An interview with Tim Chester

Can you tell us a little about yourself? Your background, interests, and passions? What current projects are you working on?

I grew up in Reformed Baptist circles. I’m part of a missional church now, but theologically I’m still Reformed and still baptistic!

I guess there are three aspects to my life at the moment. I’m a church planter with The Crowded House, a network of missional churches in the UK and beyond (thecrowdedhouse.org).

Second, I’m director of the Porterbrook Institute which provides non-residential training for church leadership in a way that allows students to train in the context of their ministry (porterbrookinstitute.org).

And third, I’m a writer (timchester.co.uk). I just love writing. My particular passion is to relate theology to the everyday lives of ordinary Christians, and that was really my aim in writing both Delighting in the Trinity and From Creation to New Creation. There are lots of books around for pastors on “deep doctrine” and biblical theology, but very few that help a typical believer to understand how these great truths are both exciting and encouraging.

In terms of what’s coming up, I’ve got a book called A Meal With Jesus: Discovering Grace, Community, and Mission around the Table which is due out from Crossway in April and a second edition of the evangelistic course I wrote with my church-planting colleague Steve Timmis called The World we all Want which is being published by The Good Book Company. I’ve also written a book called Gospel Centred Marriage which will be out later this year, also from The Good Book Company. Beyond that, I’m currently co-authoring a short book on the ascension and beginning work on a commentary on Hosea, both for Christian Focus.