In Depth:  Karen Soole

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What should you look for in a church?

What should you look for in a church?

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

It is the season when supermarkets and Ikea are filled with young adults and their parents doing ‘the university shop’.

Journalists begin rehashing their annual articles: '24 tips for starting university', filled with sage advice about starting freshers with plenty of cold remedies and bringing chocolate brownies to share with new housemates. Parents are advised to 'let go and remember that their child is an adult'.

‘What strengths do the younger generation have?’

‘What strengths do the younger generation have?’

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

‘What strengths do the younger generation have?’ The youngest person in the group asked this question in a meeting of church leaders, exasperated at the negative tone of the conversation. It was an appropriate rebuke in the middle of a discussion about the apparent reduction of younger people seeking to serve full-time in gospel ministry.

It is easy to feel despair at our times. Anyone who has read Jonathan Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation or Abigail Shrier’s Bad Therapy will be aware of the increase in diagnosed mental health issues among young people. Both books raise valuable matters we need to consider – issues around smartphone technology, outsourcing childhood to experts and counsellors, creating a climate of fear and anxiety among parents in the ‘real’ world, and yet ignoring exposure to harm in the ‘online’ world.

'Thin places'? Do such sites really exist?

'Thin places'? Do such sites really exist?

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

'Thin places' is a Celtic Christian term that describes areas where people feel the distance between heaven and earth collapse. Poets, writers and travellers make grand claims about the power of such spaces to transform us.

This summer, I found the perfect candidate for such a place in the North West of Scotland at the isolated Sandaig Bay, otherwise known as Gavin Maxwell's 'Camusfearna' in his book The Ring of Bright Water.

Where is the next generation of leaders?

Where is the next generation of leaders?

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Numbers are down. This is a nationwide observation about people applying for ministry apprenticeships, training courses, and responses to church job adverts. The question is frequently asked: ‘Where are the next generation of leaders for the church in the UK?’

We have never had more access to gospel resources: courses, online teaching, excellent conferences, and sermons downloadable at the touch of a button, so why are we not producing disciples who are ready to take on more responsibility, try new ministries, or move to other parts of the country to spread the gospel? Why do so many want to stay in the safety of their known church family and not have the confidence to consider more radical alternatives?

Risk assessments, sin and the trap of Pharisaism

Risk assessments, sin and the trap of Pharisaism

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

I recently completed an admin task that I had never done before.

It was perhaps something that I should have done before, but no one had asked, and I hadn’t considered it necessary. I had managed to avoid it for 30 years. That is approximately the number of years my husband and I have led one Bible study group or another in our home. What was the task? A risk assessment for leading a church group in our home. Why, after all these years, are we now doing one? Because it was recommended as good practice at recent safeguarding training. Some of you reading this may be horrified by our previous lack of diligence, especially as we had four children at home during much of that time. Others of you may now be thinking that perhaps this is something you need to add to your to-do list.

The adventure of discipleship in a risk-locked society

The adventure of discipleship in a risk-locked society

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

When was the last time you heard the hymn ‘To be a Pilgrim’ by John Bunyan, or how about ‘Onward, Christian Soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before!’?

Perhaps you don’t know them at all. These hymns, once classic school assembly songs for generations, haven’t made it into the 21st century. Their language is dated, but the sentiment shouldn’t be. They were a call for us to love Christ and to serve Him unashamedly, written as a call to discipleship and to ‘share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus’. I’m not sure we sing many hymns now which encourage risk-taking with such reckless abandonment.

From royal events to churches – how do we welcome?

From royal events to churches – how do we welcome?

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Recent media coverage of the Royal Family has included concerns about racism, including one event at Buckingham Palace.

Lady-in-waiting Lady Hussey’s role had been to put guests at ease at a reception. Unfortunately, whatever her intentions, the opposite happened. There were also allegations from Prince Harry and Meghan about related areas. I’m not going to comment on those events which have received so much coverage and divided opinion. However, it makes me think about the difficulties we have trying to connect with one another.

Trying to make the crooked straight? You will fail

Trying to make the crooked straight? You will fail

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Two corgis who belonged to the Queen, Sandy and Muick, watched her funeral procession and reduced our dog-loving nation to tears.

Since the Queen’s death, sales of corgis have gone up. The Kennel Club reports a 30-year high for the registration of the breed. I expect a few more breeders will seek to cash in on the craze, as puppies can sell for around £6,000. So if you want a puppy for Christmas, perhaps another breed might be better. Remembering the seasonal refrain, a dog is for life and not just for Christmas. Corgis are still not as popular as the UK’s favourite breed, which is, of course, a Labrador. I admit it – I am a besotted Labrador owner.

Evangelical Futures: Deconstruction, an ‘oppressive’ Bible – and what to do

Evangelical Futures: Deconstruction, an ‘oppressive’ Bible – and what to do

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Vast swathes of our country do not know the gospel – we know that. The Bible Society report ‘Pass It On’ in 2014 showed that 54% of parents thought the Hunger Games plot could be in the Bible , and there is no reason to think things have improved.

Many share the atheism of public figures such as Ricky Gervais, who proclaims loudly – there is no God. His message is clear – you can be religious, live as you like, but none of it is real – there are no spiritual realities. These situations are not new. Ignorance and unbelief have existed from generation to generation. However, we are facing new expressions of unbelief as the culture wars impact the church.

Is complementarian theology really abusive?

Is complementarian theology really abusive?

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

I recently found myself tagged in a lengthy Twitter discussion.

Megan Cornwell interviewed me for an article called ‘Is complementarian theology abusive’ for Premier Christianity. She posted a link, and the responses began. It was like watching a tennis match, a type of Twitter ping pong. Tweets passed backwards and forwards. The rallies were long. An accusation followed by a defence with a counterargument returned.

Could the jobs crisis be an opportunity for churches?

Could the jobs crisis be an opportunity for churches?

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

We live in unusual times. Job adverts have been carefully drafted and widely distributed, yet the deadline for applications comes and goes with no one expressing interest.

This scenario has been taking place up and down the country. Currently, there are record numbers of vacancies as firms struggle to recruit. We experience the outworking of this with scenes of airport chaos and rising NHS waiting lists. There are shortages across sectors, from probation officers and dental nurses to plasterers, construction workers, and the agriculture industry. Those wanting to learn to drive cannot find driving instructors or even book a test.

Do we tell half-truths?

Do we tell half-truths?

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

This year, there has been a stand-out new genre on streaming services: the scammer show.

These dramatic reconstructions of ‘fake it until you make it’ chart the rise and fall of charismatic individuals who persuaded people to depart with eye-watering sums of money. Among them, Inventing Anna is the story of the fake German heiress Anna Sorokin, WeCrashed tells of the Neumans who raised billions of dollars whilst running at a colossal loss and, in my opinion, the best, The Dropout charts the fall of the biotech company Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes.

Beware of gospel-ending conversations

Beware of gospel-ending conversations

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Jimmy Carr’s comedy is certainly not to everyone’s taste: he has built his career on telling risky one-liners.

In his Netflix show His Dark Materials (the clue is in the name), he played with the idea of career-ending jokes, and one such joke may have proved his point.

Tipping points: loveless marriages & abusive churches

Tipping points: loveless marriages & abusive churches

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

en continues to seek to provide a forum for us all to learn as broadly as possible from sinful and shameful abusive actions. Our foremost thoughts and prayers must be with the survivors and victims.

It is the straw that broke the camel’s back. The final straw is small; it barely weighs anything but, added to the burden already carried, it crushes.

Gender and The Matrix

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

One of this year’s big Christmas films will be The Matrix Resurrections.

The original trilogy released between 1999 and 2003 generated a cult following with many fan theories. What came as news to me was the idea that The Matrix was a metaphor exploring the trans experience and transcending the physical form. Since the original releases, the writers have come out as trans. There is now a whole body of interpretation that views the films through that lens. Lily Wachowski joyfully embraces this, saying that the idea was always present, but the corporate world wasn’t ready for it before.

We need to be bold when the moment arises

We need to be bold when the moment arises

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

I have found a new role model. A woman prepared to act against her family for the sake of the Lord and his people.

She used her abilities and the resources at her disposal to serve the Lord’s cause even at the risk of her own life. She is a little intimidating because she seemed so in control despite her vulnerability. Her nerve extended to extreme violence. She is Jael, and we read about her in the book of Judges.

Church volunteering and exhaustion in the pandemic

Church volunteering and exhaustion in the pandemic

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

If you want to waste time on the internet, put church names into the search engine of the Charity Commission and see how many ‘volunteers’ they have.

Lots of churches do what ours has done. The number of volunteers recorded is the size of the church family – it seems that everyone who belongs to the church is a ‘volunteer’.

‘Pregnant thief’ scandal raises vital issues of fairness

‘Pregnant thief’ scandal raises vital issues of fairness

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Instead of hosting a party to celebrate her son’s tenth birthday Seema Misra was sent to prison. She was eight weeks pregnant.

What was her crime? She had run the village post office in West Byfleet, but had unaccountable shortfalls in her accounts. She put in £20,000 from her family savings to resolve the issue, but the problems continued and, eventually, she was convicted of stealing £74,000. The local newspaper described her as the ‘pregnant thief’. Her life was in tatters.

A	book	for	abused,	abusers	and	all	of	us

A book for abused, abusers and all of us

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review CREAKING ON THE STAIRS: Finding faith in God through childhood abuse

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Joyful­ about-turn

Joyful­ about-turn

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review FINDING FAITH: Inspiring Conversion Stories from around the World

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Narrow way

Narrow way

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review TO BE A PILGRIM: 40 days with The Pilgrim’s Progress

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Reflecting on spiritual abuse

Reflecting on spiritual abuse

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Karen Soole tells of her own experience and reminds us of some needed lessons

Horrific stories of historic abuse within the evangelical community were recently exposed by Channel 4 News.

Ministry home

Ministry home

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review THE FAMILY LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN LEADER

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Misogyny or what?

Misogyny or what?

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review NEITHER COMPLEMENTARIAN NOR EGALITARIAN

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Listening to giants

Listening to giants

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review A CAMARADERIE OF CONFIDENCE: The fruit of unfailing faith in the lives of Charles Spurgeon, George Muller and Hudson Taylor

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Jesus changes everything

Jesus changes everything

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS Dying to Live for Christ

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A little gem

A little gem

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review A CHRISTIAN'S POCKET GUIDE TO LOVING THE OLD TESTAMENT One Book, One God, One Story

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The new wave of feminism

The new wave of feminism

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Karen Soole on the mistakes of the past and the biblical way forward

Injustice against women is in the news.

What are we to make of Joyce Meyer?

What are we to make of Joyce Meyer?

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review THE APPROVAL FIX How to break free from people pleasing

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Stereotypes and lost confidence

Stereotypes and lost confidence

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review ARCHBISHOP A novel

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Ministry women equipped

Ministry women equipped

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

There is one conversation that is repeated often; it is the one about what women can’t do in ministry.

Media hostility has increased towards those who believe the Bible teaches comple-mentarianism, because restricting church leadership to men is considered unjust. The underlying implication is that women who teach women are inferior and succumbing to the second best option. With this in mind, the North West Gospel Partnership decided that the time had come to encourage women in the ministries that they can do.

Gentle counsel

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review JOSEPH His arms were made strong

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Melvin and Magdalene

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Some Christians were offended by the airing of Melvin Bragg’s BBC documentary The Mystery of Mary Magdalene on Good Friday.

I was not one of them; possibly because my expectations were so low that I was pleasantly surprised by the affirmation of the Gospel accounts as historical evidence.

Sovereign grace for a radical feminist

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review THE SECRET THOUGHTS OF AN UNLIKELY CONVERT An English professor’s journey into Christian faith

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Church job prospects

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

So many voices are crying out about the ordination of women bishops. Many are expressing their pain at discrimination, their outrage at the sexism inherent in blocking progress, blocking their vocation. Into this fray I want to speak too, but my voice feels weak among all this outrage.

I am a natural candidate for ordination. I am a committed Christian who longs to serve Christ with all my energy. I love to teach the Bible, in fact I ache to teach the Bible, to introduce others to the wonders of Christ in the Gospels, to build others up in their knowledge and love of the Lord, to proclaim Christ so that he may be known, and I grieve at the ignorance in this generation of God’s Word.

Girls with grit

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review WOMEN OF FAITH & COURAGE

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Puritan heart

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review SMOOTH STONES FROM ANCIENT BROOKS Selections from the writings of Thomas Brooks

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Drawbacks of slick

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review MAX ON LIFE

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Woman wordsmith

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review ANNE BRADSTREET Pilgrim and poet

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The greatest

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review TRUE LOVE 1 Corinthians 13 — understanding the real meaning of Christian love

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Unaccustomed as I am…

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review UNLEASHING THE WORD Rediscovering the public reading of Scripture

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Too embarrassing for teenagers?

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review MY FRIEND IS STRUGGLING WITH UNPLANNED PREGNANCY MY FRIEND IS STRUGGLING WITH DIVORCE OF PARENTS

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Wrestling in prayer

Karen Soole
Karen Soole

Book Review PRACTISING THE PRINCIPLES OF PRAYER

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