Tax policy is damaging family life
Christian social policy charity CARE has criticised the ‘unfair’ treatment of married couples in the tax system. In an analysis, the organisation raises concerns over the tax burden on families where one parent stays at home to look after the children. The tax burden on such families stands at around 39% higher than that on comparable families in the other 33 countries in the OECD. The organisation puts the increase down to changes to the tax system introduced by the Coalition, including its decision to lower the higher rate threshold and scrap child benefit for families where one parent earns more than £42,000 a year. While the tax system protects the poorest, it said the changes would disproportionately hit married couples on modest incomes. ‘This failing is damaging family life, trapping children in poverty and hitting those on middle incomes the hardest.’ says CARE Chief Executive Nola Leach. Pray: that the government would be granted wisdom and fairness in the treatment of married couples. (Pr.29:14)
‘Marriage’ erased from statistics
The word ‘marriage’ has vanished from Government statistics on conceptions. The official figures instead lump marriages and civil partnerships together under the label ‘legal partnership’. The new figures show there were around 900,000 conceptions in England and Wales in 2009. Background notes reveal that only 218 of those were attributed to someone in a civil partnership. The Office for National Statistics, which released the information, said for birth and conception statistics it ‘does not distinguish between civil partnerships and marriages’. The move is likely to concern those who point to evidence of the benefits of the institution of marriage. In 2003 Labour ministers said they wanted to see the word ‘marriage’ no longer used on official documents, claiming it led to discrimination against homosexuals. Last month Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said his department would reintroduce references to marriage on official forms and pieces of research. Pray: for official recognition of the importance of marriage within society and to resist the progressive erosion of marriage in the name of political correctness will come to a halt. (Heb.13:4) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/marriage-erased-from-official-conception-statistics/
Forced marriages 'at record high'
dealing with the largest number of cases of forced marriage and honour-based violence they have ever seen. In the past 12 months, the Force has dealt with 49 cases of forced marriage, up from a typical 30-35, with new cases almost every week. The four Welsh Forces have been involved in about 60 cases, with four in north Wales in six months. The figures are released to coincide with International Women's Day. A forced marriage, as opposed to an arranged marriage, is where either bride or groom, or both, do not consent to a wedding and are coerced into accepting it. In many cases they are told they will bring their family shame or dishonour if they refuse. Ch. Supt. Neil Kinrade, head of South Wales Police's communities and partnerships department, said forced marriage was a ‘hidden harm’ among some sectors of the community. Pray: for the police as they have to handle these difficult situations and for all those forced into marriage.
France: Sarkozy defends Christian heritage
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has made headlines in France by returning to a theme once common with him, but that he seemed to have abandoned: the importance of France’s Christian heritage, reports LifeSiteNews.com. Speaking before a crowd of dignitaries in the ancient town of Puy-en-Velay, a key location in the history of French religious devotion, Sarkozy vigorously defended the importance of the Christian contribution to the cultural foundations of France. ‘Christianity has left to us a magnificent heritage. I am the president of a secular republic, but I can say this because it is the truth. I am not proselytizing,’ he told the group. He added, ‘Chartres, Amiens, Reims, Strasbourg, Paris, none of these towns would be today what they are in the eyes of the French and the eyes of the rest of the world without these cathedrals on which the faithful and tourists always converge.’ Pray: that President Sarkozy’s comments on the importance of Christian heritage would be widely accepted. (Ps.119:111)
France: Sarkozy defends Christian heritage
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has made headlines in France by returning to a theme once common with him, but that he seemed to have abandoned: the importance of France’s Christian heritage, reports LifeSiteNews.com. Speaking before a crowd of dignitaries in the ancient town of Puy-en-Velay, a key location in the history of French religious devotion, Sarkozy vigorously defended the importance of the Christian contribution to the cultural foundations of France. ‘Christianity has left to us a magnificent heritage. I am the president of a secular republic, but I can say this because it is the truth. I am not proselytizing,’ he told the group. He added, ‘Chartres, Amiens, Reims, Strasbourg, Paris, none of these towns would be today what they are in the eyes of the French and the eyes of the rest of the world without these cathedrals on which the faithful and tourists always converge.’ Pray: that President Sarkozy’s comments on the importance of Christian heritage would be widely accepted. (Ps.119:111)
Turkey: Protestants still face hardships
A senior Turkish Protestant has said his country's small Christian churches still face severe hardships, despite recent pledges by the government to improve protection of religious rights. ‘We can't deny certain positive steps - since 2005, we've been able to apply for legal status as registered associations,’ said Zekai Tanyar, executive board chairman of Turkey's Association of Protestant Churches. ‘But full religious freedom is still a long way off here, and all Christian denominations face difficulties. Government officials assure us they'll look into our problems, such as by offering us police protection. But no attempt is being made to present us in a more positive light.’ In an ENI interview, Tanyar said Protestants differed from Turkey's Armenian and Greek Orthodox Christians, since most came from recent Muslim Turkish backgrounds, rather than from ethnic minorities, and did not have historic claims to churches and properties in the country. Pray: for God’s Church in Turkey that it would find ways of fulfilling its calling despite the difficulties. (Ps.33:12)
Turkey: Protestants still face hardships
A senior Turkish Protestant has said his country's small Christian churches still face severe hardships, despite recent pledges by the government to improve protection of religious rights. ‘We can't deny certain positive steps - since 2005, we've been able to apply for legal status as registered associations,’ said Zekai Tanyar, executive board chairman of Turkey's Association of Protestant Churches. ‘But full religious freedom is still a long way off here, and all Christian denominations face difficulties. Government officials assure us they'll look into our problems, such as by offering us police protection. But no attempt is being made to present us in a more positive light.’ In an ENI interview, Tanyar said Protestants differed from Turkey's Armenian and Greek Orthodox Christians, since most came from recent Muslim Turkish backgrounds, rather than from ethnic minorities, and did not have historic claims to churches and properties in the country. Pray: for God’s Church in Turkey that it would find ways of fulfilling its calling despite the difficulties. (Ps.33:12)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Your prayer support will be all-important to the planning of this event which is intended to be a “new paradigm” for an international congress—carried out Acts 13-style—incorporating listening to God, united prayer, and strategic implementation of world-impacting action that proceeds out of that encounter with the Lord and one another.
Prayer Concerns:
1. Please pray for the eight planning task forces: Program, Logistics, Mobilization (including the Media Strategy Group), Finance, Registration/Website, Youth, Children, and Prayer Support. We need to be led of the Lord, given His creative, anointed ideas, and to all do our work diligently, joyfully, and unitedly.
2. This will not be just another prayer conference. The word “world” adds a great deal of complexity and challenge to the planning process since we hope to have 5000-7000 ministry leaders from all 220 nations. Please pray for excellent organization on the part of the Indonesians and Koreans who are co-hosting the event, for the International Coordination Team, and for the right people from every nation to hear about the WPA and be able to come to Jakarta for it.
3. The WPA Concert of Prayer in Indonesia this year on May 17, 2011. This will also serve as preparation for the WPA that is one year to follow. Please pray for further guidance, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and unity.
4. Some organizers that are key to the WPA process are: the Indonesian and Korean national committees who will co-host the event and the WPA International Coordination Team (14) that provides overall oversight. Please pray for His guidance, protection, and provision for each of us. The spiritual battle, as you can imagine, is intense.
Here are the two Scripture passages that have particularly inspired us in arranging the WPA:
• The Church Becoming United—that all followers of Christ may be one so that the world may believe. (John 17:20-26)
• Our World Being Transformed—that “the earth may be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea”. (Hab.2:14)
Thanks so much for your gracious help through prayer that will mean so much, not just to those of us doing the planning and organizing, but also to our world that will be affected by the World Prayer Assembly.
Please also help us get word of the WPA out to “ministry leaders of influence” who will represent the “seven mountains” of society (Arts/Media, Business/Marketplace, Church, Development of the Poor, Education, Family, and Government) who should be part of the WPA. Again, for more information, please have them see www.worldprayerassembly.com where they can also register their interest in participating.
The National People’s Congress (NPC) will convene in Beijing in March 2011. This NPC will approve China’s 12th five-year plan which give opportunity to see the direction of China and to gauge implication for all working in China. These changes will affect education, economics, foreign policy, and many other areas. How will transition occur while ensuring social stability? The meeting will last for two weeks and is the “supreme organ of state power” making laws and electing the highest leaders in China. It approves the decisions and plans handed down by the Party.
Please pray: for a spirit of harmony among the delegates and a desire to serve all the people of China; that plans developed will be successful at increasing employment in the cities, particularly among the migrant population; that the number of quality primary and secondary schools will be increased, particularly those serving migrant children; that policies adopted will not result in continuing escalation of food prices that will hurt the poor; that such policies will benefit all people and work against corruption in government; and that there would be more openness and collaboration with the international community, reducing tensions and increasing cooperation.
The Christian Church in China has grown immensely, reaching into the tens of millions. Still, there are 427 people groups within China that are unreached or “least-reached”. Please pray for the protection and guidance of His people in China; for their witness to be Spirit-filled and full of love and obedience to the Word; for these unreached people groups to have His truth brought to them.
Join in prayer for Sudan wherever you are or at the prayer meeting of the Sudan Support Network (SSNet) in Pretoria, South Africa, Sunday, 6 March, 2011. Right now, Sudan is in MASSIVE transition. God is revealing amazing insights into what is happening now in the north of Sudan and how SSNet partners there are experiencing developments. Specific prayer information on Sudan is available at www.sudanpartners.org. The Sudan Prayer Focus has gone international with the creation of a Facebook group.