Opinions/reflections - Jan - June 2023

2022: a year of symbolic loss and fatalism

And how the local church can offer symbolic repair to our culture in 2023, writes Shaun Lambert

There is no person on the face of the earth to whom I don’t have the responsibility to be a neighbour. By Colin Sedgwick

Be alert, be present... and be empowered

The recent Fresh Streams conference saw a strong call to commune with the Father and be ready to follow the wind of the Spirit, reports Lois Delong

Retirement doesn’t mean that God is finished with you

For many, retirement can bring mixed feelings, and a sense of dread. However, it can mean new life - and God’s call can come at any time, writes Dr Natalie Henley

Informed by the word, inspired by the spirit

Is an expression of Baptist life that is “word and spirit” possible? I believe it is, writes Andy Glover - here are three responses I'm praying for this year

The virtual church: are online games the new ground for mission to a ‘lost’ generation?

The call on the Church to go out to all corners of the world (including the online) and to fulfil the Great Commission has a higher place than ever for a generation that is quickly walking away from faith, writes Alice Cheeseman

Safe to grow... are Baptist churches excluding young adults?

This article is the second in a series sharing perspectives from young Christians about being young Christians. Nathan McGuire writes of the need for investment in, not indifference to, our young adults - and proposes some ideas

Being a young Christian post-Christendom: not just a numbers game

This article is the first in a series sharing perspectives from young Christians about being young Christians. The census results may have been a shock to many experienced Christians, but they were not a surprise to our young people, writes Amanda Higgin

Why does God allow earthquakes? …

Baptist minister Chris Goswami was invited to speak on the BBC’s Moral Maze recently. He shares this reflection

Liberating human attention – the struggle of our time

Jesus commands us to be continuously watchful, but the cultivation of awareness is neglected in Western culture, a situation exacerbated by the digital nature of our society. Fortunately, we can train our attention, writes Shaun Lambert

Warm Spaces – a quiet revolution

Why Warm Welcome spaces can go beyond just a short-term practical response to our deep systemic challenges. By David Barclay

'This is about assisting people on their journey of faith'

Prolific author and Baptist minister Patrick Coghlan's latest book is a teens/adult Christian novel called Crazy About Horses. He explains why

'We should pray for all who have suffered from these failings'

And let’s be people who help bring about the culture we long to see. Jo Trickey reflects on Baroness Casey's damning report on the Metropolitan Police

'A story of God's grace'

Baptist minister Manoj Raithatha introduces the updated edition of his book Filthy Rich - How the property crash saved my life, which as well as being a witness to the power and goodness of God, speaks to the economic and social issues of our times

The Government’s Illegal Migration Bill: A biblical response

Why the church cannot afford to be silent and sit on the fence. By Israel Olofinjana

'The Union has always been evolving'

Andy Goodliff shares a recent history of structural changes in the Baptist Union

A Baptist reflection on monarchy

The new King’s aspiration to be Defender of Faith encapsulates how both the established church and monarchy have changed - and should receive a qualified welcome. By Nigel Wright

A reflection on using the Christian Sexuality Course

Andy Morgan, Youth Ministry Leader of Chichester Baptist Church, offers the following reflection on a course his church offered to their young people.

Baptists and the national church planting ecosystem

What are the wider Kingdom contributions we make as Baptists around church planting? Alex Harris offers three reflections

About kings - and the King

We are under an obligation to pray for King Charles III, and to be good citizens. But the thought of going to the extent of “swearing an oath of allegiance” leaves me, I must confess, pretty cold. By Colin Sedgwick

Finding agency in anxiety

Anxiety is the focus of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Baptist minister Shaun Lambert explains why mindfulness - our capacity for attention and awareness - can help, and how it relates to the Christian faith

‘There was definitely an effort to try and honour God in that space’

Baptists Together President Hayley Young reflects on being at Westminster Abbey to witness the Coronation of King Charles III

Julian of Norwich - a woman for our century

May 2023 marks the 650th anniversary of Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love. Sheila Upjohn is an author who set out to find the reason why Julian’s book had been hidden for centuries, and why it is so startlingly relevant today

Forgiveness, and God's grace

Baptist minister Tim Carter's Grove booklet traces the theme of forgiveness from the Old Testament into the New, through the gospels and Acts and into the letters. It has deepened his understanding of God's grace, he explains

'My story is for anyone who has lost all hope their circumstances can change'

Baptist church member and employee relations specialist David Meader introduces his memoir Sixteen Years in Care, which chronicles a journey to freedom from rejection, pain and loneliness

The Church in England and Wales is changing shape - not declining

Is this narrative of decline actually true? Bible Society has found it isn't, for when we ask wider questions, we begin to see things rather differently, explains Mark Woods

The upwelling of the Holy Spirit

Upwelling is an oceanic term where deeper, colder water wells up to the surface of the sea. Spiritually it can describe the experience of spending longer periods in contemplative practice, writes Shaun Lambert

Learning from different Christian traditions

Andy Goodliff was invited alongside fellow Baptists to participate in an ecumenical gathering in Durham and listen to how each of our traditions seeks to walk together and make decisions. He shares this reflection on what Baptists can learn from others

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