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If you’re heading to a Christian camping festival this summer, you’ll need these expert tips for getting a good night’s sleep in a tent
Feeling exhausted as you head home from a Christian festival feels like an inevitability, but sleep experts at MattressNextDay have a list of handy hacks for those who just can’t seem to get shut eye during the festivals – and they involve making just a few preparations and adjustments that could make all the difference.
Does your church have an unconscious ‘middle-class uniform’? It could be putting off potential newcomers
Jennie Riley couldn’t help but notice that all the men in her church were all wearing a ’uniform’ of checked or striped shirts with jeans. Here she explores whether a consistent ‘middle-class dress code’ could be putting people off joining your church.
Caitlin Moran stepped foot in a church for the first time last week and her observations were hilarious
Celebrated columnist, author and general larger-than-life personality Caitlin Moran is not a Christian and until last week hadn’t been to a church service. As with much of her writing, her observations were hilarious and often very relatable.
I write about the class divide in Church, a lot of people say it’s unnecessary but none of those people are working class
Natalie Williams, co-author of Invisible Divides, explains that as a new Christian from a working class background, the most daunting thing wasn’t learning about Jesus, it was learning how to fit in with a middle class church.
I’ve felt lonely in a crowded church and here’s how I think we can show Jesus’ love through building community
Churches are supposed to be places that are bursting with connection and community, but sometimes they couldn’t feel further from it. Writer Shakira Peronet shares her experience of feeling lonely at the Sunday service and how we can all do better.
Finding Jesus at festivals this summer
Christian festivals are not just about big numbers. These events are spiritual refilling stations where we lose ourselves in worship and teaching. Here, we take a peek behind the scenes of Creation Fest and David’s Tent
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‘I dealt with racism every day’
Rejected from church because of her skin colour, unsupported by her father for being a woman, and surviving a suicide attempt has not stopped grandmother, Babi Dixon, 70, from seeing God at work in her life
Why we silence women who speak out about sexual assault and how the church can do better
Tiffany Bluhm, author of Prey Tell, explains to writer Lauren Windle how the church has become skewed in its attitudes towards women and what we can do about it.
Alcoholics anonymous is more church than church, explains a recovering alcoholic
Recovering alcoholic and writer Lauren Windle illustrates the many elements of an alcoholics anonymous meeting that she believes the church could learn from.
In conversation with a modern-day prophet
Emma Stark spoke to Jemimah Wright about being a prophet, and why she is passionate about the Church re-engaging with the Holy Spirit
Churches, don’t ditch the technology
In our rush to get back to ‘normal’, are we leaving behind the most vulnerable once again? Veronica Zundel asks
Why there aren’t enough men in your church and what we can all do about it
Author and chartered psychologist Annabel Clarke explains how fewer Christian men can affect individuals, families and the Church.
‘I was reminded about being single every day at church’
Lauren Windle caught up with Christianity’s poster girl for single women, Carrie Lloyd, to ask how she feels about love, life and relationships ten years on from the start of her ministry
The house that God built
Clare Thompson leads the vibrant, social-action focused LoveBristol organisation with her husband Greg. She told Clare Blake why she loves living in a Christian community house
‘I was drawn into the subculture of alternative spirituality’
After years searching for hope within the occult, Talitha Colchester shares her story of finding Christ and his peace
I found myself in a church-cult, here’s how to spot the signs
From kicking off when her family missed a service to dictating how she did her hair, Tola Doll Fisher’s pastor showed some seriously problematic behaviours. Here’s how to work out if you’re in a church cult.
Why do churches need to be eco-friendly anyway?
As we put up Christmas trees, write our cards and buy gifts, there is a growing call that we need to do this in a more ethical and sustainable way. While we may accept changes that we can make in our own lives and shopping habits, Helen Stephens, Head of Eco Church, asks does it really need to extend to our churches?
Many female clergy donned the popular BELIEVE jumper from Marks and Spencer this Christmas, Revd Lucy Brierley explains why
‘If you take “Christ” out of “Christmas” you’re left with just “M&S”!’ jokes Revd Lucy Brierley, as she explains why a bright Marks’ jumper became the unofficial clergy uniform this festive season.
Liz Earle: Our leaders should do more to prioritise women’s health
Macaila Britton talks to Liz Earle MBE, wellbeing brand founder, about her experience in the industry and what still needs to change
‘My ex-husband bit off my nose, cut off my ear and carved up my face like a cabbage in an attempt to slit my throat’
Make this International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November) count, urges Abbie Mumbi
‘I have come to think that patriarchy is inherently violent’
Veronica Zundel questions why the Bible is so full of strong, decisive women if we were created to be subservient under a complementarian system she claims was originally introduced to get women back into the home
‘Time is running out at COP26’
Alice Corrie, technical and communications officer for Climate Stewards, spent this week at the climate summit – and is more convinced than ever that much of the change needed will have to come from us
Young people really do want us to talk to them about sex
Rachel Gardner urges us to get over our embarrassment and fear of saying the wrong thing, because we have a vital role in helping to shape young people’s attitudes towards relationships and sex
Could you open your home to a vulnerable teenager?
A new report from Home for Good highlights the benefits of support lodgings as a way for young people to receive support within a family environment. Lucy Colman explains how individuals and local churches can provide a vital safety net for teenagers in the care system
How do I respond as a Christian if my enemy wants to kill me?
Ella Bartelsian of Yerevan International Church, Armenia, spoke to Clare Blake about how God is breaking through to a defeated nation
‘I live in a society that tells me my life isn’t worth living because I am dying’
As we move towards being a society that is demanding euthanasia, Carrie Jade Williams asserts that we need to be the voice that reminds the world there are other options.
‘Violence against women is a chronic situation that must be rejected’
Hannah Baylor says it is time for ‘women to claim their worth’ and ‘men to challenge and change their own, and other men’s, behaviour’
On World Mental Health Day: ‘We must be careful not to offer a false hope of: “Come to Jesus and all of your problems will disappear”’
Natalie Williams reminds us that there is hope in Christ and practical help for those who need it – highlighting those with mental health issues who are living in poverty
‘I’ve forgiven the men who murdered our son and now spend time visiting others in prisons’
Lyn Connolly shares why she is now involved in prison work
The Handmaid’s Tale: When fiction mirrors the ugly truth
With the latest series of the hugely popular TV drama having recently drawn to a close, Veronica Zundel reflects on the horrors it reveals about worldviews regarding women
‘No refugee should be alone,’ says Welcome Churches as fleeing Afghans arrive in the UK
Emily Holden, joint CEO of Welcome Churches, believes the Church is uniquely placed to make refugees feel at home
‘I knew I needed to take action’
On Sunday 29 August, 13 Christians were arrested in the central hall of St Paul’s Cathedral. They were women and men of different ages, many of whom are ordained. Holly-Anna Petersen explains what happened in the run up to this moment, and why she felt it had to happen.
From atheism to faith
Three women from the world of science explain how they came to embrace Christian faith
Plymouth churches offer safe space after mass shooting
Several churches in the Keyham area of Plymouth have opened to the public in the wake of a shooting that has left six people dead
Why we need more God-centred media for young people
As the summer holidays are in full swing, and churches are welcoming back their congregations, Sally Tate introduces RaiseUp, a new initiative providing a wealth of resources
Helping our kids to see God in the everyday
As we finally start meeting for coffee, going for walks and even having people in our homes, Joy Vee asks the Church to reach out to her teenage children.
We need to talk about sex in church!
When many Christian couples get married they are ill-equipped to navigate sexual intimacy. Premier’s Maria Rodrigues spoke with psychosexual nurse therapist Emma Waring, who longs to see churches talking more openly about the struggles couples face in the bedroom
'I was rejected from church as a single mum'
Shovorne Adams was judged for being a single mum at 17. But God never left her alone, providing love, protection and hope for her future
Shame and the Church
Have you ever felt like you don’t quite fit in at church or that somehow you are inadequate? Dr Sally Nash has done research into people’s experiences of shame within churches. She shares her findings here with Premier’s Maria Rodrigues.
Do we need a #MeToo movement for women in The Church?
Woman Alive editor Tola-Doll Fisher shares her personal experience of abuse in the Church and says we need to ask some hard questions about our culture
The Church is failing single people
Lauren Windle, a 30-something Londoner, has spent the last year interviewing people on their dating experiences in Church and has written Notes on Love based on her findings. It is a much-needed upgrade from a long line of handbooks telling people “How to wait patiently for your Boaz” or “You’re single because you’re not ready”. Lauren tells Tola-Doll Fisher she wrote it not as a guide, but as an invitation to explore a relationship status that she says has been sorely blown out of proportion
‘Single people are vital to the future of the Church’
Beth Collingridge from Single Friendly Church says that we need to value and include single people much more
Do UK churches only cater for the middle-class?
Natalie Williams has authored two books on the role she believes churches ought to play in combatting poverty and injustice. When she became a Christian, she says she had to learn new ways of behaving, and not just when it came to following the Gospel. She spoke to Premier Radio presenter, Maria Rodrigues
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