• Beyond The Pale

    Reading Time: 9 minutes

    I recently wrote about my separation from the religious community I grew up in and the overwhelming response to my article was both encouraging and thought-provoking.
    Many people wrote to me, both publicly and privately, to let me know that the article had deeply resonated with them. They expressed that they, too, have had many questions over the years, wrestling with inconsistencies while attempting to find their place in a system they secretly suspected they didn’t…

  • Women + Church Ministry

    Reading Time: 21 minutes

    The early Christians faced many challenges in their new life of faith in Jesus. The gospel boldly sought to realign humanity according to the values of a true and impartial God. Differences based on race or social status found no place in this new religion.
    Jews who thought of themselves as God’s unique and chosen people were now to consider Gentiles as family, loved by the same God. Slave owners, rich in property and persons,…

  • Why Belonging To A Local Church Isn’t Optional

    Reading Time: 7 minutes

    The last six months have been an unsettling and disruptive time for millions of people around the globe. The impact of COVID-19 on our ordinary routines and daily habits has been, in many cases, bewildering. The ways in which we would usually connect have had to adapt to these new and strange times – and it seems we’re not out of the woods just yet. Our lives may not return to normal any time soon,…

  • The Church | A Woman Of Valour

    Reading Time: 12 minutes

    In my recent article, ‘The People Of The Kingdom’, I noted that the church is the tangible evidence of the kingdom of God. Church people are kingdom people, living in a fellowship under King Jesus, with lives that “are literally connected to things before the creation of the world and extending far into eternity” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) (Matter Of The Heart). By looking more closely at how the Bible describes the church, we will also see what…

  • Is Church-Going Still Relevant?

    Reading Time: 6 minutes

    Despite Christianity still being Australia’s largest religion (61.1% compared with 7.3% of all other religions combined), the proportion of Australians identifying as Christian has been steadily declining over the past century. Compared to 1911, when 96% of people identified as Christian, the 2001 census recorded the figure of 68% and the latest Census, taken in 2011, recorded a drop to 61.1%.
    New figures released in 2017 show that some 7 million Australians (30.1% of the population),…