Best Rich Gower and Abigail Thomas Podcasts (2024)

1
Keeping Going {ProximityxHopefulActivists} 1:06:37

8d ago1:06:37

1:06:37

In this second episode of our brilliant collaboration with Proximity, Abi Thomas explores how to keep going for the long-haul when you are living and working for justice in urban estates and beyond. Wherever it is you’re trying to make a difference, you'll find practical wisdom for keeping your activism centred on Jesus and preventing burnout and w…

1
Responding to Riots and Racism 29:55

2M ago29:55

29:55

Ahead of an online event on the 9th August Abi speaks to Rev Dr Israel Oluwole Olofinjana about racial justice in the UK. We also discuss the intersection with climate justice, mental health and how the UK church can respond and recover.By Rich Gower and Abigail Thomas

1
Collaborative and Crafty Campaigning 34:59

3M ago34:59

34:59

Abi has been out and about again, visiting the wonderful people at Leeds Craftivists to hear about their collaborative and crafty campaigns. Including campaigns around food waste, the cost of living crisis and local transport. If you want to know more about the principles behind craftivism, we have two episodes here and here with Sarah Corbett, aut…

1
Vote Like Jesus 9:33

4M ago9:33

9:33

A super short episode to draw our attention to the new resource from Jubilee+ called Voting Like Jesus. Natalie Williams calls on Christians to engage with politics, to pray and to look honestly at our own hearts, as we face a general election.By Rich Gower and Abigail Thomas

1
Jesus and the Urban Estate {ProximityxHopefulActivists} 59:41

4M ago59:41

59:41

The first in our exciting new series in collaboration with Proximity, a new resource hub for urban Christians. In this episode we discover the joys and challenges of following Jesus on an urban estate. We'll hear from Allan Finnegan from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Netherton in Liverpool, Tom Grant, also from Emmanuel Baptist Church and Head of Prox…

1
The Hopeful Activist Book 44:49

5M ago44:49

44:49

Meet the Hopeful Activist team, including the authors of The Hopeful Activist book and find out why we are so proud of it! Most of the team came to The Lodge Café in Bradford to hear the story of how a subsiding building became a thriving community space and find out how to be a hopeful activist. Abi also speaks to Thobekile Ncube from Harare in Zi…

1
What's the problem with hope? 44:07

5M ago44:07

44:07

Brian D. McLaren is a very well known author, speaker, activist and public theologian and joined Abi from his home in Florida. Brian works with Father Richard Rohr at the Centre for Action and Contemplation and is proud to be an activist! We talk about Brian's new book Life After Doom, covering: how to welcome the reality of our climate crisis how …

1
We found the Garden of Eden! 30:18

6M ago30:18

30:18

Grace Hills has been digging up the grass verges, planting fruit trees and increasing the biodiversity on her street, with the help of her neighbours and their children. Abi met two of the children who are part of her Flower Fairies group, where Grace teaches them to enjoy and appreciate nature, and to do plenty of planting, despite living on a sub…

1
Curing a sick society with Dr Andy Knox 1:10:56

7M ago1:10:56

1:10:56

Rachel and Rich (authors of The Hopeful Activist) listen to Abi's interview with Dr Andy Knox, author of Sick Society. Dr Andy Knox argues that our society is broken because we have built it on values that are not working for too many people. Sharing moving stories from the people he has met in his clinic as a GP, we see a system that is stacked ag…

1
Less Waste Laura - Campaign Win! 35:09

8M ago35:09

35:09

Laura Young has been leading a campaign with groups supporting health and the environment and at the end of January their campaign to have disposable vapes banned in the UK was successful! The campaign is just 16 months old, and has made a huge impact, with legislative change now around the corner and Abi was delighted to be able to talk to Laura s…

1
Just money, money, money! 42:49

9M ago42:49

42:49

Thanks so much to Sarah Edwards and Rosie Venner from the Just Money Movement for answering some tricky questions in today’s episode. If you’ve ever asked questions of capitalism, if you’ve thought about whether direct action or becoming a shareholder is the best way to make change in our financial systems, or if you feel like you don’t have enough…

1
How to be a Change Maker 1:05:05

9M ago1:05:05

1:05:05

A great interview with the Rev Dr Ash Barker today! For over 30 years Ash has lived on the front line of urban poverty with his family, and Ash is the founder of Seedbeds, which is all about growing the capacities of urban leaders where they live. I went down to Birmingham to meet Ash at his community church building and there are so many riches to…

1
Faith and Mental Health 56:55

10M ago56:55

56:55

A special episode about faith and mental health. Please be aware that this episode includes reference to sexual assault, suicide and self-harm. Today we hear from three brilliant contributors. Aaron Shah from Worship on the Streets shares his personal mental health journey. His book is called Being Still, A Quiet Revolution and you can get a copy h…

1
How to Flourish - Being (Un)successful. 44:10

11M ago44:10

44:10

Pete Portal was born in the UK but has lived in Cape Town, South Africa for the last 15 years. We all have feelings of failure and disappointment, in this conversation we learn to reframe our view of success within Jesus' framework. Pete shares about the continuing impact of Apartheid on his community and how the Tree of Life Community are seeking …

1
Creating and Connecting in a Crisis... plus how to be interrupted by a coat. 1:20:04

12M ago1:20:04

1:20:04

Abi and Rich get together to discuss deep interviews with artist Barbara Keal and liturgist and author Cole Arthur Riley. They delve into embodied and contemplative activism and creative responses to injustice and trauma. We hear all about the Coat of Hopes - there is a 10 minute video here telling you more about the project. Cole Arthur Riley also…

1
9 Sentences To Change The World 44:36

1y ago44:36

44:36

What if 9 sayings from Jesus could change the way we see and act in the world? The Nine Beats Collective have been creating music based on The Beatitudes and Abi went to meet some of the musicians ahead of an evening of their music in Leeds. Abi spoke to Rob Tayler, Heatherlyn and also Steve Bassett doing a visit to the wonderful Meanwood Valley Ur…

1
BONUS EP - Power the Fight wins charity of the year! 20:27

1y ago20:27

20:27

Huge congratulations to Ben Lindsay, founder and CEO of Power the Fight and all the staff for their award of charity of the year at the Charity Times Awards 2023. And Ben also won Social Media Leader of the Year! We thought a great way to celebrate their win would be to remind you of this inspiring interview with Ben from 2021. Power the Fight is a…

1
What is the Gospel? From our archive! 45:19

1y ago45:19

45:19

We are revisiting an archive episode this week, whilst Abi puts together some exciting new episodes over the next few weeks! In this episode Abi and Sarah Small, from Proximity Network and the Message Trust dive into the controversial area of where evangelism and social action meet. With contributions from Krish Kandiah, Deirdre Brower Latz from Na…

1
Hands in the Soil: Connecting with the Creator 37:34

1y ago37:34

37:34

John White from Hazelnut Farm in Bristol tells Abi about his own climate conversion, and his church which is connecting people with both creation and our creator. He also has some great challenges around Net Zero and growing vegetables. Plus the Golden Turnip challenge! Book recommendation: What I Stand for is What I Stand On by Wendell Berry. Twit…

1
Vanessa Nakate: Energy Transition, Activism and Being Heard 34:08

1+ y ago34:08

34:08

Vanessa Nakate is a renowned Ugandan climate activist, Abi talks to her about her faith , feminism, her brilliant book, A Bigger Picture and the importance of listening to activists from countries in Africa. Of course this makes the infamous incident where Vanessa was cropped from a photograph of activists at Davos all the more painful. Hear more a…

1
Finding Joy on Death Row 43:58

1+ y ago43:58

43:58

Pastor Dewey Williams is a man who has endured a lot of grief, but who has found great joy in Jesus, and through his encounters with men and women on death row in the American justice system. An incredibly joy filled man and a challenging interview. CW: We hear about the death of Deweys father, which happened in tragic circumstances as Dewey’s sist…

1
Mission trips: power, charity and hospitality 44:07

1+ y ago44:07

44:07

Mekdes Haddis is with Abi to speak about mission trips, charity and hospitality. Mekdes was born and lived in Ethiopia until she went to college in the US and her book called A Just Mission: Laying Down Power and Embracing Mutuality is a challenging read for anyone who has been involved with missions work, or been on the receiving end. Her book is …

1
Sex Education, Saving Lives and Community Nursing - The e:merge Interviews 44:36

1+ y ago44:36

44:36

Three incredible young people from Bradford share the interviews they have created especially for us. Ryan, Faith and Julia are from an incredible local youth project called e:merge. Abi has loved working with them to gain the technical and interview skills they have needed and we are so impressed with the results. The Highs and Lows of Community N…

1
Homelessness: Grace and Truth 1:10:01

1+ y ago1:10:01

1:10:01

Chris Ward is a speaker on the experience of homelessness and works at The Daytime Hub in Gravesend (see below) for people experiencing homelessness in Kent. He shares his story of addiction, homelessness, friendship, church and choosing life every day. Chris also talks about how to share hard truths with people and the incredible work of The Dayti…

1
Happy Easter! 9:45

1+ y ago9:45

9:45

A huge Happy Easter to you from Abi and all the Praxis team! A short Easter episode for you today, to celebrate the joy of Jesus’ resurrection. We are going to delve back into the archives to one of our earliest episodes, back in 2019 when Rich Gower interviewed Jack Wakefield from Tearfund. Find out more and sign up for Praxis Labs 2 on our websit…

1
The Cross: Justice, Oppression and Suffering 22:30

1+ y ago22:30

22:30

Amar D. Peterman is an author and constructive theologian working around faith and public life, including his work at Interfaith America. Amar has a regular column in Sojourners, including this article on Good Friday as well as a newsletter This Common Life. How do we understand the cross today? Why does Jesus call us to take up our cross and follo…

1
Prayer and Activism 1:14:36

1+ y ago1:14:36

1:14:36

Is prayer a form of activism? Can we pray in hope when we are feeling weighed down or weary of injustice? What can other cultures teach us about how to pray? Abi spoke to Philip Powell from The Justice Conference and Lynne Paterson from Tearfund. They share their journeys of prayer and give us a practical and theological guide of how to pray, liste…

1
God With Us: Christmas Special 2022 1:00:03

2y ago1:00:03

1:00:03

Abi is joined by Elaine Storkey, philosopher, sociologist and theologian and author of “Meeting God in Matthew”. Also Helen Syrop, founder of Hope Housing and homelessness expert and Jen, an adoptive parent and currently researching faith group responses to hardship in the UK. We take a beautiful walk through Matthew and along the way talk about th…

1
BONUS EP: Churches That Change Communities 23:55

2y ago23:55

23:55

Can churches really change communities? Where is Jesus in the permacrisis? Where are the signs of hope? Abi had a special treat a few weeks ago...to visit the Jubilee+ Churches That Change Communities Conference. Abi interviewed several of the contributors to the conference and you can find the full interviews on the Jubilee Plus Podcast, but here …

1
Where do worship and justice meet? 1:16:34

2y ago1:16:34

1:16:34

Questioning allegiance outside St Paul's Cathedral and worship that changes a government: powerful interviews today from Jon Swales and Andy Flannagan and we hear about Rich's work with waste pickers: Fair Circularity Initiative. Jon Swales shares his liturgy for the climate crisis and tells us about Lighthouse, a church for people "battered and br…

1
A message from COP27 6:10

2y ago6:10

6:10

Straight from COP27, the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt this week two climate campaigners help us to pray for good outcomes: Jessica Bwali, climate campaigner at Tearfund Laura Young, climate campaigner and Tearfund AmbassadorThey have taken some time out to give us some things to pray about this week.…

1
Shameless Plug! 17:16

2y ago17:16

17:16

We'd love you to join us on our next Praxis Labs 1. You can hear the experience of two people who have done Praxis Labs 1 in this episode and then sign up here! Thanks to Lau Ciocan and Jen Horne! Lau Ciocan is the Director of Mentoring Advocacy Network (MAN), a platform raising awareness on men's issues and mental health, shaping the conversation …

1
The Worship One 1:01:54

2y ago1:01:54

1:01:54

Hi everyone and welcome to the 101st episode of The Hopeful Activists’ Podcast! Thanks for being with us on our journey of learning, worship, prayer and action, it’s been an absolute privilege to hear your stories and to bring you the stories of others over the last 100 episodes. We have decided to use this episode to do what we are constantly reco…

1
Lessons from 100 Christian Activists 37:52

2y ago37:52

37:52

Episode 100!!! Our planned worship centred episode will be with you shortly, but in the meantime Abi and Rich share what they have learnt from interviewing over 100 Christian Activists on healthy and sustainable activism. STOP: Natalie Collins, speaker, writer, campaigner, leader on issues of abuse, exploitation and gender. Natalie's interview is h…

1
Cost of Living Crisis: Taking Anti-Poverty Action in the UK 1:20:31

2+ y ago1:20:31

1:20:31

We are hearing more about the Cost of Living Crisis every day, but what can churches do now and to prepare for the difficult winter ahead? How do we read the Bible in the context of poverty and how can the church act prophetically? Natalie Williams from Jubilee Plus is seeing the impact of the cost of living crisis now and gives amazing practical t…

1
BONUS EP: Rene August on The Bible and Peace 38:32

2+ y ago38:32

38:32

What do the penguins of Robben Island have to do with peacebuilding? The full, deep and challenging interview with Rene August on peacebuilding and reading the Bible in locations that have painful histories. You can join the Hopeful Activists' community here.By Rich Gower and Abigail Thomas

1
How to be a peacemaker. 1:59:13

2+ y ago1:59:13

1:59:13

If reconciliation is core to our faith, what does that mean for peacemakers? How do we deal with the tension between pursuing justice and truth as well as peace and mercy? And in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, how do we act for peace? Abi hosts with Billie Anderson from Tearfund and member of the Praxis team. With thanks to: Jonny Cla…

1
Hosting Refugees 53:49

2+ y ago53:49

53:49

With the UK government's "Homes for Ukraine" launching Rich and Abi explore how to best support refugees from all over the world. We hear from refugees about what they need now they are in the UK, and from an experienced host, and founder of Hope at Home, Helen Hodgson about her misgivings about the government scheme, racism, how to spot signs of t…

1
From Charity to Justice: How to Give and Fundraise Ethically 1:53:27

2+ y ago1:53:27

1:53:27

Abi and Rachel take an epic journey through the ethics and practical challenges of giving and fundraising. What's wrong with giving money to orphanages? What about racism in fundraising? Why is our gut compassionate reaction not always right? How do we move from charity to justice? With grateful thanks to: Daniel Jones from Stewardship. Information…

1
The Arch: Desmond Tutu and the end of apartheid 31:06

2+ y ago31:06

31:06

Rev. Edwin Arrison, an anti-apartheid activist and close friend of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, tells us about the life of The Arch, and his own life of activism and hope. Edwin now works for the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation and is Director of the Volmoed Youth Leadership Training Programme.By Rich Gower and Abigail Thomas

1
The Arms Trade: Hope for the Peacemakers 1:50:12

3y ago1:50:12

1:50:12

Beth and Abi look at the Arms Trade, and activists who are fighting for peace, including Mary Sprunger-Frose who has spilled her own blood at nuclear weapons facilities, and Mike Martin, who turns guns into garden tools with the help people impacted by gun violence. Grateful thanks to: Alan Storkey Alan Storkey Guardian Investigative Article Mariam…

1
What next for Climate Action? COP26 and beyond. 1:26:24

3y ago1:26:24

1:26:24

Amongst the mixed responses to COP26, how do we carry on with action for climate justice and keep hope alive? Abi Thomas and Rich Gower find out. If you would like to look at Emma Major's climate justice art during the programme click here. Thanks so much to all our contributors, in order of appearance: Promise Salawu Renew Our World Tearfund Rache…

1
Justice for Refugees 1:06:42

3y ago1:06:42

1:06:42

What does justice for refugees look like? Isabel Pedro joins Abi Thomas as we speak to asylum seekers, refugees and other advocates for justice for people seeking sanctuary in the UK. With thanks to: Neelam Banaris from the Snowdrop Project Benafsha Yaqoobi and Mehdi Salami from Rahyab Sonia Hicks from the Methodist Conference and Together With Ref…

1
What is Woke? With Testament 35:01

3y ago35:01

35:01

This week you get to meet the rest of the Praxis Team on our day away in Birmingham, and Abi also spoke to poet, beatboxer, MC and writer Testament about the power of words, the meaning of "woke" and he performs his rap Eclipse exclusively for us. Find out more from Testament here: https://www.testamenthomecut.com And buy his album here: https://ho…

1
Poetry that brings change 31:36

3y ago31:36

31:36

Can poetry make a difference? Bruce Gulland and Laura Darrell have used their skill with words to share their perspectives and shift other people's. They share how the arts can be a great tool to communicate and bring healing. For more work from Bruce: https://brucegulland.com Twitter @brucegulland And for more of Laura Darrall's work: Insta and Fa…

1
How to stay well when the world is burning. 27:08

3y ago27:08

27:08

Jo Musker-Sherwood led the climate lobbying specialist organisation, Hope for the Future, until she couldn't anymore. The urgency of the climate crisis is putting pressure on many people in the environmental sector. Jo's experience of burnout, and her recovery has led her to research and resource others with emotional resilience strategies. Jo expl…

1
Miracles, eating together and creating community 26:34

3+ y ago26:34

26:34

Chris Lane shares lessons on the transformative effect of hospitality and ordinary miracles (plus some extraordinary ones too). Chris has lived in Salford 43 years. The church that founded centres around eating together and experiencing community with people from a huge variety of backgrounds. Everyone is welcome, and it's there that change happens…

1
SOS From The Kids - Children and Activism 41:38

3+ y ago41:38

41:38

Today we hear from some children whose activism took them to Britain’s Got Talent, and has led to children all over the world singing their music and learning about Climate Action. I also speak to Paul Kerensa about his new book, Planet Protectors, written with Ruth Valerio. With thanks to Freemantle and Britains Got Talent for permission to use th…

1
G7 - Johnson, Biden and Underpants 26:25

3+ y ago26:25

26:25

After a disappointing G7 what should activists do next, Sarah Wiggins from Tearfund and the Young Christian Climate Network call us to action. With a special appearance from G7 leaders underwear. More on the Wave of Hope and Crack The Crises here: https://crackthecrises.org More on the YCCN Relay here: yccn.net Watch the whole service from Truro Ca…

1
Power the Fight: Community, Collaboration and Prayer 20:13

3+ y ago20:13

20:13

Ben Lindsay runs his charity "Power the Fight" like a record label. Hear about his unique approach to helping communities end youth violence. Find out more and donate here.By Rich Gower and Abigail Thomas

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