CEP SEASON THREE EP: 08 - WITH GUEST JOY BLUNDELL
A short bio about Joy
With a heart for the restoration and transformation of cities through the mobilisation of the local Church, Joy oversees Social Justice and Influence at Alive Church, a multi-site church in the East of England, and is the Location Pastor of Alive Lincoln North as well as one of the core leaders of the Groundlevel Network of churches.
Joy is the founding Director of Acts Trust: a Lincoln-based charity connected to Alive, with a mission to empower people to end poverty; she co-leads Transform Lincoln: the unity movement of churches in Lincoln.
Joy is a qualified leadership and life coach, a civic commissioner in Lincoln's recently formed poverty truth commission and a trustee of CAP UK.
In our conversation with Joy, we explore how we can transform our towns and cities through meaningful connections. Plus how we create disciples who make disciples and much more.
SHOW NOTES
FULL TRANSCRIPT
CREATED BY AI - SO NOT 100% accurate.
David Mckeown 0:00
Welcome to the church explained podcast a conversation to grow your leadership and build your Church. I'm Dave.
Nathan Benger 0:06
And I'm Nathan. And on this podcast we are joined by Joy Blundell. So great to have you joy. Welcome, Joy.
Joy Blundell 0:17
Hi, guys. Thanks for having me.
Nathan Benger 0:19
Now it's great. Let me just read a little bit about joy with a heart for the restoration and transformation of cities through the mobilisation of the local Church joy, oversee social justice and influence at a live Church, a multi site Church in the East of England, and his location Pastor alive Lincoln north, as well as one of the core leaders of the ground level network of churches. Joy is the founding director of X trust a Lincoln based charity connected to alive with a mission to empower people to end poverty. She co leads transform Lincoln, the Unity movement of churches in Lincoln. Joe is a qualified leadership and life coach, a civic commissioner in the recently formed poverty Truth Commission in Lincoln and a trustee of CAP UK so you don't do much joy. Yeah.
David Mckeown 1:11
One of the things that
Joy Blundell 1:12
I've got some kids as well. My kids like them, too. Yeah.
David Mckeown 1:19
Yeah. You never mentioned those at all. All about ministry view joy, isn't it? Yeah, well, hey, it's great to have you on the show. You have got a lot going on, as we've said that great stuff you're involved in. And we always like to find out a little bit more about us the individual. We've got your bio about. Tell us a little bit more joy about your your fifth story on your ministry journey.
Joy Blundell 1:47
Yeah, well, I'm a Yorkshire lass. So I grew up in West Yorkshire, in the little town where they feel most of the summer wine. So compo, I used to deliver his paper to him. But that's back in the day, if you're a certain age, like you wouldn't know compose if you're a kind of more contemporary person. And I am I grew up in a really small Anglican Church. And but when I was 12, my youth leader invited me to come to what's called grapevine, like the celebration on the Lincolnshire Showground that's run by the ground level network. And I came and like instantly connected with the Holy Spirit really amazing. Like lights come in on kind of experience. And I'm really like, the rest is history. I, I started bringing, trying to bring something of that back into our Church community and like the, on the Moors in Yorkshire, and I planted like a small youth, congregation, and later, my mates from school became Christians. And I think that's where I start to realise I was really passionate about Jesus, the Church and other people finding Jesus and, and then when I was 18, I came to university in Lincoln. And I've been here ever since. So Lincoln's my home. And I'm definitely feel like I'm adopted Lincoln last now. And when I arrived at the university, the University of Delhi opened a year before. So it's like a brand new campus and really quite adult place to be a student. To be honest, it wasn't like kind of really happening or like the bright lights at all. And, but I remember him in a speech from the Vice Chancellor, who was trying to sell this to new students, I'd say, if you come here, he said, If you come here, you'll get to make your mark on a city. And I remember just being totally sucked in, like a sense of the Holy Spirit of this is where I have to come like, I really want to come here. And I want to make my mark on the city. And I think I feel like that would encapsulate like, my kind of faith journey of wanting to follow Jesus and inspire other people to do that, but also bring transformation to a place. And I met my husband when I was studying psychology, and he was doing the same. And we got married just after he finished uni. And yeah, we've been here ever since 25 years. Wow, amazing.
Nathan Benger 4:22
Amazing. And you say you've got a children now? What are their names?
Joy Blundell 4:28
Yeah. Yeah, so Finn is he's 14 and Poppy is 10 and they are both living the good life today at home because their teachers are striking. So
David Mckeown 4:46
yeah, my son.
Nathan Benger 4:49
Enjoy. What do you do for fun because I've heard you'd go cold water swimming.
Joy Blundell 4:54
Yeah, I absolutely love being outside. The best thing is to be in a Yorkshire reservoir. Which York don't tell Yorkshire water. She's not allowed to swim in them. But but if I can't make that, then there's a lake in rugby, nearly in Lincolnshire. And it's purpose built. And I absolutely love being in cold water unless it's iced over cut, don't like that. But if it's really cold, it just makes you feel amazing. And I also, the other thing I do for fun, is, I am a Myers Briggs Type Indicator geek. And I love to type people and talk to people about their individual gifts and unique contribution that they make.
David Mckeown 5:37
Wow. Well, we like that you need contribution to the world. And well, we'll find out a little bit more about your heart, I guess, for making the mark in the city as we go through. But But I wonder for you, obviously, you're part of a local Church. And I've been thinking about this idea for you them. What do you think, is the greatest impact a local Church can have? What do you think of the big ideas or the big things a local Church? Why do we need them?
Joy Blundell 6:07
Well, I think it's absolutely God's design. It's like the best place to be family, like, I think, for think about all of the brokenness in the world at the moment, I think potentially, it comes down to people needing to belong, and the longing for affirmation, belonging and family. And so the local Church is family isn't it, and, and it's a place where people precious people get to kind of work their life out together. And I was just thinking that, really, it's not an always a really easy place to be. And one of my friends calls, you know, like, really annoying people, she calls them sandpaper, people, which is where you like to rip against each other, and you'd kind of knock the rough edges off. And I just think if the family and it's not always easy, but it's a place for us to become more of who God's made us to be by having the rough edges knocked off as, and I love that,
Nathan Benger 7:07
ya know, so good. Obviously, within your role, there's lots of, you know, the word like transformation comes about, and obviously, even in your story, were just making your mark on the city. And so just thinking as leaders, what are some of the big ideas we should focus on if we want to bring lasting change, and even just thinking, lasting change to the places where God has positioned us as well?
Joy Blundell 7:33
Yeah, so I think the, the, like I said, the biggest brokenness in our world, and in our society, comes from nothing but the people that live like we are the best thing about the world. And we're also the kind of worst thing about the world as well. And, and so I think, if we want to bring transformation to the place that we live in, we've got to focus on creating whole people who are mature, like, the kind of outworking of the Ephesians four ministry is to bring maturity to the body of Christ. And I think we need to be mature people who are the best version that we can be, so that we can bring, we can't like point a finger and preach to the world, to bring wholeness to the world, we have to be the whole people that need that bring wholeness to the world. And so, for me, it's really simple. We become more like Jesus, so that we can make the world more like the place he first intended us to live and working on our own inner heart and wholeness. It's ultimately the first thing that we have to do.
David Mckeown 8:41
Great. Yeah, yeah. And thinking of that idea of working on yourself. What sort of tools would you recommend for leaders that maybe they're listening today? And they think, yeah, I need to do some work on my life. What would you recommend to them joy?
Joy Blundell 8:56
Yeah, that's a really good question. So I think the two keys are forgiveness and repentance. And you could do it later ways and loads people have packaged it in like all sorts of callous, snazzy courses and like tools, but it really comes down to repentance or turning away from, like, the lies that we believe about ourselves or about God. So for me, like repentance is like, it's not just one thing you do when you become a Christian. It's like your daily active devotion to Jesus, and having our minds renewed, so that we can conform not to the pattern of this world. And so like, I love what Bill Johnson says. He says, The Our Father is the father of truth, and the enemy is the father of lies. And if we believe in a lie about ourself or about God, then we are aligning ourselves or turning towards the father of lies. And so repentance is really turning away from that turning towards the father of truth, recognising that we're His children that he loves The way that we are affirmed, and also that he's really good, and that he's not going to punish us that he's got good things for us and for the people around us. And then, in order to keep doing that, like forgiveness is like the other key and making sure that we keep our hearts off towards God and people and ourselves. And I tell you one, I mean, there's loads of tools. But one thing that I've been practising, which I find really hard is Sabbath, solitude and silence. And those things enable me to hear when I'm believing a lie, or when I'm not living out the truth that God's got for me, and then start to work on that through repentance and forgiveness.
David Mckeown 10:48
Okay, that sounds sounds like a good filter that you've got there. Sabbath solitude and silence. And there's a lot of stuff I don't know on that. And I guess we've got some stuff on our site as well. Yeah,
Nathan Benger 11:00
follow jesus.uk. So there's some stuff on there. What does I'm intrigued? What does your Sabbath look like?
Joy Blundell 11:08
Well, I'm, I'm trying to work it out at the moment, actually, I've got a couple of options of like days that I can use for Sabbath. So sometimes it's Friday night until a Saturday and doing it with the family and kids. John Mark comer says make it the best day of the week. And so fill it with like good stuff. So outside being outside for me and, and like food with family and friends, worship, like time with Jesus. Sometimes I'll do it on a Monday, like going from a Sunday night to a Monday because having small kids isn't always like that easy to like, bring Sabbath around. So but I think we're working with our life group, actually, at the moment, just like practising tribes like going through Sabbath and then coming back together every week and saying, how has this worked and what what's been good about it, and more often than not, I feel like I failed at Sabbath. And then trying to kind of have that time as an extrovert. I find it I do find like solitude and silence, like, a challenge. And so making sure I've got a lot of like fun things in with people as well is a good way to just enjoy and delight and find missed.
David Mckeown 12:24
When it was thanks for sharing your stories. Anything else on the Sabbath? Are you
Nathan Benger 12:29
I'm suitably intrigued. Yeah, I'm intrigued, because I've got I've got three young boys. And, yes, let's just say it's a challenge.
David Mckeown 12:43
You're looking forward to solvers creating its own Yeah,
Nathan Benger 12:46
their bedtime is saba.
David Mckeown 12:50
Hey, let's think about mediation for a moment joy if we can, I mean, obviously, some of the things you've described helps transform the leader, which helps to transform the town or the city they belong to. But I was just wondering, because obviously the big theme for you transformation what sort of stories could you share of how God's use you to bring about transformation or your Church in Lincoln or beyond?
David Mckeown 13:58
Here
Unknown Speaker 14:20
Wow,
David Mckeown 15:20
YEAH?
David Mckeown 18:16
Not Berlin
David Mckeown 18:22
Yeah, well done on that that's a great success story there, isn't it?
Nathan Benger 18:25
Yeah, it is. Yeah. Yeah. That's so amazing. That's so amazing. So just thinking about your thoughts around the whole thing of, you know, so you were so active in terms of let's set up all these projects, community community, but then I've come around to this idea of people, you know, taking the kingdom wherever they go into their workplaces, or whatever it is. So what just thinking of a Church what do you think is like a healthy balance for a Church in terms of like a biblical approach to this, and what are some of the things that we could do as churches to help empower people for their workplaces as well?
David Mckeown 19:35
Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 20:55
YEAH?
David Mckeown 21:43
Right, yeah, yeah, it does. And I think that's a great answer. And you say that there is no real blueprint print. But I think that is a blueprint in itself really that raising, equipping and releasing? Because if we were to do that, like what if every Church was to do that and the least all those people mobilise them. And maybe what's even quicker transformation in our times and in our cities, rather than, as you've said, just a few pastors or leaders heading up the projects, what would the world be like? If everyone was mobilised here part of Church? I think there's something in that, maybe something like discipleship, and there is where? What do you think discipleship fits into all this?
Joy Blundell 22:26
Yeah, I think that is discipleship. So I think if if we are learning to follow, become like Jesus, then I don't know if we've skipped the social justice question or whether there's, like, I love that question. And so the idea of whether like, yeah, no, yeah. So because I think I saw the question about like, should we do social justice is that something that is there like a too much, or I can't remember, but because for me, like, I didn't ever following Jesus and becoming like Jesus, and going in his name, and pray, and like he said, Let heaven come to earth is that's our discipleship. It's learning to be like him. And so when we see things that are wrong with the world, and out of, they're not like, you know, John saw in the book of Revelation, chapter 21, where we saw a new city where the New Jerusalem came down from heaven to the west, no more death, or sadness, only joy. And so our discipleship is following Jesus, to become like him. And to our worship is to work with him to cultivate that kind of culture of heaven to on Earth. And so that means where there's unjust structures and systems, we work together and pray to get those kinds of corrected, and it's where like, people are sad and lonely and broken and not reaching their potential that we work with them to, like, support them to become more of who they were made to be. And as we do that, I think we become more like Jesus, because that's what he did. And so it says, follow in his footsteps. So I think it's all interconnected. And I would just say, like that any kind of service is an opportunity to become more like Jesus, because he served first. Yeah, yeah. So
David Mckeown 24:28
something powerful, and not just this idea of reaching out to our world and being disciples wherever we are. Yeah. I mean, obviously, there's we've talked a little bit about social justice. I mean, some churches love it, some hate it, some. for them. It's almost like a bad word. Stay away from social justice. I guess it's worth us thinking through his leaders, and is there a better way to think about social justice rather than what we know of it? At the minute
Joy Blundell 25:00
Yeah, I mean, it's it's always interesting if I just don't know if I really understand why someone would think social justice is a bad thing. But then maybe that's just like my wiring. And I guess it depends on the definition that someone's working with what what do you mean by social justice? Like for them? For me, I think it's just bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth, and you can't bring heaven to earth without the king, you can't bring the kingdom without the king. And so if anyone's worried that we would be like, kind of liberal activists who are bringing like a, I don't know, left wing agenda, which is what maybe I understand people to feel nervous about. If they don't, if they hear the word social justice, and they feel like we're doing it without, like, evangelism maybe. Or, for me, that's just like a misunderstanding of what real justice is. Because real justice is when the king kingdom like reigns, and you can't have the kingdom without the king. And so having a relationship with Jesus, and really helping people to reconnect their lives with their purpose on earth, they're the community around them, and themselves, and also their relationship with a father who loves him so much, and gave His Son fought for them for their fullness of life. And so I think that then looks like working towards righteousness and justice on the earth. And like the restoration of all relationships, and so the brokenness in our climate, and for some people, that's like a red flag. But for me, it's just the outworking of the original mandate. We were given to cultivate the earth to look after it and to steward it. And so yeah, I think social justice is so biblical, like care for the poor is so biblical, like seeing and working, praying for the kingdom of heaven to come. And the worship of our King is so biblical, so that for me that just inextricably inextricably linked you can't separate them.
Nathan Benger 27:08
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. No, I think that's really great. And just linking back to your point. So sometimes we think of, you know, I think sometimes churches stay away from it, just because linking back to your point, it kind of relies on the leadership to do that. So I wonder if you could just speak into the idea of empowering the Church to do that. And just even in some practical ways, how do you empower your Church, one to get their true identity, but then also empower them? You've said, like, set these fires a lot? How do you do that as your Church locally?
Joy Blundell 27:46
Yeah, I think that's really interesting, isn't it? I've heard some people say, oh, so and so Church doesn't care for the poor. And then you think, but we are the Church. And so it's up to you. Like it's not up to like the Church leaders. And that's, I think that's a really, it's one of the like, tensions you have to walk as Church leadership that when you're in leadership, people kind of point the finger or like, maybe kind of critique. But it's knowing that we are together on a journey. And so we're a family, not business. And it's, and it's all of us that are doing this. And one of the ways we do is just tell stories. So we have this slot in our Church service on Sunday, where we ask people and we go through each person in the congregation. So everyone gets a bit of a turn. And take some time, but it's, we started it because we're a new Church plant. So we wanted everyone to get to know each other. And, and we'd come from to protect two congregations to want to join together. So not everyone knew each other. And we asked them, tell us what you're doing tomorrow at 11 o'clock. And then tell us where you've seen the kingdom come in your life outside of this Sunday meeting. And we use seven signs of the kingdom from Isaiah 61. So when the kingdom comes from Isaiah 61 You know, Jesus quotes that verse when he enrols, a squirrel in Luke four for and says, The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me because he's anointed me to proclaim freedom. The cabinet gotta get it wrong without it right in front of me. But you know, all of that, and they the size of the kingdom are peace, salvation, deliverance and freedom, joy, comfort, unlike the list goes on. So we like have this list on a Sunday up on the screen and we say, when have you seen the kingdom come in your life, and then they'll talk about when they saw healing because they prayed for their colleague or when they've innovated on a new idea at work and they've seen freedom or comfort or, or the presence of God and just telling those stories. It's really Powerful, and I think we have the microphone a lot as Church leaders. But if we pass the microphone here, the real stuff of what's going on, we can trust that God's at work in the people that we're serving in our congregations. And we're seeing incredible things. And I think just the more we tell those stories about when people are like, like, setting fires themselves, and we're cheering them on, and then like, it's our job to kind of help them with their, their forgiveness and repentance stuff to keep their minds and hearts right to grow to maturity, then, as they're maturing, they're bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth, wherever they are. So that's one way that we do it.
David Mckeown 30:43
Great. Yeah, well, I got a very, very practical and real example. Right, from your situation, I guess. Churches, you could think Hi, could they do that? No setting. Hey, as George, we're thinking about discipleship a little bit. We've talked about it we've, it seems to be a big subject at the moment. Last couple of years. Do you think it's a bit of a fad? Discipleship, or do you think it's here to stay? Do you think the conversation is here to stay? Or do you think five years down the line? Hey, we'll forget about it. We're on to something else.
Joy Blundell 31:11
Yeah, that's a really interesting question is that I mean, I just think that's the core life of what it means to follow Jesus. But I do recognise that it is a bit like the conversations kind of come back. And so perhaps we lost it for a bit, I don't know, or maybe our type of Church did the, the beauty of working across a Church in Lincoln, across the city, is that one of my friends is called Father, Philip, and he's an Greek Orthodox Pastor. And the stories he tells of the miracles that he's seen, and the discipleship of his congregation just blows me away. And I think they have been doing that for years and years and years. And it's like, not like, it's not a new conversation for them. It's like the conversation that they would have always had. And I think we can't lose it, though. Like is the bread and butter of what's the point if we're not learning to follow Jesus, to be with Jesus and to become more like Jesus? Like, why are we doing this? What's the point in in the Church if we're not doing that? And so I hope it's something that we just get we build on, and our children build on and their children build on? But yeah, I don't know.
Nathan Benger 32:27
No, yeah, I think I think it's the same, I think, yeah, we're, you know, hopefully, it's not a new fad. And we have to keep the conversation going, I think and find, find out keep telling the stories. But in your experience, what do you think the best way you are, is for churches to create disciples who make disciples? What is that? What are you seeing? And how have you seen that done? Well,
Joy Blundell 32:53
yeah, so I think we probably there's loads we can learn from the culture around us, of where are the things that shaped culture. And I can really clearly see with my 14 year old, sort of the things that's like forming him and shaping him, which is the tech that he's using, and the stuff that he's exposing himself to. And his mates. And so I think interaction is like a really important thing. And for years, we've been quite as a Church we've like, expected that our teaching from the front will shape, like the proportion of like people's lives and their minds, but then they're going home. And they're like, exposing themselves to all other kinds of like, formation stuff. And so I think the best way for us to make disciples that make disciples is helping people to become disciplined people where the content that they're receiving, is shaping them towards Jesus. So scripture, prayer, like rest, being really mindful about how much we're using technology and like how we're using technology, and then having those conversations with one another. Because I think me standing up for like, 25 minutes on a Sunday isn't going to make disciples who make disciples, but if we can create a community of people that are on fire, and are disciplined, and they talk to each other about that, and that's, then I think, they'll be making disciples of each other. And so it's creating that atmosphere in architecture that allows those conversations to happen. And so Church has to be more than just like a, an event that someone comes to on a Sunday. It's got to be a lifestyle and a family that they're part of all the time. So meals, connections, relationships, not just coming and listening.
Nathan Benger 34:51
Yeah, no. I love that. I'm always reminded, especially around young people, and you were mentioning your son there, but I'm always reminded of the quote by Jean mayo, around youth ministry really in her quote was those who go the most usually when. And she was obviously talking in a context years ago where there wasn't technology. And that's the tension. For us. There's this technology that's at the fingertips, you know, a couple of hours every day. But I think what you're saying is so true, those real genuine relationships, those real genuine interactions, Trump, everything that's on out there online. And so if we can create those as much as possible, I think that has a huge impact for people. And creating
David Mckeown 35:37
those rhythms as well as your your message, that idea of creating rhythms in our lives or discipline. We don't often like the word discipline, because it has often negative, but maybe if we think of the word rhythms in our lives, and for young people and those around us in our community, like it's developing that stuff, as well as the makers healthy joy, it's been great to have you on the show, we got a few more quickfire questions, but before we hit those today, is there anything you want to say that you haven't yet Say? Said?
Joy Blundell 36:08
No, I've like looked at I feel like I've talked and wax lyrical about all my passions. So thank you.
David Mckeown 36:17
Yeah. Yeah, and the good though. So we've got a few quickfire questions. Go for it, Nathan.
Nathan Benger 36:25
So Joey, what are you most excited and challenged about at the moment?
Joy Blundell 36:29
I think Sabbath is, for me, definitely challenged about finding rest and space and in the kind of craziness, and also really excited about that, like I love, love the delight of it.
David Mckeown 36:45
For it and great answer on your topic. Why?
Joy Blundell 36:51
Yeah, okay, I love this question. I probably recommend any book that I'm currently reading, because I get really excited about like, whatever's right in front of me. But I think anything by Andy Crouch, I think Andy Crouch is a total genius when it comes to the body of Christ and the change to bring in the world. But his book, tech wise family is like, I think, really brilliant in terms of how tech is shaping us, and how relationships can shape our whole community, and the kind of life that we really want. So it's a really boring title. But it's an amazing book. And at the end, he paints his vision of what family is, and living together and then dying in one another's arms. And it just made me really cry with like, absolute wonder at the creativity of a God who puts us in family. So tech wise family. And then also the book I'm currently reading at the moment, which I have here with me. It's called the Liturgy of the ordinary. And Nathan, you and Deb's might really like this. That's what I would recommend this for anyone who's got young kids, and still wants to find space for like rhythms with God. And so it's written by Tish, Harrison Warren. And she takes lots of like ordinary events in your day. Like for example, waking up making the bed, losing your keys, eating leftovers, checking your email, and sitting in traffic, and talks about how you can make that a liturgical moment to find Jesus and to connect with him. And that's how I'm recommending that to all my friends with little kids at the moment, because I think it's really brilliant way to change the way I make my bed in the morning. Forever. I think so. recommend that book. Yeah.
David Mckeown 38:43
Like a thank God. I think Nathan's ice was like, no, not making the bed. One that left the leftovers. Losing keys is where he was out there.
Nathan Benger 38:52
I was thinking I was thinking how do I how do I how do I make leftovers a liturgical moment? So I'm definitely gonna get that box. Thank you.
David Mckeown 39:01
One thing is find the
Nathan Benger 39:05
question. What is your what is your favourite meal of choice joy? Ah,
Joy Blundell 39:11
you know, this is a torturous question for me because I lost my taste and smell with COVID like over 15 months ago and I've still not got it back fully. But what I can taste is so I love food so much but and I've loved I loved cooking but and I'm really praying and believing that God will fully restore my taste and smell but cheese. I can taste cheese and bread. So cheese and bread. I don't know fondue or something at the moment. That would be like a good one for me. Yeah,
David Mckeown 39:41
that sounds good. Taragarh nice bit of cheese is charcoal chatter. That's really nice. Try that. No. Charcoal shadow. I get that beautiful. Cool. Great. Yeah, guys for that. It's been great to have you on the show. We're gonna get lost in
Nathan Benger 39:59
it Yeah, I'll wrap up because Dave's all charcoal chatter at the moment. But it's been so great to be together. Joy, why don't you just let people know what's the best way that they can connect with you?
Joy Blundell 40:17
Yeah, you can find me on Instagram. That's the easiest way JoyBell and L or word same as Twitter and, or you can email me at joint alive church.org.uk
Nathan Benger 40:28
Awesome. Well, it's been great to be together on the church explained podcast. Don't forget, we have loads of resources on IKON Open, you can find those at IKON dot Church forward slash open. And you'll also be able to find the show notes there from this but want to thank you for listening. Remember to share, subscribe, do whatever, wherever you're consuming this content and pass it on as well. makes a huge difference for us, but also believe it speaks into many leaders lives. That's it for the church explained podcast and we look forward to seeing you next time.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
