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Three ways to be a better friend this Christmas
Reconnect There is a phenomenon in friendship called 'relational decay', based on the notion that the sands of time and miles of geography do to our connections, what the failure of brushing and lack of dental hygiene do to our teeth. Our diaries resemble peak commuter trains, with little space to…
Phil Knox
Scotland: Government told commercial sexual exploitation must stop
Scotland currently legalises violence against women. This injustice must be challenged. As Christians, we reflect the nature of our Creator in seeking to end injustices against those who are exploited and vulnerable, especially and including gendered injustices. The open letter urges the Scottish…
Chris Ringland
2021 Census: Implications for public theology and the mission of the church
The Census data revealed that for the first time in England and Wales, less than half of the population (46.2%) describe themselves as “Christian”, a 13.1% decrease from 2011. Despite this decrease, “Christian” remained the most common response to the religion question. “No religion” was the second…
Rev Dr Israel Oluwole Olofinjana
Follow Me
Our new evangelistic booklet introduces Jesus in his own words and by his own interactions with the people he met. "Follow me" was the invitation Jesus made then and is still the invitation today. Those simple words welcome us into a journey of faith, of discovery, and of relationship with God.…
Three habits for a Christmas in the permacrisis | Being Human
‘Permacrisis’: the word of the year for 2022. Watch Emma this quick take, as she asks: is the Christmas story still relevant?
He is the God of a brighter tomorrow
After learning her story of suddenly and unexpectedly losing her husband two years ago, I couldn’t help but be further endeared towards her and the beautiful qualities she emulates as she enthusiastically runs staff away days and leads the team’s weekly prayer meetings. Her steadfast faith on…
Nicola Morrison
Hope is the antidote
What struck me was that this trajectory starts in suffering but instead of ending in sorrow or sadness or despair, it ends in hope. In the mysterious ways of God, suffering doesn’t strip away hope, but ultimately produces it. Surely that cannot be right? It is when I suffer that I often feel most…
Natalie Williams
Hope with hindsight
For example, in Psalm 77, Asaph sings with brutal honesty about his experience of suffering and sleepless nights. But by the end of the song, he finds comfort in recollecting how God rescued Israel out of slavery: “Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your…
Andy Palmer
Leaving a legacy of hope
In fact, ever since 1846, the people of this alliance have been sowing gospel seeds, promoting religious freedom, and speaking up for the marginalised. They may not have seen all the fruits of their labour, but there is no doubt that their work has benefited…
Rev Wendy Pawsey
Hope for the intercultural church
So how do we define what it means to be an intercultural church? Well, quite simply put, it is the uniting of different cultures, backgrounds and languages through the uniting of diverse Christian communities. Although the UK is often referred to as ‘multi-cultural Britain’ there seems to be a…
Carla Jacobs
Building friendships with introverts: An extrovert's guide
World Introvert Day falls on 2 January. I love two things about this, firstly, that there is an international day for introverts. Secondly, that it takes place immediately after New Year, in an under-the-radar and subtle way that would be deeply appreciated by those it is celebrating.
Phil Knox
NI: Miscarriage and the church – is it still a taboo?
Miscarriage or early pregnancy loss (EPL) is the loss of a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy. A woman who has a miscarriage may not have realised she was pregnant and often she will not have told anyone about the pregnancy until after the ‘safe’ 12 weeks stage. So, talking about miscarriage can be…
Danielle McElhinney
How ‘sharing Jesus more’ can be the resolution you actually keep in 2023
It’s so important – we read that Jesus’ commanded us to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). So, how do we set and maintain ‘missional fitness habits’ that will help us to keep this commandment throughout 2023? Here are just three ideas. While each idea is inspired by a lesson…
Luke Gratton
Westminster: our work is not done – what does this mean for 2023?
The honest answer is “no-one knows” and anyone who is 100% convinced that there will or will not be an election have not learnt from the unpredictable year we have just had as a nation. In the conversations I have had with policy advisers and MPs there is now a settled thought that the political…
Alicia Edmund
Interview: Scotland public policy highlights, and what’s new in Holyrood for 2023
Of all the nations, I would say Scotland and the Scottish parliament has been the most active in introducing and consulting on new legislation. What are some of the different policy areas you have worked on this past year? Yes, it has been a very busy year in Scotland. We are part of the Scottish…
Alicia Edmund
