It’s 40 years since the Bradford City Fire Disaster. On May 11th, 1985 crowds packed into Valley Parade football stadium preparing to celebrate Bradford City winning the third division title and promotion to Division 2 (equivalent to today’s Championship). However, joy quickly turned to tears, triumph to tragedy as a fire ripped through the main… Continue reading May 11th 1985 Valley Parade. Death does not get to have the last word
Category: Opinion
Will a Quiet Revival result in more than monthly attendance?
I indicated that I intended to engage further with the recent report from the Bible Society on their recent survey indicating an increase in church attendance. Before I dig into other aspects of the report, I want to reflect further on how much we should make of people starting to attend church at least monthly.… Continue reading Will a Quiet Revival result in more than monthly attendance?
The Quiet Revival? Initial reflections on the Bible Society Report of renewed church growth in England and Wales
The Bible Society have recently shared an encouraging report suggesting that the church has been growing in England and Wales since 2018. I think it will be helpful to dig a little deeper into the report and see what the detail is saying and I’m hoping to do that in a few articles post Easter. … Continue reading The Quiet Revival? Initial reflections on the Bible Society Report of renewed church growth in England and Wales
Responding to Trump and Vance’s car crash meeting with Zelensky
The scenes at the Whitehouse were disturbing yesterday. I was trying imagine the fall out if the UK prime minister had begun laying into an ally in the way that Trump and Vance layed into President Zelensky. I doubt that they would have survived long in post after such a miscalculation. Yet I’m also aware… Continue reading Responding to Trump and Vance’s car crash meeting with Zelensky
Are the government really about to make you report Sunday School Attendance?
Evangelicals Now reports that “parents could be forced to report Sunday School attendance” to the authorities. This offers a helpful example of being careful about how we report and react to news stories. The headline might give the impression that the state are about to start prying into all of our private and religious lives… Continue reading Are the government really about to make you report Sunday School Attendance?
Smaller is bigger! What really matters in the week that Donald Trump becomes US President again?
What is the most important thing that is happening this week? All eyes have been on Washington for the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president again. I notice there was some controversy about Franklin Graham saying that God had raised Trump up. I agree with my friend Steve Kneale here. We can talk about… Continue reading Smaller is bigger! What really matters in the week that Donald Trump becomes US President again?
Southport doesn’t mean that we are facing a new kind of terrorist threat
Yesterday I wrote responding to Nigel Farage’s claim that there had been a coverup concerning the Southport killer. In his haste to make political capital, Farage seems to have forgotten that the cause of tension at the time related to the false rumour that the attacker was an asylum seeker. The issue was not as… Continue reading Southport doesn’t mean that we are facing a new kind of terrorist threat
Southport, coverups and short term memories
Axel Rudakubana, the Southport attacker has now pleaded guilty to murder and to related terror offences. The terrorism charges relate to him possessing Ricin and having accessed Al Queda documents. We know at this stage that he had a long history of violence and an obsession with violence which meant that he had been referred… Continue reading Southport, coverups and short term memories
Why we should be speaking up for Bradford … And similar places
I wrote the other day in defence of my home city following some deeply unpleasant comments about the city and its recognition as City of Culture 2025. Now, obviously, a big part of my motivation was indignation at an attack on my home town. However I hope that I would have reacted similarly if it… Continue reading Why we should be speaking up for Bradford … And similar places
God’s perfect timing
In the second half of 2024 our church has been digging into some of the post exile Biblical literature. Specifically, we’ve been working through Haggai and Nehemiah. In the first book, God raises up a prophet to exhort the people when enthusiasm is flagging for the Temp le rebuilding project. In the second book, Nehemiah… Continue reading God’s perfect timing
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