Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at your Church

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...

HOPE Spaces was launched at the start of 2020 inviting churches to use a public place as a space for the spiritually curious to explore prayer. Then the world went into lockdown. Undeterred, HOPE Together has developed a virtual HOPE Space at hopespaces.com to help people to pray – maybe for the first time. Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolf,...

Russia’s new draft law on freedom of conscience and religious association will make it impossible for pastors trained outside of the Russian Federation to preach in a church or even conduct home Bible study groups, warn Barnabas Fund contacts. The bill amending Federal Law, which was recently recommended for approval by the State Duma, calls...

Among the number of new concepts introduced to us by the coronavirus pandemic is the idea of ‘church online,’ both among the Christian population and those less familiar with ‘church.’ Many ministers have commented that, while they may initially have struggled, the new format has worked, and has drawn in people who would not normally go...

Reflected faith: Music and Singing The Upper Room writing competition 2020 Helping Christians in Beirut after the explosion Tearfund working to help Lebanon after blast Moral questions from the pandemic Mothers’ Union and the UK prison system Methodists launch Year of Prayer How is your garden growing? ** Editor:  The Revd Dr Jo White continues...

Many churches are holding Sunday, weekday and pastoral (Baptism, Wedding and Funeral) services again in their buildings. However, for most of us no singing is allowed; and this often means no music is being played. Whilst the churches were closed, one of the key things about worshipping together that people missed was the communal singing...