Reviews

Plenty of common sense

What Could I Say? (A handbook for helpers), by Peter Hicks. IVP £9.99

THIS is a book for the 90%, claims author Peter Hicks. By this he means the 90% of people in churches who do not need the help of a professional counsellor but need the love, support and listening ear that any Christian should be able to give.

What Could I Say? aims firstly to help Christians be as caring as possible, and secondly to spot the 10% who need the help of a professional counsellor. The first part (only 22 pages) offers general principles for helping and caring for people, expressed in short sections linked to Scripture eg “Not us but Christ”, “don’t judge” etc.

Part 2 (another 250+ pages) consists of 70+ topics arranged in alphabetical order covering a mixture of moral dilemmas (abortion), relationship issues (divorce, remarriage), feelings (fear, anger, etc) and common emotional problems (depression, anxiety). Each section concludes with useful books for follow-up and cross reference to other relevant sections.

As a professional counsellor, I was pleased to be asked to review this book as I am sure it could fill a gap in the training and equipping of helpers and would be a useful addition to church libraries. Of course, I turned to my own specialist area (sexual issues) and have to confess to being disappointed in the emphasis (rather negative) and the lack of information about common sexual dysfunctions. Weakness here may well be made up in other areas – there is plenty of sound common sense in the section on ‘conflict’ for instance.

An easy and accessible read.

Sue Clements-Jewery, Director of Bridge Counselling Services

Power of prayer

Angels on the Walls, by Wallace and Mary Brown. Kingsway, £7.99

Angels on the Walls is both a good read, and an inspiring and challenging story. Inspiring because it tells of what God has done in Wallace and Mary Brown’s church, and challenging because it makes me wonder whether God doesn’t want to do some of the same things in mine.

Wallace was appointed minister of a church in the middle of three large housing estates on the outskirts of Birmingham, but was totally unprepared for what he faced: murder, rape and suicide in the local community, a church which seemed powerless and irrelevant, and a gang of abusive, aggressive teenagers who virtually besieged the vicarage. To his amazement, by the power of prayer, placing God’s ‘angels on the walls’ (hence the title), the gang melted away. That was the turning point.

Slowly but surely, supported by a growing lay ministry team, the Browns saw the church regain its role as salt and light to the disempowered, broken people of the estate. They saw lives transformed and hope restored. And, as I particularly appreciated, we are also told about the mistakes, the setbacks and the failures; it wasn’t all plain sailing. Yet through it all, God has been building, and is still building, his church. It’s an inspiration – and a challenge.

Simon Coupland, Team Vicar of Queen Street Fellowship, Worthing, and author of Spicing Up Your Speaking (Monarch)

Excellent collection

Raze, Forefront Records (Alliance Music), CD £14.99

THEY’RE an all-American act, but pop dance team Raze were, for several months in their early days, protégés of the World Wide Message Tribe and recently they’ve welcomed Manchester-based girl duo V*enna onto their US tour (Raze man Ja’ Marc also guests on V*enna’s album).

Listening to Raze’s latest release, it’s clear that they will have had a lot in common – there are obvious similarities both musically and in theme between opening song The Plan and V*enna’s Where I Wanna Be.

They follow that with pop/hip-hop number Amazing before proving that they remain a fun act too, performing a cover of Kool and the Gang’s Celebration.

Follow Your Dreams has already been a popular single Stateside – Ja’Marc’s croaky-voiced delivery adding to its appeal. Picking up again on the “where I wanna be” guidance theme, If You Go is mellower, with soothing string arrangements over the dance loops. Laying Down My Will sticks to the same subject matter, but picks up the pace again.

My enduring memory of Raze is their improvised dance routine with Delirious? at the Sheffield Arena, so perhaps it’s no surprise that they close the album with their own interpretation of Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble? – excellent.

Contemporary instrumental

Freedom, by Michael W Smith, Reunion Records (Word), CD £14.99

THE label on the box describes this as “the long-awaited instrumental album” – I hadn’t exactly been holding my breath in anticipation, but I was keen to delve into this new vehicle for the talents of CCM star Michael W Smith.

Although Freedom incorporates a number of different musical
influences, Michael doesn’t follow Paul McCartney’s full-blown
symphonic route. Playing piano and keyboards himself, he opts instead for a contemporary instrumental line-up, augmented by the blockbuster sounds of the Irish Film Orchestra with support from the Nashville String Machine.

The reason for the Irish connection becomes apparent as soon as the quasi-Celtic title track gets underway, and while The Offering has Russian classical tinges and Carol Ann heads off in the film score direction, Marie Breatnach’s Irish fiddle playing is easily picked out on both.

For the best Celtic piece, skip (literally perhaps) to the reel-like Hibernia – something akin to Iona-meets-Mike Oldfield, and Letter To Sarah’s gentler piano and whistle/flute sounds are no less evocative.

A lavish instrumental arrangement of Thy Word is the sole link to MWS’s previous songwriting, but buy quickly and a free limited-edition, seven-song acoustic set from a This Is Your Time concert will be yours too.

Peter Dilley, bass guitarist and co-ordinator/mentor for a support scheme for young people with learning disabilities, run by the charity InterAct

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		Plenty of common sense What Could I Say? (A handbook for helpers), by Peter Hicks. IVP £9.99 THIS is a book for the 90%, claims author Peter Hicks. By this he means the 90% of people in churches who do not need the help of a professional counsellor but need the love, support and listening ear that any Christian should be able to give. What Could I Say? aims firstly to help Christians be as caring as possible, and secondly to spot the 10% who need the help of a professional counsellor. The first part (only 22 pages) offers general principles for helping and caring for people, expressed in short sections linked to Scripture eg “Not us but Christ”, “don’t judge” etc. Part 2 (another 250+ pages) consists of 70+ topics arranged in alphabetical order covering a mixture of moral dilemmas (abortion), relationship issues (divorce, remarriage), feelings (fear, anger, etc) and common emotional problems (depression, anxiety). Each section concludes with useful books for follow-up and cross reference to other relevant sections. As a professional counsellor, I was pleased to be asked to review this book as I am sure it could fill a gap in the training and equipping of helpers and would be a useful addition to church libraries. Of course, I turned to my own specialist area (sexual issues) and have to confess to being disappointed in the emphasis (rather negative) and the lack of information about common sexual dysfunctions. Weakness here may well be made up in other areas – there is plenty of sound common sense in the section on ‘conflict’ for instance. An easy and accessible read. Sue Clements-Jewery, Director of Bridge Counselling Services Power of prayer Angels on the Walls, by Wallace and Mary Brown. Kingsway, £7.99 Angels on the Walls is both a good read, and an inspiring and challenging story. Inspiring because it tells of what God has done in Wallace and Mary Brown’s church, and challenging because it makes me wonder whether God doesn’t want to do some of the same things in mine. Wallace was appointed minister of a church in the middle of three large housing estates on the outskirts of Birmingham, but was totally unprepared for what he faced: murder, rape and suicide in the local community, a church which seemed powerless and irrelevant, and a gang of abusive, aggressive teenagers who virtually besieged the vicarage. To his amazement, by the power of prayer, placing God’s ‘angels on the walls’ (hence the title), the gang melted away. That was the turning point. Slowly but surely, supported by a growing lay ministry team, the Browns saw the church regain its role as salt and light to the disempowered, broken people of the estate. They saw lives transformed and hope restored. And, as I particularly appreciated, we are also told about the mistakes, the setbacks and the failures; it wasn’t all plain sailing. Yet through it all, God has been building, and is still building, his church. It’s an inspiration – and a challenge. Simon Coupland, Team Vicar of Queen Street Fellowship, Worthing, and author of Spicing Up Your Speaking (Monarch) Excellent collection Raze, Forefront Records (Alliance Music), CD £14.99 THEY’RE an all-American act, but pop dance team Raze were, for several months in their early days, protégés of the World Wide Message Tribe and recently they’ve welcomed Manchester-based girl duo Venna onto their US tour (Raze man Ja’ Marc also guests on Venna’s album). Listening to Raze’s latest release, it’s clear that they will have had a lot in common – there are obvious similarities both musically and in theme between opening song The Plan and Venna’s Where I Wanna Be. They follow that with pop/hip-hop number Amazing* before proving that they remain a fun act too, performing a cover of Kool and the Gang’s Celebration. Follow Your Dreams has already been a popular single Stateside – Ja’Marc’s croaky-voiced delivery adding to its appeal. Picking up again on the “where I wanna be” guidance theme, If You Go is mellower, with soothing string arrangements over the dance loops. Laying Down My Will sticks to the same subject matter, but picks up the pace again. My enduring memory of Raze is their improvised dance routine with Delirious? at the Sheffield Arena, so perhaps it’s no surprise that they close the album with their own interpretation of Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble? – excellent. Contemporary instrumental Freedom, by Michael W Smith, Reunion Records (Word), CD £14.99 THE label on the box describes this as “the long-awaited instrumental album” – I hadn’t exactly been holding my breath in anticipation, but I was keen to delve into this new vehicle for the talents of CCM star Michael W Smith. Although Freedom incorporates a number of different musical influences, Michael doesn’t follow Paul McCartney’s full-blown symphonic route. Playing piano and keyboards himself, he opts instead for a contemporary instrumental line-up, augmented by the blockbuster sounds of the Irish Film Orchestra with support from the Nashville String Machine. The reason for the Irish connection becomes apparent as soon as the quasi-Celtic title track gets underway, and while The Offering has Russian classical tinges and Carol Ann heads off in the film score direction, Marie Breatnach’s Irish fiddle playing is easily picked out on both. For the best Celtic piece, skip (literally perhaps) to the reel-like Hibernia – something akin to Iona-meets-Mike Oldfield, and Letter To Sarah’s gentler piano and whistle/flute sounds are no less evocative. A lavish instrumental arrangement of Thy Word is the sole link to MWS’s previous songwriting, but buy quickly and a free limited-edition, seven-song acoustic set from a This Is Your Time concert will be yours too. Peter Dilley, bass guitarist and co-ordinator/mentor for a support scheme for young people with learning disabilities, run by the charity InterAct © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.