In the lead up to the Jewish Sabbath, the Revd Dr Kevin Snyman, the URC’s Head of ��Ʒ��ҹ�������� Justice and Inter Faith, said: “As members of the United Reformed Church, we wish to hold close to our hearts our Jewish family following the attempted arson attack on Finchley Reform Synagogue. We are deeply saddened and angered by this latest act of antisemitic hatred.”

“We stand in solidarity with the synagogue leaders and members, all at Progressive Judaism, the wider Finchley community, and the Jewish community as a whole beyond North London. No community should have to worship under threat, fear, and anxiety.”

Dr Snyman endorsed a statement from the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ), which noted that although this attack was unsuccessful, it follows attacks on the Hatzola ambulances last month and Heaton Park synagogue in October.

The CCJ said: “Security, tension and anxiety are extremely high. Jewish colleagues, friends and neighbours should not have to worry about attending places of worship, nor should anyone of any faith. Jewish community buildings, schools and synagogues have longstanding security systems that frankly should not be required.”

The Revd Dr Nathan Eddy, Co-Director of the CCJ and a United Reformed minister, added: “An attack on a synagogue or any place of worship is an attack on us all. It strikes right at the heart of something Christians should stand against, arm in arm.”

In a message directed to the members of Finchley Reform Synagogue, Dr Snyman emphasised that “we send our strength, our prayers, and our steadfast support to the synagogue and to all who are shaken by this attack. You are not alone at this time.”

Finchley Reform Synagogue has stood in the area since 1961. A new building was completed in 2022.

Linked statements from

Image: By Ri Butov | Pixabay

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Today we sit inside a story about love — a love that never turns away, a love that keeps giving and giving.

It was evening. The room was quiet.
Jesus Christ sat at the table with friends on the night we now call Maundy Thursday.
They were sharing a meal together, just like friends do.

But Jesus wanted them to understand something important.
He stood up slowly.
He picked up a towel.
He knelt down.
And one by one, He washed their feet.
It was a servant’s job — not a king’s job.
Yet the One they called Lord chose to kneel.
The King chose a towel instead of a crown.

Perhaps His friends wondered, Why is He doing this?
And Jesus seemed to say, without needing many words,
“This is how much I love you.”

Then He took bread, broke it gently, and shared it with them.
“This is my body, given for you.”
It was as if Jesus was saying,
“I love you this much — enough to give myself.”

Not just with words.
With actions.

Love helps.
Love shares.
Love includes.
Love is kind — even when it’s hard.
Love kneels.
Love serves.
Love welcomes.
Love looks small sometimes — like a towel, or a piece of bread, or a quiet act of kindness.

But small acts can hold very big love.
So this week, we might ask ourselves:
How can we show love like this?
Maybe by helping someone without being asked.
Maybe by sitting beside someone who feels alone.
Maybe by forgiving, or sharing, or simply being kind.

Because love is not only something we say.
Love is something we do.
And Jesus shows us just how much love can reach.

Judy Harris is the URC’s Children’s and Youth Development Officer in the National Synod of Wales
Image: Washing of the Feet by John August Swanson, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN

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The event was hosted by the United Reformed Church in London and organised by Youth Ministry Roundtable – a network of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. In what was a unique gathering, denominational leads for youth and young adult ministry from fourteen UK denominations gathered to discuss how local church members can respond to the concerns of Generation Z (currently aged 14 to 29). They asked what it is that is drawing young people to church and faith considerations – a phenomenon sometimes known as “the Quiet Revival”.

Keynote speaker Benjamin Hoyte, Church Engagement Manager at Bible Society, which was responsible for the Quiet Revival research, outlined the challenges for churches to welcome, engage and disciple young adults who come to church with no previous connection. He highlighted a generation exploring a spiritual marketplace, wanting to wrestle with questions, having encounters they need to unpack somewhere, and looking for authenticity and community.

He mentioned in particular young men, coming with a sense of purposelessness and loneliness, encouraged by social media, and said the challenge for churches is not to convey theological permission for them to be who they already are, but to share a gospel of transformation and love.

It was a point emphasised by other speakers, including Erica Lees-Smith, an intern with the ecumenical Joint Public Issues team, who said that young people are bringing into church a “culture war language that doesn’t align with Christ-like principles”. She said young people are often unaware of the Church’s “long tradition of welcoming the stranger, centring the marginalised, and caring for the environment”. However, Erica, who is herself part of Gen Z, said, “We’re looking for forums where our anger or frustration can be heard”. She cited the difficult jobs market, the climate crisis, and racism and said, “Young people need to be heard and taken seriously.”

Lydia Gilbertson of the Evangelical Alliance agreed that “this generation isn’t drifting, it’s wrestling”. She said recent research confirmed that many 18-24-year-olds “have been shaped in a hyper individualistic culture. To follow Jesus in that context is countercultural”. And Luke Smith, from the student mission organisation Fusion, said that above all young people “need someone to sit with them and work through their stuff, work through the things in their life that they can’t figure out”. “How do we disciple those people who speak a different cultural language to the one that we spoke?” he asked.

The conference gathered a range of responses to the needs and questions shared during the day. They included: creating “a culture of apprenticeship in faith”, shifting social media to “doing faith” content and working ecumenically, and remembering that personal communication is vital – church members “don’t need new resources, but more confidence in nurturing and being alongside others in their questions”.

The day was organised by Dr Sam Richards, the URC’s Head of Children, Youth and Intergenerational Discipleship, with Dr Carolyn Edwards (Church of England), Meg Prowting (Methodist Church) and the Revd David Howell (Churches Together in England and The Conversation).

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Taking the theme “Wise Words – Wise Actions” as their starting point, around one hundred 14-25-year-olds enjoyed a weekend of business, worship, and a wide range of activities – from prayer walks and karaoke to marshmallow toasting and ceilidh dancing.

Following lively discussion and a vote, Youth Executive was tasked with focusing their attention in 2026-27 on three priorities: social injustices for young people; international partnerships and collaboration with Christian youth; and environmental issues.

From tackling a housing crisis that prevents young people from moving out from home to recognising that those below the poverty line are impacted more by the effects of climate change, members of Assembly made clear the issues they are passionate about – and feel their churches and communities should care deeply about too. Taylor Hawkins, a delegate from Wessex Synod, was successful in persuading Youth Assembly to encourage synods and local churches to become more young carer aware. Their resolution will come to the recently formed Faith in Action committee for further discussion and action.

There was also a notable emphasis on the need to collaborate ecumenically. Delegates were present from different Christian denominations, from across the UK and Germany, as well as interns from the Joint Public Issues Team. Incoming Youth Moderator Kacie Hodgson has made “expanding our horizons through our ecumenical relations” one of the platforms of her year in office, and Moderator-Elect Alex Clements added that “where URC churches exist at a geographical distance, we need to support young people to feel more confident in getting to know young people of other Church denominations”.

The depth of commitment to Youth Assembly was evident throughout the event. Outgoing Youth Moderator Maya Withall, who joined the URC aged 11 from a non-Christian background, marvelled at the journey she has come on and said her colleagues on Youth Executive have inspired her to be better in her own work. The new Clerk of Youth Assembly, Jessica Gough, echoed that sentiment and told the gathering she was baptised recently and became a member of her local church. She said, “I honestly don’t think I would have made that decision had I not got involved with URC Youth.”

Christie Ntim led Youth Assembly 2026 into its first worship session and expressed what many others also felt: “a warming love from many participants at Youth Assembly, which filled me with so much hope and joy as we shared stories and wise words with each other.”

Recruitment is underway for young people who would like to help plan future Youth Assemblies. Details and an Expression of Interest Form at .

Pictured: (main image) worship; (montage) Maya Withall (past Youth Moderator), Kacie Hodgson (Youth Moderator, 2026-27) and Alex Clements (Youth Moderator-Elect) / wise words make wise badges / some umbrellas just don’t work

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“All the work I’ve done has been around how we help people find connection, security and belonging – these are things that I think are really important.”

Helen recently took up the role of Mission Practitioner (Children) for the URC’s Eastern Synod. She comes to it following eight years of being alongside children and families in the rapidly growing and increasingly diverse community of Trumpington, near Cambridge.

In a partnership between the local Anglican church and the county council, Helen – who trained as a clinical psychologist – brought expertise around vulnerabilities, mental health and complex situations such as domestic abuse, and an understanding of diverse needs alongside the context of Christian faith.

Helen understood her work as pioneering ministry, being alongside people beyond the traditional structures of the Church. When the initial project funding ran out, she ensured it continued under the auspices of the charity Connected Lives. “This work is about relationships and trust, and it takes time,” she says.

Committed to an intergenerational approach to her new role, Helen says we need to be thinking about children and young people within the context of what their environment is. “So, not just being with them on a Sunday and teaching them the Gospel, but asking who they are connected to. Because most of the time, children are with their parent or carer. What has their parents’ own experience of being parented been like? What do they know of what it means to belong, and how might this impact on their children’s life now?”

As Helen helps others make connections and find supportive communities, along the way she has also found her own desire to belong met within a local URC congregation. Drawn there by its embrace of the Open Table movement, which advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion in religious settings, she found a new home – “a truly inclusive place with Jesus at the heart of it. It was open. Not bogged down in tradition. I found a home in a new place.”

Helen says she is pleased to be extending her work and interests into Eastern Synod, saying “I’d like to give back what I’ve learned at a broader level, across a larger area and within the URC.”

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The Carbon Fast campaign is being run by Climate Stewards, part of the A Rocha family of organisations.

The organisers say a carbon fast is “about giving up unsustainable consumption practices to reduce our carbon footprint – and in doing so, learning to live lightly on God’s earth”.

In the Bible, they say, caring for creation is God’s first instruction to humans. So, during a season when Christians traditionally fast and focus on God, they encourage us to live more simply and find new ways to cut our carbon footprint.

It’s not too late to join in.

Each week throughout Lent, the campaign features a different theme designed to help churches and individuals take climate action. Each session includes key facts, suggestions for how to reduce our carbon footprint, and a reflection.

Sign up for weekly emails or download the whole set of themes in one go at the .

Climate Stewards say: “By starting to reduce our consumption at Lent, and continuing with thoughtful living through the year, we are caring for creation, a responsibility entrusted to us by God.”

����������:�� by Bernard Meninsky (1891–1950)

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PCE was one of the Church denominations that joined to form the United Reformed Church (URC), and Presbyterian Church House stood on the site of the URC’s Offices of General Assembly, in Tavistock Place, London. A memorial plaque naming the ten people who were killed on the day is situated in the entrance to the building.

On the day of the bombing, ministers and lay members from across Britain were attending a meeting. As well as the ten who were killed, many others were injured.

The dead included the General Secretary to the Presbyterian Church of England, the Revd William Thorburn Elmslie (pictured), and other members of the head office staff. Father Reginald H Tribe, a Church of England priest who had been awarded the Military Cross for courage during the First ��Ʒ��ҹ�������� War, was also among those who died. He had been attending a meeting of the Faith and Order Department of the British Council of Churches.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, the Revd AP Harcus, escaped injury because he was late for the meeting. One report describes how he was walking towards Church House when he saw the V2 rocket hit the building. He ran to help his colleagues but several had been killed immediately. The building itself was in a precarious state and was subsequently demolished.

The present URC Church House was rebuilt on the same site and opened in 1957.

Main image and plaque: Andy Jackson; photo of William Elmslie from The Alpine Club/www.londonremembers.com

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URC Youth Executive gathered at Shepherds Dene retreat house in Northumbria for a weekend in January to finalise Youth Assembly 2026 preparations and enjoy some spiritual and physical rest and time together.

URC Children’s, Youth and Intergenerational theme for the year is “Wise Words”. The group explored this through worship, and their chaplain, Tim Meadows, introduced them to the spiritual discipline of the Labyrinth-walking, to be walked in silence.

The weekend also included a less silent walk along part of Hadrian’s wall to the “Sycamore Gap”, which reached wide attention when the 120-year-old sycamore tree located there was felled illegally. “The stump that remains could be seen sprouting renewed life, a powerful symbol of the Spirit of God at work in our lives and communities,” said the Head of Children, Youth and Intergenerational, Dr Sam Richards.

The Youth Executive has been piloting a new structure, following a review received at Youth Assembly 2025. The decision to share the Executive’s roles and tasks between three different groups, each taking more focus with a clear task but less time commitment, has enabled a more diverse than ever group of young people to be involved as either Synod Youth Representatives or as part of the Youth Assembly Planning Group.

As a result of the work becoming more focussed, Executive meetings across the year have also been freed up to include team bonding activities such as learning to punt, visiting Lindisfarne, and joining local URC churches for worship.

Image: (new growth from sycamore stump)
used with permission from Northumberland National Park Authority

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The first meeting was held in the same building on 10 January 1946, five months after the Second ��Ʒ��ҹ�������� War ended.

URC guests joined with ecumenical friends, interfaith representatives, political leaders and others for a service at which Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, preached. He said that “the United Nations was no abstract treaty; it was a covenant, etched in the memory of the horrors of the Holocaust, the firebombing of Dresden, Coventry and Tokyo, the atomic clouds over Nagasaki and Hiroshima.”

Addressing the current global context, the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, described 2025 as “a profoundly challenging year for international cooperation and the values of the UN. “Aid was slashed. Inequalities widened. Climate chaos accelerated. International law was trampled. Crackdowns on civil society intensified. Journalists were killed with impunity. And United Nations staff were repeatedly threatened – or killed – in the line of duty.” Mr Guterres described powerful forces “lining up to undermine global cooperation” and said values of multilateralism were being “chipped away … It is up to us to take a stand.”

The service included an act of remembrance for those who have died in the service of the United Nations (pictured). HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh was joined by two local schoolchildren to light candles for UN peacekeepers, humanitarian workers, and mediators working in areas of conflict.

Lindsey Brown, Head of Ecumenical Relations and Evangelism, said that by drawing on the words of the Declaration of Universal Human Rights, drafted by the UN a couple of years after the inaugural event, “the service also reminded us of the innate worth, value and dignity of all human beings, and the need for states to preserve and protect that dignity.”

A video about the 1946 meeting at Central Hall Westminster was shown during the service. It can be seen at .

Representatives of the United Reformed Church pictured (L to R): the Revd Jennifer Mills-Knutsen, minister at the American International Church in London;  the Revd Dr Tessa Henry Robinson, President of the Free Churches Group and former URC Moderator; Karen Campbell, Head of Global and Intercultural Ministries; Lindsey Brown, Head of Ecumenical Relations and Evangelism; the Revd Cristina Cipriani, Ecumenical Officer in Southern Synod.

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Ethnic cleansing and human rights abuses against the people of Armenia has been ignored by the international community, say the authors of resources prepared for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU).

The week is traditionally observed 18 – 25 January. This year’s theme, “One Body, One Spirit”, is inspired by verses from St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

WPCU resources are prepared by different Churches each year. In 2026, the authors are members of the Armenian Apostolic Church, together with representatives of the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches. They have drawn upon centuries-old traditions of prayer and petitions used by the Armenian people, along with hymns that originated in the ancient monasteries and churches of Armenia, some of which date back to the fourth century.

While they focus on the task of Christians to “delve more deeply into our fellowship in Christ, which unites Christians worldwide”, the writers also say the oppression of their own people has been forgotten.

They say the Armenian diaspora numbers “many times the population of the country itself”, and that the Armenian Church “brings together a truly global community that is present in Russia, Ukraine, and throughout the Middle East”. However, though Armenians are impacted directly by conflicts that dominate the news headlines, their own oppression and displacement by Azerbaijan has been largely neglected.

The authors write: “The ethnic cleansing and associated human rights abuses perpetrated against the Armenian people, especially in the ancient Armenian homeland of Artsakh, have been well documented by international human rights observers, yet the international community fails to act as lives are lost, families are displaced, people are unjustly imprisoned and cultural heritage is destroyed.”

As well as WPCU orders of worship, daily reflections are available that work their way through the verses of Ephesians 4. In addition, Christian Aid has provided “Go and Do action points” for each reflection. The resource offers an opportunity to share “a collective voice of the Church as an advocate for just peace in the world, not only for Armenians, but for all those suffering as a result of violence, displacement and persecution.”

The 2026 WPCU resources are available in English and other languages of the British Isles:

Image: The Armenian Genocide memorial complex on the hill of Tsitsernakaberd in Yerevan. By amir-kh | Unsplash[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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