When I was in my twenties, I lived in Kings Cross in London and was a member of a local church. There, I got to know a man who was a former crack addict. We'll call him Ian. He was doing his best to put his life back together and get work as a painter… Continue reading The need for grace and truth: the complexity of compassion #1
Football’s collusion with betting is gambling with people’s lives
There has probably never been a global sporting event surrounded by as much ethical controversy as the current FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In many people's eyes, the whole event is the most blatant illustration of football’s capitulation to greed and corruption. The important discussions on the conditions for immigrant construction workers, the human rights… Continue reading Football’s collusion with betting is gambling with people’s lives
Learning from difficult times: 9 lessons in leadership
This post is adapted from a talk I gave recently for Homeless Link to a group of CEOs and senior managers who lead homelessness charities. In the winter 2014/15, I went through a difficult time in the charity I led. We hit a crisis in one of our main residential services due to some… Continue reading Learning from difficult times: 9 lessons in leadership
Hollywood homelessness & festive sentimentality
If you are involved with charity which helps people affected by homelessness, then you will be bracing yourself for the busiest time of the year. Whilst there remains huge challenges to reduce the numbers of people sleeping rough, the busyness of this season is not necessarily because the number of people coming to the services… Continue reading Hollywood homelessness & festive sentimentality
What DID Jesus do? The clue to thriving ministry – by Gavin Howard
Over recent months, I have been reflecting on what enables Christian ministries to thrive. I am involved with a number of Christian charities and love to be inspired by work which is growing and blessing both church and society. There is a but coming... Floundering But time and again, I encounter Christian work which is… Continue reading What DID Jesus do? The clue to thriving ministry – by Gavin Howard
Mixed-blessings & semi-skimmed faith
Every week, church buildings across the country host thousands of community projects: food banks, lunch clubs, parent & toddler groups and a host of work for people affected by loneliness, homelessness and poverty. But of course, just because these projects are church-based, it does not mean that all the volunteers are committed Christians. A huge… Continue reading Mixed-blessings & semi-skimmed faith
No such thing as ‘safe space’ – by Jon Canessa
I work at Newcastle Cathedral leading the Lantern Initiative. We seek to be a beacon of light to people experiencing dark and difficult times. Some of this work involves walking in solidarity with people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. Addiction Addiction is part of the human condition and can be understood as both ‘dis-ease’… Continue reading No such thing as ‘safe space’ – by Jon Canessa
The Marmite Apostle: Making sense of Paul – by Stephen Kuhrt
In 1902 Marmite came into existence when it was discovered that brewer’s yeast could be made into an edible form. Its richness of Vitamin B helped increased its popularity. The most fascinating aspect of Marmite, however, has been its marketing. In the mid-1990s, its distinctive flavour led to the genius decision to promote it through… Continue reading The Marmite Apostle: Making sense of Paul – by Stephen Kuhrt
Beliefs + Action = Faith
I saw this quote shared on social media yesterday: Reading the quote provoked me go back to the Sermon on the Mount and read it right through (Matthew 5-7). By my judgement this statement is accurate. The longest continuous section of Jesus’ teaching in the Bible is indeed incredibly action-oriented. The priority of action The… Continue reading Beliefs + Action = Faith
Getting the most out of Halloween – by Stephen Kuhrt
Some believe the Church should have nothing to do with Halloween. They see as a rather horrible celebration of evil which is a bad influence on children. Others believe that the Church needs to chill out and realise how daft it is to put a downer on a bit of harmless fun. The ironic thing… Continue reading Getting the most out of Halloween – by Stephen Kuhrt
‘Endurance inspired by hope’: strong roots for social action
A few years ago an atheist friend of mine who worked for a homelessness charity said to me: ‘My motives are purer than yours. I do this work simply to help people, you do it so you can get into heaven.’ I did my best to explain that while I am motivated by my faith, I have… Continue reading ‘Endurance inspired by hope’: strong roots for social action
Grace + Truth 