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The Children’s Society were wrong to cancel Welby - but I understand why they did

2024-12-24T10:04:00+00:00By

Refusing a donation from the Archbishop of Canterbury makes sense in our ’cancel culture’ society, says Miriam Cates. And until the CofE starts putting people above process, the problems will remain 

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Looking for belonging this Christmas? It’s found in Christ

2024-12-23T15:05:00+00:00By

If the story of Christ’s birth is true, it changes everything, says Tim Farron. Don’t be afraid to explore the miracle of Christmas this year

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What can Christians learn from 2024?

2024-12-23T13:06:00+00:00By

Chris Goswami looks back at the news stories from 2024 that caught his attention, explores his highlights and takes a look at the year ahead

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How to stay sober this Christmas

2024-12-23T12:07:00+00:00By

It may well be the most wonderful time of the year, but Christmas can also be notoriously boozy, and sometimes lonely and stressful. Emma Heath shares her top tips for anyone struggling with addiction over the festive season

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What the Bible does not tell you about Christmas

2024-12-23T11:47:00+00:00By

The squalor of a borrowed stable is a far cry from the sanitised nativity scenes most of us are familiar with. But the real beauty of the Christmas story is that our creator God was willing to fully enter into our world - with all its brokenness, dirt and need

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In defence of the commercialisation of Christmas

2024-12-23T10:19:00+00:00By

Let’s stop moaning about what Christmas is not, and start living out what it is, says Jonty Langley. If Christians show people the difference Jesus makes to our lives all year round, maybe they’ll see past the presents and parties to the real reason for the season

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You don’t need to choose between evangelism and social action this Christmas

2024-12-20T14:45:00+00:00By

We can do better than binary, divisive discussions, says Bishop Joseph D’Souza. Christians in the majority world have long understood that the gospel is good news for mind, body and soul. It’s time Christians in the West woke up to that 

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Eddie Stobart (1929-2024): The Christian businessman behind Britain’s most iconic lorry firm

2024-12-20T12:22:00+00:00By

Keith Danby pays tribute to Eddie Stobart, the founder of one of Britain’s most recognisable haulage companies

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Societal views on gender are shifting for the better. Christians are on the right side of history

2024-12-20T11:26:00+00:00By

Christians have often felt on the backfoot when it comes to debates around issues such as sexuality, abortion and transgender. But Peter Lynas believes significant shifts are taking place in Western culture and there are good reasons to be optimistic  

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The Premier team’s favourite stories of 2024

2024-12-19T11:40:00+00:00

Journalists, editors and producers from across Premier’s radio, magazine and podcast brands share the most significant, interesting and uplifting stories from the past twelve months 

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3 ways to love those with dementia this Christmas

2024-12-18T17:03:00+00:00By

During the festive season, we celebrate Jesus coming to a world who did not recognise him. Ben Boland shares his top tips for loving those who may not recognise us either, whether at Christmas or all year round

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Editor’s picks: 15 best features from 2024

2024-12-18T15:26:00+00:00By

Having looked back at 900 pages of magazine articles in 2024, our editor Sam Hailes shares his favourite articles from the past twelve months

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Youth work is facing a crisis – just when young people need help the most

2024-12-18T15:19:00+00:00By

At a time when young people are facing unprecedented challenges, there are fewer and fewer people engaged in serving them. Ali Campbell asks: What can the Church do to stand in the gap?

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The 10 most popular articles of 2024

2024-12-18T14:12:00+00:00

Here are the most-read stories on premierchristianity.com over the past twelve months

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‘You’ve been sold a lie. But the truth can still set you free’ - an open letter to Lily Phillips

2024-12-18T09:49:00+00:00By

Pornographic model Lily Phillips, 23 captured international headlines last week when she released a documentary detailing how she slept with 100 men in 24 hours. She has since revealed plans to sleep with 1,000 men next month. In this open letter, Lois McLatchie-Miller tells Phillips she is of infinite worth and value, and God has created her for a much greater purpose

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Christmas is non-existent for North Korean Christians

2024-12-17T12:02:00+00:00By

For most Christians around the world, Christmas is a time to gather and celebrate with friends and family. But for Christians in North Korea, the most dangerous country in the world for followers of Jesus, it is a time of great danger

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​What Wolf Hall teaches us about the Reformation

2024-12-16T15:18:00+00:00By

Whether historically accurate or not, the BBC’s Wolf Hall gives us an insight into the events that surrounded the greatest schism in Church history. It is a timely reminder of the importance of Christian unity, says Tony Wilson

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Sermons shouldn’t last longer than 10 minutes, says the Pope. Is he right?

2024-12-13T14:50:00+00:00By

Last week the Pope repeated his plea to preachers: ”Please, do not go longer than ten minutes, ever! This is very important.” Sam Hailes considers the pros and cons of long sermons

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Hal Lindsey (1929-2024): The end times theologian who popularised the rapture

2024-12-13T13:54:00+00:00By

The US author Hal Lindsey promoted a dispensationalist view of the end times which continues to hold influence among some evangelicals. But Lindsey’s predictions in his widely read 1970 book The Late Great Planet Earth, haven’t aged well, says Rev Ian Paul

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I called this divorce ad ‘evil’. Was I right?

2024-12-11T11:46:00+00:00By

Divorce is being presented as a “kind” option on adverts spotted on the London tube, but Glen Scrivener says trampling across the sanctity of marriage in the service of mere convenience is far from kind

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Three cheers for Rev Richard Coles on I’m a Celebrity

2024-12-10T16:26:00+00:00By

While Justin Welby was in the House of Lords exhibiting precisely how not to conduct yourself in the face of safeguarding failures, Rev Richard Coles was in the jungle of the I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here embodying all the qualities we would hope for in leader of the Church of England, says Rev Alex Frost

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Expect a busy carol service this Christmas. People want to know more about Jesus

2024-12-10T15:10:00+00:00By

As new figures reveal attendance at Church of England Christmas services has leapt by 20 per cent in recent years, Rachel Jordan-Wolf says many churches will be looking forward to packed services in the coming days

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Jesus wasn’t a Palestinian

2024-12-10T13:06:00+00:00By

Some have objected to the casting of Israeli actors in Netflix’s new film Mary. It’s a demoralising example of misguided attempts to erase Christ’s Jewish identity, says Michael Coren 

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Assad’s fall leaves Syrian Christians in peril

2024-12-10T11:11:00+00:00By

Could Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s takeover see a jihadist-inspired coup peacefully transition to a free, democratic Syria? If it does, it would be a first for the region, says David Charlwood. If it doesn’t, their long history of violence spells disaster for all non-Muslim minority groups  

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Bible Boom: How Gen Z’s search for spirituality is renewing faith in America

2024-12-09T14:48:00+00:00By

As sales of Bibles in the US surge, Dr John Farquhar Plake says there’s a new hunger for spirituality among young people 

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The most popular Bible verse of 2024 is the perfect antidote to our anxious age

2024-12-06T16:42:00+00:00By

YouVersion’s most popular verse may be thousands of years old, but it speaks perfectly to the times we’re living in, observes Bible Society’s Rev Mark Woods 

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‘Manifest’ is the Word of the Year. It nearly ruined my life

2024-12-06T16:10:00+00:00By

The belief that you can achieve your goals through positive thinking has gone mainstream. But Kate Orson’s attempts to “manifest” wealth led instead to debt. She believes the practice can be dangerous - and it’s not worth the price

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Marc Guéhi’s armband controversy shows equality in football is not there yet

2024-12-05T15:28:00+00:00By

By adding ‘Jesus ❤️ U’ to his rainbow armband, Crystal Palace captain, Marc Guéhi, has sparked a vital conversation about football’s commitment to equality and diversity - whether that’s religious beliefs or sexuality and gender. Christians in Sport’s Graham Daniels says he deserves our respect

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Band Aid, white saviours and why Christians should avoid cynicism

2024-12-04T16:37:00+00:00By

As ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ turns 40 years old this month, Ed Sheeran has added his voice to those critiquing the song’s ‘damaging stereotypes’. Maddy Fry used to share that view. She explains what changed her mind 

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Tim Farron: ‘Christians must keep fighting assisted dying’

2024-12-04T14:08:00+00:00By

Christians shouldn’t be surprised if assisted dying is legalised in the UK, says Tim Farron MP. But we must continue to challenge it, even if our motivations are questioned. The sanctity of life is at stake

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Esther Rantzen is wrong. There’s no such thing as ‘secular neutrality’

2024-12-03T15:58:00+00:00By

Christians should not feel intimidated by those who say our faith is not a legitimate basis from which to express an opinion. Everyone’s worldview is shaped by something, says Jamie Gillies, including humanists, atheists or secularists. Ours is no less valid

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How the trauma of advent brings God's healing

2024-12-03T15:03:00+00:00By

When God came into the world, it was traumatic, argues George Pitcher. But Advent reminds us that now, more than ever, the Church needs the healing balm of Jesus - even if it is painful at first touch

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AI Jesus can only give you fast-food wisdom. I prefer the real thing

2024-12-02T12:07:00+00:00By

A hologram of Jesus claims to be able to impart wisdom to visitors at St Peter’s Chapel in Lucerne, Switzerland. Christians should be cautious about our creeping dependence on AI, says Chris Goswami

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Saint Boris the Skinny shouldn’t be throwing stones at the Church of England

2024-11-29T10:36:00+00:00By

Boris Johnson has blamed the UK’s obesity crisis on the CofE. Jonty Langley thinks he can smell a whiff of hypocrisy

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Tim Farron: Assisted dying makes the vulnerable even more so

2024-11-28T14:17:00+00:00By

Changing the law will make those at risk of abuse much more vulnerable, says Tim Farron, as well as putting pressure on the elderly and infirm to ‘do the decent thing’ and choose death

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‘Even in the darkest stories, I’m looking for light’: The Christian faith of Denzel Washington

2024-11-27T11:28:00+00:00By

As Gladiator II hits our screens, Tim Bechervaise takes a look at the role that faith has played in the life of Hollywood actor, Denzel Washington

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Assisted suicide isn’t a choice we should give ourselves

2024-11-26T09:32:00+00:00By

Danny Webster challenges the idolisation of autonomy, highlighting how assisting suicide undermines the value of choice and freedom

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Don’t be offended by The Life of Brian, it’s a great Christian apologetic

2024-11-25T14:00:00+00:00By

It’s 45 years since Monty Python’s The Life of Brian caused outrage among some Christians, who took offence at its mockery of Christ. But the Bible is full of people mocking Jesus – and God uses it all for his glory, says Samuel Tarr

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What did Jesus’ quiet time look like?

2024-11-22T16:07:00+00:00By

Mike Wallbridge offers a glimpse into Jesus’ personal times of prayer, revealing a form of communion with God you may not expect. Could Jesus’ moments of prayer provide a model for your own quiet time today?

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Iraq wants to lower the age of consent to 9. Christians must do something

2024-11-22T12:12:00+00:00By

Proposals by Iraq’s ultra conservative government to make the law reflect strict Islamic Shia principles would have devastating affects on women’s rights - and lower the age of consent to just nine years old. They must not be allowed to do so, says one Iraqi woman

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Is the last stained glass ceiling about to come down?

2024-11-22T11:01:00+00:00By

The Church of England needs a clean slate and a fresh pair of eyes, says Michelle Guinness. Is it time for a female Archbishop of Canterbury?

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Ed Sheeran is right. Ending poverty in Africa will take more than a song

2024-11-21T16:26:00+00:00By

Popstar Ed Sheeran says he did not want to feature on the 40th anniversary re-release of Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ Andrea Kazindra wonders why it takes a rock star to get us talking about aid to Africa

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The Bible doesn’t give us neat answers on assisted suicide. But these 3 stories will help

2024-11-21T15:44:00+00:00By

As the conversation surrounding assisted suicide intensifies, Mark Woods considers the message of three stories from the Old Testament

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7 ways you can advance global mission

2024-11-20T13:31:00+00:00By

Peace Ashenafi left Lausanne’s Global Congress in South Korea with renewed vision for how the Church can better reach its communities. 

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Tony Campolo (1935-2024): The Red Letter Christian who provoked the Church to action

2024-11-20T09:59:00+00:00By

Tony Campolo relentlessly challenged the Church to take the words of Jesus seriously and to serve “the least of these”. Peter Meadows says he will be remembered as a preacher who was used by God to make Christians feel uncomfortable 

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Why is this pastor standing up for Tommy Robinson?

2024-11-18T16:09:00+00:00By

The recent mixture of worship songs with anti-immigrant rhetoric at a pro-Tommy Robinson rally suggests a worrying alliance is developing between far-right politics and some faith leaders. Christians must be careful not to lend legitimacy to divisive and dangerous ideologies, says Evan L John

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Why Christians struggle to believe positive news about the Church

2024-11-15T16:54:00+00:00By

You may have been given wrong information when it comes to church decline, says Gareth Russell 

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Are rural parishes racist?

2024-11-15T16:51:00+00:00By

When Rev Augustine Tanner-Ihm moved to rural Dorset, he found the church to be welcoming and kind. But that isn’t the experience of all Black priests, and there were racist attitudes in the wider community, he says 

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7 ways to make the Church a safer place for everyone

2024-11-15T12:52:00+00:00By

It will take more than Justin Welby’s resignation to prevent abuse in the Church, says Susie Leafe. We all need to play our part

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Justin Welby’s resignation is too little too late for victims of abuse

2024-11-13T11:48:00+00:00By

The Archbishop of Canterbury had to step down. But it’s what happens next that will decide the fate of the Church of England, says abuse survivor Samantha Smith

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7 reasons why the assisted suicide plans should be rejected

2024-11-13T10:48:00+00:00By

The full text of the End of Life Bill tabled by Kim Leadbeater MP, has been published. With less than three weeks before politicians vote on it, James Mildred explains why it is imprecise, dangerous and should not be passed into law

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Empathy before judgement: We should seek to understand why Christians voted differently

2024-11-13T10:39:00+00:00By

Faithful Christians voted in opposite directions during this election, says Amanda Held Opelt. But we can all agree that neither Trump nor Harris can save America. Christians have an opportunity to be a non-anxious presence in the face of political division

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Church leaders knew about John Smyth’s child abuse. They covered it up

2024-11-12T09:43:00+00:00By

Andrew Graystone battled for decades to reveal the truth about serial abuser John Smyth. Now as a report confirms Smyth’s abuse was “prolific, brutal and horrific,” Andrew says church leaders must repent of their wilful blindness

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Donald Trump is an unsavoury man, but he may be America’s best bet in protecting Christian values

2024-11-11T11:54:00+00:00By

Donald Trump might offend our British sensibilities, but Christians in the UK should be careful when criticising their brothers and sisters across the pond, says former MP, Miriam Cates. He may not be the man you want leading your church, but the new President-elect has much to offer the USA