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Good news from small voices
Have you ever noticed how the news on the TV always starts with the UK-wide announcements before they read the headlines from the devolved nations such as Wales? There are also occasions when things are reversed and the smaller local voice is shared and the whole UK is encouraged to take note of…
Stephen Harmes
Speaking with and for the most vulnerable
On Wednesday, the Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland appeared at the Northern Ireland Education Committee alongside the National Autistic Society to advocate for some of the most vulnerable people in society. You can watch Donna, head of church and mission, giving evidence here and the BBC…
The UK church amid the pandemic: a journey of snakes and ladders
We wait to roll a 6. We plod forward, feeling like we’re ahead. We climb another ladder. 100, our desired destination, is in sight… restrictions lifted, new measures in place, the R number dropping, social connections rebuilding. Circumstances looked and felt better, hopeful even. In church,…
Donna Jennings
IDOP Online 2021
Our online prayer event marked International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the persecuted church on Sunday, 7 November 2021. We joined our friends at Open Doors, CSW and Release International. This jointly-hosted webinar featured the latest news, testimonies and prayer requests from Nigeria, Eritrea and…
New government safeguarding guidance: Keeping Children Safe
Keeping Children Safe consolidates all legislation and best practice that has come before from the government and informs safeguarding in churches and other faith-based organisations. For this reason, Paul Harrison of Christian Safeguarding Services (CSS), states this guidance will be a…
Jo Evans
Government commits to appointing new envoy for religious freedom
This comes as welcome news for politicians and religious communities alike, as the report, produced in response to the persecution of religious minorities around the globe, revealed that a staggering 84 per cent of the world population live in areas where religious freedom is limited or banned, and…
A bond of common humanity
Old wounds of racial and ethnic hostilities have resurfaced in the industrialised north this year. The world watched and heard George Floyd utter his last words, “I can’t breathe,” which sparked protests and calls for racial justice for black and minority communities in the US and in other…
Dr Hephzibah Egede
Let's pray every step of the way
As I called out to God and asked for prayer backup, I realised afresh how much I needed my Father’s help and how easy I had become used to trusting others rather than in God alone. Fortunately, I was able to pick her up later that day. The doctors reassured me that the new medication should work…
Responding in recovery
However, as March came to an end and April moved us deeper into lockdown, it became more and more apparent that this was unlikely to happen. It was difficult and painful. My hopes and dreams for my wedding day were unravelling as quickly as new coronavirus cases were rising. We’ve all had our lives…
Rachel Arnold
Digital church: five lessons from lockdown
As well as providing an opportunity for ill or holidaying members of our congregation to stay connected, we noticed new people joining us. Some were exploring faith, intrigued enough to click on a link and watch a service but possibly not intrigued enough to visit a service in person. We began to…
Mark Pugh
Rising above the storm
Over the last few months I’ve often been reminded of this Dickens’s quote as I’ve observed both beauty and ugliness during this pandemic. The virus has taken so many lives across our country and the world. Its secondary effects upon our own land will be long-lasting, with high unemployment,…
Roger Sutton
Facing facts and shaping the future
The global pandemic has stopped the world in its tracks. Locking entire nations down, it has relieved people of any sense of control they might have had. Across the UK, the church has responded admirably to the trauma. Loving our neighbours, meeting their needs and taking opportunities to introduce…
Dr David Landrum
Churches frustrated at forced closure
Schools, colleges and universities are asked to remain open but otherwise the restrictions are very similar to when the first lockdown was imposed in March. This means that churches and other places of worship are required to close for public services and are only allowed to reopen for limited…
Danny Webster
ARCHIVED: Churches and the November lockdown
As of Thursday 5 November, England is under national lockdown once again. The law now requires all places of worship to close for this period apart form narrow exemptions. Worship services and most other activity that takes place in the church is not permitted. Weddings are also not permitted…
The Five Tier System: Scottish Government November update
It is particularly important to note that as things stand worship gatherings are permitted under every level of the new system, albeit with reduced numbers in level 4. This is a very welcome development and one we have advocated for with the Scottish Government. In addition, there is a travel…
