'Not everything needs to be a fight' – Josh Williamson
en staff
Date posted: 17 Oct 2026
Josh Williamson is an Australian evangelist based in the UK. He currently serves full-time with The Open-Air Mission in southern England. He is married to Louise and has three children.
1. How did you become a Christian?
evangelicals & catholics
The Antichrist? Don’t ask tech boss Peter Thiel...
Leonardo de Chirico
Date posted: 17 Oct 2026
In March 2026, the Antichrist became a viral topic in the Italian media. The sudden surge of interest in apocalyptic themes stemmed from Peter Thiel’s secret and mysterious visit (to a certain extent, since everyone was talking about it) to Rome.
Thiel is one of the most powerful and wealthy figures in the global tech-finance scene. He is a co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, but he also aspires to be the leading thinker of an ideological movement that intertwines eschatological ideas with post-democratic and plutocratic political narratives.
A new calling: Sharing Jesus with older people
Alison Smith
Date posted: 16 Oct 2026
I have recently begun to sense God gently stirring something new in my heart, a growing awareness of the importance of ministry among older people.
In January 2025, I connected with Alexandra Huggins, who leads a ministry called Faith in Later Life. At that time, I had already been spending time locally with two older ladies who, although in their late eighties and becoming physically weaker with age, were dynamically full of the Holy Spirit. Both ladies repeatedly told me that I was a real blessing to them, and their encouragement stayed with me.
everyday evangelism
Lessons from a barber shop in perseverance
Gavin Matthews
Date posted: 15 Oct 2026
Every time he went for a haircut a Christian man invited his barber to come to church. During the course of every haircut over many years, the same invitation would be extended, but the barber would smile and say evasive and non-committal things such as “well, maybe one day, you never know!”
Then this customer died, and the barber went to his funeral, finally accepting the invitation to his church. The minister – a faithful man – preached a gospel message, which proved to be a significant turning point in that barber’s life.
100 years of Pooh: Where is the gospel in the Hundred Acre Wood?
Rebecca Chapman
Date posted: 14 Oct 2026
In October 1926, the first collection of stories about a fictional bear was published. One hundred years later, that bear is pretty much a cultural icon.
He is one of just 16 fictional characters with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The only Latin book ever to be featured on The New York Times Best Seller list is Winnie ille Pu. There are Winnie the Pooh TV shows, films, and endless merchandise and memes. Ten years ago, in 2016, Pooh and the late Queen Elizabeth even celebrated their 90th birthdays together in a special story: Winnie the Pooh and the Royal Birthday by Jane Riordan.
meditating on 1 Peter
How good it is that Christ suffered for you
Tim Vasby-Burnie
Date posted: 13 Oct 2026
1 Peter 3v18 is a great verse to memorise, and perhaps (if you have used Two Ways To Live) you have already learned these amazing words:
"For Christ also suffered once for sins,
the righteous for the unrighteous,
to bring you to God."
God's growing work among Orthodox Jews
Charles Gardner
Date posted: 12 Oct 2026
Are more and more Orthodox Jews discovering Jesus as their Messiah? Are scales beginning to fall from the eyes of Jewish people everywhere?
It is hardly surprising when Jews the world over – pilloried and persecuted for millennia – express their longing for peace and security. It’s a cry of the heart that was heard through many of the magical musicals of the 20th century that came to be known as the Great American Songbook.
Parents, be encouraged by Joseph's story
Dave Burke
Date posted: 10 Oct 2026
If you are struggling with a difficult teenager, you need to know about Joseph.
This summer, we were trying to get to sleep, but the family in the next tent were trying not to murder their teenage son. He did not want to be in Keswick for the convention and, greatest humiliation of all, camping!
defending our faith
New Testament, new tech
Chris Sinkinson
Date posted: 9 Oct 2026
Despite advances in technology, printed book sales remain remarkably resilient.
While digital books increase their share in the market, there is no evidence at all for the death of the printed form. Physical pages we can touch and turn continue to be in great demand. While you can read Evangelicals Now online, many people still like the feel of the printed paper!
Theology is not the enemy of faith – it feeds it
Alistair Chalmers
Date posted: 8 Oct 2026
For some Christians, the word "doctrine" does not exactly set the heart racing. It can sound academic, technical – perhaps even divisive.
Doctrine belongs in theological colleges, weighty books, and debates between people who enjoy using words nobody else understands.
Are you shaping your social media feed, or is it shaping you?
Niv Lobo
Date posted: 8 Oct 2026
Here’s a rule I would urge upon all of us as we navigate the online world: don’t be a content-creator without being a container-curator.
Our devices mean it has never been easier to "create content". Anyone can share takes on Substack, can unburden themselves on TikTok, can host their own channel on YouTube or begin podcasting. The possibilities are endless, and in some cases, lucrative (people actually make a living by doing this). The promise of making an impact and being heard can feel irresistible.
How can families engage well with schools?
Anna Shaw
Date posted: 8 Oct 2026
The writer to the Hebrews describes believers as surrounded by “such a great cloud of witnesses”. I often find myself thinking gratefully of those whose lives have modelled faithful discipleship to me.
Some of the most influential examples came during my early years as a teacher, through Christian families whose children were in my class.
How can the AI revolution help Christians?
Duncan Williams
Date posted: 7 Oct 2026
More than 500 years before books became cheap and widely available, a German craftsman developed a technology that transformed how information could be produced and shared.
Johann Gutenberg's printing press, developed in the mid-15th century, is widely regarded as one of the most important technological developments in European history. Its impact was particularly significant because one of the earliest and most influential books produced using the new technology was the Bible.
Discerning two types of criticism as a church leader
Matt Waldock
Date posted: 6 Oct 2026
Deciding how to handle criticism as a church leader is an increasingly regular part of Christian leadership, yet it is an area we are tragically underprepared for.
Criticism of leadership decisions is not a new thing, but as culture has shifted to become more suspicious of leaders, and more emboldened to challenge any category of church life that is considered "sub-par", I have no doubt that many leaders are spending more and more time contemplating how best to respond to the latest concern that has dropped into their inbox.
A gospel message for your superstitious friend
Graeme Shanks
Date posted: 5 Oct 2026
On the day of the football World Cup semi-final this July, I found myself watching a pre-match press conference with the England manager, Thomas Tuchel.
Seeking to lighten the mood, one reporter asked Tuchel if he had any pre-match rituals. Tuchel replied: "I have my superstitious routines. I will not tell you because another superstition of mine is that if I tell you it will not work." 1
Jesus depended on the Holy Spirit, too
Seth Lewis
Date posted: 4 Oct 2026
Healing the sick. Walking on water. Raising the dead. Where does a human obtain such power? When answering this question, it’s common to think of it in two ways.
On the one hand, we have Jesus, by Himself. He is truly human but also truly God, with all the power and authority inherent of God. Jesus is the only human with the ability to accomplish miracles in His own strength.
imperfect parenting
To the judgemental parent or grandparent
Katie Holloway
Date posted: 2 Oct 2026
As when I wrote to “the irritable parent” in the August issue of Evangelicals Now, do note that I am speaking to myself with this topic as much as to anybody else.
I don’t think there’s anything quite like parenting to make us compare ourselves to others, what with the specific stages and milestones and the way we are often in close proximity with other parents. There are so many decisions we each have to make, too: about screens, snacks, discipline. Parenting is visible. Which can lead us to being judgemental.
pastoral care
Stop rehearsing 'your list’ of past hurts
Helen Thorne-Allenson
Date posted: 1 Oct 2026
One of the wisest pieces of advice I have ever been given is: “Stop rehearsing the list.”
Many of us have lists: the list of ways someone has wronged us; the list of things we would have said in that discussion if we’d thought a little more quickly or the list of ways someone has misjudged something we’ve been involved in.
