Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

As we launch in to 2021, with rapidly rising numbers of infections, it is all too easy to lose our bearings. So says Nigel Genders, the Church of England’s Chief Education Officer. He urges that rather than argue along the “usual political fault lines”, or to follow newspaper articles putting the blame either on ‘incompetent...

– faithful servant who would not deny his Lord Polycarp (c. 69 – c. 155) was one of the most important Christians in Roman Asia in the mid-2nd century, because of his link between the time of the Apostles and the earliest Christian Fathers. This disciple of John the Apostle became bishop of Smyrna and...

Will Covid-19 mean a large increase in abandoned dogs and cats? Battersea Dogs and Cats Home fear so. In a recent study it found that a third of the people who acquired a cat or dog during the national lockdown had not considered having a pet before the pandemic, and had bought one on impulse....

– as PM’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief Fiona Bruce, MP for Congleton, has recently been appointed as the new Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Bruce has long been a supporter of the work of Open Doors, including attending the World Watch List parliamentary launch, visiting an Open...

Where do we most like to walk? A recent survey has found that two places in the Lake District are clear winners. Top comes the gently accessible Buttermere Circuit, with its rippling silver water, mountain views, peace and quiet. Second is the demanding eight-hour climb up Helvellyn, which is not for the faint-hearted. Then comes...

– the inspiring and true story of Gladys Aylward By Phyllis Thompson, 10Publishing, £9.99 A down-to-earth London girl, without many prospects, Gladys Aylward became a Christian when she was just 18. When she felt God’s call on her to go to China as a missionary, she overcame great obstacles in order to obey, and made...

– the chosen one       Have you ever been in the position where someone is desperately needed – and you fit the bill perfectly? It is almost as if all your miscellaneous qualifications that never made much sense before now make PERFECT sense. And you sense that you have been chosen by God for the...

Our birds are short of nesting holes, and no wonder: gardens, parks and woodland are much neater than they used to be, and modern homes offer few crannies for nest building. National Nestbox Week, which is celebrated from 14th February each year, aims to encourage us to put up more nestboxes, and to consider planting...

The popularity of leggings soared last year. They became the must-have fashion garment to see out Covid-19. John Lewis reported sales of leggings and loungewear had increased by 1,303 per cent.  Sweaty Betty was selling a pair of Power Leggings (£75) every 90 seconds. Julia Straus, CEO of the brand, explained: “Good quality leggings transform...

– the enjoyment of romance If you have been hurt in your search for romantic love, Gabriel Possenti (1838-62) may be a good saint for you. Because Possenti, born to the governor of Assisi, began by having it all. He grew up doing the mid-19th century equivalent of eBay, nightclubs, cinema and online dating, only...

HOPE Together has a new executive director. Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolf has just taken over from Roy Crowne as executive director to lead HOPE Together in the UK. Rachel has worked closely with HOPE Together since 2010, when she was the Church of England’s National Mission and Evangelism Advisor. “We’re still really committed to evangelism being at the heart...

It may help them do better at school. According to a recent study, teenagers should be allowed to sleep in longer in the mornings, as this could help them to be healthier and perform better. A study, published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, suggested that some secondary pupils just have a...