Search results for: 'loss a'

  • 9 Oct 2018

Pink and Blue - Baby Loss Awareness Week 2018

Loss is painful, lonely, and can cause deeper grief than we ever imagine. Jane Clamp has worked tirelessly to open the conversation surrounding baby loss. It’s hard to talk about. That’s why it needs to be spoken ...
  • 12 Nov 2018

Prayer as a form of self-care

Gemma Simmonds, author of The Way of Ignatius, is on our blog for self care week, discussing how prayer is as essential to self-care as healthy eating, good sleep, regular exercise, and time with friends and ...

"I have no tendency to be a saint" (John Henry Newman)

On 13th October 2019 Blessed John Henry Newman will be canonised a Saint by Pope Francis. Historian Eamon Duffy describes Newman's intellectual journey as one of the most remarkable of the nineteenth century. In John Henry Newman: A Very Brief History Eamon provides an engaging and judicious introduction on the life and legacy of this ...

Hope unleashed from a firefighter

With news of the official report into the Grenfell Tower fire being released today Gaby Doherty, author of Grenfell Hope reflects on the courage shown by the firefighters as well as the criticism they faced for the policies they operated ...

Lessons from Loss

Baby Loss Awareness Week takes place 9th - 15th October and is an opportunity for the bereaved to unite with others across the world to commemorate their babies’ lives. In this extract from Still Standing, Tola Doll Fisher reflects on the feelings she experienced after losing her daughter ...
  • 6 Aug 2018

A Hero in God’s Eyes

We're into the #SPCKBookClub!  Mankind has reinvented its heroes of old slaying dragons into superheroes facing alien invasions. We often have our own versions of a hero we look up to. Maybe it’s your favourite celebrity or social activist. Maybe even your mum or dad. And as Christians, we often have Biblical heroes we admire like Queen ...
  • 10 Oct 2018

What Not To Say When Someone Has Experienced A Miscarriage

It's World Mental Health Day today. The loss of a baby can cause unimaginable pain and grief.  We might think we can understand what someone else is going through, but we don’t know.  Jane Clamp considers what to say and what not to say when someone has lost a baby in early ...

I'm a bit like a mosquito

On International Women's Day, Hope Rising 365 author Meg Cannon is on the blog to talk about the women whose wisdom and wonder inspire Meg ...

Why you should read this book... Q&A with Tricia Goyer, author of Twice Rescued Child

We catch up with Tricia Goyer, author of Twice Rescued Child. She tells us what inspired her to write the book and what we as readers can take away from the ...
  • 15 Oct 2018

Wave of Light - Baby Loss Awareness Week

It was only two years ago that I found the Wave of Light on Facebook. Now in its sixteenth year, on the 15th of October women who have miscarried are encouraged to light a candle to commemorate their lost ones, posting their photos on social media with the hashtag #WaveofLight. I joined in, lighting a single stubby candle in honour of my four, ...

What is it like to be a young carer?

Today marks the start of Carers Week, an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. According to the last census, there are 166,000 young carers in England, but recent research suggests that the actual figure ...

‘Welcome’ is so much more than a word on the church noticeboard or weekly notice sheet

With the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) resources approaching publication, we are sharing an extract from David Runcorn's book Love Means Love. Love Means Love published in June this year coinciding with the original publication date for the LLF resources. In this extract David reflects on the experiences of Christians who have struggled '...or are ...
  • 3 Jul 2018

A different way to engage with the Bible

Philip Law is Publishing Director at SPCK. His previous books include A Time to Pray (Lion, 2002), The Story of the Christ (Continuum, 2006) and The SPCK Book of Christian Prayer (SPCK, 2009). Here, he discusses The One Hour Bible, our new book that he compiled and edited ...
  • 11 Jul 2018

There’s a heatwave. Is it Christmas yet?

We’ll be promoting children’s titles over the months of July and August. Summer holidays are always a fun time to go to the library or bookshop and pick favourite books to read. We all have fond memories of reading on holiday, by the pool, on the beach, at the cabin, and even at summer camp. Summer is the time when we get to read the ...
  • 31 Aug 2018

A Chat with Cole Moreton

Today is National Maritime Day. Cole Moreton’s forthcoming book The Light Keeper is set in London and The South Downs. Here, he chats with us about his writing and the setting of his new ...
  • 26 Sept 2018

Diffusion: using books to make a difference in the lives of prisoners

We caught up with our Commercial Director Alexandra McDonald about the work she does with our Diffusion programme. Diffusion works with prisoners to improve their literacy skills. This helps with self confidence and independence, which are essential when re-integrating into the community upon release from ...
  • 6 Oct 2018

A Revolution in Your Head? How social prescribing could change the world

Emma Drew, author of The Whole Person Recovery Handbook, is on our blog for World Cerebral Palsy Day. The language we use to talk about diagnoses and conditions has a profound effect on the treatment of it.  How can social prescribing help result in better outcomes, ones that look at health in a way that’s more ...

Enemies can be our best spiritual friends - a reflection from Fr Laurence Freeman

'The crisis has exposed fundamental flaws in our view of the world, our environment and social structures. We are all in the same storm, rich and poor, north and south. But we are clearly not in the same boat'. Fr Laurence Freeman reflects on the effects of Covid-19. This reflection was originally published in the WCCM newsletter and has been ...

The Search for Spirituality

Richard Rohr’s highly anticipated book, Just This, will be available in ...
  • 3 Aug 2018

Art that helps through grief

John Bell, author of The Last Journey, chats with us about the inspiration behind ...
  • 16 Aug 2018

The story you need to tell

“Only a smile, only a word, only a kindness done.A brief exchange, a little light from one to one.” - John McLeod, Appreciation Poems As Too Soon, a mother’s journey through miscarriage, is published today, I wanted to share my motivation for writing the book and my hopes for it. When I endured the horror of four consecutive ...
  • 10 Sept 2018

Helping the Helper

10 September is World Suicide Prevention Day. When one person intervenes and saves another from suicide, the support can go to the person who wanted to end their life. More care and attention must go to the helper. Here, Tim Cantopher blogs about helping someone who has prevented another person’s ...
  • 27 Nov 2018

Ruth Clemence's Top 5 SPCK Reads of 2018

Blogger and book reviewer Ruth Clemence has read many of our books over the last year. We’ve asked her to pick her ...
  • 21 Dec 2018

The deeply personal nature of poetry

Terry Waite’s new book Travels with a Primate will publish in February 2019. He’s on our blog to discuss Out of the Silence, his deeply moving and personal collection of poetry and ...
  • 3 Jan 2019

The peace that passes all understanding

Has your therapist or acupuncturist ever encouraged you to develop a mindfulness practice? Do you sit in front of YouTube tutorials and wonder if you’re doing it right? Do you feel frustrated because you’re afraid that you’ve done it wrong? You’re not alone. Christopher Dines talks us through mindfulness. There is no right ...
  • 23 Jan 2019

Gemma Simmonds on things she'd tell her younger self

Gemma Simmonds is a religious sister of the Congregation of Jesus. She began her ministry teaching at secondary level in the UK and went on from there to missionary work among women and street children in Brazil. She trained in Christian spirituality at the Ignatian spirituality centre in Wernersville, USA and this led to work as a retreat giver ...

Terry Waite on prison reform and rehabilitation - part 1

Terry Waite is an Anglican humanitarian and author. In the 1980s, he worked as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s special envoy, travelling to the Middle East and negotiating the release of hostages, when he himself was taken as a hostage. Since his release from captivity he has worked extensively with prisoners and is a supporter of SPCK’s ...

The Challenges of Urbanization

From one end of Eurasia to the other, societies are now either already highly urbanized or in the process of becoming so. In The Human Odyssey Stephen Green explores the challenges that are posed by this change. In the following blog post Stephen introduces us to his chapter on 'The forces unleashed by ...

Announcement: David Adam

With great sadness, we have to announce that the much-loved Celtic spirituality writer, David Adam, died suddenly at home on Friday 24 January, aged ...

Why the title 'Irrepressible'?

"These twelve principles mean a lot to me and have formed so much of my thinking over recent years. I hope they will give other people some practical handholds and a good dollop of hope". Cathy Madavan, speaker and author of Irrepressible: 12 principles for a courageous, resilient and fulfilling life tells us why she wrote the book, why ...

10 Ways to Combat Jealousy

To tie in with the publication of The Comparison Trap, author Helen Roberts suggests 10 ways that we can combat ...

Escapism Reads for Uncertain Times

In these uncertain times being able to immerse yourself in a good book can be a welcome escape. In this blog post you will find book suggestions from our fiction imprint: Marylebone ...

You are not alone, an extract from Baby Change

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is a week-long campaign dedicated to talking about mental illness during and after pregnancy. In the introduction to Baby Change, Anne Calver writes that she '...did not find anything to help parents emotionally, mentally or spiritually as they prepared for and transitioned into life as mums and dads'. In ...

Miss, What Does Unprecedented Mean?

The pandemic has doubled if not tripled the workload and the angst for teachers. Some colleagues I know are physically in the classroom, teaching surprisingly-large numbers of pupils while streaming those lessons live to pupils at home. Fran Hill, author of Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean? tells us what teaching in a pandemic ...

Saying Yes to Life: 2 Years On

Ahead of COP26, we're sharing the impact of Saying Yes to Life in helping people get involved with the climate crisis all around the ...

Loneliness Awareness Week 2022: what can faith teach us about isolation and despair?

For Loneliness Awareness Week 2022, we’re highlighting some of our books that speak profoundly to mental illness, and how to pursue faith amid loneliness and ...

Our charity has been promoting Christian knowledge for over 300 years – now Christians are in the minority

 As a charity who has spent the last 300 years promoting Christianity, we see in the rejection of nominal Christianity (people identifying themselves as Christian out of routine or family tradition, rather than necessarily practicing the faith), an opportunity born out of ...

Cathy Madavan and Why Less Means More

Cathy Madavan, author of Irrepressible, has a new book out this month - Why Less Means More. Learn how you can leave fear and franticness behind and discover that less can really lead to more. Save £2 OFF this month with our coupon code. ...

SPCK Authors at Creation Fest!

Join SPCK Authors Sarah Yardley and Hope Virgo at Creation Fest on the 3rd to the 6th of ...

Stories She’ll Love: Meaningful Books to Gift This Mother’s Day

Celebrate Mother’s Day with meaningful, faith-filled books for every woman who’s shaped your story — from mums and mentors to daughters and ...

Join Us for the Book Trade Christmas Carol Service

Join SPCK Group and the Book Trade Charity for a joyful evening of carols, reflection, and community to celebrate the true spirit of ...
  • 20 Dec 2017

The SPCK January 2018 Releases

After a quiet but important December, SPCK is starting the New Year with a great roster of titles. With a brand new book from Paul Hattaway, a long-lost prayer book, and resources for the whole church family, we can't wait to see what you'll make of the SPCK January 2018 ...
  • 17 Jan 2018

Who is Evelyn Underhill?

With one of our January 2018 releases being the lost prayerbook of a little-known English Anglo-Catholic writer and pacifist, we thought we would explain a little about who Evelyn ...

Grenfell Hope: Stories from the Community

The Grenfell Tower fire broke out on 14th June 2017 in North Kensington. Over 150 homes were destroyed and there were more than 70 ...
  • 25 Jun 2018

5 Questions for Tim Stead

After the phenomenal success of his book Mindfulness and Christian Spirituality, Tim Stead follows up with See Love Be. We chatted to him about his new ...
  • 26 Jun 2018

Be kind to yourself

We all struggle. We all hurt. We all fail. We all make mistakes. What matters is how we respond when we face difficulty and ...
  • 6 Jul 2018

What story is your life telling?

By Leila Jennings ‘Narrative is the central function … of the human mind. We turn everything into a story in order to make sense of life.’ - James Bryan Smith Andy Frost’s new book, Long Story Short, provides insight into the narratives that we use to define our path in life. Many of us see life as the pursuit of ...
  • 15 Aug 2018

Why does God allow suffering?

Robin Gill is Emeritus Professor of Applied Theology at the University of Kent and Acting Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Gibraltar. Among his many books are A Textbook of Christian Ethics (4th edition 2014) and Moral Passion and Christian Ethics (2018). Here, he chats with us about his book Why Does God Allow Suffering? and his personal ...
  • 6 Aug 2018

The Poetry Of Terry Waite

On 19 July, we held an event with Terry Waite, where he spoke about his books Out of the Silence and Solitude. He spoke with great humility, kindness, and compassion. Many in attendance were young when he was captured and detained. They prayed for his release. On our blog today, Terry has chosen some of his favourite poems from Out of the Silence, ...
  • 15 Oct 2018

Work that we're called to do

Barbara Fox chats with us about the genesis of her new book Midwife of Borneo, in which she tells the story of the life and work of Wendy Grey ...
  • 27 Oct 2018

The Importance of Good Mentorship

Christopher Dines is on our blog for Mentoring Day. Recovery from addiction takes an incredible amount of personal strength and resilience, but it also requires tremendous support from friends, family, and professionals. Having a mentor can make all the difference when healing from an ...
  • 16 Nov 2018

Caring for yourself whilst you care for others

Dr Jennifer Bute, author of the new book Dementia From The Inside, was once a missionary doctor in Africa, and later a GP and educator for 25 years until she developed dementia. Jennifer had to resign from her work but realised understanding dementia from the inside was a ‘glorious opportunity’. Now Jennifer is much in demand as a ...
  • 21 Nov 2018

The expression of faith through art

‘Pictures can reach parts of the theological imagination that words cannot.’ Jane Williams considers the representation of faith through ...
  • 28 Nov 2018

Books that can change your life

Books are an invaluable source of power. They can teach you many things, show you different perspectives and in turn shape who you are along the way. We have selected a number of books that will shape your thinking and, possibly, change your ...
  • 5 Feb 2019

Brave New Year

Andrew Adam, author of Thomas Cochrane and the Dragon Throne, blogs for us about the Chinese New ...
  • 13 Feb 2019

Struggling to find space? Follow Jesus into the desert.

The desert is a vast and beautiful. The colours of the sky and the sand and the piercing blue against the reds and the yellow, are intense. A few years ago, on an 8 days retreat in the Egyptian desert, three days of which were solitary and fasting, I was struck by the space and sheer beauty of the desert. It was a struggle to get away, with four ...
  • 14 Feb 2019

Five non-fiction books – International Book Giving Day

With international book giving day taking place today, this entirely volunteer-based initiative is aimed at giving awareness and sharing the love of books. Originating in the UK, volunteers and book lovers alike join in on the yearly celebration worldwide by giving the gift of books to others with the hope of instilling in them an affinity and ...

Give the gift of story this Mother's Day

As Mothering Sunday approaches, give Mum a story that will touch her heart in a way no other gift ...

Schools assemblies can be fun!

Do you remember your school assemblies? I do, and how I wish I would forget some of them! We had one teacher, who would insist on taking Monday morning assemblies. Sure, you might think that he should be applauded for stepping up and taking on the task that no one else wanted. But you would be ...

Very Brief Histories Event

The Very Brief History series is a collection of short, accessible introductions on histories, legacies, and movements that have shaped the world written by industry experts. Our event on Saturday features four speakers uncovering the lives of Thomas More, Immanuel Kant, Byzantine Christianity, and Julian of Norwich. ...

Natural Holy Places: Britain's Top 10

Nick Mayhew-Smith, author of The Naked Hermit, rounds up a five-year journey into the wild sacred spaces of Britain with a top 10 list of the most enchanting holy ...

Dementia from the Inside

Louise Morse discusses her book with Dr Jennifer Bute, Dementia from the Inside, for Dementia Action ...

United We Stand, Divided We Fall

Debra Green, author of Mountain Moving Prayer, is the National Director and founder of ROC which aims to work alongside the church in ways that demonstrate the Christian faith-in-action. She chats about how encouring faith to live out in ...

SPCK works to improve adult literacy

Did you know 1 in 6 adults in England have very poor literacy skills? Rebecca Law, Project Manager of SPCK's Diffusion Books tells us about the work that the project does to help prisoners, ex-offenders and homeless people improve their reading skills so they can find work and build a more hopeful future for ...

Busting the Myths of Dementia

Alzheimer's Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness, provide support and demystify dementia. The impact of Alzheimer's Day is increasing but there is still lack of information surrounding dementia. Louise Morse, co-author of Dementia from the Inside writes about the common myths of dementia and explains how the biggest hope is to ...

An Introduction to Twice-Rescued Child

Nearly 80 years after the Second World War the horror and sorrow still grips our hearts. There are countless stories of the families torn apart, yet so many individual lives, individual stories, are lost in the pages of time. Twice-Rescued Child follows the real-life story of Thomas Graumann, who at 8 years old excitedly boarded a ...

10 individuals who risked their lives in the Holocaust

'When the Nazis started to destroy the European Jews, the millions of non-Jews in Europe had to decide their stance: would they help the Nazis, help the Jews, or do nothing. A very small percentage resisted or helped. The great majority did nothing. More than 16,000 rescuers have been recognized officially by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, yet no one ...

‘Don’t just pretend to love others – really love them’

Today is International Women's Day, a global event that celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. To tie in with this awareness day we're sharing an extract from Helen Roberts' new book The Comparison Trap. In this extract Helen reflects on a passage from Romans 12:9-15 (NLT) and explores Paul's letter ...

He is Our Anchor of Hope, an extract from Broken by Fear, Anchored in Hope

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and we're sharing an extract from Rob Merchant's upcoming book: Broken by Fear, Anchored in Hope. Drawing on his own experience, Rob shows how healing starts when we acknowledge and accept our vulnerability. Knowing our place before God and surrendering wholly to Christ, we can discover forgiveness and ...

Thomas Graumann, the boy who fled the Nazis

It is with great sadness that today we hear of the passing of Thomas Graumann, one of the last children rescued by British humanitarian Nicholas Winton. Thomas' story was published in the book Twice Rescued Child, co-written with Tricia Goyer. Last year we caught up with Tricia and she told us what it was like working with Thomas and ...

Lesson 90: Be Nice

Tola Doll Fisher reflects on Ephesians 4.31, and how it can be used to remind us to not engage in behaviour that can negatively impact another's mental health. This extract from her book Still Standing is Lesson 90: Be ...

But Where Are You Really From?

‘Where are you from?’ I’m asked.‘The UK,’ I reply. ‘I mean where are you really from?’ ‘Zambia,’ I reply. In this blog post you will find a short video of Amanda Khozi Mukwashi reading from the opening chapter of her book But Where Are You Really From? The extract is also ...

From the quiet science lab to the macho police college

'Leaving the quiet, sterile environment of science research for the macho, militaristic culture of Hendon was a massive culture shock. You could smell the testosterone in the air the moment you passed through the gates into the campus'. In this extract from Closing Ranks: My Life as a Cop, Leroy Logan tells us about his first night at Hendon Police ...

National Poetry Day 2020 - Hope by George Herbert

National Poetry Day is celebrated every year on the first Thursday of October, and encourages everyone to enjoy, discover and share poetry. With this in mind, we are sharing a poem by George Herbert called Hope, with a commentary from Mark Oakley. This is an extract from Mark Oakley's volume My Sour-Sweet Days: George Herbert and the Journey of the ...

The Art of Remembering, an extract for All Souls' Day 2020

With outdoor services, prayer walks, and light displays, All Souls' Day will look very different this year. Commemorating the faithfully departed can be an emotional time for many. Young people in particular can have a difficult time with bereavement. Whether they have lost a family member or friend, there are often little reminders of their lost ...

Gifts with Strings Attached

Receiving a generous gift is often much harder than giving. We can feel obligated or humbled, depending on who is doing the giving. It’s a real challenge to daily accept and believe God’s grace as the ultimate loving gift with no strings ...

Thoughtful Gifts for Her

If you’re unsure what to buy your wife, girlfriend, sister, mother, or daughter, then look no further as we suggest some gift ideas to help you find that perfect ...

Robots, AI and human uniqueness: learning what not to fear

In the run-up to tonight’s Panorama episode on artificial intelligence, we’re sharing an extract from The Robot Will See You ...

Blue Monday Week: Save 10% on Mental Health Resources

Banish January Blues and save 10% this Blue Monday Week on inspirational and uplifting Mental Health Resources. ...

Joshua Luke Smith Hosts Stories & Psalms - Free Event

Joshua Luke Smith, author of Something You Once Knew, is hosting Stories & Psalms at Kings X Church on January 30th at 7:30 pm. Find out more here. ...

Amy Scott Robinson Discusses her Adventuring Girls series

Amy Scott Robinson, author of the Adventuring Girls series, discusses traditional fairytales, fierce heroines, and what she hoped to achieve with her Adventuring Girls series. ...

The Promise and Peril of AI: An interview with Stephen N. Williams

Delve into the fascinating and complex world of Artificial Intelligence with Stephen N. Williams, co-editor of The Robot Will See You Now. Learn about the potential benefits and ethical considerations associated with AI, and explore the ongoing debate on whether AI research is moving too fast. Don't miss our 20% OFF Discount Code! ...

SPCK Authors At St Andrews Literature Festival

St Andrews Bookshop will be hosting their first ever annual Christian literature festival! We're thrilled that several of our authors will be speaking at the ...

Rachel Mann Do Not Be Afraid Advent Videos

Watch Free Advent Weekly Videos to accompany the bestselling Advent book - Do Not Be ...

Who Am I? Rediscovering Our True Identity This Advent

In Who Am I?, Bishop Nick Baines invites us this Advent to pause, reflect, and rediscover our true identity in Christ—the God who seeks us out with love, grace, and surprising ...

Guest Post: Why Belovedness Matters More Than Resolutions This New Year

In her heartfelt guest post, Rachael Newham, author of Beloved is Where We Begin, invites readers to embrace gentleness and God’s love in the New Year instead of chasing unrealistic ...