Seven up…

1) Churches tally up their value to society – at £12.4bn – Very interesting analysis of the contribution churches make to society. Of course, we need to remember the gospel has a crucial eternal dimension that isn’t going to be directly recognised in such reports, but it’s encouraging to see Christians serving their communities in all sorts of ways.

2) Zoe Powell: The Christian creative who pointed everyone to Jesus – A desperately sad story from Oxfordshire this week, after a horrific car crash saw a young Christian family‘s earthly life ripped apart. Zoe Powell’s work was very popular through the Cheerfully Given website – and this is a touching tribute.

3) Why the “rule of six” could help your friendships – and your home group – Naomi Dawson argues that smaller numbers create groups that have a higher level of sharing and intimacy.

4) Coronavirus: Implications Of The New “Three-Tier’ COVID Alert System For Churches In England – Helpful summary of some of the key points from the UK Government’s new tier system.

5) Justin Giboney’s Both/AND Politics – This is from an American context in light of the Presidential election, but I’d not come across Giboney before. It’s an interesting approach in an increasingly fractured debate.

6) To win the argument, lockdown-sceptics must unite with a new manifesto – As John Stevens pointed out this week, Christians could do well to consider the debates around lockdown as a useful lesson in how not to communicate, persuade and make our case.

7) Nobel Prize Midnight Wake-Up Call – For something a bit different, the #NobelPrize committee couldn’t reach Paul Milgrom to share the news that he had won, so his fellow winner and neighbour Robert Wilson knocked on his door in the middle of the night. The result is rather hilarious.

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