The sentiments of Oliver Rice’s article (en April), encouraging church members to be punctual, will resonate with any pastor.
I have lost track of the number of Sundays that my wife has turned to me at 10:31am as the service begins and whispered: “Where is everyone?” The answer is that they’re on their way. By 10:35am the numbers have doubled. By 10:40am almost everyone is there. The problem is, we started at 10:30am.
It’s mildly embarrassing to have to apologise to newcomers, who of course are never late: “It may feel like there’s no one here this morning, but don’t worry, they’ll stream in just after the service starts!” And they always do.
The UK's 'spiritual openness' is both an opportunity and a challenge
In recent months, I’ve noticed something shifting. Church leaders across the UK tell me that political conversations are becoming more …