Shaping identity starts young, which is why it’s so important that children grow up with strong, godly role models. That’s something Dr Nkechi Ifediora is deeply passionate about. As the founder of Sparkle Queen Global Ministries, she joined Lydia to share how Sparkle Queen Dolls are helping young girls discover their God-given identity, through the power of play.
When you think about worship, what’s the very first picture that comes to mind? Daniel Johnson, Programme Leader for Theology, Music, and Worship Studies at the London School of Theology, joined Lydia Bennett to explore what the Bible actually says about worship, Christian worship throughout history, and the practical nuts and bolts of congregational worship.
Can music speak into something as complex, and sometimes as painful, as the asylum system? For Josh Asokan, the answer is a resounding yes. Josh is the founder and director of Odyssey Ensemble - the UK’s first professional orchestra devoted entirely to telling and amplifying refugee stories through music. He joined Premier’s Lydia Bennett to share his story.
From the Gospel accounts not lining up perfectly to the differences across the resurrection narratives, the nature of biblical truth can sometimes feel unclear. Church historian, theologian, and senior pastor of Stirling Baptist Church, Alasdair Black, joined Lydia Bennett to explore why we can trust the Bible even though it isn’t always tidy.
Have you ever felt like your faith has slipped into autopilot? You’re praying, but distracted. Reading Scripture, but it’s not landing. Church is good, but something feels off. If that’s you, you’re not alone. We all hit seasons where our spiritual life needs a reset. Joe Warton is a writer, researcher and coach and he joined Lydia Bennett to unpack what a spiritual rut really is, how to recognise it and the simple, practical ways to bring your faith back to life as we head into a new season.
Ahead of the Everything Leadership Conference, Ed Michaelson joined Lydia Bennett to share his remarkable journey and how the Lord cultivated a passion for mission within him. Ed is the founder and CEO of a charity called 500k International, which is based in India and partners with local people to ensure that God’s love reaches them in practical, meaningful ways.
We all know life rarely goes to plan… but what happens when it feels like it's gone completely off course? It can be hard to hold onto God's promises when everything starts to fall apart, but He is with with us always, even in the valley of the shadow of death. Few understand that more than Vaneetha Rendall-Risner. She joined Premier’s Lydia Bennett to share her experiences of child loss, divorce, serious health challenges and to share about her new book 'This Was Never the Plan'.
It’s no secret that music can move us like nothing else. And there’s something especially powerful about Gospel music. The energy, the joy, the sense of unity - it’s on full display as university Gospel choirs from across the UK come together for this year’s University Gospel Choir of the Year final. Ahead of the showdown on the 21st March, Premier’s Mal Pope caught up with six choir representatives to talk about the impact of Gospel music on students today.
Over the past 14 years, churches across Wales have been praying together, working together, and experiencing fresh spiritual momentum through New Wine Cymru. Churches are growing again, people are coming to faith regularly, baptisms are increasing, and Alpha attendance has doubled in a single year. Julian Richards from New Wine Cymru joined Mal Pope to unpack what God is doing in Wales and to explore the practicalities behind this revival.
Stefan Smart delivers Mark’s Gospel, packed with action, in a full‑bodied drama with vivid characters and the raw urgency of the Good News, in a production titled I AM MARK. The show has sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe, travelled through churches and prisons, and continues to open powerful conversations everywhere it goes. Stefan joined Lydia Bennett to share the journey behind the performance and the faith story that transformed his own life.
When you receive some good news, you can't help but share it right? As Christians we have the best news in the world, but so often we can hesitate to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others! Helping us break through some of these barriers to sharing our faith is Megan Beamish. She’s got a real heart for evangelism and she sat down with Lydia for an 'Evangelism 101' tackling the fears, the myths and the very real obstacles that can stop us from sharing our faith with confidence.
Jesus truly sets captives free, and stories like Shepard Pani’s still stop you in your tracks. Once caught up in drugs and prison, he’s now a leader helping people break limiting beliefs and discover what’s possible. His journey, told in Never Beyond Hope, continues to inspire many. He joined Tash Kusi to share how his life changed when he heard the gospel.
Neil O’Boyle’s new book, Catching the Wave: How Your Church Can Reach a Spiritually Hungry Generation, explores how we can make the most of this wave of revival. Neil, the former National Director of Youth For Christ UK, joined Carlton Baxter to share what he’s seeing and how churches can respond to this moment.
So many of the worship songs we sing in churches today have been shaped by one man - Les Moir. Author, mentor, A&R manager, record producer and bass player, Les has spent decades helping to shape the sound of contemporary Christian music from 10,000 Reasons to Shine Jesus Shine. He sat down with Lydia Bennett to share his journey and to talk about his new book Hallelujah: The History of Contemporary Christian Music in 100 Songs.
God has made us mind, body and spirit, but so often we live entirely in our heads! What might change if we began to include our bodies in our prayer life too? Amy Boucher Pye joined Lydia Bennett to explore this powerful connection that many Christians overlook. She also shared some practical ways to practice embodied prayer, before leading us in an extended time of meditation.
