‘Wear Your Faith Fortnight.’ Christians across South Yorkshire are being encouraged to wear a symbol of their faith for the two weeks either side of Halloween. People sometimes say that faith should be a private matter. That is to misunderstand the very nature of the Christian faith.
Read MoreMeeting two guy friends for lunch. we greeted each other in the way most natural to us: we hugged. Connection is key. It stops things getting between us. You can make someone’s day with a simple touch, or, if it’s possible and appropriate, a warm hug.
Read MoreThis week my church waved off 21 teenagers to join thousands of others in a national Christian youth festival. As I waved my teenagers off, I was so grateful for all youth providers in our city investing their time and wisdom into the next generation.
Read MoreAmericans this week are going big with their Fourth of July celebrations. What does freedom really mean,a dn why do you want to be free anyway?
Read More“What are you doing this weekend?” “Oh, I’m mountain-biking from Chatsworth to Sheffield.” You guessed it, we’ve hit the peak charity fund-raising season. What motivates a person to raise money, or volunteer previous time and energy, on behalf of others?
Read MoreI flicked through the pages of The Sheffield Star this week, and if I’m honest, my heart sank. But a newspaper that only printed good news stories wouldn’t be telling the whole truth.
Read MoreThere are congratulations and celebrations in the air around Sheffield. So who, or what has top place in your affection and attention?
Read MoreAs Easter approaches, something unusual is underway which is unifying our city in a new way. Prayer. The Arise Sheffield initiative is inspiring thousands of followers of Jesus from across 100+ churches to walk along, and pray for, every single street in our city.
Read MoreBelieve it or not, it’s that time of year when advent calendars become a big thing in many people’s homes. So what is really behind advent?
Read MoreConfidence, initiative, teachability and tenacity. These words may sound like clues to a crossword puzzle, but in fact they are the goals of a ground-breaking youth employment scheme taking shape in Sheffield.
Read MoreI turned the corner at the top of my road this week, to be greeted by a blazing message that cheered my heart. A local house has joined the Streets of Light initiative, shining a message from their windows that brought a flash of good news into my otherwise troubled heart.
Read MoreSheffield boomed and bounced to the sounds of Tramlines two weekends ago. We are rightly proud of our home-grown festival. This week I waved off about 25 chirpy teenagers to another kind of festival.
Read MoreThere is a groundswell insisting that our public figures should better uphold our nation’s values, such as truthfulness and looking beyond one’s own interest to seek the mutual flourishing of each other and our communities.
Read MoreWhatever you make of the Royal Family, last weekend’s Jubilee was much more than a celebration of a 70-year reign. In many ways, it was a celebration of service. In fact, the whole of our society hangs on service.
Read MoreI work alongside several qualified youth workers. They tell me stories of what everyday life can be like in our city’s big secondary schools. It is easy to moan, opt-out or worry about the state of the world. It’s better to ask what we can do positively to improve it.
Read MoreDo you fancy a new neighbour? Or a road trip to Poland to collect an unlikely cargo? This week I chatted to a local friend from my church who is preparing to receive a Ukrainian refugee family to live with them, for however long or short it may be necessary.
Read MoreOne thing lockdown showed us was the loneliness in our cities. It proved that living disconnected lives comes at a cost. A national initiative is launched to form Britain’s biggest ever street party over the bank holiday weekend to connect together and to serve their neighbourhoods.
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