In Depth:  Elisa Beynon

We all know them, don’t we? Those friends with whom we used to go to church. They talked about Jesus, led Bible studies and were present at every meeting. And now they’re nowhere.

They may call themselves Christians but the label is all they’ve held on to. Or they may even admit they were never really Christians at all. And my guess is that, for most of these people, their drift away from Jesus coincided with a change in their life circumstances and most probably, a new place to live.

Relocating? As we saw last month, it’s a complicated business for Christians on the move. While issues like closeness to family or schools loom large and programmes like Escape to the Country push the line of finding the perfect house, Christians are faced with the challenge: how to move in a way that keeps the gospel central?

Whatever the presenting reason for moving — a need for more space, a new job, the need to care for family members, Christians only thrive when they are being fed by God’s Word and are part of a church family where they can use their gifts to serve and encourage others. This means that, for those of us who are thinking of moving house, the aim should be to put finding a church like this at the top of our list of priorities. In other words, to put those glossy house brochures to one side until it is clear which church it is right to settle in: one where the Bible is preached clearly and faithfully and where there will be opportunities to serve and encourage others. This month EN talks to four people, Jennifer, Bill, Richard and Jane (not their real names) who have sought to do that. They tell us how they went about it, what issues they faced and how they feel now about their decision to put church first.

We’re moving house. And boy, is it stressful!

Not only was finding the new place a total slog, but also having to think about nurseries, schools, safety, and so on made me wonder why we really wanted to move at all. Why did we want to move? Why does anyone want to move?

Often it’s for reasons like wanting a bigger house or to be closer to work or schools or family and friends. Some-times it’s wanting to live in a safer or more relaxed environment. And all these considerations have their place. But, for the Christian, what should be the primary motivation for moving house or area? What should be the guiding force in deciding to relocate? Or, if through a change in circumstance, work or otherwise, we have no option but to move, how do we decide where to live? To begin to answer that question we need to look at some key biblical principles…

Professor Robert Winston, medical scientist and a leading voice in the debate on genetic engineering, is no stranger to our television screens.

Programmes such as Making Babies, The Human Body and Child of our Time have made him a household name. In his new series The Story of God, Robert Winston shifts gear and turns his scientific gaze to the question of religion.

EN recently conducted a survey on having non-Christian parents. Unsurprisingly, it revealed that any Christian, given the choice, would plump for having godly, Bible-believing parents over worldly, non-Christian ones, who are often the source of much sadness, pain and frustration. Nevertheless, our God is no man's debtor and graciously uses this situation for the good of his children.

We close our series on this topic with a look at what the Christian in this position has to thank God for - what truths God teaches through it and what training it gives.

Ever got to the end of a conversation about the gospel with a friend and thought: 'Well, I made a right pig's ear of that!'

In a society that is both ignorant of and hostile to Christianity, it can feel hard to explain God's truth to an unbeliever. You might fear you came over too aggressively or that you put things badly. You might wonder if you have put the friend off for good or made them more confused than ever. There are so many reasons why you can feel you got it wrong.

In an increasingly secular culture, most children in Great Britain grow up without the privilege of being raised in a Christian home.

As a result, thousands in this country come to Christ not through the teaching and modelling of Christian parents but due to some sort of outside influence - a Christian friend at school, a book they read, a talk they are taken to by a colleague at work.

London's financial district is crying out for more office space and the only answer in an already dense area is skyscrapers.

The Gherkin, built on the site of the former Baltic Exchange, is nearing completion and that is only the start. A 50-storey building has been approved for Aldgate and a 48-storey glass structure is planned for Leadenhall Street, east of Tower 42. Until the building of Canada Tower at Canary Wharf, Tower 42 was the tallest building in London.

The Passion of the Christ, a graphic cinema account of the last hours of Jesus's life, opened in America on February 25 and was shown the next day at a media preview in London.

Both here and across the Atlantic the film has generated a variety of extraordinarily intense reactions. On the one hand, Christians in many churches have hailed the epic as a spiritual experience of enormous proportions. On the other, the film has not only been accused of being overly bloodthirsty and violent, but also of being an incitement to anti-Semitism.

The last few decades have seen an enormous rise in infertility figures. Due to a whole host of factors, many couples find it very difficult, or even impossible, to conceive.

Anyone who has faced this knows just how much heartache, pain, stress and confusion it leads to. One of the key purposes of marriage is to raise children, and to be denied this brings an ongoing grief that should not be underestimated.

Here we go again. The adverts have been on telly since September and the shop windows are stuffed with lights and trees and enticing presents. We can't escape it. Christmas time is here again.

'PAKISTAN: Extremists incite violence against Christians'

'EGYPT: Church opening blocked'

Every year hundreds of young people leave the familiar cocoon of green old England and head off to spend some time on foreign shores. They may go as a gap year after finishing school; or as part of their university course; they may even be on a short-term placement with work.

Whatever the reason, all will share a huge variety of emotions as they depart. Excitement, fear, trepidation. Will I be happy? How will I cope with the language? Will I make friends?