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What today's lockdown easing in Scotland means for your church
In order to enter the first phase, the following conditions had to be met: The virus has not yet been fully contained, and there is a continued risk of overwhelming the NHS capacity without lockdown restrictions continuing;The R infection number has been below 1 for at least 2 weeks prior and the…
Chris Ringland
Pentecost and the constant mission of the church
So, what can the account of Pentecost in Acts tell us about the nature of the church? Many preachers will go instinctively to Acts chapter 2, verses 42-47. There we get a description of the first Christian community which incorporates worship, teaching, prayer, generosity, hospitality, signs and…
John Coleby
Helping people heal from trauma caused by coronavirus
We’ve all lost our normal daily lives, which is a significant loss. We all face uncertainty about the future – and more changes. This takes its toll: we are tired with all the extra daily decisions, frustrated with the complications we face, angry about things we can’t do. We may look for someone…
Hilary Warner
Scottish Government Route Map: Phase 2 & the Church in Scotland
The following conditions had to be met to begin Phase 2: The virus must be controlled;The R infection rate must be consistently below 1;The 6 World Health Organisation criteria must be in place (including capacities to test, trace and isolate, preventative measures established in workplaces and…
Chris Ringland
Listening well to the story of others
At first glance this may seem counterintuitive. The word evangelism derives from the idea of announcing or proclaiming good news. How might listening relate to an activity that has strong links to the act of speaking or proclaiming? The key is the context in which we find ourselves in the UK.
Richard Powney
Reopening of church buildings: what now?
In his statement to parliament on 23 June the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, also announced that wedding ceremonies in England will be able to take place from the 4 July with a cap of 30 people. Alongside this are other changes permitting the reopening of restaurants, pubs and many, but not all,…
Danny Webster
When we come together
The church (ekklesia) is, at its heart, a gathering of people. We are a connected people, a community, the people of God, the body of Christ, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, the flock, the household of God. From first creation to the new creation, scripture is permeated with images of people…
Donna Jennings
Racial justice: Looking back as we look forward
This 400-year period, from the 16th to the 19th century, saw slave traders, many Britons among them, transport millions of enslaved Africans to the Americas, mainly. Millions died along the way. Large numbers died upon arrival. Many survived and, with their descendants, went on to make a huge…
Naomi Osinnowo
Location, proximity and tracking apps
It is important that evangelicals are aware of the potential impacts of these technologies. With the lockdown now easing the deployment of this technology may appear innocuous or a non-starter. However, having already spent £11.8m million trying to develop its own app, on 18 June 2020, the UK…
COVID-19 and the challenge of discipling young people
Young people have long been labelled screen junkies, constantly glued to their smartphones, 24-hour gaming, YouTube and Twitch, or dancing away to the latest TikTok trend. So it came as a bit of a shock that, when the world moved online due to the lockdown restrictions, the young people we had…
Mat Walls
Living in liminal leadership
We are living through a very interesting time. Many of the things we previously took for granted as ‘normal’ have been swept away. This pandemic, and the future beyond it, has thrust us into uncharted territory. Huge changes can lead us into periods of doubt and inertia, or we can choose to view…
Walk, Pray, Talk
Through each of the five sessions you will explore prayer through themes of being people of God, present to God and people, participation, and caring for a place. We really want to encourage you to get out and about praying for your local community. We believe you will thrive as God’s people,…
Taking good care of yourself
Many of us are exhausted. We have faced challenges that we never expected to face, and without warning or preparation, we were thrown into a blizzard of change. It has been draining. Leaders across the country are starting to feel the strain. There are times when the calling of leadership can leave…
Community matters
Beneath the surface, responding to urgent demands with limited resources has led to reprioritised needs, categorised people and social divisions in a way that subtly reshapes values and culture. These are community matters. Community matters to God. Community matters for the church. “Christianity…
Donna Jennings
The pursuit of justice
So, what effect will the coronavirus pandemic have on our view of human rights and human wrongs? Will we emerge from the crisis with the same concept of justice as we entered the crisis? Or will we see new ideas surface, or even old ideas of justice come to the fore? The Bible identifies justice as…
Dr David Landrum
