Chapel Talks

In this Oak Hill College Chapel talk, Chris Howles continues a two-part series exploring the life and ministry of Barnabas across Acts 11, 13, and 15. Barnabas demonstrates what it looks like when gospel grace loosens a leader's grip on possessions, status, and control. From developing Paul’s leadership in Antioch to navigating global church partnerships and handling sharp ministry conflicts, Barnabas shows us that grace received must become grace invested.
Chapter Timestamps
00:00 – Scripture Readings: Acts 11:19–30, 12:25–13:3, 15:36–41
04:18 – Opening Prayer
04:58 – Walking with the Wise: Barnabas Part 2
09:05 – Leader Makers: Barnabas & Saul in Antioch
13:46 – Grace Received, Grace Invested
17:32 – The Global Church: Table vs. Kitchen
21:40 – Hardships, Mission & The Jerusalem Council
24:45 – Messy Moments: Galatians 2 & Gospel Confrontation
29:55 – The Split: Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark
34:00 – Closing Prayer

Speaker Bio Chris Howles is the Director of Cross Cultural Training at Oak Hill College in London. Prior to his role at Oak Hill, Chris served for over a decade in cross-cultural theological education in Uganda. He holds a PhD in Missiology and is dedicated to equipping local and global Christian leaders for cross-cultural mission, biblical exposition, and gospel ministry.

What does it mean for a local Christian community to be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic? In this Chapel talk from Oak Hill College, Thomas Renz unpacks Acts 2:41–47, exploring how the classic traits of the Nicene Creed were lived out by the early Jerusalem church. Discover how these four foundational marks shape our understanding of fellowship, mission, biblical authority, and daily devotion in the life of the church today.

Who we walk with shapes who we become. In this Oak Hill College Chapel message, Chris Howles (Director of Cross Cultural Training) leads us through Acts 4, 9, and 11 to examine the cumulative portrait of Barnabas. Far from a simple "be like Barnabas" moralism, this talk explores how the costly, disrupting, and transforming grace of God frees us to release our possessions, advocate for unexpected believers, and rejoice in God’s work across different cultures.
Passages: Acts 4:32–37, Acts 9:26–27, Acts 11:19–24
Speaker: Chris Howles, Director of Cross Cultural Training at Oak Hill College
Location: Oak Hill College Chapel, London
Chapters
00:00 - The Formative Power of Proximity (Proverbs 13:20)
03:09 - Why We Need a Full Portrait of Barnabas
05:18 - Acts 4: Costly Grace & Generosity
11:02 - Acts 9: "But Barnabas" – Advocating for Saul
16:22 - Acts 11: Recognising Grace in Antioch
22:18 - The Global Shift of Christianity & Becoming Grace-Detectors
25:00 - Closing Prayer

Chris Howles serves as the Director of Cross Cultural Training at Oak Hill College in London. With extensive experience in global mission and theological education, Chris specialises in cross-cultural ministry, world Christianity, and biblical missiology. His passion is equipping leaders to discern and celebrate the global movement of God's grace across diverse cultures and contexts.

What is your hope level right now on a scale of 1 to 10? Whether you are facing the weight of ministry transitions, the uncertainty of the future, or the pressures of a culture obsessed with self-construction, human beings cannot function without hope.
In this chapel talk delivered at Oak Hill College, Matt Lillicrap (CEO of UCCF and former medical doctor) opens up 1 Peter 1:1-9 to show why the Apostle Peter is so unapologetically joyful despite writing to marginalized, struggling Christians. Discover four profound reasons why we can delight deeply in the living hope of Christ—a hope that is rooted in God's unchanging mercy, dependent on His initiative, kept by His power, and beautifully refined through life's multi-coloured trials.
📖 Passage: 1 Peter 1:1-9
🗣️ Speaker: Matt Lillicrap (CEO of UCCF)
📍 Location: Oak Hill College Chapel
Connect with Oak Hill College: @OakHillCollege
Website: oakhill.ac.uk
Instagram/Twitter: @OakHillCollege

This plenary talk was recorded live at Oak Hill College for our School of Theology 2026 that focused on Class and Ministry in the UK Today.

Kirsten Birkett
Kirsten is a theological writer and author of numerous books and articles. She currently works part time for the Church Society as their Publications Manager alongside her wider ministry.
She wrote a book ‘Class and the Evangelical Church in England’ (2024) and a Cambridge Paper entitled ‘Class and Evangelicalism in Britain’ will be published this year.
She previously lectured at Oak Hill College in pastoral care, church history, philosophy and ethics having previously attained her PhD in history and philosophy of science.