All Premier Christianity articles in April 2023
View all stories from this issue.
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Magazine Features
30 years on from Stephen Lawrence - Guvna B on racial justice and the Church
On the 30th anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s murder, award-winning Christian artist Guvna B asks: how much progress has society and the Church made when it comes to racial justice?
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Regular Columnists
Our church has banned cheesy Christian signs. There's a better way...
Source: Flickr / au_tiger01 Recently we decided to add a digital notice board to the outside of our church building. Some might feel this is an extravagance, and many churches would not have the resources (or desire) to spend money on signage, but a road study revealed ...
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Reviews
Enough - Dr Kathrine McAleese
Dr Kathrine McAleese’s book is a word in season for those of us who are suspicious of the latest self-help guru, but nonetheless want to hit the pause button and take stock of where we’re at in life, with a view to making some big changes. While ...
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Reviews
Why do I do what I don’t want to do? - JP Pokluda
Jonathan Pokluda is a seasoned author and church leader from Texas, USA. His third book takes its name from Romans 7 and is split into two parts. The first examines standard sins such as lust and pride, while part two looks at the modern vices that particularly ...
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Reviews
Heartbreak, hope and holy moments - Kate Canty
This overview of prison chaplaincy offers a wide variety of stories. While the scope is impressive, it sometimes feels like a collection of anecdotes, upended onto the page. As a former prison chaplain, Canty’s experiences are familiar. But it is not clear who this book is ...
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Reviews
The Church who hears God’s voice - Tanya Harris
It is a rare to find an academic and prophet with a down-to-earth approach. It is even rarer to have them write an in-depth, yet accessible book about hearing God’s voice today. Tania Harris weaves a fascinating narrative, highlighting key points in history where the pendulum ...
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Reviews
The Word - John Barton
John Barton’s understanding of the nuances of Bible translation flow from a lifetime of study. In The Word he shows how it has been key at critical junctures in history. There are many issues that arise in translating, particularly the balance between preserving the authority of the ...
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Regular Columnists
Troubled: Why I'm still overcoming sectarianism
My mum’s teen years were characterised by routine bomb scares. But the most frightening part isn’t the horrifying violence she witnessed, but the nonchalance with which she talks about it. Northern Ireland’s atmosphere of hatred was her version of normal. Humans are incredibly adaptable. Even the ...
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Regular Columnists
Jesus hasn't returned yet. Why not?
In the first century, something or someone stopped Jesus’ second coming. David Instone-Brewer explores what happened and asks: What is it that is holding him back today?
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Testimonies
‘After years of transitioning I finally found my identity in Jesus’
Oli London first transitioned from British to South Korean and then from male to female. But now he says the multiple surgeries were a mistake and discovering Christianity has pulled him back from a lifetime of unhappiness
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Magazine Features
25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, the Church still has a vital role to play
David Smyth shares his experience of growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and considers the role of the Church in sustaining peace
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Magazine Features
When God says yes…then no
Have you ever seen a dream die? Been so absolutely sure that something was right – that God himself was behind it – only to see it fail? That’s what happened to Martin Saunders, and it took his faith to the edge
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Magazine Features
The failure of God
A theology of Holy Saturday is for all those who cannot see the way ahead – who suffer, fail or doubt. Between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is where true spiritual growth happens, says Bishop Emma Ineson
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Real Life
‘God used furlough to reignite my dream’
When Covid-19 shattered the aviation industry, easyJet engineer Mark Draper was put on furlough. It was the start of a journey that would lead his family halfway across the globe
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Thank God it's Monday
The community choir leader: 'Someone became a Christian by watching how we loved one another'
The Church is made up of Christians from a myriad of different professions, and yet ‘ordinary’ tales of God at work rarely get told. In this series, we bring you stories of faith on the frontline
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Magazine Features
Apocalypse now: How the end times went mainstream
It’s no longer just the Church that prophesies the end of the world; scientists, academics and journalists are also warning of existential threat. So how should Christians respond to widespread secular fears of Armageddon?
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Regular Columnists
30 years on from Stephen Lawrence, Black Christians are still living with trauma
I was nine years old when Stephen Lawrence was murdered, 30 years ago this April. It was the early 90s, and far-right extremist groups were making a resurgence in many parts of south-east London, including Eltham, where I lived, and where Stephen was killed. As a West ...
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Interviews
Rev Les Isaac: ‘I get bored if I’m in church too much. I need to be out there’
As Street Pastors celebrates its 20th anniversary, founder Rev Les Isaac OBE says it’s time for the Church to get up out of the pews and work together