Every World Cup produces moments that capture global attention; a dramatic goal, a surprise result or an unforgettable individual performance can become part of football history within moments.
Alongside the football itself, there are often visible expressions of Christian faith: a player kneels in prayer before kick-off; a goal-scorer points heavenwards; an interview concludes with thanks to God. Such moments regularly spark discussion, admiration and sometimes criticism.
We have all been deeply moved by the dreadful murder of student Henry Nowak in Southampton. His murderer, a British Sikh, was jailed last week. He and his brother had falsely claimed that Henry had racially abused him, and police bodycam footage shows Henry being handcuffed and disbelieved when he repeatedly cried out he had been stabbed and couldn’t breathe.
This is a horrific, awful event. There is no doubt that it was a shocking example of poor policing, and all of us who have watched the footage or read the details should absolutely be angry about it.
At a recent event, I was accosted by a younger Christian who spoke to me of the challenge of being an ethnic minority in her church.
In our conversation, she mentioned that recently she had had a conversation with a fellow church member who'd said to her something to the effect that "social justice" was a product of people with a lasting sense of victimhood, and that they were glad of more recent developments in politics and culture.
I am a horror fan – I will admit it. I know Christians have mixed views on horror, but there it is, my confession.
Recently, I saw the film Obsession; the story of a shy young man, Bear, who wishes that his attractive, outgoing friend, Nikki, will love him "more than anyone else in the world". In classic horror fashion, she then becomes obsessed with him and increasingly disturbing mayhem follows.
Who is the first person you always look for in a group photo? The answer, perhaps predictably, is yourself. But the more profound question is: Why do we always scramble to find out what we look like as if it were a secret that had been hidden from us all our lives?
The simple answer is that we do not know ourselves, and what we don't know, we don't entirely trust.
Living in Belfast, the cultural response to a Sudanese suspect who allegedly stabbed a white person in June’s evening daylight was predictable: streets, buses and houses were ablaze in full technicolour hatred in time for the ten o'clock news, the self-justified expression of pent-up aggression against migrants.
One Pastor in North Belfast, Jack McKee, made the local news for speaking out against the violence and standing up for his parishioners: “They’re good Christian people and they’re getting put out just because they’re black... I’m doing my best to help them, it’s as simple as that". [1]
“We surpass the furthest distance humans have ever travelled from planet Earth. We do so in honouring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration. To the next generation, make sure this record is not long-lived.”
Those were the words of one of the Artemis astronauts upon returning to Earth, having broken the Apollo 13 record.
“People just aren’t interested in the gospel.” It’s a familiar refrain, often voiced with a weary sigh in church coffee queues and leaders’ meetings alike.
In what feels like an increasingly secular society, it can seem as though faith has slipped firmly to the margins. But is that really the case?
Christian churches, organisations, and charities are entrusted with managing resources – donations, grants, and assets – to fulfil their missions. This stewardship now extends to the digital realm.
As financial operations increasingly rely on technology, cybersecurity is no longer only an IT issue but a fundamental aspect of financial integrity and missional continuity. For finance teams and treasurers, safeguarding digital assets is as crucial as maintaining physical security.
This article is a "part two" to the piece of the same title (enonline, 13 Sept. 2025) and has been written after comments on the initial article led its writer, Neil, to do some more thinking about Adam and Eve. Read that first articlehere.
"Misunderstand not sickness, as if it were a greater evil than it is; but observe how great a mercy it is…Our sickness and death are sent by the same love that sent us a Saviour, and sent us the powerful preachers of his word, and sent us his Spirit, and secretly and sweetly changed our hearts, and knit them to himself in love; which gave us a life of precious mercies for our souls and bodies, and has promised to give us life eternal; and shall we think, that he now intends us any harm? Cannot he turn this also to our good, as he has done many an affliction which we have complained about?"
One of the uncomfortable tests of leadership development is less about whether people grow under us, but whether we are willing for them to grow beyond us.
Most church leaders would say that we want to raise up leaders as a core conviction, yet sometimes we can unconsciously shape people only to the size of our own ability. We develop leaders who can help us, but perhaps not challenge us. We want Shetland ponies—loyal, manageable, small—whereas God may be giving us racehorses. And racehorses are sometimes hard to handle.
If someone were to pin me down and ask me the question: “What is the most common underlying cause of pastoral problems in the church today?”, I wouldn’t hesitate to give an answer. It might be controversial and provocative, but I would say it anyway.
“We had Iranian drones being shot down above our church last Sunday. How was your week?” That was how Gareth Franks (New Life Church, Abu Dhabi) started his talk at this year's Pillar International Conference in Edinburgh.
The statement reflected the international mix of individuals at the conference: representatives from an underground church in Morocco, an international church in Turkey, a church plant next to the Vatican, and thriving churches in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, as well as a lot of Americans, and Brits, from Exeter to Orkney—about 260 people in all.
Disability affects 12 per cent of children, 25 per cent of working-age adults, and 45 per cent of people over State Pension age.
Many people in these figures will have been born with a disability, but the greater proportion of those with a disability have become disabled, due to either illness, a sudden medical event or an accident.
"You’ve been stabbed? Don’t think you ’ave, mate."
Those words, spoken by a police officer to a dying university student as he mistakenly cuffed and arrested the young man, just a few hundred yards along the road from my own home, are currently echoing around the nation on every kind of news site, chat forum and social media platform.
Have you ever wondered why heretics were burned in England during the 15th and 16th centuries? We can thank John Wycliffe for that. He is probably England’s greatest rebel, having a far larger impact on society than most other possible claimants to the title like the quasi-mythical Robin Hood or anti-Norman Hereward the Wake.
Wycliffe’s writings about the abuses of the Church, its hypocrisy and misuse of power, shocked the nation and the king to such an extent that a new law was written into the statute books: De heretico comburendo.
A YouGov poll in 2025 stated that 40% of UK adults have not read or listened to a single book in the last 12 months, and The Reading Agency’s “State of the Nation” report in the same year found that 35% of UK adults identify themselves as “lapsed readers,” having stopped their regular reading habits.
Perhaps the most worrying part of this trend can be seen in children; the latest annual survey by the National Literacy Trust showed the lowest levels of daily reading (18.7% of 8- to 18-year-olds) since records began in 2005.
Contentment is one of the great Christian graces. Paul tells Timothy that “godliness with contentment is great gain”. He tells the church in Philippi to be “anxious about nothing”.
Our Lord Jesus commanded His disciples not to worry about life. How could Jesus say this? How could He expect and even demand that His disciples not worry? Is this not sheer idealism? Is it not actually absurd to expect believers always to be content and never to be anxious? Clearly not. Our Saviour never engaged in idealism or mere wishful thinking. In fact, Jesus gives His disciples reasons why they should not worry. He makes the observation that worrying never accomplished anything of any significance. But more importantly, Jesus tells His disciples that their lives are cared for, watched over by and dearly loved by their heavenly Father. It is the fatherly love and care of God that is the bedrock of the Christian’s contentment.
Christians can feel helplessly situated in a world stymied by the embargoed Strait of Hormuz (if it's still closed by the time you're reading this) and Europe’s bleeding gash – the war in Ukraine.
At home, little sign of a let-up in the cost-of-living crisis only enlarges the aurora of neon gloom across British skies.
Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer… Leadership, it seems, is getting increasingly difficult in the UK at the moment.
Some politicians ascend to the top job only for it to become sadly apparent that, quite apart from any party political considerations, they lack the appropriate skill set with which to govern effectively. Into this category we might, sadly, put most of those named above.
Comment
Professional footballers need the church, too
Every World Cup produces moments that capture global attention; a dramatic goal, a surprise result or an unforgettable individual performance can become part of football history within moments.
Alongside the football itself, there are often visible expressions of Christian faith: a player kneels in prayer before kick-off; a goal-scorer points heavenwards; an interview concludes with thanks to God. Such moments regularly spark discussion, admiration and sometimes criticism.
Instead of politicising Henry Nowak's death ...
We have all been deeply moved by the dreadful murder of student Henry Nowak in Southampton. His murderer, a British Sikh, was jailed last week. He and his brother had falsely claimed that Henry had racially abused him, and police bodycam footage shows Henry being handcuffed and disbelieved when he repeatedly cried out he had been stabbed and couldn’t breathe.
This is a horrific, awful event. There is no doubt that it was a shocking example of poor policing, and all of us who have watched the footage or read the details should absolutely be angry about it.
Social justice, political differences & the church
At a recent event, I was accosted by a younger Christian who spoke to me of the challenge of being an ethnic minority in her church.
In our conversation, she mentioned that recently she had had a conversation with a fellow church member who'd said to her something to the effect that "social justice" was a product of people with a lasting sense of victimhood, and that they were glad of more recent developments in politics and culture.
Do you see others as a means for your own gain?
I am a horror fan – I will admit it. I know Christians have mixed views on horror, but there it is, my confession.
Recently, I saw the film Obsession; the story of a shy young man, Bear, who wishes that his attractive, outgoing friend, Nikki, will love him "more than anyone else in the world". In classic horror fashion, she then becomes obsessed with him and increasingly disturbing mayhem follows.
Leader, how strong is your emotional immune system?
Who is the first person you always look for in a group photo? The answer, perhaps predictably, is yourself. But the more profound question is: Why do we always scramble to find out what we look like as if it were a secret that had been hidden from us all our lives?
The simple answer is that we do not know ourselves, and what we don't know, we don't entirely trust.
What is needed in Northern Ireland now?
Living in Belfast, the cultural response to a Sudanese suspect who allegedly stabbed a white person in June’s evening daylight was predictable: streets, buses and houses were ablaze in full technicolour hatred in time for the ten o'clock news, the self-justified expression of pent-up aggression against migrants.
One Pastor in North Belfast, Jack McKee, made the local news for speaking out against the violence and standing up for his parishioners: “They’re good Christian people and they’re getting put out just because they’re black... I’m doing my best to help them, it’s as simple as that". [1]
A plea to the next generation: Trust the Lord
“We surpass the furthest distance humans have ever travelled from planet Earth. We do so in honouring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration. To the next generation, make sure this record is not long-lived.”
Those were the words of one of the Artemis astronauts upon returning to Earth, having broken the Apollo 13 record.
Are people more spiritually open than we think?
“People just aren’t interested in the gospel.” It’s a familiar refrain, often voiced with a weary sigh in church coffee queues and leaders’ meetings alike.
In what feels like an increasingly secular society, it can seem as though faith has slipped firmly to the margins. But is that really the case?
Are Christian charities more at risk of hacking?
Christian churches, organisations, and charities are entrusted with managing resources – donations, grants, and assets – to fulfil their missions. This stewardship now extends to the digital realm.
As financial operations increasingly rely on technology, cybersecurity is no longer only an IT issue but a fundamental aspect of financial integrity and missional continuity. For finance teams and treasurers, safeguarding digital assets is as crucial as maintaining physical security.
The comforting doctrine of the necessity of affliction — part two
This article is a "part two" to the piece of the same title (en online, 13 Sept. 2025) and has been written after comments on the initial article led its writer, Neil, to do some more thinking about Adam and Eve. Read that first article here.
"Misunderstand not sickness, as if it were a greater evil than it is; but observe how great a mercy it is…Our sickness and death are sent by the same love that sent us a Saviour, and sent us the powerful preachers of his word, and sent us his Spirit, and secretly and sweetly changed our hearts, and knit them to himself in love; which gave us a life of precious mercies for our souls and bodies, and has promised to give us life eternal; and shall we think, that he now intends us any harm? Cannot he turn this also to our good, as he has done many an affliction which we have complained about?"
Are you limiting your ministry trainee?
One of the uncomfortable tests of leadership development is less about whether people grow under us, but whether we are willing for them to grow beyond us.
Most church leaders would say that we want to raise up leaders as a core conviction, yet sometimes we can unconsciously shape people only to the size of our own ability. We develop leaders who can help us, but perhaps not challenge us. We want Shetland ponies—loyal, manageable, small—whereas God may be giving us racehorses. And racehorses are sometimes hard to handle.
Are men our biggest pastoral problem today?
If someone were to pin me down and ask me the question: “What is the most common underlying cause of pastoral problems in the church today?”, I wouldn’t hesitate to give an answer. It might be controversial and provocative, but I would say it anyway.
Men who abdicate their God-given responsibility.
Pillar Conference 2026 — some reflections
“We had Iranian drones being shot down above our church last Sunday. How was your week?” That was how Gareth Franks (New Life Church, Abu Dhabi) started his talk at this year's Pillar International Conference in Edinburgh.
The statement reflected the international mix of individuals at the conference: representatives from an underground church in Morocco, an international church in Turkey, a church plant next to the Vatican, and thriving churches in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, as well as a lot of Americans, and Brits, from Exeter to Orkney—about 260 people in all.
My church friend has become disabled: What do I do?
Disability affects 12 per cent of children, 25 per cent of working-age adults, and 45 per cent of people over State Pension age.
Many people in these figures will have been born with a disability, but the greater proportion of those with a disability have become disabled, due to either illness, a sudden medical event or an accident.
Henry Nowak: 'Will justice ever be done?'
"You’ve been stabbed? Don’t think you ’ave, mate."
Those words, spoken by a police officer to a dying university student as he mistakenly cuffed and arrested the young man, just a few hundred yards along the road from my own home, are currently echoing around the nation on every kind of news site, chat forum and social media platform.
Why the medieval Church was 'terrified' of John Wycliffe
Have you ever wondered why heretics were burned in England during the 15th and 16th centuries? We can thank John Wycliffe for that. He is probably England’s greatest rebel, having a far larger impact on society than most other possible claimants to the title like the quasi-mythical Robin Hood or anti-Norman Hereward the Wake.
Wycliffe’s writings about the abuses of the Church, its hypocrisy and misuse of power, shocked the nation and the king to such an extent that a new law was written into the statute books: De heretico comburendo.
When did you last get lost in a good book?
A YouGov poll in 2025 stated that 40% of UK adults have not read or listened to a single book in the last 12 months, and The Reading Agency’s “State of the Nation” report in the same year found that 35% of UK adults identify themselves as “lapsed readers,” having stopped their regular reading habits.
Perhaps the most worrying part of this trend can be seen in children; the latest annual survey by the National Literacy Trust showed the lowest levels of daily reading (18.7% of 8- to 18-year-olds) since records began in 2005.
'Fatherly love is the bedrock of Christian contentment'
Contentment is one of the great Christian graces. Paul tells Timothy that “godliness with contentment is great gain”. He tells the church in Philippi to be “anxious about nothing”.
Our Lord Jesus commanded His disciples not to worry about life. How could Jesus say this? How could He expect and even demand that His disciples not worry? Is this not sheer idealism? Is it not actually absurd to expect believers always to be content and never to be anxious? Clearly not. Our Saviour never engaged in idealism or mere wishful thinking. In fact, Jesus gives His disciples reasons why they should not worry. He makes the observation that worrying never accomplished anything of any significance. But more importantly, Jesus tells His disciples that their lives are cared for, watched over by and dearly loved by their heavenly Father. It is the fatherly love and care of God that is the bedrock of the Christian’s contentment.
Everyone has faith – what makes ours different?
Christians can feel helplessly situated in a world stymied by the embargoed Strait of Hormuz (if it's still closed by the time you're reading this) and Europe’s bleeding gash – the war in Ukraine.
At home, little sign of a let-up in the cost-of-living crisis only enlarges the aurora of neon gloom across British skies.
Prime Maelstrom
Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer… Leadership, it seems, is getting increasingly difficult in the UK at the moment.
Some politicians ascend to the top job only for it to become sadly apparent that, quite apart from any party political considerations, they lack the appropriate skill set with which to govern effectively. Into this category we might, sadly, put most of those named above.