Rwanda near the shores of Lake Victoria. It is one of the poorest regions of Tanzania. More than half the population live on less that $1 per day. Continue reading
Christianity Explored in Kenya and Uganda
At the invitation of Bishop Tim Wambunya, Bishop of Butere in Western Kenya, Jim, Brian and I travelled to Butere via Nairobi and Kisumu in September to train 50 lay pastors in the Diocese to use the Christianity Explored course. Bishop Tim’s aspiration is for all his lay pastors to receive the training. Continue reading
