Search results for: 'courag c'

  • 14 Nov 2019

An Inspiring Story of Courage and Strength

As we approach Christmas and the end of 2019 it's the ideal time to reflect and prepare for the new year ahead. Whilst we reflect on our lives, there will be many things we are grateful for, as well as those we take for granted. Putting yourself in someone else's shoes is not always easy to do but when we immerse ourselves in a story, especially a ...
  • 16 Jul 2018

Why do books resonate with us?

‘Books aren’t luxuries. They’re lifelines.’ – Matt Haig When we read a book, we want to relate it to ourselves. We’d like it to resonate with us. When we’re shy, it’s nice to see a shy character in a story. If we like to make people laugh, we might enjoy characters who are more boisterous and ...
  • 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 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 ...
  • 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 ...
  • 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 ...
  • 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

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 ...

3 biography recommendations from SPCK for Christmas

We read biographies to understand the world around us, to learn more about other people, and to see ourselves in others’ experiences. We don’t need to be a celebrity or a public figure to write a moving story. Books about ordinary people can be just as compelling as the biography of a famous painter or guitarist, if not more. For our ...
  • 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 ...

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 ...

Terry Waite on prison reform and rehabilitation - part 2

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 ...

Mark Oakley on Greenbelt Festival and the Poet George Herbert

We catch up with Mark Oakley to find out more about his appearance at Greenbelt Festival. We also hear about his admiration for two great poets, one of which he reflects upon in his upcoming book, My Sour-Sweet ...

Who were the Mayflower Pilgrims?

16th September is Mayflower Day. Mayflower Day commemorates the day the ship set sail from Plymouth, England in 1620. The story of the first New England settlers has been told many times but not much has been told about what motivated these pilgrims to face the hazards of the transatlantic crossing. Historian Derek Wilson addresses this in his new ...

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 ...

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 ...

How many of Sister Wendy's favourite paintings have you seen?

How many of Sister Wendy's favourite paintings have you seen in real life? Many paintings from the recently published Sister Wendy's 100 Best-loved Paintings are hanging up inside the National Gallery. We decided to visit the gallery to see how many we could ...

Is there such a thing as ‘women’s spirituality’?

Do women write differently from men? Is there such a thing as ‘women’s spirituality’? Liz Hoare asks these questions and more in her introduction to Twelve Great Spiritual Writers. In this short extract from the introduction Liz reflects on the history of women as writers and explains why she has chosen to write about these twelve ...

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 ...

Your Own Call Less Ordinary

What next after university? In this extract from Rich Wilson's A Call Less Ordinary he shares his experience of coming to the end of his time at university and how it was around this time that he became aware of God's ...

The Real Life of a Ministry Mum

Here's part two of our Q&A with Jules Middleton, a ministry mum whose upcoming book Breaking the Mould seeks to challenge the ‘shoulds’ and stereotypes that surround both roles. In this second part of our Q&A Jules tells us who inspires her and what advice she would give to parents with a call to ...

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 ...

Keeping up-to-date with SPCK authors

In this blog post you will find a list of author-led online events, radio interviews, Facebook LIVE events, Twitter takeovers and much ...

Publishing in a Pandemic - How is Ready to Rise helping to empower readers during this time

Jo Saxton's book Ready to Rise is hitting the shelves and virtual shelves at an unprecedented time of global crisis. Naturally, Jo didn't have a global pandemic in mind when she put pen to paper, but readers have told her that they feel this book is empowering them for this moment. We catch up with Jo in this Q&A and find out her ...

The Medical Clergyman

Who do you go to when you’ve got a fever or broken limb? Your local vicar probably wouldn’t be the first person you would think of. Before the year 1858, medicine could be practised by a wide variety of people. A scientifically minded clergyman was one of them. In this extract from Caves, Coprolites, and Catastrophes, historian Allan ...

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 Legend of St George, an extract for All Saints' Day

On All Saints' Day we remember all saints and martyrs, known and unknown. Little is known about St George, patron saint of England. With the story of his slaying of a dragon recorded 1,000 years after his death, Catherine Pepinster explains here how he '...grew in popularity as he was invoked by Christians caught up in battles.' This is an ...

‘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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Celebrate International Children's Book Week

Celebrate International Children's Book Week with 20% OFF the Adventuring Girls series. ...

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. ...

Coronation Sale: Enjoy 20% OFF the entire website!

Celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty The King Charles III this Saturday, the 6th of May, with 20% OFF our entire website until May ...

SPCK Authors at New Wine United 23 26-30 July

Join SPCK Authors Cathy Madavan, John McGinley, Malcolm MacDonald, Bishop Emma Ineson, and Paul Harcourt at New Wine United 23. ...

The Best Self-Help Books to Brighten Your January

Looking for best self-care books to support your mental health? Here, we round up our top ten books about mental health, anxiety, depression, stress, and personal growth. ...

Share Your Love of Reading this World Book Day!

Share your love of reading this World Book Day! With over half of children saying they don't enjoying reading, it's more important than ever to support children in learning how to love reading. We've compiled some of our bestselling children's books we know children and young readers will ...

17 Books We Can't Wait To Read This Summer!

Explore seventeen wonderful books that we can't wait to read this ...

Explore Enduring Wisdom: Read Extract

Read an extract from our beautiful new gift book - Enduring Wisdom: Words of Hope By Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ...

Guest Post: SPCK Author Natalie Collins

SPCK Author Natalie Collins writes about the importance of ending men's violence against women on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against ...

Trailblazer Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin Launches Inspiring Autobiography at Waterstones Piccadilly

Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin’s autobiography, The Girl from Montego Bay, was launched at Waterstones Piccadilly, celebrating her inspiring journey as Britain’s first black woman ...

World Book Day 2025: Costume Inspiration for Kids & Parents

Struggling to find the perfect World Book Day 2025 costume? Discover creative, easy, and fun book character costume ideas to bring your favourite stories to ...

Discover Our Latest Releases: Inspiring Reads for March 2025

Discover our newest releases, featuring inspiring stories, insightful theology, and fresh Bible editions designed to deepen faith and spark ...

John Lennox Speaking on the Book of Daniel at Teach the Word 2025

Renowned Oxford mathematician and Christian apologist John Lennox explores the compelling relevance of the Book of Daniel at Teach the Word 2025 in Oxford, in a family-friendly conference designed to inspire and ...

Join Katie Piper for the Magical Launch of Your Greatest Gift – 19th August at Waterstones

Join Katie Piper OBE for the joyful launch of her new children’s book Your Greatest Gift on 19th August at Waterstones Trafalgar Square, an inspiring family event sponsored by NSPCC and ...

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 ...

SPCK Group Wins Christian Book of the Year and Autobiography of the Year at the CRT Awards 2025

SPCK Group is celebrating a double win at the CRT Awards 2025. Read the full story behind our award-winning books, Discovering Christianity and The Girl from Montego ...

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 ...

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 ...

Dame Sarah Mullally Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury

SPCK celebrates Dame Sarah Mullally, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, and her inspiring Advent and Lent ...

Stories of the Saints: Inspiring Saints Every Child Should Know

Discover inspiring saint stories for children as Margaret McAllister shares the remarkable lives of Christian heroes featured in Stories of the ...

The Story Behind You: A Special Gift

Discover You: A Special Gift, a warm and uplifting picture book by Deborah Lock about identity, faith, and the light each child ...

Our Royal Patron in Congress

Following King Charles III’s address to Congress, SPCK reflects on faith, friendship and a 300-year story of Christian books carrying hope across the ...