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Being Human: Listening to voices not valued
I would guess that if you are reading this you are a human, though I haven’t completely given up on the notion of literate animals (they probably find what we write to be so inane they have largely dismissed us). I suspect that our confusion about what it is to be human partly arises from our…
Rose Lynas
The ripples of mission
January 2022 marks the very first Tamil Heritage Month after a recent unanimous vote by the London Assembly to recognise it as such. It offers a chance to spotlight and celebrate the contribution of the vibrant Tamil community in the UK. It also gives us an opportunity to highlight some of the…
Dayalan Mahesan
How we can support Christians in Afghanistan, where faith is costliest?
Last week Open Doors published their annual report of the top 50 countries where Christians experience persecution based on their faith. As a country where religious freedom is virtually non-existent, North Korea has sat at the top of the World Watch List for the past 20 years. However, following…
Nicola Martin
Hope for the hungry
They helped to bring together a small group of local charitable organisations: Pall Singh;Asian Concern;The Mosque Kitchen;Panjabi Junction (Asian Women's Project); andSt Peter's Church. It was agreed that because of the hardship many individuals and families were facing, we should explore setting…
Asian Concern
Prioritising rest, prioritising the planet
Global leaders, politicians, activists and scientists gathered at climate summit COP26 last year in Glasgow, taking decisive action on the fate of humanity and our planet. But what is the prophetic role of the church when it comes to our environment? If the church is going to play an active…
Rev Dr Israel Oluwole Olofinjana
Why hospitality is so much more than just hosting a good meal
I hope we can all remember a time when we experienced a particularly warm welcome. I imagine we’ve also experienced that sense of “you’re not from round here” when walking into some pubs or sadly, churches. As an Englishman married to a Scotswoman, we’ve spoken about the different habits of…
Richard Powney
Music of heaven
I am part of a group that works to equip churches in intercultural worship, and when we visited churches, I was tired of the members there stating that my English is very good or telling me how they have links to a certain country which neither of my parents are from. But I smiled politely and…
Jessie Tang
A church toddler group transformed my life. What could your group do?
In reality I think that my journey to faith started long before this. I was always quietly interested in spirituality, and churches fascinated me. I had met many Christians in my life and was always struck by their positivity, contentedness and kindness. I certainly had lots of questions that I…
Intercultural worship: praise beyond borders
Christians all over the world have developed and honed their own way to worship – for many, it is witnessing a symphony of multiple instruments, perhaps a seven-piece band with a stage full of energy and fire for the gospel. For others, it is the gentle sound of a soloist singer accompanied by the…
Carla Jacobs
China: Where saying “God loves you” is now a crime
The current crackdown on Christians in China is hitting believers online and in person. Among the latest to be detained is Zhou Jinxia, a Christian woman who is a regular visitor at Beijing's Zhongnanhai Xinhua Gate with her cheerful smile and her banner bearing a bright red cross. The message of…
Release International
Personhood, place and being present
Said in a Scouse accent, this catchphrase brings me back to my childhood Saturday nights watching Blind Date with Cilla Black. But together, these two inseparable questions – who you are (place), and where you are (identity) – are much deeper than a lighthearted TV icebreaker. Our identity and our…
Donna Jennings
#AltogetherDifferent: There's nothing "normal" about the gospel
The 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…
Helen Locke
Navigating the complexities of Mother's Day
At Care for the Family we are all too aware of the pain and difficulty that Mother’s Day can bring. For some this will be a day of grief, mourning or loss; of dashed hopes, strained relationships and anxiety. Rather than a day of laughter, it will be a day of tears. Many will be carrying their…
Gill Lyth
