Reflections and Stories

Inspirational Women: St Hilda of Whitby

Over the past year I’ve found myself being drawn again to the Northumbrian saints of the so-called Dark Ages. This was partly prompted by a realisation that Oswestry, one of the nearest towns to where I now live, is named for St Oswald, and is said to be where he died in battle. It grew further...

One student’s story of faith in Liverpool

I started the journey to find a church in Liverpool at the very start of my second year. I’d grown up in a Church of England family and had decided to get confirmed at 17, but in my first year I’d never even looked for a church in Liverpool; I hardly remember the thought crossing my mind. It had...

Belonging: Finding Space for Room

“And on this rock I shall build my church” (Matthew 16:18)

As I leave the walls of church behind me, in the ice-cold wind, I ponder. For indeed each brick found a place to belong to the next, as churches were constructed all over the land, in such abundance. Beautiful architecture of its...

The Challenge of Welcome

“We are a welcoming church” is something churches often use to describe our congregations - but if we are honest, it’s easier said than done. Welcome is an interesting word, with meanings around greeting, invitation, and hospitality. On one level, a welcome is fairly easy - a friendly hello does...