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For five years now, the conversation we’ve been having has grown. threads has been a space were we, a collective of Christians from all walks of life have shared and listened as we try to carve out our identity in the world.

When it comes to threads, we can’t help but be challenged, moved to laughter and stirred to action as we read the thoughts of others and throw our own insights into the mix. We’ve been inspired as we’ve read of people who we’ve never met, yet people we can identify with, choosing to bravely embrace new opportunities, full of purpose.

There are two leaders who have done an incredible job in shaping the threads conversation over recent years; two leaders who are stepping into something new. Thomas and Christine, our threads co-ordinators, have worked tirelessly to build the collective and create a platform for people like us to share what we’re most passionate about and feed off the passion of others.

Thomas and Christine embody so much of what threads is about and they’re both about to step into new chapters:

Thomas, who is currently celebrating the arrival of baby Eden is starting a Phd in Urban Planning through Queens’ University; while Christine and her husband are moving to Northern Ireland to serve in a local church.

We are so thankful for all they’ve poured into threads and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for them in their new adventures.

As we wave goodbye, now’s also a good time to say hello.

Hi.

I’m Stu.

I’m married to Emma and together we live in East Belfast. I’ve recently joined the team at Evangelical Alliance and I’m excited to be taking on the co-ordinating of threads. I’ve written a few pieces in the past and have loved checking in on the conversation since threads kicked off.

With all the change, we’re going to take the next few weeks to highlight some of the best pieces from the archive, before sharing some brilliant new articles down the line.

Yet, our heart remains the same.

We are a collective of Christians from all walks of life, who are living, working and trying to carve out our identity in our worlds.

We are artists and bankers. We are singles, and we’re marrieds. We are visionaries and geeks, hilarious and deadly serious.

We are scratching our heads about faith and life and what they have to say about each other. We are curious. We are wrestling with questions where there used to be answers, and are passionate about working it out together. We are celebrating each other’s talents.

We know our lives can be broken and dislocated and we also know Jesus is the ultimate fixer. We are humble, because we are not worthy. So we’re not judges, and we don’t do platitudes. Life can be full of knots, but we’re living it to the full.

We’re inspired, and we’re hopeful. We are threads.