FORTHCOMING BOOK · GORDON WHYTE

Launch Into the Deep

The Gathering, the Habitation of God and a Luke 5 Blueprint for a People Being Prepared for Harvest

A LUKE 5 JOURNEY

LAUNCH
INTO THE
DEEP

The Gathering, the Habitation of God and a Luke 5 Blueprint for a People Being Prepared for Harvest

At Your word.

GORDON WHYTE

Cover concept · final cover to be confirmed

What if empty nets are where the next chapter begins?

A Christian reflection on following Jesus, becoming a community shaped by His presence, and preparing to serve the people He brings.

Read the first chapter ↓

Publication details and purchase links will be added here when available.

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About the book

In Luke 5, Jesus steps into an ordinary working boat after a night of disappointment. His invitation takes Simon Peter from empty nets into deeper water, shared responsibility and a call to follow.

In Launch Into the Deep, Gordon Whyte reflects on that encounter alongside the unfolding story of the Gathering. Through Scripture, prayer, personal reflection and the Christian history of Northumbria, he explores what it means for a people to welcome Christ at the centre of their life together.

The journey includes obedience and partnership, leadership that equips and protects, care for the wounded, spiritual gifts exercised with love and discernment, and a life of faith that reaches beyond the meeting place.

Running through it is a searching question: What kind of people must we become if God is going to entrust us with what we have been praying for?

God’s presence is His gift through Christ. Our preparation is a response to grace: learning to love, serve and follow faithfully.

Who this book is for

• Christians seeking renewed courage after disappointment or a long season of waiting.
• Church leaders and ministry teams reflecting on community, shared responsibility and spiritual maturity.
• People longing for a church life that welcomes the wounded and equips ordinary believers.
• Small groups looking for Scripture-centred conversation, prayer and practical application.
• Readers interested in the Gathering’s journey and the connection between Christian heritage and present-day faith.

Inside the book

The manuscript brings together 34 chapters, prayers, a 16-session small-group reflection guide and eight practical appendices. Topics include testing prophetic words, prayer ministry, healing ministry boundaries and the health of a Christian community.

About Gordon Whyte

Gordon Whyte is an entrepreneur and experienced operations leader whose work has involved building teams and developing people. Alongside his professional life, he has been part of the unfolding journey of the Gathering. This book brings together his Christian faith, reflections on Scripture and questions about the people we are becoming.

He also writes at The Daily Challenges of an Entrepreneur.

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READ A SAMPLE · CHAPTER ONE

From the current manuscript. The published edition may contain further edits.

Jesus Gets Into the Boat

Luke 5:1–3

The fishermen had finished. Their nets were empty, and they were washing them after a night that had produced nothing. That is where Luke places Jesus. Not in the middle of success. Not after Peter has demonstrated extraordinary faith. Not when everything is working. Jesus comes to the shoreline after failure. Crowds are pressing around Him to hear the Word of God. Two boats are standing beside the lake, and Jesus gets into the one belonging to Simon.

It looks like a practical decision. The boat becomes a place from which Jesus can teach. But for Peter, it becomes much more.

Presence before programme

The first significant thing that happens to Peter's boat is not that it fills with fish. Jesus gets into it. That order matters. We can become so interested in what we want God to do that we overlook the greater gift of God Himself. We want the catch. Jesus gives His presence. We want the breakthrough. Jesus gets into the boat. We want an answer.

Jesus begins by being with us. The boat did not become significant because it belonged to Peter. It became significant because Jesus was there. This is where any Christian community must begin. Not:

What are we trying to build?

But:

Who is at the centre of it?

An ordinary boat

Peter's boat was a working boat. It carried the marks of ordinary life. Wet nets. Fish. Labour. Disappointment. It was not a sacred building. Yet Jesus used it. There is something deeply encouraging in that. God works in ordinary places. Homes. Village halls. Workplaces. Cars. Hospital rooms. Kitchens. Coffee tables. The significance of a place is not created by religious appearance. It comes from what God chooses to do there.

This also means we should be careful about dividing life too sharply into sacred and ordinary. Christ wants more than our meeting. He wants the boat. Our work. Relationships. Money. Time. Plans. Disappointments. Everything.

Jesus rearranges the boat

Jesus asks Simon to put out a little from the land. Before the deep-water command, there is a smaller act of obedience. Move the boat. Peter has worked all night. He is washing his nets. He has every reason to want to go home. Instead, he allows Jesus to interrupt the end of his working day. Sometimes the first movement of obedience is not dramatic.

It is simply allowing Jesus to rearrange something. Our time. Our plans. Our comfort. Our assumptions.

The first test

Before asking whether our nets are ready for harvest, perhaps there is a more fundamental question:

Is Jesus truly at the centre of the boat?

Not merely mentioned. Not simply included in the programme. At the centre.

Would we still gather if He changed our preferred form?

Would we still follow if the ministry became less visible?

Would we still worship if nothing dramatic happened?

Would we still obey if the answer looked different from the one we expected?

The boat belongs to Him before the catch ever arrives.

The Gathering

This matters deeply for The Gathering. The Gathering is not the Pearl.

Jesus is.

The Gathering is not the destination.

Jesus is.

The Gathering is a boat. A useful boat, I hope. A boat we should care for. A boat that needs wise stewardship. But still a boat. If we ever become more concerned about preserving The Gathering than following Jesus, we will have confused the vessel with the Lord who stepped into it. The greatest thing that can happen in our gatherings is not that people speak well of them.

It is that Jesus is present and honoured.

Prayer

Jesus, take Your rightful place among us. Enter the ordinary places of our lives. Rearrange what needs to be rearranged. Where we have become more interested in outcomes than in You, bring us back. Where the boat itself has become too important, remind us who it belongs to.

Before we ask You to fill the nets, teach us to treasure Your presence.

Amen, Amen.

Sample chapter from Launch Into the Deep by Gordon Whyte. All rights reserved.

Get the book

Coming soon. Publication date, available formats, prices and purchase links will appear here once confirmed.

In the meantime, read the sample above and follow Gordon’s blog for further excerpts and reflections.

Visit Gordon’s blog →

 Rethink the Model: Fractional Leadership in Operations

Too often, companies rush to recruit full-time senior leaders — when what they really need is focused, high-impact operational expertise for a defined phase of growth or transformation.

Fractional Operations Leadership offers:
- Immediate access to 25+ years of experience in scaling high-tech, multi-site manufacturing.
- Strategic focus without long-term overheads — driving measurable performance, culture, and efficiency gains.
- Agility — ideal for turnaround, growth acceleration, or pre-investment readiness.
From implementing ISO-integrated systems and driving OEE gains across UK sites, to leading transformation in B-Corp and technology-based manufacturing environments — I’ve seen how targeted, senior input can deliver 80% of the impact in 20% of the time.
If your organisation is in transition, preparing for investment, or scaling production, it may not need a permanent Operations Director. It may require a fractional one who delivers fast, embeds capability, and moves on once momentum is built.

If this interests your company or you just want to talk through how it works please get in touch with me and I would talk you through it, and you could have a solution in place as early as next week, to help you through your difficult times.

These are just some of the key areas I can help with :

- Operational Transformation & Efficiency
Streamlining multi-site manufacturing operations to improve OEE, throughput, and cost control.
Embedding Lean, Six Sigma, and TPM principles to drive sustainable performance gains.
- Integrated Management Systems & Compliance
Designing and implementing ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, and 13485 frameworks.
Aligning quality, safety, and environmental standards with operational goals.
- Strategic Growth & Scale-Up
Leading operational readiness for rapid scale-up, investment, or product transfer.
Aligning production capacity, supply chain, and systems to strategic growth plans.
- Leadership & Organisational Development
Building strong, values-led teams that perform under pressure.
Coaching supervisors and managers to sustain operational excellence.
- Financial & Commercial Performance
Full P&L ownership and performance improvement.
Cost modelling, capital investment justification, and investor confidence building.

Will be developing this site to expand on the key areas a business needs to excel to be competitive

in this new season.

News Update

On the move again relocating to work with www.scotmas.com a world leading company delivering environmentally sustainable biocides and application technology.Profile

My home in the Lake District, on the edge of Penrith. Introduction to Home

Never give up on life, work hard, live abundantly, take care of yourself and love ones.

Regards

Gordon

Peace for Ukraine, Life in Ukraine

 I don't do politics, but I am moral and have ethical principles, and what I see happening to my friends in Ukraine is heartbreaking; I would ask my network to think about the situation, and if the war in Ukraine lays heavy on your heart, then please let your voice be heard through every channel you can, if you have a faith then pray, if you have a political alliance, then please communicate your feeling to them, ask your friends to do the same, There have been millions of lives disrupted and over 500 civilian lives lost at a minimum so far, and it continues. Let your heart and soul speak out.

#peaceinukraine #lifeinukraine

Friday Evening muse

 Friday Evenings muse
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anaïs Nin.

Speaking to business leaders, I brought this quote. I asked what they thought about it at first read and how would they explain it to their employees, there was silence from many, but one stood up and said that he would explain it as their career as his, would take effort and risk to find their potential, he would provide the opportunity and guidance. Do you provide the opportunity for your employees to grow to their potential? This gentleman's company has shown significant growth for the last five years, and last year was his best.

 

Imitation Vs Creation

 Friday Muse

“Imitation is suicide.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

As an individual or organisation, do not imitate but be original, live life in your own skin, build your own organisation, build a better mousetrap. Imitation will only constraint and constrict and ultimately die off.

Regards

Gordon

Plans, talking, and plans

 “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

Great plans are just that, they have no value until you engage and execute, and review.

G

 Motivation thought

"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." – Theodore Roosevelt 

Work is worth doing for many reasons, find them and encourage them across your organisation, remembering your reasons are not everyone's reasons. Have a good weekend

Gordon

 New job, new home, a new location

It has been a long time since I have been on here posting, I have found my self in a new role, working in a new industry combining the whole gamut of my experience, from UVC LEDs to supply chain and Quality and a few stages in-between.  I am working for an early-stage company who design and manufacture drinking water disinfection systems for water utility companies and large scale users of potable/clean water. I will describe my adventure over the next few months, so far it has been fun as we push on to deliver our first major contract. Watch this space as the adventure continues in rural Cumbria.

www.typhontreatment.com 

 

Some help for a friend: Katharina M. Saghi

Some help for a friend who is a solid performing corporate recruiter



Name: Katharina M. Saghi

Linkedin profile 

Need: Looking for a corporate recruiting position in San Francisco. Size of the company doesn't matter.

About

Results-oriented: 90% offer acceptance, the average tenure of hires 5 years. Research, network, do what it takes to seek out and engage passive candidates who are potential matches.
Accountable trusted adviser: career coach approach, consultative approach with candidates and hiring managers.Full knowledge of Federal regulations affecting hiring practices (OFCCP, EEO, and Affirmative Action) Diversity and inclusion understanding.
Process-driven pragmatist: Scope requirements, create compelling job profiles, source, engage and screen candidates, facilitate the interview and selection process. Yet pragmatic, with a process as a means of making the best hire.
Keen listener: Really good at listening – truly hearing what hiring managers and candidates are saying to connect the dots that solve the puzzle. as well as being a sounding board for hiring managers.
Strong researchers and quick learner: So much to learn, so little time! thrive on rapidly absorbing information and doing great detective work to uncover all that I need to know about hiring group and prospective talent.
Flexible multitasker: Change happens. The mix of projects and activities the dynamics of no two days are the same. excel at juggling competing priorities and adapting to change.
Persistent and resilient: There are lots of ups and downs in recruiting thrives on a little healthy adversity to drive me forward.
Technology-enabled. Social media, job boards, internet searching, video conferencing, email, most ATS's–

 Contact Katharina on LinkedIn profile link above

Thanks
Gordon
Profile link 

Help for a friend needing work

Help for a friend needing work


George Hand   

Business Development Executive 

I am a creative, persistent, agile and driven Business Development manager who is more than able to nurture relationships with existing clients and to develop new business opportunities. I am an expert at putting together penetrative sovial media marketing strategies that can help businesses to fulfil their potential. On an individual level I am committed to my own personal development and progression. I have a highly enthusiastic approach to Business Development and possesses a proven track record of achieving targets in a competitive environment. Right now, I am looking for a suitable position with a company that is well-positioned for continued growth and development and looking to cement themselves as a market leader in their given industry.

Introduction 

For the past 5 years I have carried out various short term freelance roles undertaking such tasks as Business Development, Project Management, Process Mapping etc, I spent two years with Carillion Amey before this as a technical trainer, training all the engineers working on regional prime contract on using their new handheld devices. (Contract ended) Prior to this I worked as a Client Relationship manager for PH Jones (redundancy) and I was a contract operations manager for HomeServe performance managing their subcontractors from Carlisle to Birmingham. (Redundancy)

 I know it's getting boring for everyone connected to me, but I have to keep posting and asking for work, less and less people are looking at the posts, I know its depressing seeing someone going under, but I need all your help, I need an opportunity to work, I will consider anything that's not commission based only or that's not building a residual income, I need a job that's pays money so I can pay Bill's and give my family a life. All I ask is that you share this with your connections and make as many people aware of my situation as you can, I am not lazy, I work damn hard for everyone I work for and need something ASAP.

 

LinkedIn profile George Hand 

 

Our future Business and home life or our de-personalised life

Our future business and home life or our de-personalised life. 


When unemployed you are your CV or your online profile, either two pages of script or 300 words contain you and an AI decides if you are a "fit", a fit to what? To fill a box, role, need. The saying WYSIWYG is apt in its fullness and so wrong in its labelling. The person is more than the paper, profile or characters but companies make "value" decisions on the future of there business via these virtual people representations. 
The correct fit for your "box" means you are building a uniform structure that will struggle to adapt to modern-day life, and the right hire to develop your company as just been scrubbed, due to the lack of picking up the phone, invest in the hiring process, don't take the human out off it. 

Life can be filled out by computer-driven interactions, online shopping, online dating, online chat rooms, online church, online banking. I know there are much better "lettered." individuals who have taken this up as a cause, but this real, live person would rather live a life where you need to interact with people to bring the richness that is life back and enjoy a coffee from a barista and build companies with people, not boxes, and goals and vision, not needs and requirements. 

Bring back humanity to your life and to others, we owe it to ourselves and to humanity, life is precious and fought for every day of our existence do not waste it, use it fully, explore it passionately, share it furiously.

Be blessed
Gordon
LinkedIn Profile

"Squeaky wheel gets the oil time"

"Squeaky wheel gets the oil time."

Hi fellow bloggers, hope you are all well, I have had two major projects, and a permanent job offer fall apart, so in the run-up to Christmas I am looking for employment, not proud and not pretty, I will turn my hand to most general supervisory or management roles for manufacturing organisations, I can take on short term contract roles locally. What can I do for you, I can help you with any growth challenges in the business that you have, and BD or SCM challenges that you may have, I have extensive experience overseas developing supply chains? Implementing Lean and other CI programs, It would be worth us having a chat to discuss where I could bring value to your business, so as a friend said nothing asked for nothing gained. I hope you have a great evening.

Gordon 



LinkedIn profile

What is the most precious item in the world

 Time

What is the most precious item in the world, it is a jiffy, The jiffy is a measurement of time, and as time can't be created it is irreplaceable, who would not want more time. There is a trend to put a cost to time, I have looked at someone who would offer me £8.35 for an hour of my time flipping burgers, (thinking about it) If I was working in India I could earn a minimum wage of 20p an hour. I have spent over 30 years looking at ways to save time, improve yield, add automation, (Faster / Cheaper) improve process time, transport time, queue time, VSM and the implementation of the culture of CI, the great timer saver strategy. It has always been a challenge to find the best use of the precious resource time, here are some keys that I have found to be useful. 1- The 80/20 rule is the truth. 2- Before every task, we should be asking ourselves how important is this task? is it worth the time!!! 3- Your time is your own, so don't let others waste it for you. 4- Learn to say no to others, nicely. 5- Invest your time in those who appreciate it. Imagine we're at a graveyard. You look at a tombstone and see the person's name, the date they were born and when they died. In between the dates, there is a dash. So I want to ask you: What are you doing with your dash?

Regards
Gordon
LinkedIn Profile

Company morale:-

 I was talking with an employer of a precision engineering company, the discussion was centred around staff retention and company morale and how do you measure the second and improve the first, this used to be a traditionally managed business but has made some positive movement away from that, after a few coffees and some rabbit holes descended, we concluded with an action plan to improve both, he was not surprised that they were linked, these are the basic "cliff notes" version. 

To measure morale:

 -Surveys. An easy way to monitor your employee's morale is through an employee satisfaction survey. ... 

-Periodic Interviews. Performing periodic performance interviews with your employees can also help you gauge the overall employee satisfaction. 

-Productivity levels and Quality performance. 

-Turnover Rate. 

-Absence Rate.

-Open door and "roam the floor" policy. 

To Improve morale hence improve staff retention.

-Give them a reason to believe. 

-Show you care. 

-Recognize the good. 

-Learn the value of “fringe”. 

-Promote from within. 

-Bring on the fun. 

There is a lot of meat to put on these bones, but that is the basics of how to tackle these issues and a company with good morale is a strong company.

Regards
Gordon
LinkedIn profile

Job Hunt Tool Box

 Tool box for assting with your Job hunt


*Top 10 Sites for your career:* 



1. LinkedIN 
2. Indeed
3.Careerealism 
4. Job-Hunt 
5. JobBait 
6. Careercloud 
7. GM4JH 
8. Personalbrandingblog 
9. Jibberjobber 
10. Neighbors-helping-neighbors 

*Top 10 Tech Skills in demand in 2019:* 
1. Machine Learning
2. Mobile Development 
3. SEO/SEM Marketing 
4. Data Visualization
 5. Data Engineeringj 
6. UI/UX Design 
7. Cyber-security 
8. Cloud Computing/AWS 
9. Blockchain 
10. IOT 

*Top 10 Sites to learn Excel for free:*
 Search for these on Google: 
1. Microsoft Excel Help Center 
2. Excel Exposure 
3. Chandoo 
4. Excel Central 
5. Contextures 
6. Excel Hero 
7. Mr. Excel 
8. Improve Your Excel 
9. Excel Easy 
10. Excel Jet 

*Top 9 Sites for Free Online Education:* 
*Search for these on Google:*
 1. Coursera 
2. edX 
3. Khan Academy 
4. Udemy 
5. iTunesU Free Courses 
6. MIT OpenCourseWare 
7. Stanford Online 
8. Codecademy 
 9. Open Culture Online Courses *


Top 10 Sites to review your resume for free:* 
1. Zety Resume Builder 
2. Resumonk 
3. Resume[com] 
4. VisualCV 
5. Cvmaker 
6. ResumUP 
7. Resume Genius 
8. Resumebuilder 
9. Resume Baking 
10. Enhancv 

*Top 10 Sites for Interview Preparation:* 
1. Ambitionbox 
2. AceTheInterview 
3. Geeksforgeeks 
4. Leetcode 
5. Gainlo 
6. Careercup 
7. Codercareer 
8. InterviewUp 
9. InterviewBest 
10. Indiabix