God didn't put machines in charge, he put us in charge. Genesis 2:15 states, 'The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.' But is AI the new garden? And if so, can it help to build the Kingdom of God? Shawna Hoffman is an expert in Artificial Intelligence and has worked in various roles at technology company IBM. Shawna is also the president of Guardrail Technologies which promotes responsible use of AI. Maxine Harrison is a writer whose work has been published in the Independent, Refinery 29 and Woman Alive. Maxine writes about cultural topics from a faith perspective. Find her at remireports.com Our Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is: 'Why are Christian women wasting money on egg freezing?' https://www.womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-expectations-why-are-christian-women-wasting-money-on-egg-freezing/19447.article The producers of the Woman Alive podcast are Rachel Huston and Dami Okeke. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine: womanalive.co.uk/podcast
Have you heard about ‘The Quiet Revival’? Which generation is mainstream media calling, the ‘Spiritual Generation’? And is this the revival we’ve been praying for? On this episode of the Woman Alive podcast, Tola-Doll Fisher and her guests discuss the increasing church attendance and passionate faith of Gen Z Christians and how the wider Church should respond. Sasha Gerry, 25, is currently a pastor at All Saints Clapham Park in London. She also happens to be the youngest person in her church congregation! Sasha has been involved in church ministry since university and has previous experience as a youth worker. Her interview with Woman Alive is the inspiration for the discussion we're having today. Read it here: https://www.womanalive.co.uk/me-a-24-year-old-woman-leading-a-church-it-felt-absurd/18851.article and connect with Sasha’s ministry on Instagram @athistable___ Grace Keir is a Ministry Apprentice on a gap year, exploring what ministry might look like after her Theology degree (which she is about to start). A big part of her current role is youth and children’s work. In 2023, Grace won Premier Unbelievable ‘Young Preacher of the Year’ competition at Spring Harvest, with her message ‘Why there is hope’. We have a new feature on the podcast called ‘Signs and Wonders’ where we share your testimonies to encourage each other in the journey of faith. The Signs and Wonders testimony this episode is titled: 'God answers direct prayers' The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Dami Okeke. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine: womanalive.co.uk/podcast
In a very special episode of the Woman Alive podcast we welcome two guests to discuss the concerns they have about the planet and why they both believe all Christians need to play a part in protecting it. Our youngest ever podcast guest at nine-years-old is Chiamaka. Voted an eco-warrior by her school, Chi Chi is also a Christian and artist who hates seeing waste wash up on our shores. And our oldest guest to date is retired priest and nun, 83-year-old Sue Parfitt. Sue hit the headlines for her climate activism and has been arrested over 30 times in raising awareness of global warming and the effects it has on the majority world. The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine: womanalive.co.uk/podcast
Do you remember who taught you about sex? If you're a parent, have you had 'The Talk' with your children yet? On this episode of the Woman Alive podcast Tola-Doll Fisher and her guests discuss how we approach conversations with children and teenagers about sex. Kate Orson is a freelance writer who's published for national papers such as the Daily Mail, The Telegraph and the Metro. In an article for Woman Alive Kate argues Little House of the Prairie was a great blueprint on how to teach teens about sex and marriage. Emma Waring is a psychosexual therapist with two teenage children. Emma is also author of the book Seasons of Sex and Intimacy, a practical guide to sex within marriage. The Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is: 'I think I'm asexual' https://www.womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-i-think-i-am-asexual/18727.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine:
All women know there's no beating a BFF and there are lots of books and films that reiterate this narrative, but can your husband be your best friend? Tiffany Accardi has lots of female friends - in fact she's got 100,000 of them as part of the global women’s community movement she founded called Gals That Brunch. Claire Musters says her husband is her bestie and together they offer pre-marital classes to engaged couples and marriage ‘check-ups’ in local churches. From their years of experience, together they wrote the book Grace-Filled Marriage. The Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is: 'I know what I want in a husband but should I lower my expectations?' https://www.womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-i-know-what-i-want-in-a-husband-but-should-i-lower-my-expectations/19339.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine:
Misogyny is the hatred of women - strong stuff - but in today's episode, host Tola-Doll Fisher asks if women can be guilty of feeling it too? Friend of the show Hope Bonarcher is a former model, actress and singer originally from New York but who now lives in Glasgow home schooling her 4 children. She also writes regularly for Woman Alive magazine. Michelle Tant, a self-proclaimed 'Jesus feminist', is a midwifery lecturer, deacon and writer. Find her on https://substack.com/@michelletant The Great Sexpectations question this episode is: 'What is the purpose of sex toys in a relationship, and would it be sinful for my husband and I to use them?' https://www.womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-what-is-the-purpose-of-sex-toys-in-a-relationship-and-would-it-be-sinful-for-my-husband-and-i-to-use-them/18890.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine:
Should the next Archbishop of Canterbury be a woman? Justin Welby resigned as leader of the Church of England earlier this year over his handling of historical abuse allegations. But would having a woman take on the role make any difference to the way abuse cases are dealt with? And could it improve things for women in the Church more generally? Kate Orson grew up in a feminist home and, after over 20 years in the new age Kate converted to Christianity in 2021. Kate has written for the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph, Woman Alive and now writes online at kateorsonwrites.substack.com Sally Hope created Always Hopeful, a recovery programme for Christian women who have experienced domestic abuse and also writes for Woman Alive. Find more about her work at https://alwayshopeful.org.uk/ The Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is 'I feel insecure in my marriage'. GREAT SEXPECTATIONS: https://www.womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-i-feel-insecure-in-my-marriage/18811.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine:
In this episode of the Woman Alive podcast with Tola-Doll Fisher we're talking about faith and failure. Jesus tells us 'ask and it will be given to you' but sometimes it doesn't always feel like we're getting the answer we want. Deputy Editor of the Woman Alive Magazine Jemimah Wright is an author in her own right. She's penned three historical novels - and loves a love story! Her prayers to find a husband seemed to go unanswered for many years. Mia Fieldes is an Australian singer songwriter. She began her career in the worship team at Hillsong in Sydney and has collaborated with Jesus Culture, Bethel Music and Michael W. Smith. She prayed for a husband and was given a vision. The Great Sexpectations dilemma this week is: 'How do I set boundaries with my toxic friend?' https://www.womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-how-do-i-set-boundaries-with-a-toxic-friend/19154.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine.
We've all heard of miraculous stories of divine healing but what about those who God doesn't heal? In this episode of the Woman Alive podcast Tola-Doll Fisher is joined by two women with disabilities. Danielle Finch is a Woman Alive writer who talks openly about faith and parenting. She has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome which makes the collagen in her limbs to become weak and stretchy and is now a wheelchair user. Find her on Instagram @thisdisabledfamilylife.com Jade Reynolds has been paralysed since the age of 12 due to an autoimmune condition which means she also uses a wheelchair. She is a writer and with her husband John hosts the faith-based podcast Bring to Light. The Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is: 'How can I overcome the pain of betrayal from my mum?' https://www.womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-how-can-i-overcome-the-pain-of-betrayal-from-my-mum/18960.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine:
The Woman Alive podcast is back for series 6! In our first episode we're asking if we need Christian influencers? Is it a ministry? Are social media stars called by God or should you always be discerning when scrolling? Suzie Kennedy is one of the most famous Marilyn Monroe lookalikes in the world appearing in film and TV. She also runs a faith-based therapy practice Faith In Me Therapy. Cassandra Maria is a stand up comedian as well as presenter on Premier Gospel. Her popular online comic sketches touch on modern culture with some going viral. Jess Stark is the digital content lead at Premier Christian Radio and a trained journalist. She also teaches and preaches online. The Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is 'My husband is having an affair.' GREAT SEXPECTATIONS: https://www.womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-my-husband-is-having-an-affair/19058.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine:
Is church the only holy place? Host Tola-Doll Fisher and her guests consider the more unusual places people have claimed to find God - including retreats, forest bathing and solo car trips. Karen Simmonds is the founder of Travel Matters, a company creating sustainable journeys for conscious travellers. Find out more about her work at Travel Matters - Bespoke Travel & Holidays around the World. Jemimah Wright is Deputy Editor of Woman Alive, author and keen wild water swimmer. Find her on Instagram at jemimah_a_wright. Our Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is: 'I think I'm asexual.' GREAT SEXPECTATIONS: I think I am asexual The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine.
In this heartwarming episode we hear from three women who married in what society would consider ‘later’ in life. Wendy Griffith is a TV presenter who co-hosts the American television series The 700 Club and married aged 54. She's author of You Are a Prize to be Won which talks about a woman's worth. Amy Peterson tied the knot at 45 after holding onto a 25-year-old promise from God that she would one day marry. She is the author of the novel Perpetua. Patricia Walcott married later in life as well after a long-term relationship with someone else and believes her late marriage was all part of God's plan. The Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is 'My Christian boyfriend is a narcissist' https://www.womanalive.co.uk/sex-and-relationships/great-sexpectations-my-christian-boyfriend-was-a-narcissist/17600.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine: womanalive.co.uk/podcast
In this episode we'll be talking to two women about how best to protect sex workers. Would decriminalising sex work help? Could it even make things worse? Jan Coleman is a former prostitute who has been fighting sexual exploitation in the porn industry for 17 years. After working as a porn actress she was sex trafficked herself. She now works as Intervention Leader for Kainos in Germany. Karen Murdarasi is an Albanian interpreter and the secretary of Restore Glasgow, an anti-human-trafficking charity. She worked as a missionary in Albania in the early 2000s and has written on the subject in her first novel, Leda. The Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is 'Is born again virginity possible?' https://www.womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-is-born-again-virginity-possible/18204.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine: womanalive.co.uk/podcast
In this episode we're talking about Christians who no longer go to church. Some have trauma from their experiences of attending. Others find value in meeting in person each week, even if they don't always get on with everyone. Oliva Jackson is author of (Un)Certain: A Collective Memoir of Deconstructing Faith which uses the stories and reflections of over 150 interviewees from believers who felt the need to leave churches in order to heal. Emma Fowle is Deputy Editor of Premier Christianity and Editor of Voice of Hope, Premier's quarterly devotional magazine. She's a regular churchgoer in her home in Cornwall. Our Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is: 'I'm scared of childbirth but want children, what should I do?' https://www.womanalive.co.uk/sex-and-relationships/great-sexpectations-i-am-scared-of-childbirth-but-want-children-what-can-i-do/17800.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine: womanalive.co.uk/podcast
It all began with a little old apple...In this episode we'll be asking if women really are cursed and if we are do we just put up with it? Host Tola-Doll Fisher is joined by two guests: Michelle Tant is a midwife, lecturer and deacon. She writes on Substack at https://substack.com/@michelletant and for Woman Alive magazine on breastfeeding and women's issues. Belle Tindall is a theologian with a doctorate in Biblical Studies specialising in the radical inclusion of Jesus and the empowerment of women. She's a regular columnist for Woman Alive magazine and also writes for the Centre for Cultural Witness. The Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is 'Can I kiss boys at parties?' https://www.womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-can-i-kiss-boys-at-parties/17290.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine: womanalive.co.uk/podcast
With apparently fewer parents choosing to have their children vaccinated, in this episode, host Tola-Doll Fisher and guests are considering how Christians should approach this decision. What's it like to be called an anti-vaxxer and is getting a vaccine loving your neighbour? Laura Brett is a former midwife and author of the book, Losing Liberty Finding Freedom. Laura says she has been called an 'anti vaxxer' and 'conspiracy theorist' for her position on vaccinations. Laura is also an Evangelism Consultant for The Filling Station Trust in Harrogate. Dr Oluseye Arikawe is a practising GP and advocates for routine vaccines for the collective health of society. You can find her on Instagram at a_word_for_her where she talks about women's health and faith. The Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is '14 years after getting marrying as a virgin I have never had an orgasm.' GREAT SEXPECTATIONS: Fourteen years after marrying as a virgin, I have never had an orgasm. womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-fourteen-years-after-marrying-as-a-virgin-i-have-never-had-an-orgasm/18440.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine: womanalive/podcast
On the latest episode of the Woman Alive podcast we're asking if women in prison is having a negative impact on society. With women being the main caregivers, should offenders be treated differently to men? Is Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood right to have the 'ultimate ambition' to close women's prisons in the UK? Rev Tracy Sickel is a prison chaplain who has worked in prisons for 15 years. She currently operates in three women's prisons and is also CEO of Imago Dei which helps female inmates process trauma, abuse and low self-esteem. Catherine De Souza is the CEO of Prison Fellowship England & Wales. She's also a justice advocate, Elim Pentecostal minister and a trustee of Tearfund. She has a background in church leadership, prison ministries and is passionate about caring for the marginalised. For more on her work head over to prisonfellowship.org.uk Our Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is: 'Why do I feel doomed to unrequited love?' womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-why-do-i-feel-doomed-to-unrequited-love/18340.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine: womanalive.co.uk/podcast
Can you love both Jesus and Gucci? In this episode, Woman Alive podcast host Tola-Doll Fisher speaks with two women who love clothes and Jesus. Can you ever justify the price of a designer label? What exactly counts as fast fashion? And what does our celebrity Cass wear when she's on stage?? Candy Ellie Graham is founder of Cultural Style Week, showcasing cultural heritage through fashion. culturalstyleweek.com and find her at candyelliesworld on Instagram. Cassandra Nelson is a comedian and familiar voice on Premier Gospel as one of its regular radio presenters. Cass is also on Instagram @Cassvillle Our Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is: 'I have put on weight, don’t feel attractive and lost confidence, how do I get out of this rut?' womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-i-have-put-on-weight-dont-feel-attractive-and-lost-confidence-how-do-i-get-out-of-this-rut/18142.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine: womanalive.co.uk/podcast
As we draw closer to Christmas, host Tola-Doll Fisher is joined by two women raising children who aren't biologically their own to discuss the blessings and challenges that brings. What is it really like to be part of a blended family - especially at Christmas? What does it look like to parent children you didn't give birth to, and do you love them any differently? Amy Ellison is a proud stepmother to two boys. Her new book Help! I'm a Step Parent will be available in the new year from Day One publications. Rhiannon Goulding is juggling two biological children, two stepchildren and two adopted children. Her new parenting column for Premier Woman Alive magazine starts in 2025. Our Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is: 'I feel like Bridget Jones at Christmas' womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-i-feel-like-bridget-jones-at-christmas/18588.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine: womanalive.co.uk/podcast
The Woman Alive podcast is back with a fifth series. In the first episode host Tola-Doll Fisher is joined by three women who are considering whether we should all be giving - and generally doing - less this Christmas. Are Christmas cards worth the effort? How important is gift giving and is a focus on this incredibly busy season just stressing us all out? Amari Yogendran is a photographer and writer. You can find her work at mariphotographer.uk. Becca Ehrlich is also known as the Christian Minimalist and hosts a blog exploring our relationship with 'stuff'. Christianminimalism.com Rachel Allcock is school teacher and librarian and also works for Activate Your Life, an annual conference dedicated to helping Christian women share God's love. Find Rachel on Instagram @weetabixglue.words Our Great Sexpectations dilemma this episode is: 'I've fallen out of love with my husband when is it ok to get a divorce?' womanalive.co.uk/opinion/great-sexpectations-i-have-fallen-out-of-love-with-my-husband-when-is-it-ok-to-get-a-divorce/18115.article The producer of the Woman Alive podcast is Rachel Huston. Special offer! Podcast listeners get 50% off Woman Alive magazine: womanalive.co.uk/podcast