Tag: Nicky Gumbel

In this episode, Nicky and Pippa are joined by multi-award winning rap artist and author Isaac Borquaye – more widely known as Guvna B to discuss the power of words, what the younger generation really wants & the best response to issues of inequality.

For today’s conversation, Nicky and Pippa sit down with multi-award winning rap artist and author Isaac Borquaye – more widely known as Guvna B.

The interview begins with Isaac sharing about how growing up on a council estate in East London shaped his life. Though the community was tight-knit and embracing, Isaac describes how easy it would have been for him to have ended up in a life of crime and violence. “It was guns or Jesus,” said Issac. But due to the influence of his family, friends and an encouraging primary school teacher, Isaac instead chose to live what he calls “a more positive life.” Nicky and Pippa highlight with gratitude the primary school teacher who saw more than a playground-rap-battler in Isaac, but the positive and creative influence he is today.

The conversation pivots to the topic of the next generation – how to connect with young people, and what they really long for. All of Isaac’s responses to Nicky and Pippa’s questions about youth resound with one key theme – authenticity. “Young people are getting so good at sniffing out when something isn’t authentic” said Isaac. The three of them discuss how the “put together” expert at the front is no more, and how a young person is just looking for someone who is willing to humbly journey alongside them.

The interview closes with the three of them confronting the sad reality of inequality inside and outside of the church. Isaac truthfully recounts his experience with unequal treatment, while still maintaining a loving and hopeful disposition. He asks people not to externalize issues of inequality, but to give space for healthy introspection; to honestly evaluate, with the help of the Spirit, how one might be contributing to the problem and how one can be a part of a fresh wave of healing. Isaac makes a specific call for the Church to be a leader in this – he says “Imagine if the world reflected what the church is leading in and not the other way around.”

Throughout each portion of the conversation – whether talking about how to influence the next generation, issues of inequality or the music industry – Isaac exudes a refreshing message of hope for the future. We hope you experience that sense of hope as you listen to Nicky and Pippa’s conversation with Isaac Borquaye.

Show Notes

Unspoken by Isaac Borquaye

Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko

Biography

Isaac Borquaye (Guvna B) is an author and multi award-winning, record-breaking urban rap artist from London. He has carved out a unique place for himself in the music world, and his other artistic endeavours draw on his personal experiences of life in London, bringing together themes of faith, masculinity and identity.

Since winning his first MOBO Music Award at just 20 years old, Guvna’s journey has been one of breathless success and cutting-edge creativity. In a world often plagued by negativity, Guvna B hopes that he can be a beacon of light. His work is intended to demonstrate the strength and inspiration faith can bring.

He lives in London with his wife and son.

In this special episode, the roles are reversed as Nicky fields questions from Jon Tyson, lead pastor of Church of the City New York. For any leader, especially the church leader, looking to gather fresh passion for this next year, this conversation is a must-listen.

In this special episode of Leadership Conversations With Nicky Gumbel, the roles are reversed as Nicky fields questions from Jon Tyson, lead pastor of Church of the City New York. For any leader, especially the church leader, looking to gather fresh passion for this next year, this conversation is a must listen.

Jon begins by honouring Nicky and sharing a hypothesis that 100 years from now the story of HTB and Alpha will be shared about commonly as one that profoundly shaped church-mission globally. And in this pandemic season, Nicky expresses that the core mission of HTB and Alpha – to see the lost come to know and encounter Jesus – has become white-hot. While many are referencing the recent projections for when their country will be vaccinated, and doing the math on when this pandemic will end, Nicky is doing the opposite. He does not want to waste the opportunity yielded by this crisis. “This is the greatest evangelistic opportunity of my lifetime. God has got people’s attention – people are thinking, and they are asking questions” says Nicky.

Nicky not only feels the burden for the Church to meet the spiritual needs of the lost in this time, but also the physical needs. He likens the work of the Church to a bicycle – one pedal representing the spiritual needs and the other pedal representing physical needs. If the church can focus on meeting those two needs right now, imagine how the Kingdom of God would advance. “The Church has the infrastructure to meet the people who are in need because the Church is right across every village, town & city” Nicky says. Nicky shares about the thank you notes left on the door of HTB after meeting those felt needs in the community, and Jon notes that people remember those who show up in crisis.

All throughout the conversation, Nicky brims with passion and he doesn’t stop pointing people to the simple, helpful resource of Alpha Online. “We’ve seen it work” says Nicky. Both Jon and Nicky swap stories of how people in the pandemic are giving their lives to Christ not face to face, but screen to screen in the digital space. Jon notes that Nicky could fill a book with stories of people encountering the Holy Spirit in their homes, through Zoom. Who could have predicted that?

The plea from this conversation is clear – we must not wait to make big strides against darkness until the pandemic is over. The Church can start meeting needs now. We can start today. We hope this conversation between Jon and Nicky helps encourage you to move one step closer towards that end.

Show Notes

Alpha Online

HTB

HTB: Love Your Neighbour

Church of the City New York

The Rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark

Sins of Fathers by Michael Emmett

Biography

Nicky Gumbel is the pioneer of Alpha and Vicar of HTB in London, one of the largest Church of England churches in the UK. He is the author of many books and is married to Pippa.

Jon Tyson is a Pastor and Church Planter in New York City. Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Jon moved to the United States twenty years ago with a passion to seek and cultivate renewal in the Western Church. He is the author of Beautiful Resistance, Sacred Roots, A Creative Minority, and The Burden is Light.