Youth need friends not rules
A diet of 'Bible stories and rules to follow' is not preparing youngsters to deal adequately with the dilemmas of the real world and that's why many are leaving the Church. Churches not being outward-looking communities and a general lack of care once they had left the youth group were also cited as reasons for the departures. Instead churches should be looking at being inclusive communities for all, ensuring that all are cared for uniquely and where young people are given space to grow and question without fear of failure. These were some of the key findings of the Baptist Union of Great Britain's Younger Leaders' Forum, which met at King's Park Conference Centre, Northampton last weekend. 'Many people I spoke to said Church had not prepared them for the real world,' said Mr Eddison, YLF member from Yorkshire. 'They needed help in coming to moral choices, rather than being told what the answer is.’ Pray: for the good practice by some churches in meeting the needs of young people would extend nationwide. (Ps.144:12)
Wesley, the poor and the cuts
Alison Tomlin, President of the Methodist Conference, addressed a rally organised by the Trade Union Congress at London’s Methodist Central Hall saying: ‘John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church wrote about a press that stigmatised the poor, he wrote of politicians who did not wish to look at the concerns of the poor, and who continually blamed the poor for their own fate. The past ten to fifteen years of boom have benefited some sections of society but not the poorest. The task the Government has set itself of cutting the deficit in a short space of time while not harming the most vulnerable is a difficult one, some may say an impossible one. We shall wait and see, but the initial signs are not promising. Methodists support a wide range of views about deficit reduction. It is possible to be a Christian and a member of almost any political party.’ Pray: that the Government’s Spending Review will enable communities to support their deserving poor. (Mt.19:21)
Flying the flag for Islam and Hinduism
Local councils are flying the flag for Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism to mark days in those faiths’ calendars, but church groups have faced opposition simply for placing posters in public libraries. The plethora of causes supported by local councils was revealed in a new survey for The Sunday Telegraph. See this must read report: It shows that as well as flying the homosexual rainbow flag at least once a year, Brighton and Hove Council also hoist the Transgender Pride flag on Transgender Day in November. In Brighton last year a Sunday school teacher was told she couldn’t put up a poster at her local library to advertise a church children’s event because it ‘promoted religion’. The survey also revealed that councils are showing endorsement for such diverse occasions as Rastafarian days, the Tibetan Independence Day and the winter and summer solstices, while a Druid flag is hoisted by a Leicestershire council. Pray: that as Christians we are given divine strength and guidance to fight back against marginalisation. (Ro.10:14) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/councils-happy-to-fly-the-flag-for-islam-and-hinduism/
Outrage over BBC’s new lesbian show
A controversial new BBC lesbian drama which showed two women having sex next to a corpse has left TV viewers appalled. BBC 3’s Lip Service, aimed at viewers as young as 16, began airing this week and has attracted complaints from scores of viewers. Actress Laura Fraser, who plays a character called Cat, said: ‘I started to feel like I was making a porno film. At the end of a day I was thinking ‘what am I doing for a living?’ The BBC describes Lip Service as being a ‘bold’ drama ‘about the sex lives and love affairs of twenty-something lesbians living in contemporary Glasgow’. The show has attracted a number of complaints, one viewer describing the funeral parlour sex scene as ‘stomach churning’. Harriet Braun, the show’s creator, claims that the show is as realistic as possible. She said: ‘It was important, I wanted it to reflect real life.’ Pray: that the BBC comes to recognise that it should set standards rather than follow minority foibles. (1Ti.6:20) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/viewers-outraged-over-bbcs-new-lesbian-show/
'Multikulti' has failed in Germany
Germany's attempts to build a post-war multicultural society have ‘utterly failed’, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has said. She broke a long standing taboo in Germany to address the immigration issue in a speech at Potsdam near Berlin. Mrs Merkel told a meeting of the youth wing of her party at the weekend: ‘Multikulti, the concept that we are now living side by side and are happy about it, this approach has failed, utterly.’ She spoke days after a poll showed that a third of all Germans viewed immigrants as welfare cheats. Mrs Merkel said: ‘We feel bound to the Christian image of humanity. That is what defines us. Those who do not accept this are in the wrong place here.’ Mindful of the legacy of the Second World War and racial policies that cost millions their lives, German politicians have tended only to speak in broad positive terms of the ‘multikulti’ society. Pray: that Germany continues to emphasise its Christian heritage to all. (Ro.15:16) More:http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Multikulti+failed+Germany+says+chancellor+Angela+Merkel/3684846/story.html#ixzz12tmKfCX7
Pope’s effort to revive Christianity
Pope Benedict XVI has formally created a new Vatican office to revive Christianity in Europe, his latest attempt to counter secular trends in traditionally Christian countries. In a decree, Pope Benedict said the new office would promote Church doctrine, use the media to get the Church's message out and mobilize missionary-type activities. But even on its first day of existence, the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization ran into a snag: The four-page decree instituting the office was issued in only Latin and Italian. The head of the new office, Monsignor Rino Fisichella, stressed that he planned to have language sections in his department to deal with the faithful in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German and Slavic languages. He denied the creation of the office was a mere bureaucratic attempt to fix a complex cultural phenomenon, saying the Pope had made an astute, pastoral decision to focus attention on a growing problem that had preoccupied popes for decades. Pray: for the Pope’s initiative to be successful, leading nations to follow Christian precepts. (Eph.3:8)
Pope’s effort to revive Christianity
Pope Benedict XVI has formally created a new Vatican office to revive Christianity in Europe, his latest attempt to counter secular trends in traditionally Christian countries. In a decree, Pope Benedict said the new office would promote Church doctrine, use the media to get the Church's message out and mobilize missionary-type activities. But even on its first day of existence, the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization ran into a snag: The four-page decree instituting the office was issued in only Latin and Italian. The head of the new office, Monsignor Rino Fisichella, stressed that he planned to have language sections in his department to deal with the faithful in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German and Slavic languages. He denied the creation of the office was a mere bureaucratic attempt to fix a complex cultural phenomenon, saying the Pope had made an astute, pastoral decision to focus attention on a growing problem that had preoccupied popes for decades. Pray: for the Pope’s initiative to be successful, leading nations to follow Christian precepts. (Eph.3:8)
Churches mark 10.10.10
From Carlisle to Penzance thousands of Christians in the UK joined an estimated 60 million people across the world to stand up for the poor on 10.10.10. The iconic date saw events and gatherings across 70 nations, focusing on ending extreme poverty through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Micah Challenge inspired Christians across the world to pray and promise to play their part in seeing an end to poverty. There were also special church services in Australia, India, the UK and Zambia. In the aftermath of 10.10.10, the Micah Challenge Head Office in London is expecting a deluge of promises to be posted through its doors. One recent promise came from former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair pledged to encourage his Tony Blair Faith Foundation's volunteers and supporters across the world to give at least 2015 hours of community service to help further the United Nation's targets. Pray: that God would answer these prayers according to His will. (2Ch. 6:19)
Teens one click away from internet porn
‘Internet search engines make pornography available to teenagers at the click of a mouse’, said Miranda Sawyer, the presenter behind Radio 4 documentary; Sex, Porn and Teenagers. Miss Sawyer interviewed Lucy Emmerson, Principal Officer of the Sex Education Forum, which claims that sex education is the solution to the problem. But academics and family campaigners say current ‘anything goes’ sex education is part of the problem, not part of the solution. Norman Wells of the Family Education Trust hit out at the Government’s Teenage Pregnancy Strategy saying: ‘With all its emphasis on sex education and handing out contraceptives to school children under the age of consent, it is giving them the green light to experiment sexually. We need to return to a combination of realistic education and empower youngsters to know how dangerous and foolish underage sex is.’ The Daily Mail’s Jan Moir says children should be told that any early sex is ‘just plain wrong’. Pray: for a review of sex education that addresses the current failures, building instead on Christian values.(Jas.1:21) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/teens-just-one-click-away-from-internet-sex-and-porn/
‘Shine A Light' witness to Christian faith
Christians across the UK are invited to place a light in their window on 31 October as a sign to passers-by that they are followers of Jesus Christ. The initiative is called Night of Light and is the inspiration of Damian Stayne. He explained: ‘It is an international initiative to reclaim Halloween as a joyful Christian celebration.' Halloween is now the biggest commercial festival after Christmas and Easter, and it is time we reminded Christians of what it really is. On the evening of 31 October why not do something to make your faith respectfully seen and heard? Light a candle or display publicly another kind of light, for example, perhaps alongside an image of Christ. This could be a powerful way in which we can show people that we have hope in someone other than ourselves. The light will provoke questions and is a way that people can be signposted to goodness. I encourage everyone to participate.’ Pray: for groups and churches running alternative events for children and that a Christian light will shine out on Halloween. (2Co.4:6)