Ian MacLaren's Page

"Had this problem with a church.  God called me out to a wonderful team.  The time I spent at the first church was a preparation for the current church."

"hi Ian and Jeremy Illg, please make room in that boat....  i just stepped down too - last week after over 12 years leading at my home church.  it wasn't a bad thing, but the frustrations over the years were considered when making the…"

"Ian,   Been there, done that, still wearing the T-shirt. Don't dispair. I wait, I trust, I trip (then fall), I repent, I wait some more. Not trying to be funny. Just real. One thing I know, God hasn't changed His mind about what He…"

"Which, Stevo -- the Advice, or... "

"Is that right, during fellowship time? It's a small wonder it's not the biggest church in the city."

"No worries Allan, I'm just in a place where I try to gently change the current 'state of play' within the church. I just wanted to check out my understanding of what you were saying.  I had a notion that you were just…"

"Ian, I've been burned and burned out multiple times.  If there is lingering hurt or resentment, remember that it MUST be dealt with.  Jesus taught that we should reconcile with our brothers before bringing our offering. Sometimes,…"

"The temptation to offer unsolicited well-meaning advice is one of the most pernicious there is.  I haven't seen too many people lately having unbridled sex in our fellowship time, or racing to the platform to shout heresies, or stealing…"

"Yes, Sturgeon is a great eggzample."

"Neither calling you thin skinned or anything at all Phil, I hope you will accept that, but I will apologised straight up if you took offence at anything thing I have said. As to spiritual maturity, I thing if we believe we have it, then we…"

"Just so that you know Allan,  I would be the last person to lay any claim regards spiritual maturity but I wrote on the basis of recovery from a breakdown I suffered that a major factor of was people in church deciding that they needed to give…"

"Lately, God has been reminding me that I am not yet perfect.....  It is very easy for me to expect others around me to be perfect, but I have to realize that even the most reliable people in my church have obstacles, bad days, and are doing the…"

"Or, we may be actually happy inside, but we haven't "notified our face." "

"Recalling Spurgeon's dictum, that anyone in ministry ought to be as innocent as doves, wise as serpents, and have the hide of a rhinoceros."

"Hey Phil, well both really - sorry I should have said ineffective not uneffective church lol. But it's in my experience mainly, growing and stretching me and turning me inside out. I have found this to be true, that people in church are no…"