In today’s blog post, I’m delighted to be introducing you to Matt McChlery and his faith-building book of testimony stories, ‘All Things New: Stories of Transformed Lives’. So here’s all you need to know!
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- Please can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I live in East Anglia in England with a fantastic wife and three young children. I am originally from Zimbabwe in Southern Africa, where I grew up and went to school. I emigrated to the UK in 2003. I am trained as a primary school teacher, which I did for 15 years. I now work for a church in my local community, as well as having a wider ministry with my writing of books and songs. I am also a part-time tutor.
- What inspired you to write your book?
The original inspiration for writing the book started with a CD which I was recording, also called, ‘All Things New‘. I had written and recorded songs that centred around the theme of salvation, and the CD explored this in different ways. Once the CD was recorded and released, I had a sense that the project was incomplete. I believed that God was asking me to not just sing about salvation, but to explain what it means and why we need to be saved, and so the book started to take shape.
- How and why did you decide on the title, ‘All Things New’?
For me, the title, ‘All Things New‘, expresses what happens at salvation. Our old life is gone and our new life in Jesus begins. Our spirits within us are ‘made new’. It also points ahead to the time when Jesus returns and all things will be made new. God can take the broken mess of our lives and he can make something beautiful with them – hence the kintsugi pot on the book’s cover design, cracked and broken, yet repaired with gold and made more beautiful than before because of its brokenness.
- In what ways does your book speak of ‘light through the cracks’, which is the theme of this blog?
The theme of ‘Light through the Cracks‘ speaks of faith, hope and healing, and it shows in the real-life stories on this blog, showing how different people encounter Jesus in different ways. My book does a similar thing in that after the opening chapter, which gives a biblical explanation about whey we need salvation, each chapter tells stories about how different people came to encounter Jesus in different ways for themselves. Some stories are dramatic and miraculous, while others are more ordinary and mundane; there is value in them all.
- Please can you give us three reasons why we should read your book?
(1) Sharing our testimonies is powerful: It will encourage your faith, as you read stories of how others came to meet Jesus.
(2) It makes a great outreach tool. It is a good read for someone who is exploring faith, or very new to Christianity.
(3) It comes highly recommended from a variety of people. Some have written endorsements, others have left reviews online.
- Please can you tell us how we can get hold of a signed copy?
You can get a signed copy of ‘All Things New: Stories of Transformed Lives‘ directly from Matt McChlery’s website, where you will also find more information about the book.
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As ever, all comments would be welcome below, along with any specific questions you may have for Matt.
Image from Conger Design via Pixabay.
