Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

The next meeting of General Synod will take place in York from Friday 7th to Tuesday 11th July. The July meeting will include a substantial item on the proposals, which emerged from the Living in Love and Faith process, to enable same-sex couples who have marked a significant stage of their relationship such as a...

James and his brother John were sons of Zebedee and fishermen from Galilee – the ‘sons of thunder’, as the gospel writers describe their impetuous characters and fiery tempers. James stands out on three accounts: he was one of the three disciples who witnessed the Transfiguration of Christ.  Jesus took him, along with Peter and...

‘From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace… we went on to Neapolis. From there we travelled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district[a] of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. (Acts 16:11-12) I wonder if travel was in some ways easier in St Paul’s...

The Church of England’s Social Impact Investment Programme, which directs capital towards new solutions to deep-rooted social challenges, has invested £5.7m in its first two years, according to its 2023 Impact Report. The programme, established in 2020, aims to support vulnerable people and communities, while generating sustainable returns that preserve the capital for future impact....

Six Marys are mentioned in the New Testament, including Mary Magdalene, who is remembered this month in the church’s calendar. What can we learn from Mary’s story? We don’t have to be defined by our past: When Jesus encountered Mary, He cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2). As a result, her life was...

At the end of 2021, Torch took “a leap of faith” and ordered 1,000 Pathway audio Bible players containing the New Testament and Psalms read by the actor David Suchet. Knowing the power of Scripture to change lives, they planned to “give these Bibles for free to anyone in the UK losing their sight. 16...

Jesus, fresh from His baptism and fired with His new calling, bursts into Galilee. Coming upon four fishermen working on the shore of the lake, He says to them, ‘Follow me’. Without further ado or even a second thought, they abandon what they’re doing (and in the case of two of them, James and John,...

Twenty years ago, on 27th July 2003, a team from the BBC reported that the Loch Ness monster did not exist. They had combed every inch of the loch, using 600 sonar beams guided by satellite navigation, and still found nothing. The operation was covered in the BBC One documentary, Searching for the Loch Ness...

Six Marys are mentioned in the New Testament, including Mary Magdalene, who is remembered this month in the church’s calendar. What can we learn from Mary’s story? We don’t have to be defined by our past: When Jesus encountered Mary, He cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2). As a result, her life was...

The legend goes that St Christopher was a Canaanite who lived in the 3rd century.  He was a giant of a man, of fearsome appearance.  At first he decided to serve the devil, but when he discovered that the devil was afraid of Christ and His Cross, Christopher decided to serve Christ instead.  A nearby...

The response and support that victims and survivors can expect from the Church has been outlined in the House of Bishops’ guidance ‘Responding Well to Victims and Survivors of Abuse’. An easy-read summary of the guidance is now available on the Church of England website. The guidance came into effect in April 2022 and introduced...

Sadly, most of us know someone who makes us feel stressed. That awkward colleague at work, a selfish family member, an aggressive neighbour, or a friend who emotionally drains you. Whoever they are, beware: stress-giving people can seriously affect your mental – and physical – health. Travis Bradberry, the author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, warns:...