Life Issues

Life is full of contrast. North and South, East and West, black and white, rich and poor – rural and urban.

So what is the difference between how churches operate in a bustling city compared with a quiet rural community?

Afterall the hope of the gospel message remains the same – but what are the challenges and opportunities in communicating with church communities in both environments?

The Reverend Dr Cris Rogers and Reverend Cannon Sally Gaze join Rob Westall for this week's episode of Life Issues.

(Please note this episode was recorded back in 2020)

We have changed our scheduled Life Issues for this week to respond to the tragedy at Big Church Festival. A pastor died and six others were injured by a falling sign at the festival last Friday. We continue to pray for all who are grieving at this time and processing what happened with the event being cancelled. We wanted to share a conversation which might be helpful and which speaks to some of the questions we have seen people posting on social media. Back in 2020, Vicky Gibbens spoke to author, theologian, and speaker Dr Amy Orr-Ewing when she released a book ‘Where is God in All the Suffering?’. She believes questions and doubts are not dangers to be avoided or suppressed, but can be companions on a journey towards a relationship with God, and a genuine exploration of faith.

Explore more from UCB:

🔔JOIN OUR YOUTUBE COMMUNITY
👉 Subscribe: https://bit.ly/4euxRxJ

📻 LISTEN ON DAB RADIO
👉 UCB 1: http://ucb.co.uk/ucb1
👉 UCB 2: http://ucb.co.uk/ucb2

📱 DOWNLOAD THE UCB PLAYER APP
👉 App Store: https://goo.gl/NMFFQr
👉 Google Play: https://goo.gl/772raK

📖 READ GOD'S WORD
👉 http://ucb.co.uk/read

🙏🏻 PRAYERLINE
👉http://ucb.co.uk/pray

🌐 VISIT OUR WEBSITE
👉 http://ucb.co.uk

📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
👉 Facebook: http://facebook.co.uk/ucbmedia
👉 Instagram: http://instagram.com/ucbmedia
👉 X: http://twitter.co.uk/ucbmedia

#UCB #ChristianRadio #Christianity #Faith #Jesus

What does it really take to lead well, while still looking after your faith, your family and yourself?

Church Leadership is a calling not a comfort zone and can require More than an Amen.

That's the title of this week's Life Issues, where Ashley Andrew is joined by Matt MacDiarmid, Author of Ten things I wish I'd Known Before Leading a church .

He talks about what’s important rather than simply reacting to what’s urgent, balancing the demands of ministry and family, handling unfair criticism, owning our mistakes, making space to pray—and even finding time to play a bit of cricket!

Explore more from UCB:

🔔JOIN OUR YOUTUBE COMMUNITY
👉 Subscribe: https://bit.ly/4euxRxJ

📻 LISTEN ON DAB RADIO
👉 UCB 1: http://ucb.co.uk/ucb1
👉 UCB 2: http://ucb.co.uk/ucb2

📱 DOWNLOAD THE UCB PLAYER APP
👉 App Store: https://goo.gl/NMFFQr
👉 Google Play: https://goo.gl/772raK

📖 READ GOD'S WORD
👉 http://ucb.co.uk/read

🙏🏻 PRAYERLINE
👉http://ucb.co.uk/pray

🌐 VISIT OUR WEBSITE
👉 http://ucb.co.uk

📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
👉 Facebook: http://facebook.co.uk/ucbmedia
👉 Instagram: http://instagram.com/ucbmedia
👉 X: http://twitter.co.uk/ucbmedia

#UCB #ChristianRadio #Christianity #Faith #Jesus

Artificial intelligence has been around for many years, but only recently have we sped up how it's developing and the many ways we are adopting it as a society. Some church leaders are using it to help when constructing sermons, or even allowing AI apps to write them altogether! What about its potential impact on music and how we also worship? Christian artist and producer Dan Stirling, and Christian music lawyer Luke English joined Rob Westall for this week’s Life Issues episode.

Have we forgotten what Jesus told us to do? On the list of priorities for each day, how easy do we find it to go and make disciples of all nations? Author Phil More has been learning from a disciple making movement which has brought incredible revival to some of the places in the world its hardest to live as a Christian. In this week’s Life Issues, we will consider what have we overlooked or never seen before in the instructions Jesus has given us to live out his mission today?

There are many competing voices about the role of Christianity in this nation. The Right Reverend Arun Arora, the Church of England’s co-lead Bishop for Racial Justice and the Bishop of Kirkstall, joins Vicky Gibbens for this Life Issues episode. He shares his personal experience of exploring identity and considers what is shaping some of our beliefs; be it certain public figures, our nation’s history and heritage, or the Bible, and our relationship with God?

How does the sanctity of life sit alongside compassion for the suffering in the Christian message around assisted dying? Dr Susan Marriot, Head of Public Policy for the Christian Medical Fellowship and the Reverend Canon Rosie Harper, Bishop's advisor for women’s ministry for the Church of England’s Oxford Diocese, join Paul Hammond for this Life Issues episode.

Just one in three children in the UK now enjoy reading, so how do we need to redefine the importance of literacy for the next generation in a digital age? An assistant head of a primary school and co-founder of Spy Readers, Andrew Vale-Taylor, and Sarah Grace, a counsellor and psychotherapist and the pioneer of the first dyslexia-friendly Christian publisher in the UK, Sarah Grace Publishing, joined Vicky Gibbens for this Life Issues episode.

How do you lose labels that others put on you, or perhaps even the labels we put on ourselves? Particularly when those labels tell you that you’ll never amount to anything? Rob Parsons OBE looks back on his life’s journey in this week’s Life Issues to share how he overcame discouraging words spoken over him one step at a time.

In the last few years, we’ve seen a real growth in understanding of Neurodiversity. Although for some, function is severely limited, we now seem to recognise not just need but also possibility, contribution and value to society, workplace, communities and churches that comes with a greater openness from the neurotypical to walk alongside rather than disparage, the neurodiverse, to engage rather than distance.

In this week’s Life Issues, Wired Differently: The Strengths of Neurodiversity,Paul is joined by Fiona MacMillan who herself is Neurodivergent and chairs the Church of England’s Neurodiversity working group and Bex Chapman who is Mum to Neurodiverse children and also part of the working group.

You have to feel it, to heal it. We've all experienced it, hurt, sometimes emotional, sometimes physical. What's the prescription Jesus gave to relieve us of the pain? Forgiveness... It can be a hard medication to swallow, but someone once said "unforgiveness and resentment can be like taking poison ourselves expecting the other person to experience the awful effects"... In reality it is us who suffer. Dr Amy Orr Ewing, author of Forgiveness joins Ashley Andrew to delve deeper into the reality of turning the other cheek in this week' s Life Issues - Forgiveness in an Era of Outrage.

Migration is one of the most talked-about topics in the UK right now. Whether the discussion is about refugees, immigration, or small boats, it raises difficult questions. In this episode of Life Issues, we explore how Christians might engage with the conversation. What does a compassionate, thoughtful, and truthful response look like? How can we discuss migration in a way that reflects both concern for people and the challenges facing society? Dr. Krish Kandiah OBE, Founder of the Sanctuary Foundation, and Katie Woo, National Church Hong Kong Communities Enabler, join Paul Hammond to discuss the topic and share their stories.

Life can sometimes feel like you’re in constant transition. We can feel like we’re crushing it in some seasons and at other times life is crushing us. The women in the Bible had it tough too. They struggled with issues like marital challenges, relationship breakdowns, grief and unfulfilled dreams. Holly Satterthwaite invites us to lean into every facet of womanhood, in her book Glorious reminding us that we can encounter the goodness and glory of God in whatever season we find ourselves in. Holly joins Ashley Andrew for Life Issues this week - Does the life of a woman reveal God's glory?

Throughout history, the Bible has been used as a weapon to subjugate and oppress, to validate attitudes and positions of power that fly in the face of the example of Jesus’ life.  Well, the Word of God is like a two-edged sword, but Who are we supposed to deploy it against? And what are the risks if it is used wrongly?

Paul explores more, in this week’s Life Issues  Weaponizing the Bible with Revd Dr Helen Paynter.

Which do you prioritise in your life: Bible or box set ? Prayer or playlist? Service or socials? In truth, for many of us streaming probably has a higher slice of our pie chart that the Spirit.

So in a world where priorities battle for our attention and demand our effort, what are the priorities that the Gospel might set for our lives and how can we use His Truth to get the right balance when it comes to our work, leisure, health, the world around us or even church?

Life Issues this week Gospel priorities in a uncertain world where Paul Hammond is joined by Peter Lynas and Jenine Main.

Ever feel like your own thoughts and emotions are holding you back? Drawing from the message of Disentangled, Author Jo Johnson joins Ashley Andrew to explore how to practically manage some of what’s going on inside us, so we can live with greater freedom, clarity, and as the bible says develop a sound mind. Not pretending everything’s fine, but learning how to respond well when it’s not. This week's Life Issues: Disentangling the mind

Do you think we should ban mobile phones in school? Do you think we should ban social media for under 16's? Should we all be pairing back on our social media use? Reports suggest that algorithams are addictive, so how do we guide young people through the hidden dangers of screens shaping their identity? It's been descirbed as a health emergency confronting children, with the claim that theres a stong link between this and substantial increase in rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, and self harm among teenagers. So who should have the final say on how young people access online content? That's the doomscroll dilemma. In this weeks Life Issues episode Ashley is joined by Content Writer for CARE, Dan Wells.

Did you know horses, chickens, guinea pigs- even fish can be used in animal-assisted therapy? In this week’s Life Issues with Vicky Gibbens, she finds out about the journey of one Christian Mum, Ali Colley, who was unexpectedly called by God to train in this area of mental and emotional wellbeing. Her daughter, Hope, at seven years old, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer.

We may have many dreams & expectations for our children, yet most of all we want them to be healthy. But for Karen & Gordon Palmer they discovered before their first daughter, Jennifer Grace, was even born, that she had multiple, life-threatening abnormalities. In this Life Issues episode with Vicky Gibbens, they share how God stepped in and carried them, as they carried Jennifer.

How much of our time do we focus on the here and now, and dealing with the everyday challenges, rather than looking to the future? Is eternity about our happiness, or God coming home to be truly with us? Is it even possible to live a heaven-soaked life now? The Right Reverend Professor N.T.Wright, a world-renowned Bible scholar and the former Bishop of Durham joins Vicky Gibbens for this Life Issues.

Around the world 1 in 7 Christians face persecution, so what is the hope we can offer to them – and given what the bible says about the expectation of persecution could their example, experience and theology be more in tune with biblical Christianity than our “comfortable” freedom based, western experience? In this week’s Life Issues, Hope for and from the Persecuted Church Paul is joined by Henrietta Blyth CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland.

Do you ever struggle with inconsistency of the Christian Walk? What if our “relaxed”, “I can pray anytime” attitude, towards spending time with God, that much of modern faith has come to inhabit, contributes to that?

In years gone by, the monastic rule of life provided a framework and focus through the day, that pointed towards our Father in heaven. So given that the bible tells us to Be still & know…. What if we could embrace a “rule” for life, that balanced the best of that history with the freedom of spontaneous spirituality?

This week’s Life Issues - A spiritual rule to make good faith habits.

When it comes to faith is it ok to say I don't always get it? I mean, can we ever fully understand God; the all-powerful all-knowing creator of the universe?

Maybe the mystery of God is why you struggle to believe? But what if we are not meant to figure it all out? In this week’s Life Issues Helen is joined by Zach Bolen who is lead singer and guitarist from Citizens, a band whose music delves into the relationship between doubt and faith…

With the fragility of international relationships, crisis fatigue, and financial instability, are we doing enough to care for the marginalised and oppressed? How can we counter attitudes of indifference when trying to overcome problems like poverty, and gender-violence, that persist across generations? In this week’s Life Issues, Vicky Gibbens speaks to Canon Bev Jullien, the Chief Executive of Mothers’ Union, and the charity’s Worldwide President, Kathleen Snow, as the organisation celebrates its 150th anniversary.

2026, is the national year of reading, have you got a favourite book? Well one book that seems to be enjoying a surge in popularity is the Bible – with 2025 UK sales at a “record high” & worth £6.3 million. So, if people are interested in the Bible, seeking value in its words – what does our attitude towards it say? What should our relationship be with God’s word? In this week’s Life Issues, The Bible - dusty book or living Word? Paul Hammond speaks to Dr John Andrews.

Is it time we rescued the idea of intimacy from being confined to the bedroom? How close do we really want to be to God? After all, God is omnipresent, but sometimes we question God’s proximity. In this week’s Life Issues, Vicky Gibbens speaks to Ed Shaw, pastor and the author of a book about the intimacy deficit in our world today.

Singleness is not a waiting room. You’re not on pause, singleness isn’t a placeholder, it’s a powerful chapter, it’s a season with meaning. It’s not the hallway before real life starts, it’s not God hitting pause until marriage shows up. You might be single, not by choice, but singleness isn’t a holding room, it’s holy ground. Reverend Eleanor Jeans, author of the Securely Single course, joins Ashley Andrew in this week’s Life Issues episode ‘Singleness is not a waiting room’.

God created it, society seems obsessed with it, so why do we struggle to talk about it. Maybe it’s time we found God’s perspective. It’s a frank, grown up and perhaps a little bit shocking conversation. Emma Waring from “the marriage course” joins Paul in this week’s Life Issues episode ‘Seasons of Sex and Intimacy’.

Every January, the volume gets turned all the way up on the how-to’s. How to be better. How to fix yourself. How to finally become the version of you that didn’t quite make it last year. In our Life Issues episode this week Ashley Andrew is joined by Tieler Giles, Author of How to Ditch the How To. We’re talking about ditching the how-to’s. Not because growth doesn’t matter—but because somewhere along the way, self-improvement turned into self-pressure. And resolutions stopped being hopeful invitations and started sounding like accusations. What if real transformation doesn’t start with a checklist? So, let’s talk about stepping off the hamster wheel. 'How to have grace over the grind, and leave the pressure of holding onto the New Years resolutions behind' it’s the Life Issues podcast available now on UCB player.

How do we live out what it means to be known, seen and loved by God, and what kind of life does it lead to? Helen invited Richard Porter, author of The Adventure-Driven Life in this week’s episode to share his perspective as a Vietnam war veteran turned hippie who became a follower of Jesus.

What must it be like to find and experience Jesus’ love, when you live under an oppressive regime in your country and your nearest and dearest don’t believe? Marziyeh Amirizadeh wanted others in Iran to have such a relationship, but her passion led her to be sentenced to death by hanging for the crime of converting to Christianity. Vicky Gibbens was joined by Marzi to find out how Jesus helped her to survive in this week’s Life Issues.

What does it mean to be known, seen and loved by God?

Should I be worried that God knows the secrets of my heart and hears the things my inside voice says? Or encouraged that He sees the true me when others don’t? It’s this week’s Life Issues podcast with Paul Hammond who is joined by Co-Team Leader at NXT Move Europe, Dan Randall.

We all want to be understood, cared for and valued. But why? Vicky Gibbens asks Biblical Counselling UK’s Helen Thorne-Allenson in the first episode of a four-part Life Issues series exploring what it means to be ‘known, seen, loved’, inspired by the lyrics of Christian artist MŌRIAH.

What does the imagery around Santa reveal about the attitudes and yearnings of our society?

And while we’re about it, what do we think about him, is he compatible with the reason for the season? What should Christians engage with and what should they reject? And…..what should we tell our children? The history, the culture and the confusion of “Santa” it’s the Life Issues podcast available now on UCB player.

What does it mean have hope? The Bible talks a lot about it. Jeremiah 29 – says God has plans to give us a hope and a future. So, in a world where often people feel hopeless- what can we do? Is there a way to hold on to hope, when the skies darken, the wind blows, and the storm roars? Howard Satterthwaite, Author of Hold on to Hope joins Paul for this week’s Life Issues A plan to give you a hope and a future.

What happened when God told Andrew Mitchell to stop releasing worship music, walk away from a record deal, and as a married couple, focus on deepening their faith roots? Andrew and Jill joined Vicky Gibbens for this week’s Life Issues as they discuss what it means to have ‘Christ in us,’ and to hope for true glory?

I confess that I have often struggled with the way Mary the mother of Jesus was portrayed by the church.

That ethereal/ “holy”/standing to one side with a radiant smile – insipid imagery of a white, often blue eyed, westernised Madonna with only her hair colour as a nod to her true ethnicity – often deified into an unattainable ideal by Catholicism, and sidelined into an image of subservience by the reformation – could we be hiding the true strength and influence of “the handmaid of the Lord” in Jesus life and ministry?

LI podcast – available now on UCB player - “the Virgin Mary..." disciple and prophet, as well as a mum

Have you ever thought about a title for your autobiography? When Bishop Rose Hudson Wilkin was appointed as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, the next morning in the paper she was referred to as “The girl from Montego Bay.” Though what she felt they meant to disparage, she made a thing of honour. Paul Hammond is joined by Bishop Rose to talk about racism, sexism and how your yesterday doesn’t have to define your today on this week’s Life Issues “Bishop Rose “The girl from Montego Bay.”

Do you struggle with the relentless demands of life?

Is it possible to live slower and freer but still keep up with all our responsibilities?

And what can ants teach us about living in freedom?

Katharine Hill, UK Director at Care for the Family and author of Born Free joins Helen Lea in this week’s Life Issues: How to flourish in a hectic world.

In 1995, the UK decided it was time to “provide a level playing field” for those living with the constrictions of disability. The Disability Discrimination Act was born - to end discrimination, to ensure fair treatment, to bring rights not charity, not to give special treatment but to give equal opportunity.

In this week’s Life Issues: Paul Hammond is joined by Rev Katie Tupling and Stef Benstead to ask, “30 years, but have our attitudes towards disability really improved?”

Do you have unfulfilled dreams? Maybe life hasn't turned out as you'd hoped? From becoming a parent, to owning a home, getting married or pursuing a certain career...

How do we deal with these unfulfilled desires?

Can we rewrite the narrative and find a new vision for our lives?

And is it ok to grieve something you've never had? Helen Lea is joined by midlife mindset coach Helen Louise Knight who's passionate about helping people who feel invisible - embrace and make the most of the life they have.

Hinduism is the 3rd largest faith group in the UK, but how much do we know or understand about it. It is so much more than Diwali or Hindu nationalism, in a very real sense it’s a different worldview. Rahil Patel is Paul Hammonds guest on this week’s Life Issues podcast entitled ‘The Christian said “Jesus is the answer,” the Hindu said “what’s the question?”’

In the 75th year of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, we ask what is it about the fictional land of Narnia in the classic novel by C.S. Lewis that continues to entice and entertain children and adults alike? Adventure and faith discovery in Narnia is the latest Life Issues podcast with Vicky Gibbens and her guest Dr Jem Bloomfield.

How often do you chat to your neighbour? On Life Issues this week we’re asking what was that ‘glue’ that seemed to stick people together bringing a sense of belonging and relationship to a community that doesn’t seem to exist anymore? Or does it? Joining Vicky Gibbens for the conversation is author Nigel Adams in our latest podcast episode, Communities of Hope.

(This episode was originally broadcast on w/c 9th September 2024)

David Peek from UCB News is joined in Life Issues by a range of guests as they discuss the legacy of the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, what the process is like for selecting the 106th Archbishop, and the challenges the new leader of the Church of England and global Anglican church will face.

[Originally broadcast the week of 5th February 2024]

Do you know the value of your attention? In an age where various forms of media compete to get it, Helen Lea asks Speak Life’s Nate Morgan Locke about the rise of the “attention economy” in this week’s Life Issues.

Let’s be honest talking about the bible can be a complicated, even in the church there are an awful lot of opinions about theology, practice and relevance. And if we take it outside of church, well the usual expectation is something out of touch with a modern age. So how do we talk about the Bible & what it teaches; respond to accusations that it is irrelevant, a fantasy, filled with sexism, racism and homophobia.

This week on Life Issues we look at some of the Bibles toughest topics and ask how do we respond to the out of context misunderstandings?

[Originally broadcast the week of 21st October 2024]

Have you ever had a go at keeping a journal? What if it could be more than a record of what we’ve been up to and instead was used by God as a missional tool? On this week’s Life Issues, Vicky Gibbens speaks to Bishop Matthew Porter and Dr Christopher Williams on the role reflection can plays in our everyday lives.

It was the summer of ‘69 & Woodstock set the image that most of us have for a music festival and nowadays they are a staple of the summer months.

 But why do we want to go? Is it just about the music? And how do we manage, getting back to “ordinary” life after the festival high?

Which might be a good question for church life as well – with all the Christian festivals and Bible weeks.

So as some of us have already booked our tickets for next year – what do we think about the hopes, the hard work and the hangover of festivals & Bible weeks? This week’s Life Issues – “The morning after the festival high”

Two sisters have a remarkable guest arrive at their home, but the way they react is strikingly different. One sister is all preparation and distraction, and the other all stillness and devotion. What is the ‘better part’ Jesus wants us to choose? Vicky Gibbens is joined by Joanna Weaver, whose spent more than four decades in full-time ministry as a pastor’s wife, is a speaker, and the author of ‘Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life’.

[Originally broadcast the week of 9th October 2023]

Can Christians influence culture, without needing to label content as "Christian”?

Can we separate faith from our creativity?

And how do you shape culture rather than let culture shape you?

Helen is joined by Norman Stone, a BAFTA and Emmy-award winning Director, who doesn't make 'Christian films' but is a Christian who makes films in this week’s Life Issues.

This week on Life Issues we are boldly going where no one has gone before, except those who have. And while we might not visit a galaxy far far away – the truth is out there with a message from the stars that may show us the hand of an architect that made the sun 400 times bigger than the moon, but put the moon 400 times closer to the earth. It’s an unlikely coincidence resulting in a perfect eclipse - so is there a message there? Available now on UCB player it’s our latest podcast: Space, who’s really speaking to us?

[Originally broadcast the week of 31st May 2021]

To be a grandparent is a special thing and not to be taken lightly. It’s a position of privilege, so how do you be the Granny and Grandad that your children, as well as your grandchildren, need you to be?

In Ecclesiastes we read there is a time to be born and a time to die, but what about the middle phase of life? In this week’s Life Issues, Jayne Manfredi, an Anglican Deacon and author of Waking the Women: Faith, Menopause, and the Meaning of Midlife, shared with Vicky Gibbens how it should not be framed as a time of loss for women, but of discovery.

[Originally broadcast the week of 12th February 2024]

What is life like with a severe mental illness? And what stigma generated by news headlines might you still face? Sharon Hastings qualified as a doctor, but lives with a psychotic illness. In this week’s Life Issues with Paul Hammond, she challenges the misconceptions around psychosis and shares what we can do to help.

[Originally broadcast the week of 5th June 2023]

What stops you believing in God? Maybe unanswered questions? But what if doubt and the mystery of God is part of what makes faith so powerful? Helping Helen explore how we can embrace the unknown is Zach Bolan, lead singer of Indie-Rock group Citizens, in this week’s Life Issues.

When Lucy climbed into the wardrobe, C.S. Lewis opened a world that has enchanted children and adults for generations. And it’s why we dedicated a Life Issues to the 75th anniversary of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. But the truth is there was so much more to C.S. Lewis than Narnia – books on faith/love and Sci fi – a boy from Belfast who could hold court in academia – and a man who gave hope to a nation in darkest times. So, in this week’s Life Issuesjoin us as we discover C.S. Lewis: Beyond the wardrobe.

[Originally broadcast the week of 14th March 2022]

It can increasingly feel as if we are living in a society that has moved on from Christianity – either deeming it irrelevant or responsible for doing more harm than good. In this Life Issues, Sharon James encourages us to take confidence from and maybe shout about the way Christianity has changed the world, and share a Gospel that is and has always been a force for good.

In the 75th year of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, we ask what is it about the fictional land of Narnia in the classic novel by C.S. Lewis that continues to entice and entertain children and adults alike? Adventure and faith discovery in Narnia is the latest Life Issues podcast with Vicky Gibbens and her guest Dr Jem Bloomfield.

[Originally broadcast the week of 30th December 2019]

The night time economy - a catalyst for anti-social behaviour and debauchery, or a thirsty place for the message of Jesus? Joining Vicky Gibbens to share their insights are Carolyn Skinner, Founder of Third Space Ministries, and Ellie Barrett, who at the time of recording was the charity’s Night Life Ministries Assistant.

[Originally broadcast the week of 20th October 2024]

Words are one of the most powerful tools we have but often they can escape us. Particularly when it comes to prayer. But what if we don't need the "right" words or even our words? In this week's Life Issues Helen Lea is exploring the ancient practice of liturgy with authors of Liturgies for Hope & Liturgies for Wholeness Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore.

This week on Life Issues we’re asking - what makes a good dad? No dad’s perfect and becoming a dad can be one of the scariest things a man will do, with the sense of the endless opportunities to fall short, let them down, get it wrong. But if we all, like Jesus, need to hear a Father say you are my child, whom I love and I am pleased with you…. then what does it take to be a good dad, and is the way we treat dad’s in the media undermining the role at a time when youngsters need it most?

Thomas Aquinas once said: “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.”  And although there are plenty of examples of friends who desert – a friend who sticks closer than a brother is a thing of great value. So how much effort am I making to say “you’ve got a friend in me, yeah you got a friend in me”? It’s the Life Issues podcast this week entitled – “maybe I’ll get by, with a little help from my….”

[Originally broadcast the week of 21st November 2022]

Longing for a hope-filled perspective on dementia? Dr Jennifer Bute’s approach to living with the condition will inspire you.

[Originally broadcast the week of 18th December 2023]

Do you struggle to share your faith? Find it difficult to bring Jesus into every day conversations? Afraid you won't have the answer to a difficult question? Maybe you don't want to come across sounding preachy?

But if the gospel is good news for EVERYONE and faith comes by hearing… how do we talk about Jesus without looking like an idiot? This week’s Life Issues with Andy Bannister, Author of How to talk about Jesus without looking like an idiot.

As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we remember when Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the Western Allies, ending the Second World War in Europe. What about those Christians who resisted the occupation, like Corrie Ten Boom and her family? Pete Peterson, Artistic Director, of Rabbit Room Theatre and playwriter of The Hiding Place, and Nan Gurley, the actress who played Corrie Ten Boom in the stage adaptation of the book, have been sharing how Corrie led an underground Dutch resistance against the Nazi’s and helped hundreds of Jews escape the Holocaust.

[Originally broadcast the week of 4th April 2022]

Gardening – it’s is one of the nation’s favourite hobbies. But are we overlooking the spiritual insight it offers? Richard Littledale took up 'project garden' to help combat the loneliness of bereavement, only to find that the physical transformation of his garden mirrored a real change in himself too. Tune in to this week’s Life Issues with to hear how he discovered more of God through his perspective as an ‘under gardener’.

Ever feel like you are not that important? An extra in the story, or part of the chorus rather than in a main role? The two disciples walking down the road to Emmaus on Resurrection morning were not part of the inner circle, ‘bit players’ you might say. Yet despite not being main characters, Jesus came to them in their confusion, listened to them and answered their need. So, what does that say for the rest of us ‘bit players’? It’s the Life Issues podcast this week: The Easter Walk That Changed Everything.

If Jesus is God’s ‘Passover Lamb’ could there be other images in the Passover meal that reveal the heart of Easter? Joining Paul to unpack the traditions and bring fresh insights to the Christian perspective is Joseph Steinberg, Chief Executive Officer at International Mission to Jewish People (formerly Christian Witness to Israel)

[Originally broadcast the week of 24th Feb 2020]

Do you ever get tempted and feel condemned by the impulses you have to fight? This week on Life Issues we’re asking what is temptation, why does it affect us so and where is the line between temptation and sin? Joining Paul as he muses why he is never tempted by celery but always by chocolate is John Stevens, National Director of Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.

What’s the difference between a disciple and a follower or church goer?

Jesus said go into all the world & make disciples with the apparent expectation that all who would “follow Him” would also “deny themselves & take up their cross.”

So why, in the modern church do we seem to have a 2-tier system where all disciples are Christians but not all Christians are disciples? Mind you when you look back through history or read Paul’s letters maybe it’s not just a modern phenomenon.

So what can we do? Dave Criddle, Author of The DNA of Healthy Discipleship thinks a game of twister might help? Paul finds out why in this week’s Life Issues Am I a real Christian if I’m not a disciple?

[Originally broadcast the week of 29th April 2024]

Are you someone who can fall asleep easily? Or do you have trouble nodding off and struggle to wake up?

Have you ever wondered why we need sleep? Or what is happening to our bodies and minds when we are in slumberland?

Joining Helen to explore in this week's Life Issues is Dr Lindsay Browning, a neuroscientist and author of Navigating Sleeplessness.

[Originally broadcast the week of 8th Nov 2021]

Our news is often saturated with stories of hostilities across a divided world. We may even ask ourselves if there can be any hope for peace in these days? In this episode of Life Issues Dan Morrice encourages us with unreported and inspirational tales of peacemakers around the globe to spur us on in our own efforts to be people of peace.

[Originally broadcast the week of 8th Nov 2021]

Our news is often saturated with stories of hostilities across a divided world. We may even ask ourselves if there can be any hope for peace in these days? In this episode of Life Issues Dan Morrice encourages us with unreported and inspirational tales of peacemakers around the globe to spur us on in our own efforts to be people of peace.

[Originally broadcast the week of 14th February 2022]

What is prayer, why do people find it challenging or fabulous or somewhere in between? And when it comes to listening to God - how do we know when we’re hearing from the one who made or when it’s ‘just us’? Amy Boucher Pye takes on all these questions and more in this episode of Life Issues.

[Originally broadcast the week of 30th October 2023] We can often be made to feel like we have to choose between faith and science? But what if we don’t? What if science can actually prove God? Steph Bevan from God and the Big Bang joins Helen Lea for this week’s Life Issues conversation.

Throughout history, the Bible has been used as a weapon to subjugate and oppress, to validate attitudes and positions of power that fly in the face of the example of Jesus’ life.  Well, the Word of God is like a two-edged sword, but Who are we supposed to deploy it against? And what are the risks if it is used wrongly?

Paul explores more, in this week’s Life Issues  Weaponising the Bible with Revd Dr Helen Paynter.

[Originally broadcast the week of 4th March 2019] If Jesus is for everyone, why is church often a place where society’s misfits can also feel marginalised? And even if all are welcome, how do we create a space where all are made to feel safe? Paul Hammond is joined by Sean Stillman, aka ‘God’s Biker’, to share about a church that is often a mix of an AA meeting and a casualty department in this week’s Life Issues.

Sex, pornography, relationships… how do you talk to your children about these challenging topics? And how do you even start a conversation if you feel like you don't have the knowledge? Joining Helen Lea to explore in this week's Life Issues are two people involved in running sex ed lessons in schools across the UK. Catherine Healey Chief Executive of ACET UK and Paul Semakula – ACET UK’s Schools Worker and Training Co-ordinator for London and the South.

[Originally broadcast the week of 19th May 2019]

Are we so concerned with seeing people saying a ‘big yes’ to Jesus that we’re missing celebrating the smaller steps on the journey to faith? Reverend Mark Greenwood joins Paul Hammond to share of the value of the ‘little yes’ and ‘healthy maybe’ in this week’s Life Issues.

[Originally broadcast the week of 11th March 2019]

Searching for new delicious recipes and interested in sharing them with others? Tune in to Vicky Gibbens’ Life Issues with Eve Balshaw, contributor to a beautiful book called ‘Simply Eat- Everyday stories of friendship, food and faith’.

[Originally broadcast the week of 13th October 2023]

Most of us at some point have felt the panic of indecision – so how do we make good decisions, how do we make God decisions, and how can we make sure it’s a good call, let alone the right call.  This week’s Life Issues Heads of tails: How do you make a good decision?

How do we live out what it means to be known, seen and loved by God, and what kind of life does it lead to? Helen invited Richard Porter, author of The Adventure-Driven Lifein this week’s episode to share his perspective as a Vietnam war veteran turned hippie who became a follower of Jesus.

What must it be like to find and experience Jesus’ love, when you live under an oppressive regime in your country and your nearest and dearest don’t believe? Marziyeh Amirizadeh wanted others in Iran to have such a relationship, but her passion led her to be sentenced to death by hanging for the crime of converting to Christianity. Vicky Gibbens was joined by Marzi to find out how Jesus helped her to survive in this week’s Life Issues.

What does it mean to be known, seen and loved by God?

Should I be worried that God knows the secrets of my heart and hears the things my inside voice says? Or encouraged that He sees the true me when others don’t? It’s this week’s Life Issues podcast with Paul Hammond who is joined by Co-Team Leader at NXT Move Europe, Dan Randall.

We all want to be understood, cared for and valued. But why? Vicky Gibbens asks Biblical Counselling UK’s Helen Thorne-Allenson in the first episode of a four-part Life Issues series exploring what it means to be ‘known, seen, loved’, inspired by the lyrics of Christian artist MŌRIAH.

AI is all around us. But what is the ethical response to its development, and what is the faith response? Can the Holy Spirit speak through Chat GPT? It’s the Life Issues podcast with Presenter Paul Hammond and Revd Dr Chris Goswami, Founder of AI Christian Partnership.

Our societal support systems, intended to protect the most vulnerable, are creaking at the seams. So, what is the solution? Could the clue be in the name: CARE? Tarn Bright, Co-CEO at Home for Good and Safe Families, tells Helen why LOVE must be at the centre of a redesign of the children’s care system in this week’s Life Issues.

There seems to be a growing passion for living in the moment, for seizing the day, Carpe` diem as it were. But it seems to be less about “redeeming the time” and more of an excuse to chase a consumerist or self-focused lifestyle… So, given that you only live once – how can we make that life the best and most productive it can be? It’s the LI podcast – available now on UCB player and this week entitled. YOLO – so could life be better?

Cathy and Mark Madavan are authors of Up and Alive: Living The Life We Are Made For

[Originally broadcast the week of 12th September 2022]

Kindness has connotations of sweetness and softness, but does this make us prone to overlook the dynamic power of kindness and the legacy it leaves? Paul takes up the discussion with Debbie Duncan and Cathy Le Feuvre in this week’s Life Issues.

Do you have unfulfilled dreams? Maybe life hasn't turned out as you'd hoped? From becoming a parent, to owning a home, getting married or pursuing a certain career... 
How do we deal with these unfulfilled desires?
Can we rewrite the narrative and find a new vision for our lives? 
And is it ok to grieve something you've never had? Helen Lea is joined by midlife mindset coach Helen Louise Knight who's passionate about helping people who feel invisible - embrace and make the most of the life they have.

Have you ever had a go at keeping a journal? What if it could be more than a record of what we’ve been up to and instead was used by God as a missional tool? On this week’s Life Issues, Vicky Gibbens speaks to Bishop Matthew Porter and Dr Christopher Williams on the role reflection can plays in our everyday lives.

Words are one of the most powerful tools we have but often they can escape us. Particularly when it comes to prayer. But what if we don't need the "right" words or even our words? In this week's Life Issues Helen Lea is exploring the ancient practice of liturgy with authors of Liturgies for Hope & Liturgies for Wholeness Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore.

As men, what do we do with mood swings, despair, anger? Particularly when we feel guilt at apparently not being able to cope? On this week’s Life Issues Paul Hammond is joined by Mercy UK’s Bryn Abbott and Paul Marshall to discuss why men find it so hard to talk about the impact of poor mental health and what God has to say about it.

There’s an old hymn that says – “Tis mercy all, immense and free; For, O my God, it found out me.” But what is mercy? Is it just a case of letting someone off with it? Where’s the justice in that? These days we’re more likely to see argument, cancelling or even aggression than mercy. So, where does it fit?  Paul is joined by Natalie Williams, Author of Tis Mercy Allin this week’s Life Issues:  “Blessed are the merciful, even these days” to find out.

Has atheism lost its popularity? Is belief in God gaining interest and respect once again? Helen’s guest for this week's life issues is Justin Brierly, host of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God podcast.

They discuss how the conversation around faith, reason and God has changed and why many sceptics are now pointing people back to Christianity.

We talk about comfort. We talk about being comfortable. We talk about giving comfort. We talk about our comfort zone.

We even refer to the Holy Spirit as the Comforter.

But given the Bible says we are to share in Christ’s sufferings,

should our lives be comfortable? Do we not need sometimes to step out of that comfort zone – or away from the security blanket that is distracting us or holding us back? What is comfort really about and how do we comfort those in need? It’s the LI podcast – “are you sitting comfortably?”

How often do you chat to your neighbour? On Life Issues this week we’re asking what was that ‘glue’ that seemed to stick people together bringing a sense of belonging and relationship to a community that doesn’t seem to exist anymore? Or does it? Joining Vicky Gibbens for the conversation is author Nigel Adams in our latest podcast episode, Communities of Hope.

Do you dream? Throughout the bible there are plenty of examples of dreams – Pharaoh’s cows, Jacob’s ladder, Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. They send the message that God speaks through dreams. So, could He be speaking through yours? Maybe not the ones about your teeth falling out or turning up at work with no trousers on! But could it be, that in a world where dream interpretation is big business, it might actually be God speaking to us? This week’s Life Issues, Paul is joined by Professor Mark Birch Machin.