Today Autism and neurodiversity is something we’re getting a much better understanding of, though, if you’ve met one Autistic person, you’ve only met one. When author Robert Noble was growing up in the 50s and 60s however, his conditions were not well understood, landing him in a variety of different situations from the funny to the frustrating. In this episode, Robert talks about his book, I’m Autistic, get me out of here! and what it was like growing up Autistic and with a Christian faith. He also talks about his passion for music and his work with street children in Kenya. The sale of his book will go towards this work.
This week, we’re sitting down to speak with Revd Canon Michael Mitton, writer, speaker and director, who is going to lead the upcoming 2025 Torch Retreat. We talk about how he got into writing, and dig deeper into the subject of God through the four Seasons, which he will be talking about at the retreat.
Angels appear frequently in the Bible, and many of us probably have an idea of what angels might look, feel or sound like. This episode features an interview with Stephanie Sergeant, who shares the many ways she believes angels have come to her aid. Marilyn also shares a remarkable angel encounter of her own.
This week we’ll hear from Torch Churches Partnership Coordinator Vicki Bryson about some of the events Torch has participated in recently. This episode also features a devotion by Zoe Byron, Torch’s head of comms, which was first featured on Pure 24 7 breakfast bites.
Sight Loss Sunday is an annual event in which Torch is encouraging churches to focus on blind and partially sighted people and their gifts and presence in church life. This year’s Sight Loss Sunday takes place 12 October. In this episode, we first speak to Torch CEO Sarah Dawkins about how her awareness has evolved regarding issues blind and partially sighted people face since she started working for Torch. We then speak to Torch’s Churches Partnership Coordinator Vicki Bryson, who brings some practical steps both church leaders and blind and partially sighted people can take to ensure better inclusion and fuller participation in church life.
This week, Marilyn chats with author and friend Tracy Williamson about her book ‘Unashamed’, which is a powerful exploration of how we can experience restoration from life’s hurts with God’s help.
Tracey’s book is also available from Torch in a variety of formats for people wishing to find out more. To contact Torch Trust with any comments or feedback, call 01858 438260 email info@torchtrust.org or visit torchtrust.org.
This week Marilyn Baker sits down to talk to Reflections producer Linn Davies-who is a trained journalist, Afrobeats singer and writer. Linn talks about working for the BBC, growing an online platform, writing thrillers and the inspiration behind the featured songs.
Accessible Christian literature remains at the heart of Torch’s mission. And this week we meet the new resources curator, Janette Sturgis, whose working on expanding our library and bookshop offerings. She talks about her love of working in retail, her evolving understanding of disabilities, and shares details about some new discipleship books which she’s particularly excited about.
