Opinions/reflections - July - December 2023

How do we reach our communities for Jesus? William Wade has continued to reflect on this question since last year's Baptist Assembly. He offers this reflection and video

Loving our communities in a cost-of-living crisis

Christ loved us sacrificially, and the cost-of-living crisis is a chance for us to think about how we can do the same for others, writes Tim Yearsley

Do we really know the Bible characters – or ourselves?

We like to divide people, including those in the Bible, into heroes and villains, good people and evil ones. Yet this is an oversimplification: let's hold a more integrated view of others - and ourselves, writes Jeannie Kendall

A life of ministry

Former General Secretary David Coffey's memoir Around the World In 80 Ways features a range of his sermons, addresses, articles and reflections. He introduces it here

Championing the cause of older people

Alex Drew, Operations Manager at Webnet is moving on to lead the work of Faith in Later Life, a charity which exists to inspire and equip Christians to reach, serve and empower older people, through the local church. She reflects on the transition

The place of Pastoral Supervision in ministerial development

Retired Baptist minister Paul Campion highlights the importance of Pastoral Supervision or similar support and accountability, in order to experience life in all its fulness and to keep alive the flame of a calling and gifting in ministry

Baptists and church planting

Could we plant in teams? And what are we looking to plant: a worship centre in a building, or a community? A reflection by Michael Shaw

What happens when the hero doesn’t pull it off?

With 400 Wilko shops now set to shut, Jo Trickey discusses what people can do when they cannot trust their leaders to support or stand up for them

Empowering Christians with learning disabilities through simple Bible teaching

Helping to launch a new small group for anyone who needed more time and support to learn, I found few teaching materials suitable for adults with learning disabilities - so I created my own, writes Jo Acharya

'It's time to call out ageism'

Most of us will experience ageism, writes Alex Drew ahead of the International Day of Older Persons on 1 October. It's time to call it out in all the places we see it happen - and here's what churches can do

Jesus and the Law

Jesus fulfilling the Law means he does what the Law was never able to do, which is to break the power of sin, overthrow death, and lead us into the eighth day of creation, writes Joe Haward

Goodness matters

Why has there been a sudden and alarming rise in theft? At its heart, the challenge is a moral one, writes Peter Shepherd - without an underlying code of morality, and a commitment to uphold it, no country can prosper

Put your telescope down and allow your feet to take root

We can be so busy trying to devise a plan for the future that we lose the importance of listening and paying attention to the culture and context of where we are, writes Simon Mattholie

‘None of us left that journey unchanged and unchallenged’

What happened when a group of Baptist ministers walked the Abbot's Way through the Dartmoor National Park. By Michael Shaw

'I help churches find money'

After leading a Baptist church for more than 20 years, Chris Upton is now Church Funding Officer for the national charity Christians Against Poverty. He explains there are more funding options open to churches, and why we need to think outside the box

Complexity in solidarity

Some of my Jewish friends find Christian Zionism as problematic as I do. But to minimise the significance of what is the largest loss of Jewish life since the Second World War is to be guilty of a terrible hypocrisy, writes Ian Stackhouse

Oh Lord, have mercy!

It might be helpful to pull together some of the voices in the Bible about war to see what kind of perspective they give us, writes Colin Sedgwick

Darkness cannot drive out darkness

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the most intractable and complex imaginable. But more than ever, I believe in the relevance of the Jewish rabbi who taught about mercy and peacemaking in a time of violent political oppression. By Jon Kuhrt

Israel, Hamas, and theological responsibility

The recent atrocities perpetrated by Hamas and Israel have rightly provoked theological reflection in many places. But great caution and wisdom is needed in order to avoid fuelling the conflict further, writes Helen Paynter

Creating sacred spaces for growing generations - Whitley Lecture 2023

This year's lecture is a relevant exploration about how we set up certain ‘spaces’ in our worship settings, writes Jodie Thorpe. How do we welcome people of all ages?

The Church is taking on AI, here’s how

Exploring how we harness AI for the good of God’s kingdom. By Chris Goswami

Turning the tables on restaurant ecclesiology

Baptist minister Chris Brockway wants to nurture covenantal commitment in the local church, after realising the church experience for both leaders and congregation can be a consumeristic one - akin to life in a metaphorical restaurant

COP28 – unity, action, hope?

'The news on the climate front can be hard to bear at times - so we are asking you to pray with hope to the God of hope for COP28' A reflection ahead of the COP 28 climate conference from the Baptist Union Environment Network

The Rwanda plan has failed, but churches can help steer a better course

The Supreme Court has declared the government’s Rwanda plan illegal. As Rishi Sunak explores emergency legislation to get round the ruling, Steve Tinning says safe routes and community support offer a more compassionate response

Israel and Gaza conflict: pro-peace

Being pro peace means living in tension with the complexities of the religious politics, writes Israel Olofinjana. In our intercession we cry out for the miraculous work of God, pleading for His kingdom to break through and peace to reign in the region

Creating a contemplative service in church

With the turn toward mindfulness in mainstream culture, we have an opportunity to put together a contextual contemplative service as a missional opportunity, writes Shaun Lambert. Here are some foundations for what that might look like

Time to listen to one of history’s most important women

In our reading and telling of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ, Mary’s point of view is seldom considered - yet she had some voice, writes Amy Orr-Ewing

Reflecting on Bethlehem this Christmas

I sense my prayer this season has to be that people will have the chance, one by one, to see and value ‘the other’ and recognise themselves in it, writes David Nelson, a Baptist church member who ran the Palestine Marathon earlier this year