Helen Locke
Helen joined the Evangelical Alliance in October 2020. Prior to this, she trained in ministry for a year in Birmingham where she worked with students and was immersed in church life, in between summers working for the charity Open Doors. Helen studied English literature with creative writing modules, and loves writing, painting and walks with friends in all weathers.
Christian GP: how I live out my faith in a time of NHS crisis
13 October 2022I sit down for a Zoom call with Dr Debisi Olunloyo to find out. Born and raised in Nigeria, she became a Christian aged 13 at school, and trained to become a doctor. She moved to the UK in 2000, where she joined one of our member churches, Jesus House in London, and continued her postgraduate medical training before becoming a GP. She puts in long hours on her clinical days, so I’m chatting with her on a day when she’s at home, but doing administrative work. We kick off the interview by praying…
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What I've learnt from Jordan Peterson
4 August 2022Truth and the limits of the postmodern lens To do that, I need to take you back to my university experience. One of the first modules on my literature course was about “ways of reading”, the different ideas and lenses through which we can read a book. Some are helpful as we try to understand the world around us (others less so). My favourite “-isms” were Post-colonialism and New Historicism. Looking through these “lenses” helped me learn a bit about the historical and colonial baggage that…
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Dance Fever and the freedom fallacy
23 June 2022The meanings of Florence’s songs on the album are hard to pin down, allowing her to explore freedom and death without being pinned down to one meaning. But there is a popular and enduring cultural idea underpinning her body of work: freedom is living your fullest life of self-expression, exuberance, and pleasure here and now – since we all have to die in the end anyway. ‘Free’, a new track on the album, explores Florence’s anxiety and momentary freedom in music. Her voice is incredible, but dig…
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Why the Jubilee is a great opportunity for your church
10 May 2022Some people in our communities might perceive the church as a bit joyless. Might this year’s Jubilee be an opportunity to change a few perceptions? Yes! It’s a time to celebrate and lead in street and community parties, to lend our resources of tables, chairs and other things, and serve our communities in throwing a party! Why are churches uniquely placed to get involved in the Jubilee? We are in the centre of communities and can help to galvanise people together to celebrate. We have the…
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Courage to be kingdom-bringers
11 April 2022How did you meet Jesus? I was debating and arguing against Christianity but became aware that I didn’t know what the Bible said so promised I’d read a gospel in 2006. Its realness and relevance blew me away. On a visit to church, the Holy Spirit convicted me, but I didn’t want to be a stereotypical Christian – I wasn’t that polite! I met an ex-drug-dealing-rugby-playing-Christian along the way and it was like God saying: “There – not a stereotype!” In time, I got stuck into the Bible and…
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#AltogetherDifferent: There's nothing "normal" about the gospel
25 March 2022The differences highlighted range from silly to profound, everyday to taboo: dating habits, being a goth, being Northern, having a disability, fears, fantasies and more. It’s a long but strategic list which points to TV shows demanding to be watched. Of course, there’s a limit to the range of differences and “weirdness” among us the media is willing to embrace and celebrate. After all, society wants different, it can handle different… but don’t be too different. As Christians, we have…
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Being Jesus' feet on the street
6 January 2022We’re one of the oldest Pentecostal churches around. Being right on Northumberland Park, near Tottenham Hotspur football stadium, we get heavy footfall, so we try to engage with the community in practical ways and let people know we’re here. The local community is diverse, made up of a range of nationalities and cultures. Sadly, many in the community face great challenges. There are high levels of homelessness, single-parent households, low-income families, gangs (one of which is active in our…
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In the bleak midwinter…
15 December 2021The Salvation Army says one in five young adults will have no choice but to rely on charity this Christmas. And here’s how Christians Against Poverty (CAP) summed up the financial side of things: “This Christmas, many of the people CAP helps, and thousands of other families living in poverty, are facing a perfect storm of price rises and reduced incomes. They are desperately trying to make ends meet as the cost of their food, fuel and heating soar, and when many have had reductions in their…
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New book on discipleship, suffering and racial justice
8 December 2021Tell us a little bit about the new book. The book explores the themes of whole-life discipleship, suffering and racial justice. On the surface these three themes appear separate but through a closer look with an integral lens one realises that they are connected. The book looks at suffering from the context of majority world people’s experiences and theologies and argues that we need to pay attention to some of those experiences to see what we can learn in this pandemic season which has brought…
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Three ways your church can support mental health amid the unlocking
21 June 2021“Kate (not her real name) is a member of my church. She’s been a Christian for many years and has also suffered with her mental health all that time. A lifeline for her during the pandemic has been the Renew Wellbeing group that has run on Monday mornings, either on Zoom or in person, according to what’s permitted. As churches gather in person once more, many of us are longing for a good old sing. But lively worship services can be alienating for those with anxiety or depression, so Renew…
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Creative ministry: Rebuilding worship
14 May 2021Communal singing continues to be regarded as one of the most dangerous things you can do amid the coronavirus pandemic, and yet, as Geraldine explains, “song and singing have always been dangerous weapons”. They shared what they’ve learned about creative worship since March last year, how they’ll hold onto those lessons when restrictions are removed, and the opportunities ahead for reaching out creatively to our communities through the power of Spirit-filled song.
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