Search results for: 'always of'

What Is the True Mark of Christian Discipleship?

Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, reflects on the Emmaus story and why sharing the good news of Jesus lies at the heart of authentic Christian ...
  • 3 Jul 2018

When doodles become designs -- illustrations for Out of the Silence by Terry Waite

Terry Waite’s Out of the Silence was illustrated by his friend Jenny Coles. One simple drawing led to her drawing all of the pictures in his book. Here, she discusses how that evolved and what the process was ...
  • 5 Sept 2018

SPCK's work for International Day of Charity

Today is the International Day of Charity. Charities have received a bad press in recent years: the safeguarding scandal at Oxfam, the collapse of Kids Company and the hassling of the poppy seller Olive Cooke are but three examples. Sadly, the UK’s 165,000 small charities are suffering because of the cynicism created by the actions of a few ...
  • 26 Sept 2018

The Wisdom of Dr Dawn Harper on Fitness Day

Dr Dawn Harper is on our blog for Fitness Day, sharing her wisdom about the benefits of regular exercise. We all have to find the fitness that works well with us and makes us feel motivated. When we find what we enjoy, we look forward to our ...
  • 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 ...
  • 13 Nov 2018

Different Kinds of Kindness

Andrew Adam, author of Thomas Cochrane and the Dragon Throne, is on our blog today for World Kindness Day. Thomas Cochrane showed extraordinary kindness during his work has a doctor in China. How can we show similar kindness to ourselves and ...
  • 6 Dec 2018

A Very Brief History of SPCK’s Charitable Work

Our Fundraising Assistant Catriona Brickel reflects on the values that led to the creation of SPCK, and how those values are still what drive us today.    ...
  • 17 Jan 2019

Believe in the power of prayer

Debra Green OBE is the National Director and Founder of Redeeming Our Communities (ROC), founded in 2004; a registered charity and Limited company. She is frequently asked to speak at events and conferences. She also speaks at conferences organised by statutory authorities and public services. Debra has 25 years of experience in bringing ...

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 ...

Augustine’s Confessions, the story of his journey to adult Christian faith

On 28th August we celebrate the feast of St Augustine of Hippo. Saint Augustine of Hippo was a Roman African, early Christian theologian and philosopher from Numidia. Saint Augustine of Hippo is just one of twenty Christians that Rowan Williams reflects upon in his new book Luminaries. In this extract we learn about 'Augustine's Confessions' ...

Exploring Patterns of History - an extract from The Human Odyssey

The long human odyssey of self-discovery has reached a crucial stage: everything we do affects everyone and everything else - and we know it. In this extract from Stephen Green's new book The Human Odyssey he explores patterns of history and questions whether these patterns justify the narrative of a human journey - an odyssey which, for ...

Our Lady of Vladimir

Ahead of Mothering Sunday we're sharing an extract from Love Set You Going by Janet Morley. In this extract the poem Our Lady of Vladimir by Rowan Williams is featured alongside a reflection by ...

Part 2 of our Q&A with David Wilbourne, Author of Just John

Here's part 2 of our Q&A with David Wilbourne, author of Just John: The Authorized Biography of John Habgood. Find out in this second part what we can learn from John's life and work, and whether there were any parallels between his life then and the world ...

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 ...

Mental Health and Wellbeing during a Time of Uncertainty

In this time of uncertainty, it is even more important to pay attention to our mental health and wellbeing, checking our blind spots and being honest with ourselves and others. It is this honesty that make Rob Merchant’s Broken By Fear, Anchored In Hope such an important book for this season. Here, Rachael Bell and Simon Ponsonby ...

The New Rules of Social Media

When used correctly, social media can be a helpful tool for youth leaders. There is of course a dark side to social media. In this extract from Leadership 101, Tim Alford, National Director of Limitless provides 5 top tips for using social media ...

Book reading by the Archbishop of York

Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York, will be in York Minster’s Lady Chapel from 10.30am on Saturday 17 December to give a reading from his children’s book, The Sleepy Shepherd. ...

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! ...
  • 27 Jul 2018

A chat with Sharon Moughtin-Mumby of Diddy Disciples

We chatted with Sharon Moughtin-Mumby about the principles of Diddy Disciples, her programme for younger children that grounds them in faith and encourages curiosity, compassion for others, personal expression, and ...
  • 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 ...
  • 4 Oct 2018

The Benefits of SPCK Membership

Our Fundraising Assistant Catriona Brickel is on the blog today, chatting about our members' only event at The Tower of London that took place on 3 ...

SPCK Shortlisted in Three Categories at the CRT Awards 2025!

SPCK Publishing is honoured to be shortlisted in three categories at the CRT Awards 2025, celebrating Discovering Christianity by Rowan Williams and The Girl from Montego Bay by Rose ...

Why People Still Come to Church: Voices from Southern Africa

The Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba shares reflections from Southern Africa on why people still come to church—highlighting worship, community, resilience and faith in the midst of ...

What makes all-age worship so difficult?

In this adapted extract from Worship for Everyone, Nick and Becky Drake address the challenges of all-age worship, and suggest practical steps to help overcome ...
  • 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 ...
  • 14 Nov 2017

SPCK and the Lord Mayor’s Show

SPCK featured once again in the Lord Mayor’s Show, as we continued our tradition of giving a specially inscribed Bible or Prayer Book to the incoming Lord Mayor of the City of ...
  • 25 Jan 2018

4 Key Ingredients for Success

Does your organisation have the right ingredients for success? Primavera Quantrill writes about our recent 1698 Club ...
  • 19 Feb 2018

5 minutes with Kate Bowler

We stole 5 minutes of Kate Bowler's time to find out more about the story behind her new book Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I've ...
  • 25 May 2018

Comedic timing: Paul Kerensa on his newest writing venture

Headlining our Comedy and Cheese event on 23 May, Paul Kerensa spoke about the importance of humour in faith and parodied some popular songs, giving them a scriptural interpretation. The set had everyone laughing.  For those who were unable to attend the event, we've asked him to report why it was important to him to retell Biblical stories ...
  • 25 May 2018

Don’t make a run for it: National Missing Children's Day

25 May is National Missing Children’s Day. Dr Sarah Vohra writes about how parents and carers can respond when their child threatens to run away from ...
  • 29 May 2018

Use more than just words - take positive action

Words affect us in so many ways. They can hurt us, help us, and alter our perspective. Jessie Faerber writes about the next step beyond words: taking ...
  • 8 Oct 2018

Christian publishing – in Italy, Lebanon, Burkina Faso

SPCK Editor Tony Collins is on our blog discussing international publishing.  It’s all too easy to assume that the twin focal points of Christian publishing, America and Britain, define what is happening worldwide in Christian books. Look a little closer, and you would be amazed at the diversity, energy, and enthusiasm of publishers and ...
  • 17 Jun 2018

Independent Bookshop Week - a chat with The Christian Bookshop in Birkenhead

As part of Independent Bookshop Week, we are featuring interviews with, well, independent bookshops! We chatted with The Christian Bookshop in Birkenhead about reviews, social media, comfy shoes, and – of course – books! The Christian Bookshop, 14 Grange Road West, Birkenhead, Wirral CH41 4DATel: 0151 647 ...

From bookseller to sales rep - Julian Gittings interview

Continuing on with our participation in Independent Bookshop Week, we chatted with Julian Gittings about how his work as a bookseller prepared him to work as a sales ...
  • 19 Jun 2018

Independent Bookshops: more than just tea and cake

We spoke with Ali, Team Leader at Quench Christian Bookshop Wokingham, and Head of Retail for both the Wokingham and Maidenhead shops, about her experience with running a ...
  • 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 ...
  • 27 Jul 2018

5 Questions for Andrew Gant

Andrew Gant has held a number of positions in the field of church music, including singing in the choir of Westminster Abbey and Organist and Choirmaster at Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal from 2000-2013, where he was responsible for the music at many Royal and state occasions. He is a stipendiary lecturer in music at St Peter’s College, ...
  • 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 ...
  • 16 Jul 2018

Behind the Scenes: Illustrating the Children’s New Living Translation Bible

Our Commissioning Editor Juliet Trickey and Editorial Intern Miriam Huggland are on the blog today discussing the illustrations in our new NLT Children’s Bible. How does an editor brief an ...
  • 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 ...
  • 30 Jul 2018

International Friendship Day - A Chat with Alexa Tewkesbury

Alexa is an author, editor and proofreader who has been writing extensively for children since 2002. Three picture books for SPCK Publishing, Noah and his Ark, Daniel in the Lions’ Den and Jonah and the Whale, were released in 2017. As well as children’s books, Alexa has also written the screenplays for the animation, It’s A Boy!, ...
  • 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 ...
  • 1 Aug 2018

A Chat with Stephen Cottrell

1 August is Play Day, which encourages the value of play and imagination. Our author Stephen Cottrell has always told stories to his children. Now, he has written a children’s story too. Read about the origins of his new book The Sleepy ...
  • 3 Aug 2018

Art that helps through grief

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

Living a Heroic Life

Summer is often the time we wish for throughout the year and, if especially if you have kids, can’t wait to get away for some rest and relaxation. How do you spend your summers? Do you use it to jet off to the beach? Maybe you spend time at home with family and a barbeque. Maybe you take your children on an adventure. Before the summer comes ...
  • 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 ...
  • 6 Sept 2018

National Read A Book Day

6 September is National Read A Book Day. Richard Harries, author of Haunted by Christ, blogs for us about the importance of reading and the effect that literature can have on our perspective, how we see ourselves and the ...
  • 17 Sept 2018

God values who we are

Liz Carter, author of the forthcoming Catching Contentment, shares her thoughts on our book club pick I Thought There Would Be Cake by Katharine ...
  • 24 Sept 2018

I thought there would be cake too!

Tim Gough is the author of Rebooted, which looks to the Bible to reframe how youth ministry works for our generation. We gave him a copy of I Thought There Would Be Cake, our book club read for this month, and he had lots to ...
  • 21 Sept 2018

National Doodle Day - A Chat with Thea Baker

On National Doodle Day, we chat with Thea Baker, who illustrated The Shepherd Who Couldn’t Sing by Alan Barker, about her work as an ...
  • 17 Sept 2018

Funny Man Paul Kerensa’s 5 Tips for Comedy

On 19 October, we’ll be at The Museum of Comedy for Three Funny Men, an event featuring Simon Jenkins, James Cary, and Paul Kerensa. Tickets are available here.  Paul shares his wisdom about comedy events with ...
  • 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 ...
  • 2 Oct 2018

The work we're called to do

Has anyone ever said to you, ‘Maybe acupuncture is your calling?’ Perhaps you’ve you thought to yourself, ‘Medicine is my calling.’ What difference does work take on when we feel it’s something we’ve been called to do? April Holden explores this theme in her new book They Called Us Love, which publishes ...
  • 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 ...
  • 5 Oct 2018

SPCK Assemblies are perfect for teachers on World Teachers' Day

SPCK Assemblies are a great resource for teachers to use with their students. We chatted with Rebecca Parkinson about the assemblies she's been working on. Happy ...
  • 4 Oct 2018

Catching up with Alexa Tewkesbury

Alexa Tewkesbury chats with us for #WorldAnimalDay about children’s books, her love of animals, and the things we can do to protect ...
  • 8 Oct 2018

Music to our ears - new additions to the SPCK Assemblies programme

This month, we’ll publish a biography of Johann Sebastian Bach by composer and author Andrew Gant.  He is writing a music assembly for the SPCK Assembly programme.  We caught up with Rebecca Parkinson about the addition of music assemblies to the ...
  • 8 Oct 2018

Catching Up With Cole Moreton for Libraries Week

Cole Moreton is on our blog for Libraries Week. His new book The Light Keeper publishes in May of next ...
  • 10 Oct 2018

How can I help my child to open up?

Dr Sarah Vohra, author of Mental Health in Children and Young People, blogs for us on World Mental Health Day.  It can be a real struggle to open up to others about our concerns and problems, and there’s no worse feeling than not being able to help when you know someone is struggling.  Dr Vohra provides practical advice to help ...
  • 12 Oct 2018

6 Questions for John Bowker

We chatted with John Bowker recently about his new book Religion Hurts, which publishes 18 ...
  • 16 Oct 2018

Sylvia Green's Tips for Reducing Food Waste

Sylvia Green has been a children’s author for many years.  Her books include several ‘Christmas animal’ books published by Scholastic.  We’re Hungry Too is her first picture book for SPCK. It is a full colour picture book with a fun story that encourages children to learn about caring for the natural world and ...
  • 22 Oct 2018

What can compel us to write nonfiction?

What makes a good biography? Barbara Fox reflects on her work in journalism and how it led to the writing of Midwife of Borneo. Though she’d planned to write fiction if she ever wrote a book, her editing and journalistic skills helped her to write nonfiction. While we can often plan to write one book initially, we can sometimes end up ...
  • 31 Oct 2018

Tim Stead on mindfulness

Tim Stead is on our blog today, chatting about mindfulness practices. He’ll be in Oxford on 14 November in conversation with Michael Mosley. Book your ticket ...
  • 1 Nov 2018

Kate Charles on writing

It’s officially #NaNoWriMo and we’re chatting with Kate Charles today about books and ...
  • 6 Nov 2018

Where do writers get their ideas?

In keeping with our #NaNoWriMo theme, we interviewed Sarah Meyrick, author of The Restless Wave, about her idea for her new novel. How do you begin with an idea and turn it into a ...
  • 8 Nov 2018

World Quality Day: what makes a good business?

SPCK Fundraising Assistant Catriona Brickel reflects on the values of SPCK as a company. On World Quality Day, she considers the core beliefs and principles of a good ...
  • 11 Nov 2018

Rev Dr Mark Davidson's reflections on Remembrance Sunday

Rev Dr Mark Davidson, author of War Cries, is on our blog today for Remembrance ...
  • 12 Nov 2018

Joseph and the Bully Boys

Fiona Veitch Smith is on our blog for Anti Bullying Week. Why do people bully and what can be done to address it?  ...
  • 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 ...
  • 16 Nov 2018

How to be a Dementia-friendly Church

Dr Trevor Adams is Director of Passionate Dementia Care, which offers training and consultancy to churches and Christian organisations in supporting people living with dementia. Trevor is a nurse and specialises in dementia care. He holds a doctorate in dementia care, has written widely and spoken at dementia conferences and universities in the UK, ...
  • 3 Dec 2018

#IDPWD2018: how can we make life and church more inclusive for people with disabilities?

3 December is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Roy McCloughry, author of The Enabled Life, blogs for us about how we can be inclusive of people with ...
  • 5 Dec 2018

Volunteering activities for the whole family - #IVD2018

How can families volunteer together to help others who are less fortunate than themselves? Sylvia Green names some great suggestions on International Volunteers ...
  • 10 Dec 2018

You Didn’t Tell Me I Had To Do Something!

Sean Stillman, author of God’s Biker, shares his thoughts for Human Rights ...
  • 7 Dec 2018

Is my gift enough?

SPCK’s Fundraising Assistant Catriona Brickel blogs about generosity. It benefits everyone ...
  • 12 Dec 2018

Andy Frost's plans for 2019

We caught up with Andy Frost  about how the last year has been, especially since the publication of his book Long Story ...
  • 15 Dec 2018

Stories and salad bars: catching up with Paul Kerensa

Paul Kerensa is a busy comedian and author. We caught up with him about his plans for ...
  • 14 Dec 2018

#FridayReads - Unpopular Culture by Guvna B

Our E-Commerce Executive Vita shares her thoughts on Unpopular Culture by Guvna ...
  • 17 Dec 2018

6 Questions for Kenneth Stevens

We caught up with Kenneth Stevens, author of Winter Tales, about writing and his plans for ...
  • 18 Dec 2018

6 Questions for Stephen Cherry

Stephen Cherry chatted with us about his book Barefoot Ways and his plans for ...
  • 21 Dec 2018

Q&A with Janet Morley

Janet Morley, author of Haphazard by Starlight, is on our blog today chatting writing and Christmas ...
  • 2 Jan 2019

Building resilience: boundaries not barriers

How can we become more resilient? Justine Allain Chapman considers the importance of establishing and maintaining healthy ...
  • 17 Jan 2019

Do love. Don't judge.

We ran a poll on Twitter asking what our readers wanted to see more of on our blog. The overwhelming majority asked for content based around our memoirs and biographies. Sean Stillman, author of God’s Biker, was the perfect person to ask to ...
  • 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 ...
  • 4 Feb 2019

What Not To Say To Someone Who Has Been Subjected To Abuse

4 – 10 February is Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week. Natalie Collins, author of Out of Control, shares what to not say to someone who has been subjected to ...
  • 6 Feb 2019

#ReclaimSocial – Post Positive in 2019!

Social media has so much potential to be a force for good. We can re-connect with old friends easier than ever before, share important news articles and keep distant family up to date with changes in our lives. Social media has also been central to campaigns and protests, as demonstrated by the viral #metoo campaign. But it is impossible to deny ...
  • 7 Feb 2019

Remembering Michael Green

Our author Michael Green passed away on 6 February ...
  • 12 Feb 2019

What is freedom?

What is freedom? Diffusion workshop at HMP North Sea Camp Did you know that SPCK provides free easy-to-read books to prison reading groups? Our Diffusion books are specially written to help prisoners who need to improve their reading confidence so that they are better able to find employment on release. We also work to change, attitudes, thinking ...
  • 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 ...

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 ...

How to recognise abuse

Our author and Gender Justice Specialist Natalie Collins explores ways to recognise signs of abuse, and what we can do to better understand the ...

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 ...

How can Christians make a difference?

Today, we're reflecting on an extract from Rowan Williams' Being Disciples: Essentials of the Christian life.  How can Christians make a difference and how can we work together for the 'common good' in society? ...

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 ...

Prayer Experiment Activity

What do you think of when you think of prayer? For a lot of people, it brings up images of being told to sit still and close their eyes while someone else ‘says a prayer’; or of reciting words from a page. Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, author of The Prayer Experiment series, teaches a fun prayer experiment to try with your ...

Spanning the Decades

Sarah Meyrick introduces our new blog series where she takes you through the decades of her new novel, The Restless Wave, as well as inspiring stories from her own family ...

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 ...

World Hunger Day - We're Hungry Too

Sylvia Green chats about her book We’re Hungry Too, World Hunger Day and what you and your family can do to help through a fun ...

Q&A with Debbie Flood

SPCK’s Partnerships Director, Primavera Quantrill, spoke to Olympic Rower Debbie ...

16 and a Half Ways to Upgrade Your Faith

We’ve all been there. One minute we’re sky-high in our relationship with God, and the next we’re questioning whether he’s listening to us at all. But what if there was a way to get past the ups and downs?  Youth Pastor Bob Wallington suggests ways to help us maintain a relationship with God in his book 16 and a Half ...

Why would a young man choose to follow Jesus in 2019?

With a million demands on their time and a million suitors for their attention, why would a young man follow Jesus? Martin Saunders, author of The Man You're Made To Be reflects on present-day masculinity, the challenges that young men are facing, and why young men need strong role models to ...

Church Communications and the 'four Ms'

What are church communications? and why is it important that churches adapt their communications to their own culture and context? In this extract from Mark Crosby's So Everyone Can Hear he explains the importance of the communication process and why the 'four Ms' provide the basis for the 'what' and 'why' of church ...

"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 ...

Black History Month and Extraordinary Saints

Black History Month allows us to take time to consider the individuals who have been relegated not just to the side-lines of history but forgotten through the ages. Sharon Prentis, Intercultural Mission Enabler and Dean of BAME Affairs for the Church of England in Birmingham tells us that whilst there has been a marked improvement in acknowledging ...

Meaningful Gifts for Christmas

Our Christmas store has arrived! and it's complete with gift guides to help you find that perfect present. Whether it's the latest children's book from comedian Paul Kerensa or a new journal inspired by the popular listography books, there's something for everyone, all available on our Christmas store ...

SPCK's AGM and Inaugural Annual Lecture

SPCK supporters ponder the mysteries of the Middle East with Terry Waite and Andrew White at SPCK’s inaugural Annual ...

The Evangelist as a Companion

Today on the Feast Day of John, Apostle and Evangelist, we are sharing an extract from Anglican Evangelists: Identifying and Training a New Generation. In this extract editor Martyn Snow writes about his own experiences of his vocation to ministry and how to be a 'true evangelist' we must accompany people on their own journey rather than ...

An Irrepressible Journey

‘I sometimes feel we are sold a myth that we somehow download our purpose in our twenties and then work on that until we “achieve our dreams”,’ speaker, writer and coach Cathy Madavan shares with SPCK ahead of the launch of her new book, Irrepressible: 12 principles for a courageous, resilient and fulfilling ...

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 ...

‘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 ...

Q&A with Faith in Later Life

We chat to Carl Knightly, CEO of Faith in Later Life about upcoming book Finishing Well: A God's-eye view of ...

Love Means Love: Same-sex Relationships and the Bible

Last month saw the publication of Love Means Love by David Runcorn. Prior to publication we sent out review copies of the book to a number of individuals who we thought would be interested in reading it. In this blog post you will find a review from Emma, a supporter of the Campaign for Equal Marriage in the Church of England. She tells us what it ...

Vocation isn't just about ordained ministry

What do you think of when you hear the word 'vocation'? Many think of routes into ordination or authorized lay ministry. Vocation is much more than that as John Pritchard explains here in this adapted extract from his new book Handbook of Christian ...

How Talk Can Transform Us

'The idea of talking to someone for eight hours might have been daunting for some people, but this is what Rowan and I have been doing for more than a decade'. Greg Garrett tells us about the many conversations he had with Rowan Williams, and how these conversations became a book, giving readers the chance to be a 'fly on the ...

'Not just a travelogue...' - Nick Owen reviews Utterly Brilliant! by Timmy Mallett

With lockdown measures gradually easing, there are many changes as to what we are now allowed to do. Changes to places where we can now visit are not the only changes that are occurring, our reading habits have also changed! At the start of lockdown many readers’ preferences were either books that they could escape to or books that could ...

Black theology as a resource for transformative ministry

Is God Colour-Blind? by Anthony G. Reddie has been recently revised and updated for 2020. This new edition contains a new afterword on why Black Lives Matter. In this blog post you will find a extract taken from the introduction of the book. It is here that Anthony explains how this book can be used by Christian ministers and those in lay ...

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 ...

First day back, so teacher training.

'First day back, so teacher training. Classes arrive tomorrow. A tedious day, but we could wear jeans, drink our coffee hot and go to the toilet when we chose'.  A familiar scene for many who work in education. In this extract from Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean? We learn what the first two days of term are like for ...

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 ...

World Mental Health Day 2020: Greater Investment – Greater Access

The World Health Organisation recognises World Mental Health Day on 10th October every year. With the current worldwide pandemic, an already dire mental health landscape has seen mental health conditions rise across the globe. Mental health is a topic that many Christians struggle to talk about. In Broken by Fear: Anchored in Hope, author Rob ...

Who doesn’t like making top-ten lists?

In this extract from We are Satellites by Martin Saunders, we learn how lists of favourite films, books, music or games all have one thing in common, and that is: the creative arts. With creative arts having the same common root of human creativity, where does that creativity come ...

How to keep yourself busy this Christmas

If you're facing Christmas alone, or need some inspiration for keeping busy this Christmas we hope that this list of activities will help to put your mind at ...

Smile while you shop

It has been scientifically proven that altruism is good for us. Not just that warm fuzzy feeling of doing a nice thing but an act of kindness - thinking of someone or a cause and intentionally doing something which takes us outside of ourselves to benefit ...

'A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change'

#ChoosetoChallenge is this year's theme for International Women's Day. With this mind, we are sharing an extract from Josephine Butler: A Very Brief History. Josephine challenged social attitudes to women and campaigned for women's rights. In this extract, author Jane Robinson tells us about Josephine's far-reaching influence, and how one of her ...

Rage and Hope - two very different and complicated emotions

With the upcoming release of Rage and Hope: 75 prayers for a better world, we asked SPCK staff members what they thought of the book. In this blog post, Business Development Assistant Siân tells us her ...

Remembering Answered Prayers

Why is it important to remember our answered prayers? How might remembering these prayers help us in a pandemic? Find out in this Q&A with Richard Gamble, author of ...

What would the Ascension look like in a sitcom?

It’s a strange thing to consider, but what would the Ascension look like if it was portrayed in a ...

The Case for Christianity, as told by a lawyer

'Lawyers are meant to be interested in proof. What’s the proof for Christianity?'. A question often presented to Simon Edwards, the subject of ‘proof’ brings with it much debate. Christianity cannot be demonstrated as true in the same way that a mathematical equation can be, so how can it be ...

Re-imagining how we worship

Now that we can gather together again, Nick and Becky Drake share their thoughts on returning to the church building and how we can re-imagine how we worship ...

SPCK Group Press Release 4 October 2021

The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) and the Catholic Bible School today announces the merger of the Catholic Bible School into SPCK’s range of publishing and ministry activities, strengthening further SPCK’s offering to the Roman Catholic ...

Through the Year with SPCK Group

Explore our wide selection of inspirational and enlightening daily devotionals and 365 Children's Bibles to connect with God each ...

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. ...

Our Bestselling Lent & Easter Books for Children

Explore our bestselling Lent and Easter books for children. Add our favourite Easter books to your basket - perfect for entertaining little ones this Easter! ...

Discover our New May Releases

Explore our fantastic new releases for ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...