Links https://www.message.org.uk/nomoreknives/ / messagetrust / themessagetrust You don’t have to look far to see in the news the devastating impact that knife crime and drug abuse is having on young people across the country. We refuse to stand by and do nothing and so we take our programme of creative lessons to schools around the UK to help inform and equip young people to make positive choices.Since launching in January 2020, we’ve delivered over 30 No More Knives tours to over 150,000 students with the aim of raising awareness of the dangers of knife crime and equipping young people to say ‘no’ to knives. In 2024, we launched the No More County Lines tour to address the increasing danger of drug dealing and exploitation and to support young people in making positive choices.Knife crime and the devastating impact it has on lives is never far from the headlines. Something must change, so the No More Knives tour is heading into high schools to show young people there is another way.Combining music with powerful stories and teaching, we deliver lessons and assemblies that equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to say no to knives and start to discover their full value and identity.Following the schools week, we book a major venue to invite students along to a concert by the bands they’ve met in school and featuring guest speakers. And all this is done in partnership with the local police force and Councils.The Message Trust exists to passionately share the good news of Jesus with young people and urban communities in word and action.From building up evangelists all over the world in our Advance Groups, equipping and training young people on our Message School Of Evangelism, serving communities through Eden and Community Groceries, reaching those in prison with the hope of God, supporting those with barriers to employment through Christ-centred enterprise, and declaring the love of Jesus in our schools work, we are seeing lives transformed as people discover their true identity in Christ

Religious guest playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXJbQwP9mIn8kI3XM5EmGD81OFTZSOVOmOrder his book here https://chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334063162/breaking-not-broken#yorkminster Blog excerpt for Tims book.Would you introduce yourself and tell us about your background? What brought you to this point in your life and your current focus?I am the Revd Canon Timothy Goode, currently Canon for Congregational Discipleship and Nurture at York Minster. I am a priest, theologian, and disability justice advocate, and I have lived with permanent disability for over thirty years. My theological work is inseparable from my lived experience. Diagnosed in childhood with a rare hereditary bone condition and later left permanently disabled following a cancerous spinal tumour, I have spent much of my life navigating churches, institutions, and sacred spaces, drawing attention to the reality that they were not designed with bodies like mine in mind.What brought me to this point is a long journey of wrestling with faith, suffering, vocation, and belonging. Though I love the Church deeply, I also know, painfully and personally, how often it has failed disabled people, not simply through thoughtlessness but through theology, architecture, and inherited assumptions about what a “proper” Christian body looks like. My current focus is on helping the Church reimagine itself theologically and practically around what I call a risen-body anthropology: a vision of humanity shaped not by ideals of perfection or self-sufficiency, but by the wounded, risen body of Christ.Tell us about your new book,Breaking, not BrokenWhat is it about? What inspired you to decide to write this?Breaking, not Broken is a theological critique of ableism in the Church and a constructive vision for how Christian theology, heritage, worship, and memory might be re-formed through the lens of disability. It argues that ableism is not a marginal pastoral issue but a deep theological distortion that has shaped how the Church imagines God, holiness, leadership, healing, and the human body.I was inspired to write this book because I realised that many conversations about disability in churches stop far too early. We talk about inclusion or access, but rarely ask what kind of God our buildings, liturgies, and doctrines proclaim. Over years of ministry, and particularly since becoming a Residentiary Canon at York Minster, I have seen how sacred heritage can both proclaim the gospel and quietly contradict it. This book is my attempt to draw attention to that tension, and to offer hope that the Church can be re-membered, put back together differently, more faithfully, around the wounded and risen Christ.You write about accessibility and heritage in churches but go beyond the idea of “a ramp or a hearing loop”. What do these concepts mean to you, and how might your vision look different from current practice?Ramps and hearing loops matter. They are essential, and I would never wish to minimise them. But on their own, they risk treating disabled people as a logistical problem rather than as a theological presence. Accessibility, as I understand it, is not just about entry; it is about belonging, authority, visibility, and memory.Heritage is especially important here. Churches often treat heritage as something neutral to be preserved, when in fact it is a theological act of remembering that shapes who is seen as holy, central, or authoritative. My vision seeks answers to deeper questions: Who were our buildings designed for? Whose bodies do our liturgies assume?

Please subscribe to The God Cast - Here are some links of Interest.Andy's Substack https://discernwithdyslexia.substack.com/p/cofe-ordinand-fundingThe details of the new system are available here ddo-maintenance-training-fund-2026.pdf Church of England - Tackling Working Classism in the Church https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/diocesan-resources/ministry-development/addressing-classism-church#naChurch of England - Current MFT Funding for Ordinands (2026) - Funding / Grant Details for Ordinands https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-life/vocations/preparing-ordained-ministry/financial-support-ordinandsChurchTimes - Fr Alex Forst Speaks Up For The Working Class https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2026/20-february/news/uk/more-working-class-role-models-needed-in-c-of-e-leadership-synod-is-toldChurch Times Survey 2023 https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/3-november/news/uk/new-survey-reveals-debt-and-mental-stress-among-ordinandsOrdinands association 2023 https://ordinands.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/financial-pressures-among-ordinands-in-training.pdfcofe financial support package: https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-life/vocations/preparing-ordained-ministry/financial-support-ordinandsKey stats:43% of training candidates go directly into debt to pay for everyday living costs.£6,770 is the average amount of debt a candidate builds up during training.25% suffer severe financial hardship, such as falling behind on energy bills.10% are forced to regularly skip meals to afford their basic expenses.Over 50% of female candidates state that money stress has actively damaged their mental health. (43% for males)

Bishop Jill Duff is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2018, she has been the Bishop of Lancaster, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Blackburn. Previously, she had been Director of St Mellitus College, North West, an Anglican theological college, from 2013 to 2018.Before ordination, she studied chemistry at university and worked in the oil industry. After ordination in the Church of England, she served in the Diocese of Liverpool in parish ministry, chaplaincy, and church planting.

A public and passionate celebration of Jesus on Pentecost weekend in London in 2026. Joining with the global movement of March for Jesus on Saturday 23rd May.What is it?The Jesus March is a joyous, hopeful celebration of Jesus in London. The global movement of March for Jesus, which began in London in 1987, has continued around parts of the world and recently begun again across Europe. We are inviting you to join us as we relaunch March for Jesus in London this Pentecost weekend – this time called the Jesus March – on Saturday 23rd May.As the annual celebration of the birth of the church, of the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit and of thousands saved, Pentecost is the perfect date for the church to publicly celebrate Jesus, heal the spiritual atmosphere in our city, and raise hope and peace in our communities. There is a series of other significant Christian missions happening in the run up to the Pentecost weekend and throughout it: the Jesus March is a perfect climax to draw everything together.WHAT IS IT NOT?This is not a protest – we are not using this march to speak against any injustices or wrongs regarding the government of the UK, we are celebrating Jesus and lifting him up!This is not a political march – this is not left or right, and no political or national flags are allowed.This is not a promotion – there will be no money-making or products being pushed. No-one is promoting their own ministry or agenda.Why now?Because God is on the move! We have seen a recent wave of salvation, growing church attendance and a fresh boldness to reach the UK with the good news of Jesus, particularly London. This paves the way for a significant, united moment to proclaim and praise Jesus on the streets of this city! We are living in challenging times but Jesus calls his church to shine like stars to the world. Join us to shine out the light of Jesus!WHERE and when IS IT?The Jesus March will take place in central London. The route (pending police confirmation) is from Marble Arch and along Piccadilly, following a joyful mobile worship team on a float. We will end with an extended time of worship and prayer in Trafalgar Square.The march starts at 2pm on Saturday 23 May, finishing at 5pm.CAN I GET INVOLVED?Of course you can! The Jesus March is for everyone. We would love to see the beauty of the breadth, depth and racial diversity of the UK church expressed in the Jesus March. It would really help our planning if we know who is intending to be a part of the Jesus March 2026.Save the date: Make sure you’ve put Saturday 23 May in your and your church’s diary.Register your interest: Let us know you’re coming. To help with stewarding and first aid requirements, we are asking churches who are bringing 25 or more people to commit to bringing a group marshal (steward) and one qualified first-aider who would attend pre-event briefings.

Order Patrick's new book here https://standrewsbookshop.co.uk/product/small-steps-for-big-change/Learn more of his work here https://www.smallstepsforbigchange.co.uk/Follow him on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/patrick.regan.739on InstagramDiscover more of mental health awareness week here https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-weekLearn more of Brighter Days here https://www.brighterdays.life/about-usHow Brighter Days beganIn the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces faced unprecedented challenges, requiring them to become resilient and cultivate healthier, more honest cultures. Amidst this backdrop, Patrick Regan OBE embarked on a quest to rethink organisational wellbeing. Engaging in insightful conversations with leading experts across various disciplines, Patrick identified a pressing need for practical solutions that would empower organisations and their people. Brighter Days offers innovative training programs designed to address the evolving demands of the modern workplace.With Patrick's vision and expertise, Brighter Days has become a part of the solution, helping organisations and their people navigate uncertainty, develop resilience, and foster cultures that prioritise wellbeing and authenticity. We are reshaping the future of work, one brighter day at a time.Mental Health Awareness Week has played a huge role in changing how we talk about mental health. But for many organisations, the question now is: What actually changes?The 2026 theme, Action, reflects this shift — moving beyond awareness into the small, everyday behaviours that genuinely protect and improve mental health at work.A more practical approach to mental health at work:In many workplaces, the biggest challenges are not a lack of awareness, but:Knowing what to do in the momentSupporting others effectivelyCreating environments where people can actually thriveWe’ve delivered mental health and wellbeing programmes to over 350 organisations, and one thing is clear:Awareness alone rarely leads to lasting change.Our Mental Health Awareness Week programme is designed to change that — focusing on practical, realistic actions that support mental health at every level of the organisation.Talk to us about your MHAW plansPatrick Regan OBEPatrick Regan OBE is an award-winning author, activist and speaker with extensive experience in the UK charity and public sectors. After he and his family went through a series of personal trials and ill health, Patrick decided to step down from his previous role as CEO at XLP to create Kintsugi Hope, a charity which aims to create safe and supportive spaces for those suffering from emotional and mental health challenges. He recently started a business called Brighter Days Life and is an honorary fellow of the London South Bank University for his contribution to justice and wellbeing.

Lady maisery“adventurous and beautiful” Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2

Hazel Askew, Rowan Rheingans and Hannah James - individually three multi award-winning artists - form a unified voice as Lady Maisery. Together they carry stories of sisterhood, human struggle, the joy of living and the vitality of song with the “freshest possible take on traditional music” (Folk Radio UK). Their long-standing effervescent collaboration has been described as “adventurous and beautiful” (Mark Radcliffe, Radio 2) “exquisite and thrilling” (The Guardian) with “a generosity of spirit and joie de vivre that seems to emanate from every minute of their recorded output as well as from their exuberant live shows” (Folk Radio UK).
Their fifth studio album Tender was released at the end of 2022 to far-reaching acclaim. An arresting record exploring the power in vulnerability, the tenderness of collective wounds and the strength in kindness, it was hailed “a beguiling blend of ancient and modern” (The Times) and “both nurturing and raw, a sensitive response to the times we are living in” (Daily Info).
Tender entered the Official Indie Album Charts at number 18, the Official Indie Album Breakers Chart at number 3 (rare accolades for British folk!) before spending a whole year in the Official Folk Chart Top 40.

Learn more of the musical via this link https://www.itiswellmusical.com/Follow the group on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/itiswellmusical/Follow Fr Alex on X @alexdjfrostABOUT THE SHOW"It is Well with My Soul" is one of the most beloved hymns of all time, with words by Horatio Spafford and music by Philip Bliss. This new musical tells the story of Philip and his wife, Lucy, how at the end of the American Civil War, they end up moving to the growing metropolis of Chicago, Illinois, to make a new life for themselves. It is there they meet lawyer Horatio Spafford and his wife Anna, producer and publisher George Root, and preacher and philanthropist D L Moody. As Philip begins to gain prominence as a soloist and hymn-writer, temptation begins to creep in: how will Philip handle the temptations that come with his new life? And how will the Blisses handle the tragic circumstances of the Great Chicago Fire and the loss of the Spafford girls in the sinking of the Ville du Havre? "It is Well with My Soul" invites you to explore the Gospel message of hope, like an anchor for the soul.In the storms of life, is it well with your soul? Book your tickets to see this exciting new theatrical production and explore this enduring message of true and steadfast faith in the midst of tragedy and suffering.

About This Hymn

Author: Horatio G. Spafford (1828–1888)
Composer: Philip P. Bliss (1838–1876)
Meter: 11.8.11.9 with Chorus
Scripture Reference: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1 (KJV)

The timeless hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” was written by Horatio Gates Spafford, a devout Presbyterian layman and prominent attorney in Chicago. Born on October 20, 1828, in North Troy, New York, Spafford later moved to Illinois, where he established a successful legal practice. Alongside his professional achievements, he was deeply engaged in Christian ministry and maintained close friendships with influential evangelical leaders of the time, including D. L. Moody. Gospel musician George Stebbins described Spafford as “a man of unusual intelligence and refinement, deeply spiritual, and a devoted student of the Scriptures.”