iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Church in a post-Christendom society?

Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

The next AI tool you use might not need a supercomputer—or even the cloud. It could run fast and locally on your phone or PC. Small language models are catching up, and they’re cheaper, leaner and apparently just as smart for many tasks. arxiv.org/pdf/2506.02153

arxiv.org

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

Happy #YorkshireDay—where the tea is strong, the pews are hard, and the sermons last longer than the roast.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

I don't know of any other profession in which it is quite as easy to fake it as in ours. By adopting a reverential demeanor, cultivating a stained-glass voice, slipping occasional words like "eschatology" into conversation …we are trusted, without any questions asked … Eugene H Peterson

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

Bishop Martin Gorick is mistaken: removing Issues in Human Sexuality does not mean same-sex clergy need not be celibate. The House of Bishops Pastoral Guidance on Same Sex Marriage (2014) upholds that expectation. observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

observer.co.uk

By reforming its position on sexuality of clergy, Church ...

Synod approves change that no longer requires openly gay candidates for priesthood to take vow of celibacy

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Reposted by Christian Selvaratnam

Diocese of Manchester @manchester.anglican.org · 13/07/2025

Congratulations to the eight newly appointed Honorary Canons of Manchester Cathedral, who have been recognised for their dedicated service to our diocese and the wider Church. You can learn more about them here 👇 www.manchester.anglican.org/honorary-can...

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

I’m delighted to have been appointed by bishop David as an honorary canon of Manchester Cathedral, ‘in recognition of my contribution to church planting’. If you’re near Manchester, do join the installation service during evensong at Manchester Cathedral on Sunday 5 October 2025.

manchester.anglican.org

Celebrating our new Honorary Canons - Diocese of Manchester

Congratulations to the eight newly appointed Honorary Canons of Manchester Cathedral, who have been recognised for their dedicated service to the diocese and the wider Church.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Obviously I’m pleased, but a bit odd

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

The Japan-inspired strawberries and cream sandwich 🍓🥪, have you tried one? HMRC is investigating—if it counts as luxury finger food or a dessert, it could attract 20% VAT. Sweet treat or taxable snack?

AI produced picture of a strawberry and cream sandwich

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

Great to celebrate four new deacons in the Diocese of York today, or St Hild students

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Interesting to see new HFEA data: 1 in 32 children—roughly one in every British classroom—now born via IVF. What was once ethically controversial is now normalised, raising questions about future technologies like gene editing and selection. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

theguardian.com

Equivalent of one child in every British classroom now born via IVF, data shows

Proportion of women giving birth after fertility treatment up by more than a third in a decade, figures reveal

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

I hear the Bishop of Manchester suggests that increasing stipendiary posts across the board could lead to a further ‘brain drain’ to the south. With vocations in decline, are there enough priests? www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

churchtimes.co.uk

Shrink grants in favour of funding parish clergy, Bishop of Hereford urges Church Commissioners

‘Clear evidence that maintaining stipendiary clergy levels leads to church growth’ he says

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

It’s become easier to plant a church, but harder to do effective evangelism. #churchplanting

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

A new word for our era: ‘p(doom)’—the estimated probability that superintelligent AI will destroy human civilisation.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

This was a striking quote in this interesting article: “Western Anglicanism is, mostly, more comfortable with decline than growth. It tends to accept an ecclesiology of palliative care, in which shrinking Churches are seen as inevitable.” www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

churchtimes.co.uk

How much influence does the global Anglican Communion have in choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury?

Overseas Anglicans are to play a larger part than ever before in the decision, writes David Goodhew. But their representation does not reflect where the growth is

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

‘Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes…’ Song of Songs 2.15. Each year, the same pair of foxes returns to nest near our garden. We often catch them on our wildlife webcam, and occasionally in daylight. This year, it looks like there’s just one cub.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Loved this talk by @richvillodas.bsky.social on ‘Resisting Racism’. His context is North American, which has its own story, but there’s so much in here that’s thoughtful, nuanced, and deeply rooted in the Christian vision. Well worth a listen. m.youtube.com/watch?v=YC1i...

m.youtube.com

Resisting Racism | The New Family of Jesus | Pastor Rich Villodas

YouTube video by New Life Fellowship Church NYC

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Other than the small detail that I can’t surf, I’m tempted to apply for this! More seriously, it looks like a fascinating role for a surfer who loves Jesus and wants to share the Christian faith: networksuffolk.org.uk/2025/05/norf...

networksuffolk.org.uk

Norfolk Surf Church Planter & Missional Pioneer

North Norfolk Methodist Circuit and East Anglia Methodist District are looking for a visionary, enthusiastic and faith-filled Surf Church Planter & Missional Pioneer to launch and lead Wavestation Sur...

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

The 2023 killings and abductions of Israeli civilians by Hamas—many of them young adults—were horrific. So too is the current situation in Gaza, where children are starving and innocent civilians are dying in ongoing attacks.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

What brilliant news: last year, over 2 million people participated in Alpha, run by 43,000 churches and organisations across 146 countries. I suspect this is part of the wider story of renewed interest in exploring the Christian faith that we are currently seeing. partners.alpha.org/yearinreview

partners.alpha.org

Year in Review — Alpha Partners

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

The EA’s ‘Changing Church’ report strikes me as a more realistic account of church growth than the Bible Society’s. Church attendance among these churches rose by an average of 13% between 2020 and 2025, and churches are now seeing twice as many people coming to faith. www.eauk.org/changing-chu...

eauk.org

Changing Church 2025 - Evangelical Alliance

What is the state of the UK evangelical church five years on from the Covid pandemic?

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

The future is an uncertain country, but I’m fairly confident this is one of the few jobs unlikely to be replaced by AI. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Bedford

Samii Wood believes snuggling with strangers can benefit your health.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

Amanda and I are having a great time walking the #Camino de Santiago.

Image of two Lego characters Walking the Camino de Santiago

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Clear communication requires eliminating verbal tics, yes? This article suggests they might actually play an important role. What do you think? knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

knowablemagazine.org

Huh? The valuable role of interjections

Utterances like um, wow and mm-hmm aren’t garbage — they keep conversations flowing

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Today, on the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we remember all those who fought in the war, the peace that came at great cost, and the reconciliation in Europe that followed. But given the war in Ukraine, let today also be a new commitment to finding peace in Europe. #VE80 #PrayForPeace #Europe

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

RIP Skype. Twenty years ago, when I was working for Alpha International, it was a game changer — suddenly, international video and audio calls were free.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Fascinating to read in The Picturesque History of Yorkshire (1899) by J.S. Fletcher that St Michael le Belfry (sic) had, in the reign of Henry V, an annual value of £12, with the other churches from the centre of York also listed.

Table of annual value of York churches in the reign of Henry V

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

I have concerns about the integrity of ‘The Quiet Revival’ report—its headline figures don’t align with evidence on the ground. Sadly, flawed methodology is obscuring the quieter signs of renewal we are in fact witnessing today. More here on my Facebook post: www.facebook.com/share/p/161Y....

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

I love AI—it’s both brilliant and terrifying all at once. Almost every area of life is being reshaped before our eyes by the integration of AI-driven systems … but today I’ve had a bad back and have been stuck on the sofa—so I’ve mostly just been playing with image filters.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

For the last year or so, Amanda and I have made a point of finishing work on Friday at 4 pm, then heading out to a pub… As they say, a couple that drinks craft beers together… Anyway, happy Friday, everyone!

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Great to launch the new Grove Books series on church multiplication this week, starting with a first title on a theology of church planting from Bede and with titles from Stefan Paas and on Microchurches and other church planting topics coming soon. grovebooks.co.uk/series/churc...

Me looking thoughtful, launching the new Grove Books series on church multiplication.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

A student just asked for a retrospective extension on his theology essay. The reason? A national earthquake knocked out his electricity and internet. Hard to argue with ‘acts of God’.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

If you love a good spy movie, free from over-the-top tech gadgetry but driven instead by dry wit, a dinner party where you definitely shouldn’t have eaten the chana masala, and a fantastic—if somewhat eccentric—spy couple played by Michael Fassbender and Kathryn St. Jean, then you’ll love Black Bag.

Photograph of the lead characters in the movie Black Bag

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Reposted by Christian Selvaratnam

Barry Hill @bishopbarry.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

An encouraging and inspiring day gathering a cross section of those involved in mission and ministry with HE or FE 16-25 year old students across @dioceseofyork.bsky.social Next step a taskgroup meeting through this year to take ideas forward…

A group of about 25 people smiling at the front of a church.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

My conversation with Dwight Zscheile and Terri Elton on the Faith+Lead podcast from Luther Seminary about leading from the middle, apprenticeship, and the craft of church planting is out today. Listen here: faithlead.org/pivot/season...

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Join me tomorrow morning at 7:30 am on the Premier Radio Breakfast Show, where I’ll be chatting with Esther Higham about ‘church shopping, church hopping and church planting’. www.premier.plus/inspirationa... www.premier.plus/stations/pre...

premier.plus

Inspirational Breakfast with Esther Higham - Premier Plus

Premier Plus. Four Christian radio stations, live 24/7. Podcasts, music and sermons available on-demand. Never run out of quality Christian content. All completely FREE.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

I see you ‘Craft of Church Planting’!

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Reposted by Christian Selvaratnam

SCM Press @scmpress.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

The Craft of Church Planting by @selvaratnam.bsky.social draws on insights from the training practices of the English medieval craft guilds, a distinctive and imaginative perspective on the methods used to train future church planters. Intrigued? It's £12: scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/978033...

scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk

The Craft of Church Planting Exploring the Lost Wisdom of Apprenticeship by Christian Selvaratnam - Paperback / softback - 9780334061816

Buy The Craft of Church Planting Exploring the Lost Wisdom of Apprenticeship by Christian Selvaratnam Paperback / softback from SCM Press - ISBN: 9780334061816

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

#GeneralSynod begins tomorrow with prayers of lament, setting the tone for a significant gathering. The agenda includes a response to the Matkin Review, key decisions on safeguarding independence & debates on mission & ministry, amidst recent senior resignations & ongoing disagreements on sexuality.

A photograph of General Synod meeting in London

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

So inspired to hear from Peter Dunn last night at Seedbed, speaking about Disciple Making Movements in the UK and internationally. Biglife has grown in 20 years from one small group to 80,000. A powerful example of how discipleship can multiply through simple, intentional obedience.

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

Fancy a missional tonic at General #Synod? ✝️ Join us for what will be a great short lunchtime fringe meeting presenting new, encouraging research on discipleship and pioneering mission on Tuesday (11 Feb) starting at 13.15. Details on the image; to book, email hello@ccx.org.uk.

Poster for ‘Listening to the Church’ event.

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Reposted by Christian Selvaratnam

SCM Press @scmpress.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Two SCM books discussed here: New Churches: A Theology scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/978033... and The Craft of Church Planting by @selvaratnam.bsky.social (currently £12, incidentally) scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/978033...

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Christian Selvaratnam @selvaratnam.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

‘… christian looks at guilds as a way of training for the craft of church planting and calls for imagination and improvisation. it’s really inspired and was what he looked at in his phd and written a book on so he has done a deep dive into it.’ Thanks @jonnybaker.bsky.social

jonny-baker.com

strangely familiar – Jonny Baker blog

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