Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Have you noticed that people tend to be either givers or takers? John the Almsgiver was a giver – on a grand scale. Born into a wealthy family in Cyprus about 560 AD John was married with children when disaster struck: both his wife and children all died. In his grief, John decided to go...

January is a month of the beginning of great things! As well as the naming of the Son of God, we celebrate the conversion of the greatest ever apostle of the Christian faith.  Many books have been written on Paul, and here is the briefest of introductions. He was a Jew, born as ‘Saul’ at...

Are too many of us becoming clumsy or careless? Whatever the reason, accident-related deaths have soared by 42 per cent in the last decade. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) warns that we are “substantially more likely” to suffer a serious accident than we were 20 years ago. Data from England, Scotland,...

With the rush of Christmas almost over, we tumble into the New Year, sleep for a couple of days, take down the decorations and plod back to work, school or our normal routines.  There’s a pleasure about getting back to normality, but there’s also the challenge of looking forward to what the year will bring....

It is now 1,700 years since the First Council of Nicaea. Not many people know that. Anyway – so what? Because the Council of Nicaea, in 325, was the very first ecumenical council that the Christian Church ever held. A serious heresy had crept into the Eastern Church: Arianism, which taught that Jesus Christ was...

Four hundred years ago, on 13th January 1625, Flemish artist Jan Brueghel the Elder died of cholera in Antwerp. He was 57. Taught to paint by his grandmother, he was known for his still life paintings, particularly of flowers, but also landscapes. He frequently collaborated with other painters, including his friend Peter Paul Rubens. Brueghel...

Following the recent vote in the House of Commons to give the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill a second reading, the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, the Church of England’s lead bishop for health and social care, said: “I have been deeply moved watching proceedings unfold in the House of Commons today. My...

Stop the Spiral Devotional When Faith Gets Shaken Waking the Women – Faith, Menopause, and the Meaning of Midlife Making Your Church Sustainable – a Practical Guide The Cheerful Giver – a short guide to gospel-driven giving 100 Ways to Get Your Church Noticed – 3rd edition But Is It Real? – Answering 10 Common...

The C of E has said that, following the decision at last year’s July General Synod to develop proposals to introduce standalone services including Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF) alongside pastoral reassurance, there will be continued input from four working groups into this process. The group membership includes bishops and members of General Synod,...

The UK Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) Ceremony brings together the civic, faith and political leadership of the country, alongside survivors of the Holocaust and more recent genocides. HMD 2025 will be a particularly significant year, as it will mark 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and 30 years since the genocide in Bosnia. More...

This month, on 25th January, the Church celebrates probably the most famous conversion of all. At least, what happened to a young man called Saul on the road to Damascus has become a byword for all instant conversions – what is known as a ‘damascene’ moment. Saul was a devout Jew, a Pharisee, a student...

– for dioceses, schools and youth groups The Archbishops’ Commission on Families and Households has developed resources for use locally in parishes, deaneries and dioceses. It has also collaborated with schools to produce resources for children and young people. Two videos and lesson plans for children and young people are now available to help them...