Posts with the category “church-training”

I read with interest Emily Sargent’s article in the Times, 31 January 2024 titled – “Conversion therapy? It must be banned. I should know.”  Reading this article, led me to delve deeper into Emily Sargent’s work, and I discovered a series of seven podcasts called “Thinking Straight,” which explore conversion therapy, and advocates for an extensive ban. Emily is a non-Christian, lesbian reporter, a...  Read More

I am reading a fascinating book called Mercy Triumphs over Judgment, by Joanne Highley. Joanne brings so much experience, wisdom, and knowledge to the Christian response to homosexuality. In response to those who suggest that homosexuality is something that we are born with, she comes back with what I feel is the perfect response.“The truth is God would never create people as homosexuals and then ...  Read More

Do you struggle with emotional dependency – OK let’s spell that out – do you have a relationship / friendship with someone who you feel you could not exist or function without?  Is this person central to your life to the point maybe of idolatry?If this describes you, or simply makes you stop and think for a moment about some of the relationships you are in, you may be subject to a form of addictio...  Read More

In the UK there is still a lot of unrest around the proposed legislation for banning conversion therapy.  The aim of those proposing this ban is “to improve the lives of LGBT people.”I am all for lives being improved and am against any form of psychological or physical abuse against anyone.  I am also very mindful that not all LGBT people are the same, there are many different views, experiences a...  Read More

The story of Nehemiah is one that has many lessons for us.  As Nehemiah heard of the devastation back home, the destruction of the city and the danger those who survived the exile were in, he wept, he fasted, and he sought God, confessing the sins of the nation and reminding God of the covenant He had made with Moses.When reading this yesterday I thought about the devastation we face in the 21st c...  Read More

Something has been bothering me for a little while now, and I feel compelled to put some thoughts on paper.  You may have heard of side A and side B Christians, terms commonly used to describe the two main approaches to Christian sexuality.  Side A promoting the idea that you can be an openly gay Christian, and side B teaching a more traditional biblical sexual ethic, of being same-sex attracted b...  Read More

This week a friend shared how she has been told by a friend of 20+ years that they can no longer be friends because of her Christian beliefs on homosexual behaviour.  To get it clear, my friend has simply responded to a request from her friend to send verses from the Bible which said that homosexual behaviour is sinful.  Having shared those verses (as requested) she now finds herself ostracised, d...  Read More

Lessons from DanielFor those unfamiliar with Daniel, it’s a great book and well worth a read as it speaks deeply into identity in a broken and unfamiliar world. Chapter 4 tells of the dream of the King, Nebuchadnezzar.  This dream shows him as a mighty tree, a tree which provided food and shelter for its people.  This tree was visible to the ends of the earth, which speaks of the magnitude of the ...  Read More

As a pastor I’m sure you have a great passion for making sure all who attend your church receive great support and are made to feel welcome.  Often (but not always) pastors are married and are relate extremely well to other married couples in their church.  But the question is, how well do you relate to those who fall outside of that box?  How switched on are you to the challenges of that single m...  Read More

It never fails to sadden me when people who contact the ministry tell me that they are struggling to find a church where they feel welcome and safe to speak of their same sex attraction, whether current or historic.  The tendency seems to be that they either find a church that has become inclusive, to the point of celebration of same sex relationships.  Or, they find a church where they feel judge...  Read More

This world increasingly encourages us to wear labels, whether it’s our gender, sexuality, relationship status, career or something else.  Psychologists would say that we put ourselves in boxes, trying to define who we are.  When you introduce yourself to someone, how do you describe yourself?  This is an eye opener as to where you see your worth or how you view yourself within society.One label th...  Read More

Psalm 18:16-19He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.  He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.Oh that the church would take heed of these verses when it comes to...  Read More

Acts 5:29 (New Living Translation) tells us that when Peter and the apostles were summoned to the High Priest to answer why they had continued to teach in the name of Jesus, despite being banned, they replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.As I read today of the discussions within the Scottish parliament, and recognising that similar conversations are taking place in Wales and ...  Read More

It’s always a privilege to be asked to speak about my faith and personal testimony, it’s usually the Q & A session that I find the most fun as I get a chance to really hear what’s on people’s hearts.  In a couple of weeks I am speaking to a youth group and have been furnished with their questions in advance.  One question that popped out of the page to me was this, “Will LGBTQ people go to hell?We...  Read More

Ephesians 6: 12-13 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.Bible believing Chri...  Read More

What did Jesus say about homosexuality?OK so this is a question we hear all the time, and many people will say that Jesus was silent on this.  I disagree with that; Jesus did speak about sexual immorality and I will cover that shortly.  But the other day I was reading the book of John and was drawn to the final verse which says, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were writt...  Read More

Seeing the Church of England continue to implode this week reminded me of a recent article I wrote about how we can be welcoming to all, without affirming sinful behaviours.Sadly, living in a post Christian society we are challenged to declare our support of, and uphold the personal rights of, everyone and anyone to do life their way.  Saying that you’re an affirming, inclusive and progressive chu...  Read More

There was a time in my life when I was out and proud in the gay community and felt that I actually belonged there. Yet at the same time I didn’t entirely feel like I was meant to be there. I had enough of a Christian upbringing to know the lifestyle I was living wasn’t for me.  In church for a long time though, I had also felt very alone and I didn’t feel like I belonged there either. Having same ...  Read More

I was deeply saddened this week to read that St Nicholas Church in Leicester has given pride of place (excuse the pun) to the progress pride flag on its altar.  The Daily Mail online reports that “Church reverend Canon Karen Rooms claims the huge fabric Progress Pride Flag is merely a way of letting visitors know they are ‘welcome and safe”.I will come back to the ‘welcome and safe’ comment in a m...  Read More

25 years ago God spoke to me regarding being involved in a future ministry helping and leading those in the LGBTQ+ to Christ.  Little did I know that all those years later how much the world would change and the seed that was sown back in 1997 would start to bear fruit.When I shared this with my Pastor at the time, his reply shocked and hurt me to the core, “Those people can’t be helped.” he said ...  Read More

Prodigal come home – the cry of the Father’s heart to the children who were brought up in church, yet have been drawn away by the empty promises of the world.The NLT version of the Bible tells us in Proverbs 22:6 – “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”My personal experience of this is so true.  I was brought up in church and taught Biblical tr...  Read More

This week we launched all our training resources on to YouTube.  For the full experience, with teaching notes we still recommend that you sign up to our e-learning platform (Click Here). But the main reason for launching to YouTube is to ensure we reach as wide an audience as possible.  These videos are aimed at helping churches to assess where they are in terms of how friendly and welcoming they ...  Read More

I think it’s called righteous anger, but a wave of emotion swept over me as I heard the voice of the Bishop of Oxford calling for the Church of England to accept same sex marriage.  I don’t write from a theoretical position, but from one of personal testimony.  Having been in a civil partnership with another woman for 16 years, I know what it feels like to centre my identity on my sexuality, and d...  Read More

False teaching is prevalent amongst Christians today and it is heart breaking to see some of the social media groups who are leading the way when it comes to false teaching on sexuality.  It’s so easy to see how teenagers are being conned into believing that the Bible is affirming of homosexuality, because of the way the text is being presented.When I myself was searching for truth, I spent a lot ...  Read More

There are still many churches who preach and uphold the word of God on sexuality; sadly far fewer than were doing so a decade ago. How do these churches remain aware of the “leaven” and protect themselves from being tainted by the false teaching that is so prevalent today?One of the things that is essential is not to sit back and do nothing.  Members of our congregations live in the world and the ...  Read More

I thought it would be interesting to ask a group of Christians who have experienced, or still experience, same sex attraction (SSA) about their experiences in church.  I asked the tongue in cheek question – what’s the dumbest thing someone’s ever said to you in church about SSA?I was not ready for the answers I received, it opened my eyes to a level of offence and ignorance that must be changed if...  Read More