Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

A £2 maximum stake for fixed-odds betting terminals will be brought into place by April 2019.  The Government made this U-turn following a growing rebellion of MPs from across the House of Commons late last year.  Originally the reduction was to be delayed until October.  The Culture Secretary, Jeremy Wright, made the concession in November,...

With the NHS Digital recently reporting that one in eight children aged five – 19 had at least one mental disorder last year, there have been suggestions on social media and elsewhere that young people today are just not ‘robust enough’ to deal with life. Such an accusation has been strenuously rejected by the Bishop...

A new social media campaign has been launched for Spring Harvest 2019, which celebrates its 40th year this year. #WhenYouPray invited a number of friends and key leaders to record their thoughts on prayer in a series of short one-minute videos. Questions asked range from ‘when should I pray?’, to ‘Does God answer your prayers?’ The videos...

Caring for the Vicar New exploration of the ethical boycott of animal products  Signs & Symbols:  When is a Nod not a Yes? Coping with rising violence in prison – how chaplains can help Christmas attendance at highest level for more than a decade Help for your family’s eating disorders How far away is your...

The Church of England is looking into ways of giving more support to vicars. You may think here’s a nice life: house provided, regular salary, job security – and only one day’s work a week! But from my own personal experience I can assure you it’s not like that. In my working life I’ve had...

The Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics has published a new book exploring why people give up meat and dairy. The protest against meat eating may turn out to be one of the most significant movements of our age, it believes. In terms of our relations with animals, the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics says: ‘it...

Do you ever find yourself nodding madly when listening to another person whilst at the same time completely disagreeing with what they are saying?  You’re really just waiting for them to pause so you can say something like, ‘Yes, but …’. We nod for all sorts of reasons – and sometimes we are definitely not...

Christians have been reacting to recent news that prison violence has reached a record high, with more than 32,000 assaults in the 12 months to June 2018. That is a 20-per-cent increase on the previous figures, according to the Safety in Custody Statistics, published by the Ministry of Justice.  There were also nearly 9,500 assaults...

Attendance at Christmas services in the Church of England is at its highest level for more than a decade, according to new figures recently published. The latest annual Statistics for Mission report shows that while traditional Sunday attendance edged lower in 2017, in line with long-term trends, the numbers attending Christmas services increased by 3.4 per...

A charity, Tastelife, has been set up to help support families struggling with eating disorders.  Aimed at both sufferers and their carers, it was the brainchild of two Church of England volunteers, whose own families were deeply traumatised by the problem. Tastelife offers courses run over eight weeks to help families with guidance on how...

How far do people have to go, to go to church?  A recent survey has been finding out. The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), came from Nigeria to the UK in 1988, and has started some 850 churches since, has as its basic guide: “Start a church within 10 minutes walking distance of where...

Under the slogan, “once untrustworthy, always restricted” China’s planned AI (artificial intelligence) controlled “social credit” system will bring a new depth of intervention into the lives of Chinese citizens, including Christians, reports the Barnabas Fund. The Chinese government pilot schemes, in cities including Beijing and Shanghai, are underpinned by a vast network of advanced surveillance...