I love "team". It really is a transformational (and biblical!) concept, that removes the pressure of "lone leader syndrome". Over the years I have developed much teaching that speaks into the area of teamwork. If I were to start a new work tomorrow, team training and mentoring would start at the same time.
Mike is a tried-and-tested, in-the-field pastor and leader of many years of experience.
He has led leadership training days for us and preached at our church. His material is excellent, practical, inspirational and helpful. He speaks both from the heart and from the head – and his material is biblically bathed and lived out. Mike is no empty theorist. He is a clear and strategical thinker and leader and I happily and heartily recommend him to you. Geoff Lee, Senior Minister of Plymouth Christian Centre
I have known Mike and Shelagh for the past 10 years, initially, when I was Associate Pastor at Bethel – London’s Riverside Church (now London’s Riverside Church) and more recently whilst serving as Senior Pastor at Emmanuel Church, Lee, London.
Mike brought excellent leadership teaching and mentoring to our team at Bethel and it was for this reason that I sought to bring his ministry gift into the Church here at Emmanuel. He has visited with us at two of our Ministry Month events over the 5 years that I have been at Emmanuel, where he has brought expertise and insight into our proposed building programme and ministered to our emerging leaders’ groups and brought prophetic input to the wider church.
Mike has been extremely well received and I am often asked by members of our congregation for both him and Shelagh to return – which we would want to do, especially as we develop our emerging leaders.
Mike shares his experiences and insight in an unassuming way which endears him to his listeners, yet his track record will speak for him and I have found that people want to listen to his journey of ministry and the lessons he has learned along the way.
I have no hesitation in commending Mike to you as a Leadership Mentor, communicator and Visionary Pastor with a passion to connect with the hearts of the communities that God plants him in. Nick Hughes, Senior Minister of Emmanuel Gateway Church, London
'I first met Pastor Mike through a mutual Pastor when I was leading a church in Brisbane, Australia. Mike's warmth and good character quickly came through and his pastoral heart towards leaders was very evident. As a church we had the privilege of Ps Mike preaching on a Sunday morning, he was warmly accepted and spoke an excellent word. After spending the afternoon with Mike and his wife, we left inspired by the church they have built in the UK and its focus on changing its community. His leadership input into myself and the direction of the church in Brisbane over lunch was excellent. His heart towards the local church and building it is infectious. I would happily have Ps Mike's ministry input again'. James Hewitt, Senior Minister of Parklife Church, Melbourne, Australia
I have known Mike Robins for twenty-five years, during the time he was an ordained minister within the Elim Pentecostal Churches. For sixteen years of the period I was the General Superintendent of that Denomination and so was in a position to evaluate with clarity and depth his character, gifts and abilities.NCC benefitted extensively from his leadership and pastoral gifts and saw significant growth both in numerical size and spiritual depth. His entrepreneurial nature has been a catalyst in the acquisition of a number of building enterprises that have benefitted the local community as well as greatly adding to the facilities of the church in Newquay.
His long experience as a gifted and highly respected leader within the community and the wider church has meant that he is often sought out to give advice to others in leadership positions. The leadership courses that he has written and produced have been the basis of the significant conferences that he has developed. On a personal level, I have found him to be a man of the highest integrity. Though a strong leader he is also someone with great personal warmth and has the rare ability to lead a team and also be loyal to the leadership team of which he is a part. I have no hesitation in unequivocally recommending him to you. Rev John Glass, Former General Superintendent, Elim Pentecostal Churches, Chair of Council, Evangelical Alliance
I have known Mike Robins for many years and he has been a tremendous help on my personal ministry journey and also to my church, London Riverside Church in Dagenham. His support, advice, and wisdom when builders went “belly up” on our £3.2M building project was invaluable. Encouragement during that time until we managed to get the project back on track and completed was continual. A true and faithful friend is Mike.
Having had him preach here in Dagenham, spent many hours with him in his home and on the road, I observe him as a man of passion, integrity, and relationship. In Mike, what you see is what you get! He is a brilliant thinker, strategic leader, trainer and releaser of leaders, planter of churches and a “can do” person with his heart totally on fire for God, working out ministry with his feet firmly planted on the ground.
The influence of Mike’s ministry is felt powerfully in the UK and overseas with countless leaders being released to serve the church from his Academy Training programme. I wholeheartedly endorse his ministry and would open my church platform at any time to him. Ken Williamson (decd.) Senior Minister, London Riverside Church, Dagenham
It is a privilege to be able to write something about one of my most respected leaders in Elim.
I have known Mike for many many years and have admired the way he handles so many church decisions. His legacy will go on for many years in Cornwall and beyond. One of the best courses that I had the privilege of attending was the “breakthrough conference” which Mike developed a few years ago. Mike’s aim has always been ‘to make disciples’ and the fruits of his work are very evident in so many of the churches across Cornwall. He is a man with a passion for Jesus and His Church having released pastors both here and abroad.
He has had amazing gifting where Church finance is concerned & raised over £3 million to fund major building projects. While NCC will miss his input the wider Church now has the opportunity of gleaning some of his vast knowledge, experiences and gifting. Don’t miss out! Rev John Berriman, Senior Minister, Gateway 2 New Life, Launceston
I have known Mike and Shelagh Robins for almost 30 years. During that time they moved from Bournemouth to take up the leadership of a small Elim Church in Newquay, Cornwall. Their impact on the fellowship and on the town of Newquay has been tremendous as they have demonstrated Holy Spirit-led leadership and an eagerness to evolve and learn through experience. This leadership has been impressive, courageous and instructive.
Based on my observations both from a distance and attendance at the Newquay Church whilst on holiday, I invited Mike and Shelagh to come to my own Church. We were seeking to express our own faith for the Church in a fresh vision statement. Mike led and taught a seminal series of presentations and discussions at our Annual Leadership Training Day.
Mike’s wisdom and experience produced lessons that were engaging and instructive. They were delivered with warmth and good humour and his key teaching points have had a lasting impact on our Leadership Team and on the way we seek to create long term vision for the fellowship. He helped us to focus our thinking around some new and emerging ministries and clarified our thinking about how the whole Church could develop.
Compassion UK has gained an able and gifted ambassador. His ability to engage with his audience and communicate his own life-lessons and experience make his teaching relevant and pertinent. I fully endorse Mike and recommend him to you for his honesty, wisdom, experience and practical teaching. Rev. David Pickett, BA Hons. M. A., Senior Minister at Thundersley Congregational Church
I have had the privilege to work with Mike Robins for well over a decade. His trips to India has always been influential, inspiring and has shaped future leaders within our organisation and other local churches for years. What makes him stand out from most other motivational/inspirational leaders is Mike is a real guy. A 100% genuine guy with a heart to help. He built a thriving-community-impacting-church, not in a large city but a small rural town. I know of only a handful of such churches and it goes to prove that Mike is also a builder.
Mike Robins is a gifted and wise communicator. Helpful, challenging and empowering. Mike is an enormous gift and resource to church leaders. Each of his trips to India is a story to tell. He has sent teams on missions who have been and continue to be a blessing to us in India. His heart to help the needy and the downtrodden has never been limited.
Time spent with Mike is time well spent, I am confident that the Breakthrough Conferences and Leadership Training programs will be a massive help to any person or church. I am confident his future endeavours will be successful. Rev Charles Finny Joseph, President - Maranatha Full Gospel Ministries, India
I have known Mike for many years now, as a friend and as a colleague. We professionally interacted in Cornwall due to the highly significant and effective work he had done as the senior leader of his church. During his tenure of pioneering and releasing leaders, he established multiple church plants and ministries - including amongst the most vulnerable and hurting. Mike is a fantastic and inspirational communicator, an elegant and strategic leader and able to lead through complex challenges. I wholeheartedly commend him to you. Carl Beech, President CVM, Senior Leader Redeemer King, (And, founder of The Gathering, International speaker)
I have known Mike and his ministry for a number of years and recently had the joy of working with him in the oversight of numerous Elim churches in the South West region. His role as Regional Co-ordinator has been strategic and instrumental in the growth and development of many leaders and church communities both regionally and nationally. He has demonstrated an enormous commitment to those he has mentored often working with them for many years in their personal development. Mike has brought to this role vast experience in leadership development and church growth and has clearly demonstrated incite full and practical help to those he has served. He is open and curious with a compassionate heart and an inclusive perspective which has brought life to every environment he has worked in. He has a clear leadership gift and has brought much to the Regional role. Rev. Simon Foster Former Elim National Leadership Team, Former Regional leader Wales, South West Midlands and Southern Region.
During the decade I have personally known Mike Robins I have found him to be an exceptional mentor to other leaders especially the emerging and aspiring next-generation leader. He has a way of asking the right questions and then backs it up by offering sound advice. Mike doesn’t echo theories and ideologies but rather leads from experience, endurance and biblical revelation.
His 26 years of pastoring a successful church in a small UK coastal community bears testimony to his enduring ability as a leader. His genuine gift of faith mixed with his entrepreneurism has produced great financial gains and building assets for a number of local churches. Perhaps Mike’s greatest quality, however, is his personhood. He is a genuinely nice guy, authentic, honest and cares enough to disagree with you. Gary Rucci, Lead Pastor, Rivercity Family Church, The Gap, Brisbane, Australia. Former Member of National Leadership Team, Assemblies of God Great Britain. Former Director of Mission, Assemblies of God Great Britain
“I had the joy meeting Pastor Mike Robins in Summer 2014 in our place in France. Since that time he came several times to visit us and he has always been a great input, not only through his ministry in the church but also in the personal time he spent with me and with our leaders. I do really appreciate Mike for his ability to be cross-cultural, for his insight and wisdom on leadership matters and for his profound love for people. When you spent time with them, you feel loved, lifted-up and encouraged to progress. I highly recommend Mike as I know he will be a blessing for you and for your organization.” Rev Luc Favre, pastor and leader Elim France
“I have known Mike Robins for many years now, as both a friend and a fellow minister, and am able to thoroughly recommend both him and his ministry 100%. The work that he and his wife have been involved in is truly incredible, building a strong dynamic church together with multiple outreach ministries, including the planting of other strong Christian Based churches too. His is truly an ‘apostolic ministry’ that will unquestionably bless, challenge and grow any church, and I count it a privilege to be asked to recommend this God anointed man & the ministry to which he has been called." John Partington, Former National Leader of the Assemblies of God in G.B. & World Pentecostal Council Member.
“Mike Robins has been influencing, inspiring and shaping future leaders and local churches for many years. What sets Mike apart from most trainers is Mike is a practitioner par excellence. He built a thriving-community-impacting-church, not in a large city but a small rural town. I know of only a handful of such churches.
He is a gifted and wise communicator who possesses the rare combination of a razor-sharp and insightful mind along with an engaging communication style. Helpful, challenging, empowering Mike is an enormous gift and resource to church leaders. I rate this guy and recommend him to you with enthusiasm. Time spent with Mike is time well spent, I am confident that the Breakthrough Conferences and Leadership Training programs will be a massive help to You, your team and the church.” Nigel Tween, Pastor, Consultant Pastor, Luton Christian Fellowship, Former National Leader (Elim) and former Principal of Regent Theological College