Artwork from BCee’s album 'These Are the Days' inspired by places in Thetford that shaped Steve. This week serious disorder broke out in my hometown of Thetford. What began as protests against plans to house asylum seekers at the former RAF site in Barnham has spilled into threats and violence. Protestors have tried to force… Continue reading Thetford: these are days for authentic Christian responses – by Steve Jefroy
Author: G+T Guest writers
Being Faithful in the Little Things – by Charis Odoki
Photo by Sedanur Kunuk on Pexels.com Recently, my family and I travelled to the Lake District for a family holiday and in between walks, swims and boat rides, we found time to visit an ‘arts and crafts’ home. If you are not familiar with the movement, essentially it was a reaction by a group of… Continue reading Being Faithful in the Little Things – by Charis Odoki
‘But you’re good at this sort of thing’. Engaging with poverty is for the whole church – by Gavin Howard
Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com Over 25 years ago, our church started doing an extraordinary thing. Every Saturday, it opened its doors to the people who lived alone, lived out on the streets or hung out in the vicinity of the church. Many of them would gather early outside the doors - along with… Continue reading ‘But you’re good at this sort of thing’. Engaging with poverty is for the whole church – by Gavin Howard
Beyond deconstruction: why I choose to reconstruct my faith – by Tobias Mayer
Photo by Su00e9rgio Souza on Pexels.com In recent decades, 'deconstruction' has become the standard term for dismantling one's inherited religious beliefs—a stripping away of layers to find what is 'real'. But what, really, does it have to do with faith at all? Where is Jesus in the deconstruction narrative? Too often, it looks like a… Continue reading Beyond deconstruction: why I choose to reconstruct my faith – by Tobias Mayer
‘Counter Christianity’: transaction or community? – by Jon Swales
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com These reflections were stirred afresh at the Hope into Action annual conference, Rooted: Homelessness Ends in Community and in particular during the seminar Rethinking Poverty and Our Response facilitated by Jon Kuhrt and Rachel Arnold. There is a kind of Christianity that excels at projects. The foodbank is… Continue reading ‘Counter Christianity’: transaction or community? – by Jon Swales
Walking the way of love with those on the margins – by Debs Green
Photo by Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto on Pexels.com I've had the privilege of working for Hope into Action for the past seven years. We provide supported housing for people experiencing homelessness, but we are passionate about offering far more than just accommodation. By partnering with local churches, we address not only the poverty of resources, but… Continue reading Walking the way of love with those on the margins – by Debs Green
East of Eden: Unite the Kingdom – by Jon Swales
Note: This poem was uncomfortable to write and may be uncomfortable to read. It holds together voices that clash — bishops, marchers, migrants, parishioners — in order to lament the fractures of our nation and to seek Christ at the centre. The discomfort is part of the truth. Thomas, parish priest, opens the Bishop’s statement… Continue reading East of Eden: Unite the Kingdom – by Jon Swales
The jolt I needed to talk about my mental health – by Ash Wilcox
Photo by Emmanuel Codden on Pexels.com I was a successful professional, a Head of Communications, full of confidence and creativity. I had won multiple awards, was a Fellow in my industry, and was used to managing large teams with budgets into the millions. And to my friends, I presented as a more laid back, seemingly… Continue reading The jolt I needed to talk about my mental health – by Ash Wilcox
Agnostic, academic, believer: my journey to faith in Christ – by Paul Anderson
Photo by Nikolett Emmert on Pexels.com I am used to writing precisely manicured documents tailored to appeal to audiences whom I understand. Sometimes that’s been Government Ministers, Civil Servants, MPs, Council Officials, academics – you get the picture. When Jon asked me to write some thoughts on my own journey to Christianity, my initial reaction… Continue reading Agnostic, academic, believer: my journey to faith in Christ – by Paul Anderson
The personal cost of political service – by Helen Dennis
After 11 years of planning committees, resident engagement events, surgeries and political meetings in cold church halls, I have decided to hang up my councillor lanyard today. My decision to run came on the back of years in the Christian Socialist Movement (now Christians on the Left) and a formative time working in parliament for… Continue reading The personal cost of political service – by Helen Dennis

