Seven up…
1) This eerie coronavirus slowdown is forcing us all to confront the question – is this it? – Great to see this piece from Johnny Patterson about exploring Christianity during Coronavirus in The Independent this week.
2) European Leadership Forum Online – The ELF is taking place online this year, like many conferences – and much of it’s content is freely available to all. Do check it out.
3) Sitting Till Bedtime – I think there’s definitely something in this reflective piece on the impact of lockdown upon our cultivation of a common life, as families are drawn together and we look for shared markers. Obviously, it would be foolish to romanticise this and be naive about the impact upon the vulnerable, but the general observation still stands.
4) Running A Course for Explorers on Zoom – 12 minute video talking through some of the practicalities of running a church course for enquirers on Zoom.
5) The media have it wrong. Churches are NOT rushing to open their doors – I think this is a fair piece from Danny Webster as he surveys different churches. My sense is that for all that churches would love to be together physically – the realities are that this is not likely to be realistic or safe – and therefore sensible – anytime soon.
6) The Original 2020 is History. 7 New Disruptive Church Trends Every Leader Should Watch – A bit of a clickbait headline, and a US-context, but definitely some points well worth thinking about wherever your church is located.
7) Not All Heroes Can Sing – For something a bit different, remember the UK Blessing video? Well, some bright spark decided to dub it all to give a voice for those of us who can’t quite reach the notes… strangely compelling – and an ode to ex-Delirious frontman Martin Smith.
Quote of the Week:
“We can only watch so much Netflix or stare at so many screens; at some point, we share bottles of wine, or tell stories over cards, look through old photos, or call someone we had once thought ourselves too busy to catch up with. Temporarily unable to entertain ourselves, we turn to each other.”
– Blake Mayes
Hello, my name is Robin. Welcome to That Happy Certainty, where I write and collate on Christianity, culture, and ministry. I’m based in Barrow-in-Furness in South Cumbria, England, where I serve a church family called 
