Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at your Church

Release International can confirm a total of 69 Christian prisoners of faith have now been released in Eritrea – while five more have been arrested. Release partners say that many have been long-term prisoners. One has been behind bars for 16 years. None has ever been sent to trial. When news of their release broke...

What helps clergy to flourish?  Some insights from an ongoing Church of England research programme have now been sent to curates across the country. The study has found six main principles that contribute to the wellbeing of ordained ministers. They include the ability to handle expectations, recognise times of personal vulnerability, establish healthy boundaries, and...

The EU needs a more “humane, tolerant and equitable migration policy.” So says the Bishop in Europe, Dr Robert Innes, responding to news of recent deaths of migrants who have attempted to cross the English Channel in small boats. Dr Innes spoke of the recent cases as “deeply saddening”.  “Refugees, including children, have perished as...

Church leaders often talk about new churches and church planting, but probably talk less about new denominations. Yet new denominations are also being started. In the UK the number has grown from the 97 listed, when they were first counted in 1977, to 250 by the year 2000, falling to 230 by this year. The number of denominations...

The unsung heroes who help us say goodbye Reflected Faith Series: Welcome to All! The Wellbeing Journey – churches tackling the impact of Covid-19 Offering HOPE in Uncertain Times Give away the Jesus story as told by Mark Helping people cope with loss Could you be a Mission Champion in your church? Helping the spiritually...

No one likes to talk about death. Especially during a pandemic that’s impacting everyone on the planet. And yet for some people, death is their life’s work. It’s their vocation. In fact, helping bereaved families and friends say a personal goodbye to their loved ones is what motivates them, day after day. They are the...

As I write this, the majority of churches (in the UK) are holding services again in their church buildings or wherever they normally worship together. But things are looking somewhat different. In my local church you need to ring a Churchwarden to book a place to come to Sunday or mid-week worship. So far, no-one’s...

The Wellbeing Journey is a new 8-part video series, which will help churches and communities address the challenging impact of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Local churches are in a unique place to lead communities on this holistic journey to physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. The videos are presented by Simon Thomas (ex Sky Sports/ Blue...

Life before lockdown wasn’t always a bed of roses. But it was normal and predictable… usually… Now everything seems unknown. What does the future hold? Is there a door of hope? Hope in Uncertain Times is a giveaway booklet pointing to hope for now and for eternity. Published by HOPE Together and Biblica, with the backing...

The Talking Jesus research showed that for 27% of practising Christians, reading the Bible for themselves was a key influence in their coming to faith. As a result of the research, HOPE Together decided to find out what Bible a non-Christian would pick up and read. When 800 non-Christians were asked this question, the majority...

Bereavement at any time is hard. Bereavement during a period of isolation with restricted movement and limited contact with family and friends is so much harder. During the global coronavirus pandemic many thousands in the UK have faced the loss of someone they know. Loss and HOPE was launched just before the Covid-19 crisis to...

Imagine if every church in the UK had a person who was equipped to help the whole church make Jesus known together with words and action. HOPE Together is recruiting local church Mission Champions to do just that. The dream is that every church will have a Mission Champion who will inspire and equip fellow church...