Wishing all our American friends a very happy thanksgiving today.
If you want something thought-provoking to read this thanksgiving, why not try Jen Wilkin's piece posted recently on The Gospel Coalition site?
But most importantly:
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures for ever" Psalm 118:1
For the last decade, the Old Vic theatre in London has managed once a year to write, cast, rehearse and put on a play in 24 hours. A single day to do everything.
The script is written overnight… the play is rehearsed through the day… the performance is in the evening. Simple!
It set us to thinking… what would a 24-hour TGBC production of a book look like? Would it be possible for us to take a book from idea to print in a single day? Here’s what might happen…
7:00 AM
Editorial team gather to brainstorm idea for a short book; agree the concept; work up a proposal.
Coffee machine switched on; extra strong coffee ordered.... continue reading
We're thrilled to have a new addition to The Good Book family, here in the UK office. Rachel Jones is going to be working with us as our editorial intern for the next six months.
Rachel, who loves pasta and hails from Burnley (where she grew up with her 2 brothers and 1 sister) is going to be spending her time learning the ropes of the publishing business, with a particular emphasis on writing and editing. She's particularly looking forward to seeing how books grow from idea to finished manuscript.
Please do pray for her as she settles in to her new home, new role at Good Book and finds a new church in the local area. And do look out for her posts on the blog in the coming months ...
Can you fix your own heart?
Yes, you can…
Engineer Tal Golesworthy has managed complex projects all his life and is used to solving problems. And he has lived with a rare life-threatening heart condition - Marfan syndrome - for the last 30 years.
A keen skier, the 57-year old from Gloucester, UK, was not impressed with the various options on offer from doctors. They would have left him unable to enjoy the life he wanted to the full.
So he started work to devise a solution to fix his own heart.... continue reading
A major topic of conversation in our office this week, like in most offices up and down the country and round the world, has been what’s happened in the Philippines.
How do we respond to such horrendous suffering? How do Christians begin to trust a good God in the face of such facts?
In some ways, now is not the time for anything other than sorrow, giving what we can, and, in a Christian’s case, prayer. But still, some people demand answers from us: here, for what it’s worth, is what we think we might try to say.... continue reading
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the guns finally fell silent after the brutal war tore Europe apart. Today we are all encouraged to spend 2 minute's silence at that time, in order to remember those who died, not just in World War 1 but in every conflict since then.
Remembrance Day continues to be of relevance. Not just for the "old soldiers" who served in the first and second world wars - but for the new soldiers and their families, who remember loss and pain that is much more recent. The death toll of British service personnel in Afghanistan now stands at 446 since Operation Enduring Freedom began.... continue reading
It's been a week of change here at The Good Book Company, UK office.
Yesterday we were sad to say "goodbye" to Dave McArthur after 8 years of humble service within the team. Dave has been answering phones, sending out orders and keeping our warehouse spotless throughout his time with us in our New Malden and Epsom offices - his hard work and tendency to sing God's praises as he walks up and down the stairs will be much missed. Dave told The Good Book Blog just how much he has appreciated his colleagues' support and friendship over the years - the feeling is definitely mutual. He's off to work for Bible distribution company, RL Allan and we would love it if you would join with us in praying for him as he embarks on this new phase of ministry.
But we've also been thrilled to welcome our new logistics assistant, Neil Challis to The Good Book family. Neil, who has worked for Sainsbury's in the past, will be picking up the reins of the warehouse operation and is already getting to grips with our stock, pallets and lifting equipment. If you receive an order from us, there's a good chance the books will have been through his hands at some point! He's an active member of his local church and an ardent Chelsea FC supporter ... a fact that fuels a spot of office banter here and there! Please do pray for him too as he settles in and joins with us in Kingdom work.
As the presenter on BBC Radio Four put it, when it comes to where humans come from, evolutionists are having to “rethink what we thought we knew”.
The discovery of the skull of a human (or human ancestor, depending on how you choose to label it) in the Republic of Georgia, is being seen by some scientists as evidence that humans are all descended from a common ancestor. This overturns the prevailing theory of the last forty years, which was that there were several human-type species around, out of which humanity evolved.
So Justin Webb, interviewing one of the scientists who had been analyzing the skull, really wasn’t exaggerating when he spoke of the science community needing to rethink what they thought they knew. And in saying that, he pointed out a nuance in how science is “done” which is rarely mentioned in school lessons or in Richard Dawkins’ books.... continue reading
When people don't respond to the gospel, it's easy for us to hide behind the powerful truths of 2 Corinthians 4 v 4:
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
We should not let ourselves off so lightly.
Last week I was involved in three superb conferences. The Evangelists' Conference in London and Manchester, and then to Southampton for the first of our Growing Young Disciples conferences for those involved in youth and children's ministry. Both conferences were addressing the same issue from a different direction. How can we present the gospel in a way that means people really hear it?... continue reading
The suicide bombing of a church in Pakistan a couple of weeks ago, in which at least 85 people were killed, is a horrendous reminder of what Christians in countries throughout the world risk each week simply by going to church.
And, coming as it did at the same time as the Nairobi shopping-centre terrorist attack, in which people were targeted indiscriminately, rather than on the basis of their faith, it has raised a question in the western media, a question which is worth Christians thinking through:
Does it make any difference when the people affected by tragedy are Christians?... continue reading
