Off to Uni – getting ready!!

Preparing for the challenges of university life

You’re going to university! You’ve checked out which halls you’ll be in, bought all that you think you might need (plus a few extras). For many, university is one of the biggest transitions of your life. It’s a huge investment of time and money, so it makes sense to take… Read more.

What if my friend says they’re transgender?

How to respond in love to a friend who thinks they may be trans

In the 2021 census about 1% of 16-24 year olds stated that their gender identity was different to the sex they were registered with at birth (biological sex) and the NHS gender identity development service has seen a massive rise in the number of children being referred with gender dysphoria… Read more.

“Safe Sex”… is it really safe?

STI’s in young people continue to rise despite increased sex education promoting the “Safe Sex” message

It’s likely that you will have been taught about “safe sex” in school and that you may have been given the impression that STIs are something that pretty much everyone gets at some point. In 2017 Public Health England launched a campaign to protect young people from Sexually Transmitted Infections… Read more.

Dating Despair…

Taylor Swift’s latest album reflects modern dating despair

I don’t know if you are a Swiftie or not? Taylor Swift’s latest album – The Tortured Poets Department – has been described by some as capturing the feeling or phenomenon of ‘modern dating despair’. Relationship break up is and always has been a source of great sadness, but the… Read more.

7. Marriage – a personal story

Sam and Rach testify to the blessings of marriage

We’ve been joyfully married for 8 years, and we’d like to share some of the ways we’ve been blessed by our marriage. I (Sam) didn’t get married until I was 30, so there were a fair few years where I lived out of my family home as a single man.… Read more.

6. Marriage – lowers risk of domestic violence

Statistics show that marriage is the most protective factor

Domestic or partner abuse is common and much more commonly happens to girls/women than to men.  Relationships between men and women were not designed to be this way: Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself… Read more.

5. Sex and Marriage

Far from being boring, those who are married have more and better sex

In a society which is obsessed with sex and which often portrays commitment-free sex outside of marriage as exciting, many people come to believe that having sex with the same person for years on end is boring and unsatisfying. As Christians we know that God intends sexual intimacy only to… Read more.

4. Married couples are happier

Studies show that married couples are generally happier than those co-habiting or single

Everything and everyone whom God created is described as good in the first chapter of Genesis. In striking contrast God declares that ‘It is not good that the man should be alone’ and in response He made him ‘a helper fit for him’. God speaks with perfect wisdom. So we… Read more.

2. Children benefit from married parents

How marriage can help children to flourish

Are they healthier and happier? In general, research shows that children do best in life when they grow up with both their biological parents, and this is most likely when those parents are married (there will be a future article looking at how marriage increases the likelihood of couples remaining… Read more.

1. Married people live longer and healthier lives

Numerous studies on the relationship between health and being married show the evidence is overwhelmingly positive in favour of marriage

There have been numerous studies over the years which look at the relationship between being married and health. Here is a small selection: A recent study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that being married reduced the risk of Type 2 diabetes and this was the case even if… Read more.

Fed up of being single on Valentine’s Day??

In our society, there’s such a big pressure to be in a relationship but is finding that special someone really the most important goal in life?

Does it seem like almost everyone is getting a Valentine’s Day card except you? Are you just fed up with all your friends being in couples and being too busy planning their romantic dates to spend any time with you? Valentine’s Day can be hard when you’re single.  In our… Read more.