Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

When was the last time you heard a church leader preach about sleep? Or about eating well, exercise, coping with stress or living a life rich with relationships? How far do your church leaders model good health and wellbeing in the way the church is run and the example they set for the congregation? And...

Scientists at Harvard have found that when you have higher levels of the body’s hunger hormone, ghrelin, in your system, you are more likely to be impulsive. This means that you will be liable to make poor decisions, tending towards instant gratification rather than long-term achievement. In one experiment, hungry women with a higher amount...

Helping a stranger in need Alban should be the patron saint of anyone who impulsively offers to help a stranger in need… and finds their own life turned upside down as a result. The story goes that Alban was a Roman citizen quietly living in England in the third century.  Then, miles away in Rome,...

– to support decarbonisation The Church of England will be supported in its ambitious aim of achieving net-zero carbon by 2030 through a new partnership with the Durham Energy Institute In February 2020, the General Synod voted for a new target for all parts of the Church to work to become carbon net zero by 2030....

Wonders of the Living World – curiosity, awe, and the meaning of life God’s Brilliantly Big Creation Story Not Knowing but Still Going The Bible Course Time Well Spent – a practical guide to developing your daily devotions Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God? Exiles on Mission: How Christians Can Thrive in a...

Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided, urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way, sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided: Lord for the years, we bring our thanks today. Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us, speaks to our hearts and sets our souls...

Preparing the way for the Messiah John the Baptist is famous for baptising Jesus, and for losing his head to a woman. He was born to Zechariah, a Temple priest, and Elizabeth, who was a cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus. John was born when his mother was advanced in years, and after the...

 ** Neighbourhood Watch In one small rural village the local vet also led the local Neighbourhood Watch group.  Late one night the phone rang, and his wife answered.  An agitated voice inquired, “Is your husband there?” “He is, but tell me, do you need him as the vet or the Neighbourhood Watch?” the wife asked....

Peter Prayer for Encouragement in June Charity The Ancient Church The Post Card Peace between neighbours God’s Care ** Editor:   29 June is St Peter’s day, so this may be of interest…. Peter (Mt 26:71-75, John21:15-18) I don’t know the man. I don’t know Him. I don’t know Him. But I did. From the moment...

Try listening to ‘sedative music’, with a slow tempo, soft volume and smooth melody. Music is less invasive than sleeping pills, and may possibly work for you. A recent study carried out at a university in Taiwan found that “listening to sedative music can improve sleep by modulating sympathetic nervous system activity and the release...

The word ‘grace’ is one of the most important words found in the New Testament. It means God’s loving disposition towards us as sinners. God’s ‘grace’ is almost another word for God’s love. This grace is the foundation of our salvation. So Paul can say that ‘we are justified freely by His grace’ (Romans 3:24);...

When we think of analysing church attendance, we usually do it by denomination, churchmanship or people’s age. But there is another way.  We should also consider the environment (catchment area) of where people attend a church. The most recent Rural Digest was issued by the Government Statistical Service in March of this year, comparing the rural...