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Our songs of praise in our private place
Due to the potential increased risk of coronavirus transmission from airborne droplets, the Government has issued restrictions and guidance concerning communal singing in churches. While we know that such measures are necessary to help keep ourselves and others safe, many will find it a great…
Ruthie Thomas
Justice and mercy: A contemporary Christian perspective
Victims want things to be put right. They want corrective justice. Like the widow in Luke 18, victims seek for their voices to be heard. Corrective justice is not the only form of redress available to victims. There are other types of justice including restorative and healing justice described in…
Dr Hephzibah Egede
Good news in the pandemic?
This was a bad news day for Christianity. How could a loving, almighty God allow this to happen? The atheist philosophers of the enlightenment used the disaster to cast doubt on God’s existence. Today as the coronavirus ravages the world, hitting hardest the poor and most vulnerable, it looks like…
Prof Paul Ewart
Emerging from lockdown in Scotland – August update
However, there have also been a number of recent announcements that are of relevance to churches in relation to face coverings, Sunday schools, recovery meetings, advice services and youth work as restrictions continue to lift. This article should be read in conjunction with relevant Scottish…
Kieran Turner
A missional opening for the taking
Such was the finding of the Talking Toddlers research released in May. It showed that almost two-thirds of non-Christian parents with children under five have taken their children to a church-based activity such as a toddler group or Messy Church in the past year. “There’s a huge opening here,”…
Naomi Osinnowo
God's multi-ethnic kingdom
These social inequalities are present on both sides of the Atlantic. Here, in the UK, the disproportionate representation of Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) people in frontline services reveals that, for far too long, BAME people have been at the bottom of the social-economic scale. Take a look…
Rev Dr Israel Oluwole Olofinjana
Fun, friendship and faith
At about 10am we do the notices and remind people of future activities. The children are then allowed into the sanctuary area for ride-ons, tunnels, dressing up and more. This area becomes a big, open space, enabling children and parents to move freely between rooms. Most Thursdays see between 30…
Karen Relton
There's a school near our church
There’s a school near our church. There are kind, hardworking teachers inside. These days some of them look a little careworn. It’s hardly surprising. They have navigated countless changes over recent months, learnt new skills and had their ingenuity tested to the limit. The school year ended in…
Megan Patterson
Online church: a lifeline for Christians with disabilities
Pre-COVID-19, the church experience of those with disabilities and additional needs has not been good, and this has been for as many reasons as there are disabilities. Ask the inclusion question to disabled people now and you will find the percentage of those able to access and even be included in…
Kay Morgan-Gurr
Reimagining church and mission
However, despite initial alarm bells ringing, no consensus on how to respond was agreed. By the end of January more than 7,800 cases in China and close to 100 in a further 18 countries were reported. The Chinese New Year compounded the problem as it heralded a time of travel as many returned to…
Dr Sheryl Haw
Reopening churches: acting with confidence and wisdom
However, this year the return to normality is not at all like we're used to. It’s not a six-week break that we’re returning from, but a gradual and hesitant resumption of something akin to the usual after six months of very unusual times. Over the course of the coronavirus crisis, as a society, we…
Danny Webster
New lockdown rules: what does it mean for churches?
There are a number of places where more than six people can attend at the same time, and this includes places of worship. Therefore, church services can go ahead as long as they operate according to the Government’s guidance, with social distancing maintained and other hygiene measures in place.…
Danny Webster
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Since 1846, The Evangelical Alliance has been dedicated to serving the UK church and uniting evangelicals to make Jesus known. Throughout our history we have been at the forefront of campaigns for Christian unity, religious liberty and social transformation, and today our dedication to serving the…
Why save good news until last?
“And finally,” the news anchors utter at the end of their broadcasts when at last they get to share an item of good news. Finally, an antidote to counteract the seriousness and negativity of the previous news items. Finally, something to put a smile on people’s faces… In the midst of the challenges…
Hate crime and public order (Scotland) update
We want to encourage engagement with this bill and would encourage you to contact your MSPs to raise any concerns. However, in a highly charged media and social media environment it is also important to be clear about the what the bill does and does not do, where the concerns are, and how to most…
Kieran Turner