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
Category: Church
There is no Christianity without the local church
Photo by Maiko Valentino Bu00e1ez Brito on Pexels.com There is no shortage of Christian resources available to consume by yourself: the best sermons, the most brilliant worship music and the deepest contemplative prayer are all available online. But following Jesus cannot be done in isolation: Christianity is not an individual spiritual self-help programme. Jesus does… Continue reading There is no Christianity without the local church
‘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
Resisting the secularising drift of social action
This article was recently published in the magazine Baptists Together. At Streatham Baptist Church, we host a community meal on Wednesday evenings called The Vine. A wide variety of guests come along – some are sleeping rough and struggling with addictions but most are facing the challenges associated with isolation and basic poverty. The purpose of The Vine… Continue reading Resisting the secularising drift of social action
If churches don’t help people with their spiritual needs, then who will?
Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com A few years ago, I was on the south bank in London, near Waterloo station, and I got talking with a homeless man called Richard who had approached me asking for money. He was in a bad state. As we spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and trousers to… Continue reading If churches don’t help people with their spiritual needs, then who will?
“Compelling, controversial & convincing…my vote for Christian book of the year”
Tough messages are not shared easily. It’s one of the key themes of this blog. If it doesn’t challenge you, then it doesn't change you. But, let’s be honest, we all prefer easy forms of grace than tough messages of truth. And if this is true for individuals, then it’s even more so for organisations.… Continue reading “Compelling, controversial & convincing…my vote for Christian book of the year”
Formation by flattery, or the cross? Practising truthfulness – by Jon Swales
Photo by John Carlo Capistrano on Pexels.com Christian leaders are complex human beings. That shouldn’t need saying. But sometimes it does. We are all shaped over time — by desire, fear, love, disappointment, trauma, hope. We change. We are never static. And leaders, like the communities they serve, are a mixed bag. Some are being… Continue reading Formation by flattery, or the cross? Practising truthfulness – by Jon Swales
Grace + Truth 