Emmanuel Methodist Church
Barnsley, *Province/Other S70 1DT
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• Experience: 33 years of Christless living followed by a road to Damascus conversion in 1995. Accredited as a Lay preacher in the Barnsley Methodist Circuit in 2007. EEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAA Thank you God.
• Comment to those looking at my sermons: Read them with joy and a smile.
• Sermon or series that made a difference: The Alpha Course - not connected with my conversion but helped me move on in my faith.
• One of my favorite illustrations: "Come as you are caught party" It’s like a fancy dress party but you have to come as you were caught by the party organiser when he called in the days or weeks before the party. LIKE when Christ comes calling - we will go to the party just as we are"
• Family: Married with 2 children, 1 dog, 1 fish
• What my parents think of my sermons: I’m not from a Christian background and neither of them have ever heard me - give it time, give it time!!!
• What my spouse (really) thinks of my sermons: OK I s’pose.
• Best advice given to me about preaching: For God’s sake SMILE. Start your sermon by going out to meet the congregation where they are (metaphorically) The most important words of your sermon are the first words. Grab the people’s attention and you can work them, loose their attention and it does not matter what you say - they won’t hear your message"
• Books that have had an impact: "Modern Cereal Chemistry" by Kent-Jones and Amos (sorry, but it’s a great read - honest) "Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation" by Adrian Plass "Taken on Trust" by Terry Waite
• Hobbies: Ice Hockey - Fan of the Sheffield Steelers Ice Hockey Team
• If I could Preach one more time, I would say...: He who laughs last must be a Christian.
• Something funny that happened while preaching: In a very small village church the organist started playing the first hymn in the wrong key - it sounded terrible. I stopped the hymn and said that she was playing in the wrong key, to which she replied, "it’s the only key you’re going to get" I fell into the pulpit with laughter and then "corpsed" (giggled uncontrollably) throughout the whole service as every hymn she played was also in the wrong key. Eventually I suggested we sing the last hymn unaccompanied. Unfortunately for me, I was having a quality assessment that day but fortunately the assessors were laughing so much themselves they understood my plight.
• What I want on my tombstone: Please note my new address: john_foster@heaven.org ;-)