Dr Gareth Crispin
Dr Gareth Crispin is Commissioning Editor (Young People) at Premier.
ArticlePlaying is good for your kids. Here's how Christian parents and churches can encourage it
Play is a funny thing. Everyone knows intuitively what it is but struggles to define it. It’s fun, but it is also a serious business. We associate it with children but deep-down love it as adults. It comes naturally and yet we seem also to spend a lot of time working at it. Play is a bit of a paradox but before we give up on it lets step back and consider what exactly it is and why it is important.
ArticleChildline’s tips on tackling loneliness are helpful. But Christians should go further.
This month Childline revealed that that they ran nearly 5,000 online or telephone counselling sessions with youth and children in 2023-24. There are lots of issues that worry youth and children but, in those sessions, the main concern was loneliness. This isn’t an outlying report. The Office for National Statistics said something similar about the same time period. Loneliness, it seems, is a big problem.
Article'Welcome to our church' can be backed by action if we think hard enough
One of the most iconic moments in all nativity plays is the moment when Mary and Joseph go from door to door in search of a safe place to bring the baby Jesus into the world. At every turn someone says that there is no room and shuts the door ...
ArticleWhy the real meaning of Advent matters and how you can encourage participation
Gareth Crispin suggests that you can get preparing for Advent now, and reap the benefits later
ArticleWhy loneliness is an increasing problem for youth and children and what to do about it
Gareth Crispin has been finding stats on loneliness surprising and illuminating
ArticleMaking the autumn term a great term
The nights may be drawing in, but Gareth Crispin believes we can lift the autumn gloom by valuing the month for what it gives us and our groups.
ArticleTo baptise or not baptise – is that the question?
Do you believe in infant baptism or believers’ baptism? Do you even know the language and why it matters? If you are part of a local church which practises one or the other, or indeed neither, then knowing where the church stands and what you think about it will be important, especially if you are a youth or children’s worker who grew up in a different tradition. Gareth Crispin knows both worlds well and draws out what it’s about, why it matters and asks some significant questions.
