All Spiritual Formation articles
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OpinionAccountability doesn’t work one-to-one. It needs a room
After years of one-to-one mentoring relationships that quietly collapsed, Derek Hughes began to question whether accountability was ever meant to rest on a single relationship. He reflects on why accountability may need a room, not just a pair
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OpinionWhy Christians need to stop chasing quick wins
In a culture obsessed with quick results and visible success, Derek Hughes reflects on the quiet power of slow faithfulness and asks whether Christians have forgotten how to commit to work whose fruit they may not live to see
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Regular ColumnistsGod doesn't stop teaching us just because we grow up
Gemma Hunt’s formative years in Sunday school gave her a spiritual foundation she will always be grateful for. But now she’s learning to ask questions again, and is unafraid to admit she does not always have all the answers
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OpinionI failed at keeping the Sabbath holy until I stopped trying alone
Burnt out from years of church leadership, Derek Hughes approached rest the same way he approached everything else: as a problem to solve. But when his small group began practising Sabbath together, he realised the answer to exhaustion was not technique, but community
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OpinionHannah Spencer says parliament has a drink problem. So does the Church
The Green party MP thinks Westminster has a problematic drinking culture. With more young people than ever abstaining from alcohol and older generations drinking more, Michael Tang says it’s not just politics. The unexpected generation gap in our churches might be affecting discipleship and turning Gen Z away from God
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OpinionHunger and half-hearted prayers: What a horrible fast taught me about true worship
When Derek Hughes and his small group embarked on a fast that failed to bring the spiritual breakthrough he expected, the result was disappointment. But a fresh reading of a familiar scripture challenged him to consider whether the worship we deem a failure, may in fact be worship in its purest form
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Magazine FeaturesWhy your spiritual practices should change with the seasons
Struggle to get up for your quiet time when the mornings are dark and cold? You’re not alone, says Emma Timms. If you want to grow spiritually in 2026, work with the season you’re in, not against it
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Real LifeAn ‘accidental’ silent retreat transformed my relationship with God
Emma Hide was horrified to find that the Christian retreat she’d booked was actually four days of silence. But embracing the quiet revealed more than she could have imagined
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ReviewsTimothy Keller - Collin Hansen
The late Timothy Keller was a masterful preacher and an inspiration to Western Christians who desire to winsomely share their faith in an increasingly sceptical and sometimes hostile culture. But rather than focus on Dr Keller’s life story, The Gospel Coalition editor Collin Hansen has written a ...
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Regular ColumnistsThe rewards of fasting
As Lent begins, Lucy Peppiatt looks at what scripture teaches about fasting, and why it’s a practice Christians can benefit from
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Magazine FeaturesWhy confessing your sins should be a joyful experience
Confessing our sins doesn’t sound like a barrel of laughs. But if we don’t give it the attention it deserves, we miss the joy that God wants for us, says Howard and Holly Satterthwaite
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OpinionGrowing strong roots: 5 ways the pandemic is changing spiritual formation
Following Jesus in a post-Christian culture takes courage. But a stronger type of discipleship is now emerging, says Rick Hill
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OpinionWhy wasting time with God may be more productive than you think
Today’s society is busier than ever. But not making time to rest well may be more to do with priorities than we realise, says Gemma Simmonds
