Church: Is big really beautiful?
Adrian Reynolds
Date posted: 2 Jan 2026
When it comes to church, is big really beautiful?
It rather depends on what you mean by that. There are some great things that larger churches can do that smaller churches only dream of. On the other hand, those of us who serve in smaller congregations – and I include myself – know the value of intimacy and connection that you have to fight for amongst greater numbers.
Connection and community for the lonely
Kirsten Birkett
Date posted: 2 Jan 2026
After seeing a poster recently about the problem of loneliness in aged people, I wondered how bad the problem actually was. So I looked at the latest results from the Office for National Statistics about loneliness in the UK (for November).
It wasn’t as bad as I expected. Overall, only 7% feel lonely often or always, but men more than women when you break it down. As far as I could tell, the highest percentage in the “I feel lonely often or always” was 9%, and that was in the 30– 49 age group. The over-70s were actually the lowest, at 4%.
Too many of our churches offer no connection to God
Matthew Roberts
Date posted: 30 Dec 2025
In my home town of York in the 1960s, archaeologists discovered a stone pillar. It has originally towered nearly 10 metres vertically, to the roof of what must have been a very imposing building, the headquarters of the Roman city in the 2nd Century AD. Now, a sad shadow of its former glory, it was lying on its side; its stone sections sprawling horizontally through the mud.
We live at a time when, for the first time in decades, perhaps in centuries, people are starting to yearn for something transcendent. The spell of secularism, with its creed that there is nothing higher than us, is for some at least being broken. If there is anything to the “Quiet Revival”, it is because people want to encounter truths, values, and ultimately a God who is higher than us. They want to revert to the vertical.
Will the ‘Quiet Revival’ change our civic life?
Paul Blackham
Date posted: 29 Dec 2025
Jesus said to a government official of His day: “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19v11)
Power does not flow up from below, from the people, but rather, true power flows down from the Divine Empire, from the throne room of heaven. True earthly authority can only be given by King Jesus, not the ballot box nor the barrel of a gun.
Comment
Trump, Naboth & Greenland
The world continues to be in ferment. Nowadays, events seem to move so fast that who knows what may have transpired between these words being written and you reading them.
Few would have predicted a short while ago that one of the countries making news in 2026 would be Greenland. Such is the unpredictable era in which we live.
Greenland and Trump: Enough is enough!
The mounting pressure on Greenland and Denmark by President Trump threatens more than the rights of the people of these two national communities.
A brief history
First of all, before anything else is said, here's a very brief history...
'Autistic Barbie': Representative, or insensitive?
Mattel has created an "Autistic Barbie."
The doll was launched on 11 January, but is already receiving very polarised reviews.
Why I've stayed with the Church in Wales
Towards the end of November last year, the bishops of the Church in Wales (part of the Anglican Communion) released a pastoral letter outlining their roadmap for the full authorisation of same-sex blessings – and then the introduction of same-sex marriage within the denomination.
If you haven’t been following events, this follows the introduction of liturgy for the blessing of same-sex couples on a trial basis in the autumn of 2021 by the Governing Body.
Why a new year shouldn't mean a new church
January is widely recognised as the peak month for job changes, driven by post-holiday career reflection and the "new year, new me" mindset.
In January, the recruitment market opens as staff churn and new budgets are handed out for the year ahead.
Where your mind is set matters
Lots of us begin a new year with new resolve, and I want to encourage you using coaching jargon - I hope that is okay, please bear with me - two words summarise what I’d like to see more of around me in 2026: “Growth mindset.”
The Bible teaches a lot about what we set our minds on. Some of my favourites:
What the FA Cup can teach us about faith
The FA Cup Third Round delivered everything we love about the competition: shocks, routs, and stories that make you cheer, groan, or do both at the same time.
Sixth-tier Macclesfield beating Crystal Palace 2–1? Absolutely magical. Manchester City 10–1 Exeter? Brutal. Two extremes of the same weekend, and both can teach us about human reaction - which is exactly what Scripture speaks to.
Migration: A Biblical theology
Migration to and from the UK is never far from today’s headlines.
Unprecedented levels of net inward migration have created a wide range of social and political responses. The novelty and excitement around multicultural festivities have faded. Social weariness and wariness have taken root. Protests have arisen. UK residents - mostly under 35 years old - are leaving the country to find greener, safer pastures; many are returning to family homelands.
Why am I always desperate for adventure?
I have often had a chuckle at the word "subtle." Truth be told, it’s for rather nerdish reasons.
I love it because there’s a silent b sitting snugly near the middle illustrating perfectly what the word means. It’s there all right but it’s doing its best to remain hidden in plain sight. Ain’t that cool? Look deep enough in the English language and you’ll find it often conjures up little gems for the beholder.
Books worth your time: John Woods' top 2025 picks
en Reviews Editor, John Woods, shares his top picks for Christian books from 2025. For more reviews, click here.
For leaders
A special shout-out for the magnificent two-volume commentary on Numbers by Michael Morales (see review here).
The evangelistic power of poetry... and pudding
Poetry and pudding - two of my favourite things. Creativity with a side of sweetness – what’s not to love? That was our premise when we created the "Poetry & Puds" women’s event for our church and local community.
We gathered in our church café space on a Thursday evening, having invited women from church and encouraged them to invite their friends.
Compassion in the face of unbelief
I once had a conversation with an Orthodox Jewish man who told me he would not discuss Jesus with me. His words were striking: “Speaking to you is like speaking with a Holocaust denier. Would you listen to a Holocaust denier? For the same reason, I won’t listen to anything you have to say.”
For this man, the resurrection of Jesus seemed to belong in the category of outrageous falsehood, unworthy of consideration.
Clinging by your fingertips?
You’ve got to hand it to Jude; we may not know much about him, but he could certainly could knock out a good doxology when he needed to. Sure, being inspired by the Holy Spirit has got to help, but of all the New Testament doxologies the one that Jude concludes his mini-letter with is probably my favourite.
For the next few editions of the end word we’re going to be looking at New Testament endings, beginning with Jude’s sign-off piece.
Church: Is big really beautiful?
When it comes to church, is big really beautiful?
It rather depends on what you mean by that. There are some great things that larger churches can do that smaller churches only dream of. On the other hand, those of us who serve in smaller congregations – and I include myself – know the value of intimacy and connection that you have to fight for amongst greater numbers.
Connection and community for the lonely
After seeing a poster recently about the problem of loneliness in aged people, I wondered how bad the problem actually was. So I looked at the latest results from the Office for National Statistics about loneliness in the UK (for November).
It wasn’t as bad as I expected. Overall, only 7% feel lonely often or always, but men more than women when you break it down. As far as I could tell, the highest percentage in the “I feel lonely often or always” was 9%, and that was in the 30– 49 age group. The over-70s were actually the lowest, at 4%.
Worship renewed - January editorial
In his article, Matthew Roberts draws our attention to some glaring deficiencies that have crept into some of our evangelical churches.
He writes: “We offer no connection to God. We accuse liberals of removing God from the gospel – often with considerable justification – and yet in our worship we have peculiarly fallen into the same trap.” We have lost, he says, “what should be a towering vertical encounter with God”.
Happy 'ordinary' new year!
I do always love the New Year. Given that I’m naturally a glass half full kind of guy I always enjoy the blank-page sense of anticipation that this time of year brings.
For many of us the year ahead will be full of as yet unknown adventures. For others it will be tinged with unexpected sorrows. But here’s another possibility. It may well be full of… well, the same old. Same classmates. Same school run. Same commute to work. Same relational difficulties. Same bills. Same health complications. Same daily routine.
2026: By God's grace, take it one day at a time
This is the season for New Year resolutions, for making plans and setting goals for the year ahead.
We might find that prospect exciting; there are new opportunities and challenges in view, and we look forward with anticipation to what the Lord might do. But the New Year can also be overwhelming. The challenges are so great, the future so uncertain, that we wonder how we will get through 2026.
Too many of our churches offer no connection to God
In my home town of York in the 1960s, archaeologists discovered a stone pillar. It has originally towered nearly 10 metres vertically, to the roof of what must have been a very imposing building, the headquarters of the Roman city in the 2nd Century AD. Now, a sad shadow of its former glory, it was lying on its side; its stone sections sprawling horizontally through the mud.
We live at a time when, for the first time in decades, perhaps in centuries, people are starting to yearn for something transcendent. The spell of secularism, with its creed that there is nothing higher than us, is for some at least being broken. If there is anything to the “Quiet Revival”, it is because people want to encounter truths, values, and ultimately a God who is higher than us. They want to revert to the vertical.
Will the ‘Quiet Revival’ change our civic life?
Jesus said to a government official of His day: “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19v11)
Power does not flow up from below, from the people, but rather, true power flows down from the Divine Empire, from the throne room of heaven. True earthly authority can only be given by King Jesus, not the ballot box nor the barrel of a gun.