Photo by Juan Pablo Serrano on Pexels.com Every year, Father’s Day produces a dilemma for public conversations: how do you acknowledge the importance of fathers, without causing upset or distress to those who have had negative experiences? It’s a balance that churches grapple with every year on Father’s Day. We need to be both sensitive… Continue reading The daddy of social problems: grace, truth & fatherhood
Author: Jon Kuhrt
Jon Kuhrt has worked with people affected by homelessness for over 30 years. He is a former government adviser on how faith groups address rough sleeping and is now CEO of Hope into Action. He lives with his wife in Streatham, south London and they have 3 children. He likes football....but loves cricket.
“If good people don’t grip difficult issues, bad people do”
Over the last 25 years, Louise Casey has made a name for tackling the most difficult social issues. A succession of governments, Labour and Conservative, have turned to her to address the challenges of rough sleeping, anti-social behaviour, troubled families, football violence and and police conduct. This week she published her ‘audit’ into how gangs… Continue reading “If good people don’t grip difficult issues, bad people do”
Let’s get the flock out of here
Photo by Pille Kirsi on Pexels.com I went to a seminar a few years ago led by Mike Frost where he outlined four functions of church: Discipleship: learning and growing in following Jesus Worship: praise and prayer to God, participating in the sacraments Fellowship: building relationships within the church Mission: going out to share the gospel in words and actions The… Continue reading Let’s get the flock out of here
How our church grew by shrinking
Photo by Nita on Pexels.com Over recent decades, my church in south London has been one of the largest churches in our local community. We have been perceived as a vibrant, charismatic, multi-cultural and large congregation. And during these decades, God has done many great things through our church: helping people find faith and be… Continue reading How our church grew by shrinking
What does a ‘quiet revival’ mean for social action?
The Bible Society's recent report The Quiet Revival gives evidence of a significant rise in church-going in the last 6 years, most notably among younger people, 'Gen Z' aged 18-24. The research provides solid data of changing behaviour which supports the anecdotal, intellectual and media-driven indicators we have seen in recent years. It backs up… Continue reading What does a ‘quiet revival’ mean for social action?
Glad All Over & rising up on wings like Eagles!
Yesterday I had an incredible day that I will never forget. I was at Wembley stadium watching my team Crystal Palace win the FA Cup, the first major trophy the Eagles have ever won in their 120-year history. We have been to an FA Cup final twice before, in 1990 and 2016, and both times… Continue reading Glad All Over & rising up on wings like Eagles!
The Anti-Greed Gospel
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Review of The Anti-Greed Gospel: Why the Love of Money is the Root of Racism and How the Church Can Create a New Way Forward; Malcolm Foley (BraznosPress, 2024) On a flight to New York last year, I watched Martin Scorsese’s film Killers of the Flower Moon. It is a… Continue reading The Anti-Greed Gospel
‘The Satanic Panic’ and other conspiracies…
January 1986. I was thirteen years old and had decided to ask a girl out for the first time on a proper date. I had met her at a youth group I went to on Friday nights. Its important to appreciate what a nerve-wracking experience it was to ask someone out in the pre-mobile phone… Continue reading ‘The Satanic Panic’ and other conspiracies…
The kindness of strangers
On Friday night my wife and I had a great evening out with a few beers and a meal with old friends from my university. We got the bus home but after we had got off at our stop, I realised that I did not have my phone with me. I knew immediately what I… Continue reading The kindness of strangers
‘Do not settle for a desktop theology’
Photo by Stanislav Kondratiev on Pexels.com Across the spectrum of Christian culture, one characteristic is shared by almost all traditions: the church uses a lot of words. Church services are jam-packed with songs, hymns, bible readings, sermons, liturgy and prayers. Religion and theology produce untold books, podcasts and blogs (like the one you are reading). And… Continue reading ‘Do not settle for a desktop theology’
Grace + Truth 