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What is Maundy Thursday all about?

2024-03-28T09:25:00+00:00By

The roots of the oddly-named Thursday before Easter come from Jesus’ command to love one another, as well as his foot-washing example, explains Karen Murdarasi

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3 lessons for Christians on managing your mood

2024-03-28T09:00:00+00:00By

Dr Sharon Hastings was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder 14 years ago. This World Bipolar Day, she explains how we can all be more aware of our feelings

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Sandra Crouch (1942-2024): Gospel legend and church pioneer

2024-03-27T09:34:00+00:00By

Sandra Crouch was a legend of the American Gospel scene, performing with everyone from Janis Joplin to Michael Jackson. But church ministry always came first for the singer-songwriter and her twin brother, Andraé

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Bunfight! Why I waded into the “not cross bun” controversy, and you definitely shouldn’t

2024-03-26T10:41:00+00:00By

Don’t play into the hands of the outrage merchants, says Ben Cohen

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Is Iran really like Orwell’s 1984? Here are 4 similarities

2024-03-26T08:58:00+00:00By

A new report says life for Christians in Iran is harder than ever. Ben Cohen says their horrific treatment at the hands of the Morality Police reminds him of George Orwell’s famous dystopian novel

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The Bible and science agree - you really are ‘made in God’s image’

2024-03-25T20:54:00+00:00By

Recent scientific discoveries suggest that, contrary to earlier theories, every strand of our DNA is deeply significant. Writing on International Day of the Unborn Child, Catherine Disher says the news is further evidence that human beings have been perfectly created in the image of God.  

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There wasn't any punctuation in the original scriptures, but your Bible has plenty

2024-03-22T12:13:00+00:00By

The Bible did not fall to earth in flawless English and bound in leather. It has been translated by scholars who are tasked not only with finding the right words, but inserting punctuation too. These colons, commas and more can make a big difference to how we read the text, as Dr Jonathan Rowlands explains 

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The CofE is going in the wrong direction on racial diversity. There is a better way

2024-03-22T10:23:00+00:00By

The Church of England should not be adopting the language of Critical Race Theory or importing the US culture war on racism, says Dr Ian Paul 

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Ireland’s vote for marriage is great news for Christians

2024-03-22T09:58:00+00:00By

The Irish people have voted to keep marriage as the legal foundation for families and society. Christians should draw encouragement from this, says the Evangelical Alliance’s Nick Park

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Putin rigged the Russian election but God is still in control

2024-03-22T09:39:00+00:00By

Democracy is a fragile thing, says Tim Farron MP. Christians must value it, engage with it and pray for change

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The Baptist Union is wrong to stop ministers entering into same-sex marriage

2024-03-21T13:09:00+00:00By

As the Baptist Union votes to uphold its historic teaching and not permit ministers to enter into a same-sex marriage, two Baptist ministers discuss their differing views. Here, Ashley Hardingham explains why he holds a liberal position

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The Baptist Union is right: Ministers should not enter into same-sex marriage

2024-03-21T13:02:00+00:00By

As the Baptist Union votes to uphold its historic teaching and not permit ministers to enter into a same-sex marriage, two Baptist ministers discuss their differing views. Here, Chris Goswami explains why he believes marriage is between one man and one woman.

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Dear politicians, I know the country has no money left. But you can still be generous

2024-03-21T10:30:00+00:00By

From Lee Anderson’s uncharitable comments about the Mayor of London to the Rwanda policy, economic lack can result in a meanness of spirit, says George Pitcher. But Christ offers a different way

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£1bn is a start. But if we really want to end racism, it’ll take the whole Church

2024-03-20T12:34:00+00:00By

News that the CofE hopes to create a £1bn fund to address the legacy of slavery has been met with mixed reactions. It’s another indication that there’s still a long way to go to eliminate racial discrimination, says Guy Hewitt

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Is the Church facing a cost-of-serving crisis?

2024-03-20T11:02:00+00:00By

Service is a vital part of the Christian faith. But if preachers are constantly challenging their congregations to ‘do more’ it will lead to burnout, says Andrew Horton 

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Christian pacifism isn’t popular anymore. But perhaps it should be

2024-03-20T09:26:00+00:00By

Jesus is the prince of peace, yet his followers often struggle to fully embrace pacifism. Michael Coren explores 

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Kanye struggles with unanswered prayer - so do I

2024-03-19T14:03:00+00:00By

Struggling with unanswered prayer can paralyse us. But Jesus is with us in the pain, says Josh Green, and he’ll never leave our side

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The war between science and faith is a lie

2024-03-19T08:11:00+00:00By

Instead, the two are in beautiful harmony, says Sy Garte. Here’s why Christians can feel confident in the truth of scripture and how it supports scientific discovery

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9 tips for better preaching

2024-03-15T16:43:00+00:00By

Comedian turned preacher Andy Kind shares his best pieces of advice

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It’s Trump vs Biden. Again. What UK Christians need to know

2024-03-15T16:30:00+00:00By

There’s a sense of déjà vu about this year’s US presidential election. Jared Stacey explores how we can pray for the Church in America 

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5 ways Christians can dodge the dopamine cartels

2024-03-15T13:47:00+00:00By

An viral essay by historian Ted Giola says we need to act now if we want to save art and culture from the dopamine rush that is enslaving us all.

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It’s not John Cena’s Oscars nudity that should offend Christians

2024-03-15T11:55:00+00:00By

Was John Cena’s flesh really the most problematic thing about the Oscars? Christians need to get better at picking their battles, says Jonty Langley

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Why do we never hear about African missionaries?

2024-03-15T11:38:00+00:00By

African missionaries are challenging the modern missionary mindset, says Operation Mobilisation’s Reinhold Titus

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I share the government’s desire to tackle extremism. But their new definition won’t help

2024-03-15T11:12:00+00:00By

Concerns are growing that Christian organisations could be blacklisted by the government’s new definition of extremism, says James Mildred

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Why church leaders get Ukraine wrong

2024-03-15T10:32:00+00:00By

Church leaders are wasting their time when they call for Ukraine to negotiate or for Russia to retreat. There’s a reason why they aren’t being listened to, explains John Heathershaw

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Vanishing faith: the exodus of Iraq’s Christians

2024-03-13T10:13:00+00:00By

Amid growing intolerance and persecution, the Christian population in Iraq is declining rapidly. Urgent prayer is needed for this community, who have been present in the region for almost 2,000 years

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UCCF pressured me to resign

2024-03-11T14:12:00+00:00By

A new document has revealed how The Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) pressured some of its employees to resign. In a “Legalities of leavers” document seen by Premier, UCCF outlined how a contract of employment could be terminated, and even suggested the organisation would not “stay within the law” if employment law were to clash with “the ministry.” In sharing her story, Katie Norouzi illustrates how this policy worked on the ground and the impact it had. 

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The mob attack on pro-life students in Manchester was shocking. A line has been crossed

2024-03-08T11:06:00+00:00By

An angry mob hurled abuse at pro-life students in Manchester, yet Christians are arrested for praying silently outside abortion clinics. It’s not OK, says Roger Kiska

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International Women’s Day: The female authors who changed our lives

2024-03-08T09:50:00+00:00By

In honour of International Women’s Day, the female staff at Christian publisher, SPCK, share their favourite books by women authors

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Don’t take your books for granted, Christians around the world are crying out for them

2024-03-06T20:24:00+00:00By

This World Book Day, Simon Foulds challenges us to think twice before we buy another book. Could we put that money to better use resourcing leaders in the majority world who do not have the materials they need to study God’s word? 

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The Christian faith of Justin and Hailey Bieber

2024-03-06T11:06:00+00:00By

Stephen Baldwin made headlines last week when he asked for prayers for his daughter, Hailey and her husband, Justin Bieber. But what do we know about the couple’s personal faith? 

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1 in 5 people in Northern Ireland are evangelicals. It’s good news for everyone

2024-03-04T10:08:00+00:00By and Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland

Nothern Ireland is far more Christian than others parts of the UK. David Smyth takes a closer look at the data

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The Christian faith of RAYE

2024-03-01T16:16:00+00:00By

Nominated for a record-breaking seven Brit awards, RAYE has spoken openly about her Christian upbringing, her battles with addiction and experiences of rape and sexual assault, and her return to faith

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We’re seeing young people swap knives for Jesus. But ending youth violence will take the whole Church

2024-02-29T15:23:00+00:00By and Church Army

As Idris Elba joins the celebrities campaigning for an end to serious youth violence, Karen Saunders says knife crime is not just an urban issue. It’s growing fastest in rural areas and is a problem that the whole Church should care about

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Matt Redman pens hymn to fund Bible translation in Ukraine

2024-02-28T11:29:00+00:00By

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Stuart Hine’s classic hymn, Matt Redman has recorded a new, star-studded version of ‘How great thou art’ to raise money for Ukraine, the country that inspired it

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Synod’s same-sex discussions are still stuck

2024-02-28T10:49:00+00:00By and Rector, Holy Trinity Clapham

Yet there were some glimmers of hope, says Rev Jago Wynne. Here’s what a way forward for the CofE might look like

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Chaos in the Commons - a Christian response

2024-02-22T20:33:00+00:00By and Director of Communications, CARE

This week’s Westminster meltdown was a seriously bad look for Britain, and damaging for our democracy, says James Mildred. Vital issues are at stake, and we need our leaders to model convicted civility. 

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Building a diverse church is hard. Here’s how to make it easier

2024-02-22T16:03:00+00:00By and Gather movement

150 Christian leaders gathered at Gateway Church in Leeds last month for a one day conference to explore how to better build intercultural churches. Rev Osoba Otaigbe, who instigated the event, shares some of the group’s findings

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The Church of England must repent. It’s the only way to stop the decline

2024-02-22T15:14:00+00:00By and Head of public policy, Christian Concern

As the church’s governing body prepares for another round of debates over same-sex relationships and the decision to host raves in cathedrals causes consternation, Tim Dieppe suggests that radical repentance is the only way to stop the rot

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Alan Wilson (1955-2024): A courageous and prophetic pastor

2024-02-21T09:10:00+00:00By and Former Bishop of Oxford

The Bishop of Buckingham and former Premier trustee, Rt Rev Dr Alan Wilson, has passed away at the age of 68. He was well known for his advocacy on behalf of church abuse survivors and for encouraging the Church to embrace the opportunities provided by digital media. The former Bishop of Oxford Rt Rev John Pritchard pays tribute to him

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The Christian faith of Alexei Navalny

2024-02-20T12:50:00+00:00By

Alexei Navalny fearlessly fought against corruption in Russia and was poisoned, imprisoned and now, allegedly murdered by the state. Dr Krish Kandiah asks what we can learn from the life, death and faith of the activist was also an atheist-turned-Christian

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The death of Christianity in the West has been greatly exaggerated

2024-02-19T15:51:00+00:00By

The tide is turning on belief in God. There’s a growing interest in the Christian message, says Stephen McAlpine

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A luxury Lenten retreat for £950? Come on, Canterbury Cathedral. You can’t be serious…

2024-02-15T12:55:00+00:00By

Fergus Butler-Gallie suggest some other ecclesiastical-themed breaks that could also come with a hefty price tag

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Jesus said do not be afraid of rumours of wars. Here's how you should live instead

2024-02-15T10:13:00+00:00By

Amid growing conflict in the Middle East and continued aggression in Ukraine, rumours of a third world war and conscription abound. How should Christians respond in a time of deepening international crisis?

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8 top tips for wise Christian dating

2024-02-14T09:25:00+00:00By

Just because you’re on a Christian dating site doesn’t mean that everyone you meet there will share your views on love, sex and marriage, says Abigail Thomas. In fact, her research showed just the opposite

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How Valentine’s Day and Lent both point to God’s perfect love

2024-02-13T12:24:00+00:00By

Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday fall on the same date this year. But what do a commercialised day celebrating romance and a period of religious fasting have in common? A surprising amount, suggests Andrew Bunt

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How to be a good witness in a modern, multicultural society

2024-02-13T12:19:00+00:00By and LICC

Christians may be in the minority, but we can still work for the good of wherever we are, says Sam Brown. If we do so, we’ll bring God’s shalom to a disillusioned and hurting world this Lent

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Millions saw an advert for Jesus at the Superbowl. So why are Christians upset?

2024-02-13T11:48:00+00:00By

Communicating the Gospel in 60 seconds was always going to be a tricky task, says Sam Hailes. Did the He Gets Us campaign miss the mark on repentance? Was it a colossal waste of money? Or was its message of grace, one our culture desperately needs to hear?

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We’re contending for what we saw at Asbury - and more - in the UK

2024-02-12T10:22:00+00:00By and Worship pastor, KXC

When worship pastor, Rich Dicas, visited Asbury University last year, what he experienced of God changed him – and his church – profoundly. Now, they’ve written a song to help all of us do the same

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‘Blest is the man whose bowels move’

2024-02-09T16:43:00+00:00By

This year marks 350 years since the writer of ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’ was born. Dr Daniel Johnson takes a closer look at one of Isaac Watts’ lesser-known works

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Why I’m pleased Carey Mulligan isn’t a “super-super-Christian”

2024-02-09T12:17:00+00:00By

Being a Christian is about your everyday walk with Jesus, not just what you say in public – and that is as true for celebrities with a faith as it is for us all, says Tim Bechervaise

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Christians don’t have to choose between love and justice

2024-02-09T11:11:00+00:00By and Director of Justice, Churches Together

Love or justice? It isn’t really a choice, says Richard Reddie, as churches across Britain and Ireland mark Racial Justice Sunday by praying and taking action to address inequality and discrimination

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Exclusive: CofE bishops offer ‘theological vision’ on Christian life and discipleship

2024-02-08T10:00:00+00:00By Church of England bishops

Eight bishops in the Church of England have today released a new document entitled ‘A theological vision’. Here’s the text in full 

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My open letter to King Charles as he faces cancer

2024-02-08T09:56:00+00:00By

Following King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, Claire Gilbert writes an open letter about the lessons she learned while battling the illness, and the strength she drew from the teachings of the ancient mystic, Julian of Norwich