By
Rev Peter Laws2023-10-30T14:45:00
Baptist minister Rev Peter Laws explains why he believes Christians should embrace Halloween and the opportunities it provides
I used to go trick or treating as a kid, but I was a pretty nervous vampire, to be honest. I’d say ‘Trick or Treat’ as politely as I could, and I can’t remember anybody ever answering "trick". Later, we’d all perch on a wall and compare treasures, then I’d race back home and spend the night munching through my ‘kets’ (that’s North East speak for sweets). It was a great night of spooky fun.
Years later, I moved down south and started going to church, where I was given the news: Halloween is Satan’s Christmas...tis the pagan night of evil! To enjoy such things was to risk a mild case of demonism. So I let Halloween vanish into the shadows for a while, and avoided the Dracula masks in Tesco. Yet during those fang-free days, I noticed the Halloween aisle of the supermarket was growing...
2026-03-06T15:42:00Z By Rev Ben Sleep
A church in Pennsylvania has sparked widespread debate after announcing its policy to welcome noisy children. “The sound of children in worship is not a distraction. It is evidence of life, growth and the future of the church,” its memo declared. Rev Ben Sleep explains how embracing a similar philosophy brought renewal to his own congregation on the south coast of England
2026-02-27T15:53:00Z By Cris Rogers
On one busy inner city estate, a church decided that prayer should not be confined to the building, but integrated into the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Here’s what happened when they build a ‘prayer stop’ outside their church where no buses ever stop, but plenty of people do
2026-02-27T11:51:00Z By Lois McLatchie-Miller
Reform’s Danny Kruger this week argued the country is “suffering” from its attitudes towards sex. Lois McLatchie believes the MP is right to highlight how the sexual revolution’s promised liberation never arrived. The Church’s embarrassed silence has only added to the confusion, she says. It’s time to speak up
2026-03-06T15:27:00Z By Tim Dieppe
From Ramadan breaks in football to halal food in workplaces, Islamic practices are becoming more visible in Britain today. Tim Dieppe says the real issue is not Muslim assertiveness but Christian retreat – and argues the Church must regain its boldness and courage to stand up for the truth of the Gospel
2026-03-06T13:56:00Z By Rev Dr Keith Brindle
As a new form of Christian Nationalism rises in the form of UKIP’s ‘Walk for Jesus’ marches, the Dean of Liverpool Cathedral is right to say he wants nothing to do with it, says Rev Dr Keith Brindle
2026-03-06T09:32:00Z By Michael Wakelin
The Archbishop of York has criticised the BBC for its “appalling lack of religious literacy”. Former head of religion at the BBC, Michael Wakelin agrees, but believes the remedy is not to be found in producing more religious programmes
Site powered by Webvision Cloud