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Plan B introduced in England
The introduction of Plan B measures in England, announced in a press conference by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 8 December, will have an impact on how churches operate. The measures do not prevent churches from undertaking any activities that they are currently doing, however, churches may wish…
Give marginalised a voice to build climate future
To build the vision of COP26, government and private-sector organisations have developed work programmes, projects and networks that give voice to both young and marginalised peoples, which allows them to advocate change for themselves and their communities. We believe that this a beautiful,…
Shanley McConnell
2022: West Africa set to become hotspot for Christian persecution
Sahel Islamist extremists are gaining ground, not only in Nigeria, but also in the Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa. In Burkina Faso, jihadists targeted Christians in the north of the country in 2021, forcing churches to close and meet in secret. Attacks ranged from bombings, killings,…
Andrew Boyd
What kind of follower?
The major point that came across was that it’s not easy to follow Jesus. The challenges are large and many. The benefits of His presence are huge. His grace and love and power are indescribably wonderful. But trying to stay close to Him and live in the radical manner He described is not easy. If…
The great repair job
There was something else noticeable, too. About a quarter of those present were newcomers. We are used to welcoming around one or two new people into our church per month, so it was as if we were catching up on the backlog caused by coronavirus. Most of these newcomers have stayed with us,…
David Taylor
Go and make disciples
A short time ago my wife Anne had a vision of fields ripe for harvest. Beyond the fields she could see the sun rising in the morning sky. As she prayed her sense was that the Lord might be saying that He was shining His glory on the landscape and opening our eyes to see the many that are waiting…
Gavin Calver
The cross is raised
I knew back then, as I listened to the gospel message for the umpteenth time, that in these moments there was a supernatural clearing and connection of God’s Spirit to mine. I knew then that when I departed this human body I would without a doubt be held to answer for life’s most important…
Ruthie Thomas
The not-so-gay cake
The case dates back to 2014 when Mr Lee, a gay rights activist, asked Ashers bakery to make a cake with the slogan ‘Support Gay Marriage’ on it. The McArthur family, who own Ashers bakery, run a successful Christian family business. The name was derived from Genesis 49:20: “Bread from Asher shall…
Peter Lynas
Garden parties and rules that apply to other people
On 20 May that year I was a little distracted as I was driving my wife to hospital for the second time that day. Earlier I had to wait in a corridor while she was assessed and we were then sent home. The following morning my daughter was born and when she was two hours old, I said goodbye to her…
Danny Webster
Serve the story
Perhaps you think this is awfully postmodern of me, swapping story for truth. It possibly is. But before you sigh and stop reading, don’t. I’m a young person and young people are postmodern (although often unwittingly and certainly not exclusively). I suppose we could apologise for the…
Archie Catchpole
Recovering addicts require our support and prayers
The latest statistics in Scotland have shown the worsening scale of addiction deaths and related problems in the country. In 2020, 1,337 people died from drug-related issues, the highest number registered since records began; the issue has been described as “a national shame” by Scotland’s drugs…
James Loney
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
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
Violence against women and girls (VAWG): a personal reflection and a policy response
Leah Houston is in her second year studying theology at Belfast Bible College and currently on placement with us at the Evangelical Alliance NI. Here, Leah shares her thoughts and feelings considering the murder of Ashling Murphy: “It could have been my friend, it could have been my sister, it…
Danielle McElhinney
Why should Christians care about the government's plan to "Level Up"?
At its core, levelling up is intended to be a solution to the prominent problem of regional inequality. The Office for National Statistics found that in 2018, household income in the east of England was about five per cent higher than the UK average, and productivity was about five per cent lower.…
Nicola Martin
