Poor grades cause young people to give up on ambitions
One in three school leavers with poor grades believe they'll end up on benefits. That's according to a survey for The Prince's Trust, which also found around one in five have "abandoned their ambitions" due to a lack of success in the classroom. The charity claims that children who fail to make the grade at school are giving up on their dreams and expect to live off state handouts. More than 2,000 young people aged 16 to 25 were questioned as part of the online survey, which also found that those with fewer than five GCSEs are almost twice as likely as their peers to believe that they will "never amount to anything". The poll also showed one in 10 young people believe their exam results will "always" hold them back. This increases to a quarter (26%) among those who left school with poor grades. The Trust says “It is now more important than ever to invest in vocational support and training for young people who are not academically successful.”
Pray: for all those who feel they have failed academically and that they will be given hope, purpose and direction in life. (Heb.12:1)
More: http://www.premier.org.uk/news/current/Poor%20grades%20cause%20young%20people%20to%20give%20up%20on%20ambitions%20says%20report.aspx
Numbers rise at London churches
London’s churchgoing population is increasing by leaps and bounds, according to an authoritative survey for the London City Mission. Results just released from the London Church Census, carried out by Brierley Consultancy, show that nearly 100,000 more people were attending church in the capital in October 2012 than the last time the count was made seven years ago, an increase of 16 per cent. At 720,000, the rate of churchgoing is more than three per cent higher in London than in the rest of England. Because of the capital’s size, this means that a quarter of all English churchgoers attend church in London. According to the survey, the growth is ‘largely driven by London’s ethnic diversity’. Of the two new churches opening every week between 2005 and 2012, two-thirds were Pentecostal Black Majority and a third catered for a particular language or ethnic group.
Praise: God for the growth of His Church. (Gen.17:2)
More: http://www.methodistrecorder.co.uk/mrhlines.htm
Numbers rise at London churches
London’s churchgoing population is increasing by leaps and bounds, according to an authoritative survey for the London City Mission. Results just released from the London Church Census, carried out by Brierley Consultancy, show that nearly 100,000 more people were attending church in the capital in October 2012 than the last time the count was made seven years ago, an increase of 16 per cent. At 720,000, the rate of churchgoing is more than three per cent higher in London than in the rest of England. Because of the capital’s size, this means that a quarter of all English churchgoers attend church in London. According to the survey, the growth is ‘largely driven by London’s ethnic diversity’. Of the two new churches opening every week between 2005 and 2012, two-thirds were Pentecostal Black Majority and a third catered for a particular language or ethnic group.
Praise: God for the growth of His Church. (Gen.17:2)
More: http://www.methodistrecorder.co.uk/mrhlines.htm
Christian broadcaster SAT-7 earns Human Rights Journalism Award
The Lebanese Center for Human Rights recently granted Juliana Sfeir, on behalf of SAT-7, the Human Rights Journalism Award. According to a news release from SAT-7, Sfeir is a special projects manager at SAT-7 Lebanon and an executive producer of social impact programmes for SAT-7. The Lebanese Center for Human Rights granted the award to five recipients ‘for their dedication to promoting Human Rights through the media.’ SAT-7 said it has produced programming advocating for human rights since 2003. The Human Rights Journalism Award specifically recognizes the efforts of two campaigns - the inclusion of people with disabilities and advocating for the rights of female heads of households. SAT-7 said it is honoured to be recognized for its work, alongside several other organizations such as L'Orient le Jour, The Daily Star and IRIN, and blogger Salim al Lawzi.
Praise: God for the work of SAT-7 and its Human Rights programming. (Pr.31:9)
Christian broadcaster SAT-7 earns Human Rights Journalism Award
The Lebanese Center for Human Rights recently granted Juliana Sfeir, on behalf of SAT-7, the Human Rights Journalism Award. According to a news release from SAT-7, Sfeir is a special projects manager at SAT-7 Lebanon and an executive producer of social impact programmes for SAT-7. The Lebanese Center for Human Rights granted the award to five recipients ‘for their dedication to promoting Human Rights through the media.’ SAT-7 said it has produced programming advocating for human rights since 2003. The Human Rights Journalism Award specifically recognizes the efforts of two campaigns - the inclusion of people with disabilities and advocating for the rights of female heads of households. SAT-7 said it is honoured to be recognized for its work, alongside several other organizations such as L'Orient le Jour, The Daily Star and IRIN, and blogger Salim al Lawzi.
Praise: God for the work of SAT-7 and its Human Rights programming. (Pr.31:9)
Conversions from Islam in Wales
Last May, the Evangelical Alliance (EA) conducted research on the experiences of 15 Christians in Wales who had converted from Muslim backgrounds. Muslim-background believers (MBBs) in Wales number approximately 300, with the majority coming from a Persian background. Apart from Persian MBBs, there are also individuals in Wales from other backgrounds, some British born, others not, including Somalian, Afghan, Turkish and Pakistani. MBBs in Wales enjoy, as would be expected, a great degree of religious freedom, there is also the possibility of individuals feeling threatened or intimidated by their community or family members because of their decision to convert. The trend of Iranians leaving Islam is a social phenomenon occurring throughout the West and is rooted in a number of issues: the perception that Islam is a foreign religion that has been foisted upon them (Zoroastrianism was the ancient religion of the region) and their exposure to a particularly harsh version of political Islam in Iran are both contributing factors.
Pray: that the Holy Spirit will continue touching the lives of Muslims and pray that Christians will come alongside and encourage.(Mk.16:15-18)
More: http://revivalmedia.org/2013/08/04/conversions-from-islam-in-wales-319-report-5/
Christians lose out to atheists for senior jobs
Christians are less likely than atheists to be promoted to top jobs, official figures show. Nearly a quarter of people with no religious belief live in homes headed by someone with a senior executive position or a job in one of the professions. However, well under a fifth of Christians work in the best-paid and most influential jobs or are married to someone who does. The breakdown of employment and religious belief, produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) from the 2011 census, comes as campaigners claim it is becoming harder for Christians to get to the top. Barrister Andrea Minichiello Williams, a member of the Church of England’s General Synod, said: ‘If you hold views that are contrary to the prevailing orthodoxy you are seen as potential trouble. ‘This is a real phenomenon. Christianity is now a bar to appointment or promotion.’ But others believe the Christian majority are being out-paced by more ambitious religious groups.
Pray: that Christians will be inspired to take up the roll of workers willing to bring glory to God. (Ps.90:17)
More: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2383925/Christians-lose-atheists-senior-jobs-religious-people-held-positions.html
BBC to air kids’ show on ‘gay marriage’
The BBC broadcasted a reality-style children’s programme on a gay couple preparing for their civil partnership ceremony. The show had been re-named for the edition, and was called Marrying Dad and Dad instead of Marrying Mum and Dad. The format of the series involves the couple’s children organising the day as a surprise, and the episode showed the same-sex couple’s children putting together a James Bond-themed day. Monday’s show featured Mark and Paul, who were the first same-sex couple to adopt children on the island of Jersey. Marrying Dad and Dad was aired on the digital channel CBBC on Monday 12 August. In January this year a BBC report recommended that children should be introduced to homosexuality from an early age on TV. The report said ‘incidental portrayal’ of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people should be incorporated within programming aimed at children.
Pray: for the BBC programmers that they will not increase the number of such shows aimed at young children. (Pr.3:1)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/bbc-to-air-kids-show-on-gay-marriage/
Bible could be cast away by BBC’s Desert Island Discs
The Bible could be jettisoned by the BBC’s popular radio show, Desert Island Discs, according to a source within the broadcaster. The show asks guests which records they would take with them if exiled on an island, and they have been given the Bible and the complete works of Shakespeare as well by default. But, according to a report in The Independent, a BBC source says there have been discussions about whether to end the presumption about the Bible after more than 70 years on the show. The BBC has denied that there are any plans or discussions to remove the Bible from the programme. The alleged discussions have come months after the death of the show’s creator’s widow, who previously owned the rights to the programme. The National Secular Society has called for the Bible to be dropped from the show. But atheists including author Philip Pullman have responded positively to the inclusion of the Bible.
Pray: against any further cutting of our Christian foundations. (Ps.11:3)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/bible-could-be-cast-away-by-bbcs-desert-island-discs/
Spain: PM 'is behaving like Galtieri
Gibraltar's chief minister Fabian Picardo accused Spain’s prime minister of behaving like Argentine dictator General Galtieri as Spanish officials again blocked the border. Fabian Picardo said Mariano Rajoy was fuelling the crisis to distract from his domestic troubles - just as the military junta in Buenos Aires did by ordering the invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982. The minister said, ‘What is happening in the background is that the Spanish government has been engulfed in allegations of corruption which affect Mr Rajoy himself.’ Mr Rajoy had to deny accepting illegal payments from a political slush fund while the country’s economy is a disaster area. Mr Picardo said a British prime minister facing the same allegations as Mr Rajoy ‘wouldn’t last five minutes and yet in Spain Mr Rajoy remains comfortable in his post trying to create diversions like this one’. The director general for foreign affairs at Spain’s foreign ministry, upped the rhetoric further by telling Channel 4 News, ‘We are confident that in the end that we will have Gibraltar as part of Spain.’
Pray: against cross border reckless reactions and for positive negotiation asking God to reveal and remove any hidden ungodly agendas. (Ps.37:1)