Citizens Advice Bureaux: coming to a church near you
Citizens Advice is working with churches and other places of worship across the country to make advice services more accessible, particularly for those living in remote areas. This will provide face-to-face advice in the local community rather than users having to travel significant distances. Faithful Advice: A guide for advice services in places of worship published at the Citizens Advice service’s annual conference provides practical examples and guidelines for churches to set up face-to-face advice sessions on their premises. The guidelines acknowledge that as the public sector cuts bite, churches can play a vital role in offering premises for advice sessions, particularly where there are no alternative sites available locally. The Rt Revd John Gladwin, former Bishop of Chelmsford, said, ‘By working with faith organisations, Citizens Advice Bureaux have already established partnerships which enable them to reach out and provide advice services to some of the most vulnerable and disengaged sections of our communities.’
Pray: for the success of such ventures and for it to further emphasise to Government the importance of the church in society. (Ac.5:20)
More: http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.newsDetail&newsid=533
Free church delegation attending party conferences
A delegation of Church leaders and representatives from the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers),The Salvation Army and the United Reformed Church will attend the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative party conferences in September and October. The Free Church delegation is urging Christians to pray for all politicians during the party conference season as they debate the challenging financial and social problems being experienced both in the UK and abroad. The delegation will be hosting prayer breakfasts with other Christian groups at all three conferences, which local Christians in Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester are encouraged to attend. During their visits to the party conferences, the delegation will have opportunities to meet with politicians and raise topics like poverty and inequality, the Big Society and wellbeing. They will also be raising issues that appear to have fallen off the news agenda, like the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons and climate change.
Pray: for leaders and delegates as they debate and formulate party policies. (Tit.2:6)
Toddlers among thousands of children branded racist
Teachers have branded more than 20,000 primary school children racist or homophobic following spats in the playground, figures have disclosed. Even some toddlers in nursery schools have been reported to local authorities for so-called hate speech. Critics have hit out at local authorities saying they are overreacting about playground squabbles. Under the 2000 Race Relations Act schools are obliged to report all ‘hate speech’ incidents to local authorities. Adrian Hart, of the Manifesto Club, called for the Government to ditch the policy of ‘hate speech’ reporting in schools. He said: ‘Children need space to play and to learn the meaning of words, without being reported to the local education authority. These policies are an inappropriate intervention into playground life, and undermine teachers’ ability to set a moral example to children and to teach them right from wrong. There is a world of difference between racist abuse and primary school playground spats.’
Pray: for a more moderate, sensible approach to managing ‘playground’ behaviour. (Ps.32:8)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/toddlers-among-thousands-of-children-branded-racist/
“Al-Qaeda has successfully evolved into a franchise organization under the leadership of Ayman al-Zawahiri, making the terrorist organization even more dangerous and more difficult to track. Since the killing of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, al-Qaeda has decentralized and improved financing methods, attack approaches and communication techniques to counter new intelligence efforts. The group is responsible for four times as many terrorist attacks today as it was before the Sept.11, 2001, attacks. Al-Qaeda is still aiming to establish an Islamic caliphate, and is establishing training camps around the world toward that end.”
LIGNET (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Please continue to pray for the frustration, dissolution and overthrow of Al-Qaeda. Pray that its members will come to know Jesus Christ through dreams, visions and His Word and that they will become missionaries for His cause!
Christianity meets high street consumerism in Christmas ad
Christianity meets high street consumerism in Christmas ad which ChurchAds.net is planning to display in shopping centres. A trendy nativity scene will be used in a poster aimed at reminding Brits that Jesus is the true meaning of Christmas. Christian charity Church-Ads.net launched the poster for its Christmas advertising campaign last week. It shows the nativity scene with ‘trendy twenty-somethings, designer fashion and luxury gifts’, as part of its ‘Christmas starts with Christ’ promotion, which is now in its third year. In the poster, the shepherds are represented by a cycle courier and plasterer. The wise men are shown as three successful entrepreneurs and their gifts are iconic ‘treasures’ of modern culture: a Swarovski crystal perfume bottle, a Fabergé egg and a replica Damien Hirst skull. All are ‘sharply dressed’.
Pray: that this initiative will raise awareness that Christmas is about Christ. (Rom.16:6)
Children 'bigest losers' of benefit cap
New analysis, released Monday by The Children’s Society, shows that the government’s proposed cap on benefits will cut support for more than 200,000 children. Children will be around nine times more likely than adults to be affected. The Department of Work and Pensions’ proposed scheme aims to promote fairness and get adults back into work by limiting benefits for out-of-work households to £500 per week for couples and families with children. But analysis by The Children’s Society suggests that children will be by far the biggest losers if the proposals become law - with three quarters of the total number of individuals affected being children. The charity found that the cap will impact around 50,000 households, 95 per cent of which are estimated to have children. These families will lose an average of £93 a week - the equivalent to around double the average weekly family food bill.
Pray: that the Government would not ignore the most vulnerable in our society. (Is.58:10)
MP wants to force churches into same-sex unions
A member of David Cameron’s government is calling for a ban on marriages at Christian churches if they refuse to also perform same-sex unions. ‘As long as religious groups can refuse to preside over ceremonies for same-sex couples, there will be inequality,’ wrote Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade, in an August 21 letter to Cameron. While Weatherley’s proposal is currently a ‘minority view,’ it ‘could quickly become a main stream point of view,’ warned Neil Addison, national director of the UK‘s Thomas More Legal Centre. The UK‘s 2004 Civil Partnership Act, which legalized same-sex unions, forbade them from being performed in religious venues or from using religious imagery. But Cameron’s Coalition government has proposed an amendment to the 2010 Equality Act that would allow churches and other religious venues to perform same-sex unions if they choose.
Pray: that this proposal would not gain support within parliament and lead to a further erosion to God’s laws. (2Ki.17:37)
More: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/british-mp-urges-government-to-force-churches-into-same-sex-unions
Scottish Catholic opposition to homosexual ‘marriage’
A senior Catholic clergyman has voiced strong opposition to the Scottish Government’s proposals to introduce homosexual ‘marriage’. Bishop Tartaglia, of the diocese of Paisley, argued that should the Government allow for homosexual ‘marriage’, it would not deserve the trust of the Scottish people. The Bishop used tough language to challenge the State’s authority, saying that: ‘Marriage is an institution which does not owe its existence or rationale to governments or legislatures. Governments do not have the authority to say what marriage is or to change its nature or to decree that people of the same-sex can marry.’ The Bishop also warned ministers that churches may be forced to solemnise homosexual partnerships against their will, a claim which has been denied by supporters of the proposals. His comments followed those of the Archbishop of Glasgow, who said over the weekend that homosexual ‘marriages’ would be ‘meaningless’ as it would not result in the creation of a natural family.
Pray: that Church leaders will continue to speak out boldly against any action that would degrade marriage. (Heb.13:4)
Bible tour heads to 66 cities
Church insurance specialist, Chris Knott Insurance, has picked up the tab for a unique Bible tour taking place this month. The tour is part of year-long celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. Premier Christian Radio presenter, the Rev Victor Robert Farrell, will preach from the 66 books of the Bible at each stop of the 66 city-tour over 66 days. He set off from London on Sunday and will finish back in the capital on November 16 - 16/11, a reference to 1611, the year the King James Bible was completed. Rev Farrell said: ‘What makes this tour so unique is that this is potentially the last year we’ll have just 66 cities in the UK. The Queen can grant city status to any growing town and it is expected she will do so next year as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations.’
Pray: for this opportunity to promote the Bible around the country; may all those that hear be blessed. (Ps.40:5)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/bible.tour.heads.to.66.cities/28617.htm
Hungary: Churches take over state schools
Local government officials in Hungary are handing state-owned schools over to churches, unable to afford their upkeep during the economic recession, according to church sources. ‘Churches are entitled to run schools in Hungary as public service providers, receiving the same taxpayers' money as public sponsors,’ said Balazs Odor, ecumenical officer of Hungary's Reformed Church, in an interview with ENInews. ‘The school system has its own problems here, which affect church-run schools as well. However, it's generally true that the wellbeing of church schools is better looked after since each has a community behind it,’ he added. In April, the premier Viktor Orban's centre-right government steered through a new national constitution that states Hungarian citizens ‘recognise the key role of Christianity in upholding the nation.’ A
new religion law in July strengthened the position of mainstream churches when it deprived all but 14 of Hungary's 358 registered churches and religious associations of legal recognition, and required others to re-apply for court registration after parliamentary approval.
Pray: for the work of the Church as it takes on the role running schools and teaching the young. (Dt.32:2)
More: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/September/Fighting-the-Ghosts-of-Bosnia-with-Love-Hope-/