The Mother Hen's First Chick: Stephen Thompson
Let me start this review by saying that Pastor Stephen Thompson is someone I have known and deeply respected for 30 years: a man of great humility who is an excellent listener, and someone who, all those 30 years ago, quite literally put into practice the words of Matthew 25:36, taking me into his house when I was in a dark place indeed.
Stephen has a God-given talent for oration, but it's only now that it struck me just what an excellent writer he is too. His talent - I believe - lies in the warmth and sheer down-to-earth quality of his writing. This is a man who has suffered for his vocation, but what shines through is sheer positivity and there is never any doubt of the outcome: it's always clear that God is calling the shots, and Stephen would have it no other way. As a young man, Stephen found his way to Elim, and the rest is history. After ministries in Southport, Lancaster and Leeds (where I met him), he planted a new church in Boston Spa. That was just over 25 years ago and that church - Kings Church in Boston Spa - goes from strength to strength. I received this book on a Friday, and by the end of Sunday had read it twice - it had such an impact on me. One of the things I love about it is that Stephen is very generous in letting the reader know about other great books and authors. He also has a talent for injecting God into the commonplace - for example coincidences become 'God-incidences'. If you ever get the opportunity to listen to any of his talks - which you can find here - you'll detect immediately that this is a very well-read man. In fact, I would highly recommend that you download his talks - they are wonderful for playing when going on a walk or when driving: you will be given a spiritual shot in the arm. Anyway, back to the book: if any of you want to get hold of a copy, please contact me. Stephen has indicated that the book can be provided freely, with just a £2 charge for postage and packing. I already have two people in St. Paul's who want to read it, so let me know... |
The above review was written by Kieran Wright.