Members of the United Reformed Church (URC) are being asked to consider helping the people of Indonesia, whose lives have been devastated by natural disasters.

Following an earthquake and tsunami on Sulawesi on 28 September 2018, and the devastation caused to the Sunda Strait on 22 December 2018, people who have lost everything are in desperate need of water, food, shelter and access to medical care.

Representatives from the United Reformed Church have joined faith leaders in urging the government to rethink its approach to immigration, and to move away from a hostile environment towards a culture of sanctuary, as MPs return to parliament after the festive break.

In an open letter to the government, published on Sunday 6 January, the faith leaders wrote:

From the highest number of attendees at November’s new ministers' conference since 2015, to charities nesting into Church House’s social impact hub, and a URC minister being chosen as the first poet-in-residence for the Joint Public Issues Team, 2018 has had some fantastic moments.

Here’s a selection of your most-read stories and social media posts:

The Revd John Proctor, General Secretary of the United Reformed Church, reflects on how a train journey during the cold winter months inspired an epiphany.

I had an epiphany, on a train of all places. At this time of year, most of my commute takes place before dawn or after dark. The countryside beside the track is almost invisible. The shapes and silhouettes are familiar, but it’s grey and shadowy, with muted colours, blurry lines and detail hiding in the dark.

Then one day I had to come home early. The sun was shining. The sky was blue. Fields were green. There were birds, and growth in the ground. Even the colours of fences and gates seemed rich and interesting.