Posts by John Hayward
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What is an Enthusiast?
The word “enthusiast” frequently appears in my models. What is an enthusiast, and why are they important? An enthusiast is a special type of Christian. They are believers who are actively involved in the conversion of people to the Christian faith …
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Is Mathematics the Music of Heaven?
Recently, I was interviewed on a BBC religious affairs programme, “All Things Considered.” The programme asked the question, “Does God Do Maths?” Toward the end, the producer asked me about the relationship between mathematics and music. I suggested mathematics might be the music of heaven! But what did I mean?
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Revival is an Exceptional Work of the Holy Spirit
“What is a revival?” Answers to this question are essential if you want to understand the rationale for the Church Growth Modelling project. The fifth and final in this series of five articles comes from a sermon I have preached […]
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Revival Involves the Presence of God
Part 4 of 5. “What is a revival?” Answers to this question are essential if you want to understand the rationale for the Church Growth Modelling project. The fourth in this series of five articles comes from a sermon I […]
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Revival is God’s Way of Advancing His Kingdom
Part 3 of 5. “What is a revival?” Answers to this question are essential if you want to understand the rationale for the Church Growth Modelling project. The third in this series of five articles comes from a sermon I […]
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British Religious Identity: Unpacking The 2021 Census
This week, the Office for National Statistics released the 2021 census data on religious identity. The headline figure was grim news for Christians and their churches: Less than half of England and Wales identify as Christian.
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Help! My Church is Heading for Extinction
What Can I Do? I have had considerable feedback from my two posts on the Growth, Decline and Extinction of UK Churches [1]. Many people have been concerned by forecasts of extinction and have asked me what they can do […]
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Revival is a Work of God
“What is a revival?” Answers to this question are essential if you want to understand the rationale for the Church Growth Modelling project. The first answer is that revival is a work of God.
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UK Church Decline and Progressive Ideology
Some churches in the UK are being influenced by the prevailing progressive ideology in Western culture. How does denominational growth and decline relate to acceptance of progressive ideas? This question is addressed examining the denominations’ approach to marriage.
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Growth, Decline and Extinction of UK Churches
Christianity is declining in the UK. In particular, the numbers participating in churches are decreasing each year. Of course, not all denominations are declining. A few are growing. What is the pattern of growth and decline across the UK denominations? […]
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What is Revival? Introduction
Answers to this question are essential if you want to understand the rationale for the Church Growth Modelling project. The first in this series of five articles is based on Acts 1:1-12.
Read about the Breadalbane Revival in Perthshire, Scotland in 1800
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Church Growth Modelling – The State of the Art
Background I started the church growth modelling project back in 1995 following a chance comment concerning the then-popular “Toronto Blessing”. A friend of mine noted the phenomenon’s growth and said: “It is spreading like a disease!” That got me wondering, […]
In 1904-5, Moriah chapel was the centre of massive church growth in Wales through a God-sent revival.