The Profile

Matt Redman: The songwriter pursuing more reverence in worship

The man behind of the world's most popular worship songs including '10,000 Reasons' and 'Blessed Be Your Name' releases his 14th album this weekend. In this special in-depth interview with Matt Redman, the songwriter explains what listeners can expect from Lamb of God and unpacks why he's so passionate about singing more songs regarding the holiness of God. "I love it when we don't even get a mention at all in the lyrics", comments Redman. Speaking to Premier Christianity's Sam Hailes, Redman also defines what success looks like for him and addresses common criticisms of the modern worship movement. For Redman, reverence in worship is everything. "It's a bit of a lifelong pursuit, honestly," he says, "trying to bring a little more reverence into these expressions of songs, because I think that’s what’s been lacking."

 

You can also read this interview in Premier Christianity magazine. See here.

Lamb of God is available on all major streaming platforms. See here

Leadership special: Nick Pollard on turning a health crisis into a social enterprise

Andy Peck talks to Nick Pollard who co-founded Family Mental Wealth which provides online tools to help parents and children navigate a variety of mental health issues. He explores how the illness of their daughter was the catalyst and led to academic and government bodies becoming involved. 

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John Roedel: How writing Facebook letters to God changed my life and lifted my depression

The poet, author and comic John Roedel knows what it is to suffer. From the collapse of his family business, to his son's autism diagnosis, Roedell wrestled with the big questions of life. Witnessing the inner workings of a local Catholic church didn't help, instead it led him toward atheism. For years he suffered serious depression. The turning point came when Roedel discovered God was far more personal than he'd been led to believe. "My relationship with God had always been very formal", he remembers. But something was changing. By imagining a two way conversation with God - and posting the results on Facebook - John's perception of the divine was changing for the better. "This was different. This was a relational moment I hadn't experienced before." Ultimately those short posts went viral and led to a new career for this writer/poet. Sam Hailes hears the full story. 

 

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Leadership special: Lee Kricher on moving from one pastor to the next

Andy Peck talks to Lee Kricher author of 'Seamless Pastoral Transition: 3

Imperatives – 6 Pitfalls'. The former pastor of Amplify Church, Pittsburgh tells Andy how to ensure that the transition from one pastor to the next doesn't mean losing members and finance along the way.

 

The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK's leading Christian magazine Subscribe now from $1/month 

Tim Keller: How cancer transformed my prayer life

Renowned pastor, author and Christian thinker Tim Keller joined Justin Brierley and Ruth Jackson of Premier Unbelievable? for a live show. Keller, who led Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York for over 25 year, talks about his life and faith, his new book on forgiveness and his recent journey with cancer. Unbelievable listeners also ask their questions.

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Special - ’In Christ Alone’ writer Keith Getty on being nominated for a Grammy Award

The modern day hymn writer Keith Getty is best known for penning 'In Christ Alone' alongside Stuart Townend. Now Keith, together with his wife Kristen, has been nominated for a Grammy award for their lockdown album Confessio - Irish American Roots. In this interview with Premier's Ian Britton you'll hear Keith's reaction to his first ever Grammy nomination and hear clips from the new album.

 

The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity. Subscribe to receive the next 3 print issues for just £5 at premierchristianity.com/subscribe 

Leadership special: Tim Gough on the youth crisis in the UK church

Andy Peck talks to Tim Gough, who is the Pioneer Director for YFC Wales and the author of Rebooted: Reclaiming Youth Ministry for the Long Haul. They talk about how the decline in young people took place despite a rise in paid youthworkers and what we might do to repair the damage in local churches.  

The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK's leading Christian magazine Subscribe now from $1/month 

Francis Chan: Why I quit my megachurch and started again

Francis Chan left his thriving US megachurch, turned his back on the fame that ministry had brought him and moved his family to a developing country. He tells Sam Hailes the full story. 

This interview was first broadcast and published in 2019. 

You can also read this interview in Premier Christianity magazine. Subscribe now from $1/month

RT Kendall: Bringing the Word and the Spirit together

RT Kendall doesn’t look like a heretic. He doesn’t sound like one either. But in the mid 80s he almost lost his job leading one of London’s most famous churches when he was accused of antinomianism: the claim that Christians are not obliged to follow God’s moral law. The controversy centred around a book he had written called Once Saved, Always Saved, in which he wore his Calvinist theology on his sleeve: that salvation is by sheer grace and not because of anything we do. Kendall laughs when he recalls the episode, saying that it was the testimonies of those who read the book that rescued him. "They said it made them want to be more godly," he shares. This wasn’t the only controversy Kendall would weather in 25 years of eventful ministry at Westminster Chapel. By the end of it, he saw himself as much a Brit as an American and, through his speaking and books, was regarded as a statesman of the UK evangelical Church by the time he retired in 2002. Justin Brierley hears the full story.

 

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Leadership special: Yetunde Hoffman on bringing love into business

Andy Peck talks to Yetunde Hofmann, who has been involved in leadership for over 25 years in the corporate world and now has a portfolio career which includes leading an international leadership and change consulting practice and organisation that supports black women leaders. They talk about why the death of George Floyd was an impetus to helping black women and why love is such an important element of good business leadership.

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