After five years editing Day by Day with God we say a fond farewell to Jackie Harris. We welcomed Jackie Harris here when she took over as editor of Day by Day with God and now we wish her well as she moves on to, perhaps, a quieter stage in life.
12 April 2025
Day by Day with God
Day by Day with God is BRF Resource’s popular series of Bible reading notes for women who want to root their lives in the Bible. A freelance editor, Jackie was a perfect fit for the role, having previously edited Woman Alive, the magazine for today’s Christian woman. She is married to Ray and lives in Worthing.
Brought up in Yorkshire, in the West Riding, Jackie still has family there and visits regularly. She first went to church aged 13 when her mum was invited to a centenary celebration of a youth group she had been part of as a young girl. ‘Mum was reunited with some old friends who invited her to go to church and she took my sister and me along. The vicar was new and keen to develop the youth work and welcome new families in, so I soon found myself part of a youth group and helping in the Sunday school. Three years later, we had a week of mission led by the Church Army and that’s when I really came to faith.’
Jackie studied English and history at North Staffordshire Polytechnic, where she was secretary of the Christian Union. ‘We had members from most Christian traditions, so I experienced a variety of churches and worship styles – everything from traditional Anglican, to charismatic Catholic, and Baptist to Pentecostal. It was a valuable experience in many ways, but I think I have always felt most at home in the Anglican Church.’
Day by Day with God is for women who want to root their lives in the Bible.
Not my plan
Jackie graduated in the middle of a recession, so it took a while to find her first job. In the meantime, she returned home and was involved in her church’s preparations for Billy Graham’s Mission England Sheffield. ‘I worked alongside our vicar providing some admin support and also got involved in a local Christian bookshop, developed by the local evangelical free church.’
That bookshop experience proved pivotal. ‘Through working in the bookshop, I had access to several Christian newspapers and magazines and responded to an ad for an editorial assistant on the Christian Herald, based in Worthing. I hadn’t really planned on a career in journalism – I actually wanted to be a museum curator, but every door there seemed to close firmly shut and I was offered the job on the Herald.’
Buying her one-way ticket to Worthing felt very daunting, but once she arrived, she was fine. ‘I felt God had prepared the way and I soon settled in. It helped that of all the places he could have led me, I had an old school friend who lived in one of the nearby villages, so there was a friendly face I could connect with.’
Jackie’s work on the Herald developed and she became assistant editor and then features editor when the paper was relaunched as the New Christian Herald.
An opportunity to work on Woman Alive during an editor’s maternity leave gave her the confidence to apply for the position when it became vacant sometime later.
Jackie was a perfect fit for Day by Day with God, having previously edited Woman Alive, the magazine for today’s Christian woman.
The right step
‘It was one of those times when I knew it was the right step to take. It was a challenging role, but a very fulfilling one. We had a great team of contributors and the readers were hugely supportive and passionate about their magazine.’
Jackie served as editor of Woman Alive from 2003 to 2019 but was made redundant when the magazine was sold.
‘I was at quite a low point, then, and pretty much exhausted as the process had taken many months, and of course, I was wondering what the future might hold.’
A new door opened when BRF Ministries approached her to talk about Day by Day with God, where the editor’s chair was about to be vacated.
‘After learning a little more about Day by Day with God, and what the role involved, I began to sense God’s yes.’
‘The opportunity to become editor of Day by Day with God came as a huge blessing. I was challenged about my own Bible study, which had always been a bit hit and miss, and rediscovered the joy of meeting God in his word. I have loved researching and thinking through ideas for different topics, and as I began to correspond with Day by Day with God contributors, I realised I was joining a great team of women who are passionate about digging into the scriptures and helping others to discern God’s voice.’
One of the questions Jackie continued to face was: why do we need publications specifically for Christian women?
Looking back
So now, looking back on five years as editor, what are Jackie’s personal highlights?
‘Writing my first Bible study would be a highlight. I’d found the book of Ruth very encouraging after I’d been made redundant, particularly Naomi’s story, and I enjoyed developing my notes on that and creating a seven-day study. It also made me appreciate how much work goes into writing the studies and the skill of many of our contributors.
‘I also enjoyed working on the ensemble studies, where I invited all the contributors in an issue to write a one-day study on a specific theme. We began by focusing on favourite verses, and later explored favourite psalms, characters, promises, as well as studies centred around Advent and Easter. They took a bit more time to organise, but they were fun to do, and they gave an opportunity for more personal reflections.’
When she took over Day by Day with God, one of the questions Jackie continued to face was: why do we need publications specifically for Christian women? She is even more convinced about their value today:
‘When it comes to the needs and concerns of women, what we found time and time again is the need to find our place, to have confidence in our identity in Christ, and in our ability to recognise his leading in our lives. I hope that through Day by Day with God we have drawn more women into the word and built their confidence as they seek to apply it to their lives. Certainly, whenever we asked readers what subjects they wanted us to tackle, guidance came pretty much top of the list. They also appreciate real-life stories of how women are living out their faith and responding to challenges.’
So what is the most important thing she takes away from the experience of editing Day by Day with God?
‘My main takeaway is the reminder of how rich the Bible is and how familiar passages can speak to us differently at different times or in different contexts. And it’s been lovely to connect with women who really love the Bible and are able to share that enthusiasm and inspire others.’
My main takeaway is the reminder of how rich the Bible is.
Looking forward
The May–August 2026 issue of Day by Day with God is Jackie’s last. In her editor’s welcome letter she writes:
I have loved being part of the team who produce Day by Day with God, but I believe God is leading me to focus on other responsibilities, so now it’s my turn to hand on the editorial baton and to cheer on Becca Turnbull, who is busy working on the September–December issue. Becca is part of the content creation team at BRF Ministries, so is already familiar with the notes and excited to take them forward.
It’s been such a privilege to be part of this ministry, and I am so grateful to our fantastic team of contributors who are always willing to tackle different subjects and themes, and to share their experiences and what they have learned. I have so appreciated their insights and wisdom.
These notes have been a huge blessing to me in many ways – I have learned a lot, made new friends, and experienced God ministering to me through them. They have encouraged me in the race marked out for me, and I’m praying that they will continue to bless and inspire you in your spiritual journey.
‘I believe God is leading me to focus on other responsibilities, so now it’s my turn to hand on the editorial baton.’ — Jackie Harris
And what next?
‘I think it’s more a case of juggling fewer commitments rather than taking on something new, so I’m hoping this will lead to a less frantic pace – “more time to stand and stare” maybe.’
