England netball international Berri Neil has spoken about how a painful sporting defeat led her to discover faith in God. The 23-year-old Loughborough Lightning player struggled emotionally after her team lost the 2025 Netball Super League Grand Final to London Pulse, a club she had previously played for. Feeling deeply discouraged and questioning her purpose, Neil accepted an invitation from her twelve-year-old brother to attend church. The experience became a turning point in her life. She describes encountering joy, peace, and a new perspective that helped her realise that success or failure in sport does not define her ultimate purpose. Neil says her new faith has brought freedom from pressure and anxiety, reminding her that God has a greater plan for her life. She has also been encouraged by discovering other Christian teammates who are helping her grow spiritually. As her team prepares for the new season after winning the Netball Super Cup, Neil believes the difficult loss ultimately became a blessing that led her to faith and renewed hope both on and off the court.

Christians in Pakistan are using theatre to proclaim the Gospel through a growing creative movement centred in Karachi. The Othniel School of Biblical Art (OSBA) is preparing its 2026 season of 'Journey to Salvation', a large-scale musical production presenting the story of Jesus from Creation to the Ascension using only Bible verses. Scheduled for 7–15 March at the National Academy of Performing Arts, the production combines drama, music, and worship to bring Scripture to life on stage. Since its launch, the ministry has expanded rapidly, reaching thousands through dozens of performances and launching a Christian art gallery to encourage faith-inspired creativity. Over 110 actors from diverse backgrounds have participated, reflecting the unity of Pakistan’s Christian community. Organisers expect the 2026 performances to reach more than 8,000 attendees, with potential media exposure to millions across the country. Despite financial and cultural challenges faced by Christians as a minority, the movement continues to grow. Leaders believe theatre can help younger generations encounter the message of Christ in powerful, memorable ways.

Christian nurse Jennifer Melle has returned to work after more than ten months of suspension following an incident involving a transgender prisoner. She was disciplined after referring to the patient as ‘mister’ while speaking with colleagues, despite reporting that she had faced racial abuse and physical threats during the encounter. Although her NHS trust has confirmed it will take no further action, she remains under investigation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council over the language used and for speaking publicly about her treatment. Melle, a south London nurse with twelve years of service, is pursuing an employment tribunal, alleging harassment, discrimination and breaches of freedom of belief. She has expressed gratitude for support received throughout the ordeal, especially by the Christian Legal Centre.

Ngoc*, a 63-year-old believer in Vietnam, has endured severe persecution for her Christian faith. Raised in ancestral worship, she came to faith in Jesus after hearing about His love and forgiveness at a local church. When she told her husband, his violence intensified, including attempts to strangle and stone her. Though some of her children opposed her decision, one daughter stood by her. Local authorities and neighbours later pressured Ngoc to renounce her faith. When she refused, a mob forced her from her home, and she was expelled from her village with only the clothes she wore. With her daughter and granddaughter, she found refuge in another community where local Christians helped them rebuild their lives. Despite suffering rejection, violence and loss, Ngoc continues to express deep trust in God, testifying to His faithfulness through hardship. (*name changed for security reasons)

On Shrove Tuesday, instead of speaking about pancakes or fasting, Archbishop Stephen Cottrell reflected on snowdrops in his ‘pause for thought’ on Radio 2. Walking through his garden in Bishopthorpe, he was struck by their fragile beauty and quiet strength. Blooming in winter’s cold earth, snowdrops herald the coming of spring, offering hope when the landscape still seems lifeless. Yet they are fleeting; by March they have faded. He recalled a deeply personal memory from thirty years ago, when he took the funeral of his one-year-old godson. The Sisters at the hospice placed snowdrops on the small coffin. To him, they spoke more eloquently than words of a life that was short, fragile, and beautiful. Linking this reflection to Lent and Easter, he reminded listeners that every human life has a beginning and an end, each miraculous and precious. Snowdrops, appearing in winter and disappearing quickly, invite us to reflect on mortality, hope, and the abundant life brought through Christ’s death and resurrection.

Yorkshire missionary Andy Newlove has shared remarkable stories of God’s faithfulness during fifteen years serving in the Philippines. His life, he says, began with a miracle. After a miscarriage, doctors doubted his mother would carry a child to term, but she prayed and dedicated her son to God. Andy was born, though tragedy followed when his father died while he was still a baby. Growing up, he witnessed many answers to prayer and came to believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit remain active today. As a child he experienced healing after a severe scald, and later prayed for a girl dying of meningitis who recovered and eventually became his wife, Tracey. When she was 33 weeks pregnant with their first child, they moved 7,000 miles to the Philippines. There they survived earthquakes, typhoons, and dangerous journeys while planting churches and training local believers. Miracles, unity among pastors, and revival marked their years of service. Today their legacy continues through family and Filipino leaders serving Christ worldwide.

Southern Baptists are seizing a remarkable evangelistic opportunity as the 2026 Winter Olympics unfold in Milan / Cortina. International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries serving across Italy have partnered with hundreds of American volunteers to proclaim the hope of Christ to the nations gathered for the Games. Outreach strategies include distributing Bibles and copies of John’s gospel, hosting welcoming hospitality points, and engaging in Olympic pin trading – each pin carrying a QR code linking to a multilingual gospel presentation. Kim Cruse of Tennessee is leading a team and encouraging bold, faith-filled conversations, reminding volunteers that many people are more spiritually open than we assume. Teams have prepared using AI chat tools to practise engaging with varied worldviews. Missionaries Dylan and Isaura Jeronimo-Lancaster are welcoming faithful church partners, reflecting the power of long-term collaboration. Volunteers testify that such global events offer a rare, God-given opportunity to impact lives from every continent with the timeless message of Christ.

Actor Tim Allen has publicly celebrated completing a 13-month, word-by-word journey through the entire Bible – a 'no skimming' commitment from Genesis to Revelation. The 72-year-old, known for the films Toy Story and The Santa Clause, shared that he felt 'humbled, enlightened and amazed' by what he read, and plans to begin again after time for reflection and meditation. His announcement drew encouragement from fans and Christian leaders, including Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, who invited him to join a two-year Bible study. Allen has become increasingly open about his faith, and in a recent podcast he reflected on the relationship between God’s law and human sin. Last year he revealed he had never previously read the Bible fully; he began with the Old Testament and found it 'amazing and not at all what I was expecting’. He has also called for clearer Christian themes in The Santa Clauses series, insisting Christmas be recognised as rooted in Christ.

At a recent meeting in Washington, Grace Jin Drexel shared the moving story of her father, Pastor Ezra Jin, imprisoned in China for his Christian faith. He was arrested in October alongside 27 other leaders from Zion Church, in what has been described as one of the largest crackdowns on independent churches since the Cultural Revolution. Grace explained that the arrests are part of China’s aggressive campaign to bring all religious life under Communist Party control. Churches have been forced to remove crosses, replace worship songs with revolutionary anthems, rewrite sermons to align with socialist ideology, and install surveillance cameras inside sanctuaries. Zion Church was targeted after refusing to install facial recognition cameras. Despite closures and intimidation, the church adapted, developing hybrid online and offline gatherings. During the pandemic, this model led to remarkable growth, expanding to over a hundred meeting spaces in forty cities and reaching thousands daily. Grace also spoke of the severe prison conditions facing detained leaders, her family’s separation, and harassment abroad. Yet she testified confidently that God remains faithful, prayers are not in vain, and repression cannot extinguish the Church.

An unexpected move of God took place at RoofCon, a major roofing convention held in Oklahoma City. Though the event was designed to equip professionals with business skills, founder Hunter Ballew sensed the Holy Spirit calling him to use the platform for eternal purposes. Evangelist Clayton King was invited to share a clear and simple Gospel message, emphasising how individuals can truly know they are born again. Attendance at the final session was voluntary, yet many remained. In a spontaneous step of faith, organisers purchased horse troughs and set up baptisms on the convention floor. Over two hundred men and women responded to the Gospel, with dozens immediately baptised. King described the moment as a powerful work of the Holy Spirit, noting a growing hunger for faith beyond church walls. He believes this reflects a wider awakening, as secular promises fail and hearts respond afresh to the transforming power of the Gospel.