The Fire Still Burns

The Fire Still Burns explores a variety of themes relating to ministry particularly in the United Reformed Church but with broader application across the Reformed tradition. Rooted in personal experience, it offers seven separate but related personal, historical and theological reflections, with description, analysis and discussion, seeking to offer an honest and realistic appraisal of the current situation but also encouragement and hope on the basis of faith and experience. Each reflection concludes with questions for individual further reflection or discussion in groups and there are occasional interludes of poetry and two brief discussions of pieces of art. There are concluding thoughts before the pandemic and a postscript looking beyond it. There is also an extensive bibliography and list of online resources. The reflections began on sabbatical leave in Westminster College, Cambridge, a Resource Centre for Learning of the United Reformed Church, in the Michaelmas term October - December 2019. They have been edited, developed and extended to include detailed discussion on ministry through the Covid-19 pandemic. They are now offered exploring where the call of God is now on the continuing journey of the Christian Church through times of challenge and opportunity.

The objectives are:

• Reflection on more than 35 years of personal experience of ministry in the United Reformed Church

• Exploration more broadly of the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments in the United Reformed Church, with reference to theologians, Reports to General Assembly, and recent conversations

• Discussion of response to current issues including diminishing resources and numerical decline, new opportunities and insights including pioneer ministry, and the Covid-19 pandemic