Parts of the Rhondda Valley in Wales have been declared the most Godless part of the nation that was once home to a remarkable revival and boasted thousands of churches and chapel.
The findings, gleaned from the 2011 Census, showed that five council wards in the area famous for its mining history, now have a majority of people who say they have no religion at all, according to a BBC news report.
In England, the "honour" goes to Norwich - a city noted for the number of churches within its city boundaries. Rumour has it that Norwich has a church for every week of the year, and a pub for every day of the year! Brighton comes second in the poll.... continue reading
Britain has its first atheist church.
It’s in north London, drew over 300, erm, worshippers last Sunday, and offers the chance to sing songs like Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now and Stevie Wonder’s Superstition.
And the “Sunday Assembly” has its own mantra, too: “Live better, help often, wonder more”.
Here are four thoughts, and then over to you for yours in the Comments section:... continue reading
The news that a Barnsley Woman has re-mortgaged her house to offer a ransom for her stolen dog does not raise eyebrows as far as it should. In "Pet Barmy Britain" where people often seem to love their cats more than their children, such acts of extravagant expenditure on Fido or Tiddles is not uncommon.
But it's not just Money that Mrs Maw is spending in the hope of finding her German short-haired pointer. According to the BBC report, she has so far spent more than £13,000 in the hunt for the dog and has taken unpaid leave since the dog, Angel, was snatched on 6th December.... continue reading
Prominent Christian leader Steve Chalke has declared himself in favour of accepting homosexual couples who are in committed same-sex relationships. In an article to be published in Christianity magazine Chalke says that after a long struggle, he has decided to announce his support for faithful same sex relationships. What are we to make of this?
If you’re reading this and you’re in (or would like to be in) a gay relationship, we’re so glad you’re here—and you could be forgiven for being a bit confused. Not about your own feelings, but about the church’s feelings towards you, and (much more importantly) God’s feelings towards you? Does He love you, or hate you?... continue reading
The European Court of Human Rights has just given its verdict on four cases, all involving Christians:
We're recruiting for a new Sales and Marketing Manager to join the team at our Epsom office. They will take the lead on getting the word out about our resources and other ministry services in the UK and as such will play a crucial role in our future work.
Commercial Director James Burstow said, "This is an exciting time to be joining The Good Book Company, with some great new titles in the pipeline and some tremendous opportunities to develop digital resources that help people engage with the Bible. At heart we remain committed to serving local churches and equipping individuals to open up the Bible so we're looking for someone who can help us get that message out as widely as possible."
Details of the position and a full job description can be found here and the closing date for applications is the 24th January. We would be really grateful for any help you can give us in promoting this opportunity and would value your prayers that the Lord would bring the right person to join our team.
The death of Britain's oldest man, Reg Dean, at 110 last Saturday, raises testing questions about the future we face - as individuals and as a community.
Improvements in healthcare, pollution levels and nutrition are responsible for the steady increase in life expectancy upwards from the "three score years and ten" that Moses outlined in his now famous phrase in Psalm 90 v 10. Arguably, the greatest leap forward for longevity - certainly in industrialised Britain, came from the work of sanitation engineers like Sir Joseph Bazalgette who designed and built the London sewage system - and eliminated cholera from the capital.... continue reading
With a new year upon us, we’re busy in the office preparing to launch an exciting array of products designed to inspire, equip and support you in your ministry. And, as valued blog-readers, we thought we’d give you a sneak preview of just a few of the titles we’ve got coming out in the next 6 months…
So here’s a little glimpse of one or two things that each member of the editorial team has been writing or editing ready for 2013.
Tim Thornborough:
Gospel Centred Work by Tim Chester and Christopher de la Hoyde (coming soon)
This new volume in the brilliant Gospel-centred series tackles how we think about work as believers. As I've worked with the authors and edited it, it has changed the way I think about work in quite remarkable ways - so looking forward to this resource helping so many of us who struggle with work in all kinds of ways.... continue reading
A happy new year to all our blog readers!
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
And here, on the last day of 2012, is a round-up of our most read blog posts of the past 12 months.
1. Infographic: Rulers of Israel and Judah
2. Introducing one of our exciting new books of the year: The Hard Corps
3. Infographic: Life of David - from Shepherd to King
4. Debunking a few myths surrounding the women bishops' debate
5. Some tips on how to break free from self-harm
6. Making the most of Halloween
7. Reflections on Vaughan Robert's interview in Evangelicals Now
8. Some great tips for Home Group leaders
