Abi Jarvis
Abi Jarvis is the public leadership co-ordinator at the Evangelical Alliance, seeking to equip Christians with the skills and confidence to be faithful leaders in the places where God has called them. She has responsibility for the SENT course and the Public Leader: England curriculum.
Abi has a BA in Ancient History, an MSc in Political Communication and is currently studying for an MA in Kingdom Theology at WTC. She enjoys going to the theatre, watches too many American TV dramas, and somehow became responsible for daily office exercises despite her hatred of all things sporty. Much to her dismay, Abi ticks the box for pretty much every stereotypical feature of a PK – a pastor's kid.
Diversity in leadership
25 July 2018I recently read an article discussing Clarks shoes. A girls’ range, which features hearts inside and is called Dolly Babe, has now been discontinued following complaints. The boy’s range, which features footballs inside, is named Leader and it remains in stock. Controversy over genderised children’s toys and clothes is nothing new, and many weighty people have commented on their horror at the Dolly Babe name. I am delighted that the line is being discontinued. But my horror at the Dolly Babe…
Read more...
Five steps to becoming a public leader-friendly church
23 July 2018Here are five easy steps to becoming a become a public leader-friendly church. See the need We have a crisis of leadership in our country. Politicians, journalists, bankers filmmakers and more have all seen their integrity lost, their trustworthiness doubted and their leadership undermined. We don’t need endless analysis of why things went wrong or courses in public ethics to try and stem the tide of failing leadership. But we do need to recognise that there is a problem, and that Christians…
Read more...
How public leadership-friendly is your church?
23 July 2018The local church is an essential place for the support and teaching of public leaders. Here are ten questions to help you think about how you raise up and disciple public leaders in your church. Public leadership: equipping and supporting Christian leaders throughout society. Do you profile Christians leading outside the church? Can you highlight and encourage these people through social media and in your services? How do you equip your congregation to be bold and stay firm in the face of…
Read more...
Local community transformation
5 June 2018This personal profile plan has been developed for those looking to increase their footprint in their local community and become a ‘go to’ voice on a local issue. This might involve launching a new community service, campaigning on an issue, or becoming a media spokesperson. The plan can be used by a group of local leaders as well as by individuals. Prepare – do the groundwork Before you start any new projects, you should always investigate what’s already happening. This includes activities…
Read more...
One year on: mourn with those who mourn
25 May 2018I can only imagine how the survivors and family members of victims from the Manchester Arena must feel this week as they marked the first anniversary of the devastating attack that claimed the lives of 22 victims last year. Watching some of the short videos from the BBC, covering the events in Manchester, it has struck me that many of the emotions I might have expected to feel – anger, anxiety, fear – have been little on display. Instead, I have felt love, hope and compassion. In fact, I've…
Read more...
Inspired to lead
19 April 2018Over the last fortnight the Public Leadership team at the Evangelical Alliance has delivered nine seminars at Spring Harvest conferences, run a weekend training retreat and facilitated a day long workshop for a group of churches in Essex. It’s been a busy period, but also an exciting one as we’ve met people passionate about developing their public leadership and see how they can become voices for good and for God wherever they are. Living bravely in public live At Skegness, Harrogate and…
Read more...
Ten podcasts for public leaders
17 April 2018Cultural intelligence Q Podcast Q, a website of videos and articles, was birthed out of Gabe Lyons’ vision to see Christians, especially leaders, recover a vision for their historic responsibility to renew and restore cultures. The podcast (qpodcast.libsyn.com) covers a large subject-base relating to culture, vocation, and ethical issues (mostly from an American perspective). Some episodes (such as ep 34) focus specifically on vocation outside of the church. TWR-UK: Theology of News This…
Read more...
Stephen Hawking and hope for the future
16 March 2018This week brought the sad news of the death of Professor Stephen Hawking. Among the many articles posted in the wake of the news was an article from the BBC outlining some of Hawking’s predictions for the future. They aren’t optimistic. Hawking’s view of the future included expecting the development of full artificial intelligence which “could spell the end of the human race”, global warming that would make the earth “like Venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees, and raining sulphuric acid”,…
Read more...
Will your church change the world?
1 July 2017‘God wants to save the world, but what if He also wants to transform it?’‘What if leadership is a gift from God to change the world around us?’‘How can I be a leader in the public square, speaking up for God and for the good of all?’These are the questions at the heart of the new small group course from the Evangelical Alliance’s public leadership team, Change the World. This free four-week course is for everyone in your church, whether they are a student, a business leader or a stay at home…
Read more...