Reflections and Stories | Page 15 | Student Christian Movement

Why You Should Serve and Get Involved in a Cathedral at University

19 Oct 2016

It’s not news to anyone that over the past decade, the church has been continuing to struggle with decline. It is, however, news to most people that in contrast to that, Cathedrals have grown on average...

Repost: Wrestling with Doubt and Uncertainty

10 Oct 2016

It makes headlines when faith leaders acknowledge the possibility of doubt. Back in 2014, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, ...

The Church and Social Class: Breaking Down Divisions

4 Oct 2016

Recently a friend relayed an episode to me in which they offered a difficult answer to a senior church minister. The minister in question, bemoaning the fact that their churches were struggling for membership, was surprised to hear my friend’s response. “Go into your churches and listen to the...

A Faith Of My Own: Debbie’s Uni Story

3 Oct 2016

Growing up in the Church of England – both of my parents are Anglican priests – meant that going to church was part of the rhythm of life. Although my faith was a vital part of my identity and who I was, I often didn’t feel hugely comfortable expressing that outside of ‘churchy’ contexts.

Ecumenical MythBusters: Does the Catholic Church Desire Unity?

12 Sep 2016

On a day now called ‘Reformation Day’, 31st October 1517, Martin Luther hammers his ‘95 Theses’ onto the door of All Saints Church in Wittenburg, Germany. The theses were summarised by one of my friends recently as ‘gripes against Catholicism’. It is an action that has reshaped the direction of...

Keeping My Faith Alive at University: Gemma’s Uni Story

12 Sep 2016

My time at university has been the period where my faith has developed the most. At university I have encountered people from a far more diverse range of denominations and backgrounds than I ever had at school. Studying theology has made me aware of a broader range of different theological...

Three Hours Sleep – A Personal Diary from World Youth Day

22 Aug 2016

After three hours of sleep, two bags of luggage, two bags of airplane starbursts, one screaming baby, and 1,230 miles travelling from my parents’ front door to John Paul II Krakow international airport, my World Youth Day pilgrimage had officially begun!

We had arrived a week early for ‘...

Saints and Politics: What Could Theresa May Learn from St Teresa of Avila?

17 Aug 2016

For only the second time in our political history, the UK has a female Prime Minister, Theresa May. Many have been quick to compare her to the first female Prime Minister and fellow Conservative leader, Margaret Thatcher. I would like to posit a different – and, dare I say, more interesting –...

Longing, Desire, and the Pursuit of God

15 Aug 2016

Today, as I write on 11 August 2016, marks 28 years of faith for me. In some Christian cultures, one might say that today is my “spiritual birthday,” marking my new birth, being “born again.” I have never quite felt comfortable with that terminology. One reason is the fact that birthdays are...

Finding my faith

8 Aug 2016

Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.” (Mark...