In Depth:  discipleship

subtle idols

Graeme Shanks

One of the most captivating autobiographies that I’ve read in recent years is that of the late Matthew Perry. He was adored by millions of people across the globe for his role in one of the most beloved sitcoms of the past 30 years called Friends. He brought his own unique sense of warmth and humour to his much-loved character Chandler.

Once the dust had settled on his death, I remember hearing someone remark that Chandler was the person Matthew Perry truly wanted to be in real life, but wasn’t. His autobiography doesn’t just reveal a man who "had his demons" but a soul that struggled deeply with the need for approval.

Tim Vasby-Burnie

How should husbands live if they are members of God’s chosen people, and living stones in His spiritual temple-house? This is the question Peter turns to in 1 Peter 3v7: "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers" (NIV)

The phrase "be considerate" sounds a bit tame. "Being considerate" is often viewed as a matter of a few nice manners. But Peter wants husbands to consider their wives and understand them. The ESV has Peter telling husbands to "live with your wives in an understanding way".

Andrew Drury

There is a somewhat apocryphal tale of two men talking at a reception after a funeral. One man asks the other, “What did our friend leave?” The reply was: “Everything”.

We can be so eager to acquire transitory things – money, possessions, reputation, status and the list is endless – that we forget that this planet is only temporary in the light of eternity. It is easy to fall into the mentality once expressed in a bumper sticker: “The person with all the toys wins”.

Alistair Chalmers

We are the first generation in history to carry a portal to the world in our pockets at all times.

With a swipe, we can access news, entertainment, theological debate, and the curated lives of thousands. The digital age has not merely changed how we communicate – it has reshaped how we think, desire, worship, and relate.

Jonny Reid

In a landmark decision the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that Olympic women’s sport will be limited to biological females.

It follows nearly 20 years of debate since the rise of athletes with DSD (differences in sexual development) winning World and Olympic medals. There will now be a one-off sex test, which will prevent any athletes with a Y chromosome, including transgender women and DSD athletes, except in extremely rare cases where they do not benefit from the performance-enhancing effects of testosterone, from competing in women’s categories. This slightly wordy description shows us some of the complexities in this case that we sometimes miss.

James Burnett

It’s marathon season. Could long-distance running get your life back on track with God? The Apostle Paul writes, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4v7).

Let’s start by exploring a link between method acting and Christians who run.

Alistair Chalmers

There is a front door in almost every Christian’s life that is far more strategic than we realise.

We pray for revival in our nation. We long for gospel advance in our towns. We want deeper discipleship in our churches. And all the while, God has given many of us a dining table.

Fran Kirby

A couple of weeks ago, a supermarket assistant ID’d me when I tried to buy a box of matches.

I thought it was hilarious. She, having discovered that I’m in my mid-30s, was mortified. But in her defence, perhaps my hat was to blame (or thank).

Mike Hood

There’s a new person at church. As you welcome them and get chatting you realise she’s actually new to Christianity altogether – she’s part of the growing wave of seekers looking for something more.

You’re full of excitement and gratitude to the Lord, until… “So can I just ask, what does this church believe about LGBTQ+ people?” Your stomach drops into your shoes. Why did she have to ask about that?

subtle idols

Graeme Shanks

British writer Norman Douglas once famously observed that you can tell the ideals of a nation by its advertisements.

There’s a lot of truth in that when you think about it. Take Adidas' slogan, for example: "You Got This!"

Jonny Pollock

There was a time when evangelical Christianity carried a value for place. Churches belonged somewhere. Not just in terms of a building in a location, but emotionally and relationally.

Pastors knew the weight of local stories from local people. Congregations carried shared memories – both the joy and pain of an area’s history.

loving your digital neighbour

Tristram Ridley-Jones

It is a Tuesday morning in the church office. The administrator sits down, coffee in hand, to process the weekly DBS checks for the new Sunday School volunteers. It is a mundane, administrative task, a "Martha" moment in a world that often prizes "Mary" spirituality. But in today's day and age, this simple act of administration has become a frontline of spiritual stewardship.

Last year, the data breach involving the Access Personal Checking Services (APCS) (a third-party supplier used by many dioceses and Christian organisations) served as a stark wake-up call. It reminded us that the church is not invisible to the digital threats that prowl the modern world. For many church leaders, terms like "phishing," "ransomware," and "two-factor authentication" feel like a distraction from the Great Commission. They would rather talk about grace than firewalls.

Alistair Chalmers

There are moments in the Christian life when faith feels sturdy and sure, and others when it feels as thin as glass. Prayers seem to fall flat. Scripture feels dry. Christian music maybe doesn’t lift your heart as it once did.

For many Christians these seasons can be unsettling, even frightening. We can wonder whether something has gone wrong with our faith, or worse, with us.

Graham Nicholls

As we entered 2026, I was watching Jools Holland’s Hootenanny. It’s a show welcoming in the new year with musicians performing songs, mostly with the backing of the vast and hugely talented band Jools has pulled together.

Along with the younger performers like Olivia Dean (26) and Jessie J (37), there were quite a few near or beyond what you might call "normal retirement" age. There was Ronnie Wood putting in a reasonable shift at 78 and there was Lulu bringing the house down with an energetic performance at 77. Even the host, Jools, and his regular singer Ruby Turner, are both 67. They could be claiming their state pensions, but they were showing no signs of retirement.

Dave Burke

Please note: This article contains reference to attempted suicide and mental distress. For help and support, see the bottom of this page.

I ran downstairs to answer the doorbell and found a paramedic waiting, his ambulance on the road behind him with its engine still running.

James Burnett

My best Christmas Day celebration was a present-less gathering in Malawi.

The worship was full of percussion, al fresco, around a log fire, and everyone shared in the gift of Jesus.

Dan Steel

In today’s fast-paced world, where productivity usually reigns supreme, the notion of slowness - or of slowing down - can seem countercultural. However, in pastoral ministry, slowness is not a weakness; it is an essential virtue.

Jesus often used agricultural metaphors to explain the Kingdom, not simply because that resonated with the people of His time (though it would have) but also because it explains something of how God is slowly at work in His world; tiny mustard seeds grow into huge trees.

James Burnett

Would you make a good "Traitor"? Have you got the mojo of a chameleon to hoodwink fellow contestants, like the comedian Alan Carr - this year’s winner of BBC’s The Celebrity Traitors?

Game show The Traitors was inspired by the sinking of the Dutch ship Batavia in 1629. When the Batavia sank off Australia, 250 survivors scrambled ashore an island archipelago. Mutinous traitors fought against a small band of faithful soldiers, culminating in a live-or-die boat race towards an oncoming rescue ship. Who would get there first - the "Traitors" or the "Faithful"? A true story!

Tim Vasby-Burnie

We should follow Jesus Christ in such a way that our lives cause people to talk about us, and in such a way that our lives silence that talk.

Peter assumes that the church, built on the foundation that is Jesus Christ – rejected by man but chosen by God - will be a people who are often rejected by those around us.

Graeme Shanks

It’s a testing time of year for many of us. I mean that quite literally.

If you’re at school, you’ll soon receive an end of term report card. If you’re a student, you’ll likely have upcoming exams. If you’re a worker, you’ll likely have an annual review looming on the horizon. Our daily lives are full of metrics by which success is measured and goals are set. Have we progressed or regressed?

Graeme Shanks

“If you’re not a liberal when you’re 25, you have no heart. If you’re not a conservative by the time you’re 35, you have no brain.” A friend reminded me recently of this quip often attributed to Winston Churchill. It is, of course, a massive generalisation. However, it is not one without a kernel of truth to it.

A quick glance at the way Britons voted at the 2024 general election would indicate that age was indeed a significant dividing line. It’s a trend that’s presented itself through the generations. To quote another group of influential wordsmiths from my childhood: "it’s like that and that's the way it is." Or is it?

Emily Lucas

“I’d love your advice on something.”
“Thank you so much for your wise words.”
“You really challenged and spoke to me through that.”

How sweetly words like these settle in our souls - meeting our longing for recognition, our need for validation, our desire to know that what we say matters.

Tim Vasby-Burnie

Should Christians live in a way that wins the favour of our community? Or should you follow Jesus in a way that shows your distinctiveness and causes people to accuse you of doing wrong?

Peter says: Why choose? Both are true! “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2v12).

Emily Lucas

If you’ve ever seen the film Groundhog Day or The Truman Show I’m sure you’ve resonated with the protagonist’s crisis.

Bill Murray and Jim Carey both respectively play and live out their own existential crises, asking: "Is this it?"