Edinburgh 2010 seeks to guide 21st century mission
The Edinburgh World Missionary Conference 2010 opened on Wednesday with the aim of providing direction for Christian mission in the 21st century. Hundreds of leaders from around the world gathered in Edinburgh, Scotland, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first-ever global mission conference, Edinburgh 1910. From June 2 to 6, mission experts will convene to discuss nine major themes, including Christian mission among other faiths, mission and post-modernites, and Christian communities in contemporary contexts. Unlike the original World Missionary Conference in 1910, however, the 2010 gathering brings together Christians from different traditions – ranging from the Roman Catholic Church to evangelical and Pentecostal churches – and from nations worldwide. Organizers hope this week’s conference will facilitate conversations between mission leaders from the older mission movements of the North and the new mission movements from the South and East.
Pray: for delegates to the conference that the Holy Spirit will lead them and that God will grant them wisdom. (Ps.34:11)
Cardinal to lead Irish sex abuse investigation
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the Emeritus Archbishop of Westminster, will lead a team of senior Catholics sent by the Pope to Ireland to investigate how the Church was able to cover up decades of sex abuse by priests. Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor will carry out a wide-ranging investigation into the scandal, which has caused outrage among Irish Catholics and forced the resignation of three bishops. Working alongside prominent cardinals and archbishops from the US and Canada, he will look at procedures that are currently designed to prevent abuse and study possible ways to improve them. The inquiry, which begins in the autumn, will initially focus on four dioceses - Armagh, Dublin, Cashel-Emly, and Tuam - and then be extended to others. Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor will lead the investigation in Armagh, visiting churches and seminaries and interviewing rank-and-file Catholics.
Pray: for Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor as he leads this difficult and sensitive investigation. (Ex.15:13)
Doncaster teens encouraged to show love without sex
Teenagers in Doncaster are being encouraged to list 101 ways to show love without having sex on their prom night. In a refreshing change from the ‘take a fist-full of condoms’ approach, NHS Doncaster has launched an ‘It’s Your Prom Night – Get it Right’ campaign. The campaign aims to encourage youngsters, aged between 15 and 17, to discuss ways of expressing their love. Suggestions put forward by pupils have included going for romantic walks on the beach, writing a poem and sending flowers. The campaign is an attempt to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in the borough. Bronwynn Slater, of Doncaster Primary Care Trust, said: 'Prom night can be a very special and emotional occasion for teenagers and they often want to share these moments with their boyfriend or girlfriend. But there are lots of different ways that they can show their feelings for each other without having sex’.
Pray: that this campaign will prove successful and set a new path for attempts to reduce teenage pregnancies. (1Co.13:4-7)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/doncaster-teens-encouraged-to-show-love-without-sex/
‘Child in the Midst’ - 5 - 6th June
Viva has facilitated the World Weekend of Prayer for Children at Risk since 1995. The scale of this weekend has grown over the years and now, as we partner with many prayer ministries and networks, millions of people join us each year to pray for and with vulnerable children. We come together to pray that children all around the world would know the love of Jesus in their everyday lives, and be able to claim for themselves God's incredible offer of abundant life. We also hope that, helped by our prayers, more people will be mobilized to manifest the love of God to this generation. Please consider praying with us over the weekend and perhaps even holding an event of your own. The World Weekend of Prayer - Child in the Midst booklet has many imaginative ideas for interactive intercession and different ways of engaging people in prayer. You can download it here:
Pray: for all children at risk and that many would be inspired to reach out with God’s love for this generation. (1Jn.3:1)
More: http://www.transformations-ireland.org/news/2010/05/child-in-the-midst.php
The Not Dead Yet UK ‘resistance’ campaign
The campaign kicks off with the launch of a charter that will be sent to all MPs, asking them to support the campaign’s aims and commit to fighting for disabled and terminally ill constituents. Campaigners point out that some people view disabled people’s lives as not worth living. High profile cases of disabled people who want the law changed to make assisted suicide easier are the exception rather than the rule, they say. Baroness Jane Campbell of Surbiton, convenor for Not Dead Yet UK, pointed out that the likelihood of cuts in services across the country will create additional challenges for disabled people. She said: ‘There have been two attempts to weaken assisted dying legislation in the past four years, with further discussions taking place in the Scottish parliament now. We face a bleak situation if calls for assisted suicide to be lawful are renewed whilst vital services are being withdrawn or denied.’
Pray: that MPs will oppose any change to the current law and that disabled and terminally ill people should have the same legal protection as everyone else. (Ac.17:24-26)
Police Service NI urges politicians to calm marching season tension
Politicians should do more to calm tensions during the marching season, the police have said. It cost almost £3m to police parades last summer and the bill could be even higher this year. There are fears dissident republicans may try to cause trouble in some areas, like the Ardoyne in north Belfast. Police sources told the BBC, politicians should work harder to encourage the resolution of contentious parades and reduce the likelihood of confrontation. While they are hoping for the best, they have to prepare for the worst, which means large numbers of officers and equipment have to be deployed. The PSNI said it has the resources needed, but also said politicians should do more to defuse tensions. Senior sources have told the BBC they would like politicians in potential trouble spots like north and west Belfast, Portadown and Rasharkin, to be more proactive.
Pray: for a peaceful and tolerant approach to the marching season encouraged by local politicians. (2Jn.6)
More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/10211009.stm
Cumbria deaths will be 'incomprehensible' to community
For the people of west Cumbria, the events of this week will be almost impossible to comprehend. In this part of north west England, shootings are rare and major crime is almost unheard of. But in the past nine months, the communities here have endured a succession of severe incidents, natural and man-made. People are still homeless from last year's floods.The Keswick school bus crash 10 days ago in which three people died is still recent and raw. But the shootings will eclipse those, both in terms of violence and the shock that will reverberate throughout the remote area where these killings took place.
Pray: for all the people involved with this and other tragedies that God would minister to them in their need. (Rev.22:17)
Christians pray to heal Britain
Christians gathered in every borough of London on Pentecost Sunday to pray for God to heal Britain. The prayer gatherings were held as part of the Global Day of Prayer, which united an estimated 250 million Christians worldwide as the movement marked its tenth anniversary. Global Day of Prayer London facilitated prayer gatherings in churches and parks in all 33 London boroughs, testimony to the movement’s huge growth in the UK since it was launched in 2006. Convener of the Global Day of Prayer London, Jonathan Oloyede said: ‘We’re asking God to open up a new Britain, that it no longer is to be broken Britain, but for it to be healed,’ he said.
Praise: God for His call on intercessors to prayer for the healing of the nations. (Rev.22:1-2) More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christians.pray.to.heal.britain/25969.htm
Christians pray to heal Britain
Christians gathered in every borough of London on Pentecost Sunday to pray for God to heal Britain. The prayer gatherings were held as part of the Global Day of Prayer, which united an estimated 250 million Christians worldwide as the movement marked its tenth anniversary. Global Day of Prayer London facilitated prayer gatherings in churches and parks in all 33 London boroughs, testimony to the movement’s huge growth in the UK since it was launched in 2006. Convener of the Global Day of Prayer London, Jonathan Oloyede said: ‘We’re asking God to open up a new Britain, that it no longer is to be broken Britain, but for it to be healed,’ he said.
Praise: God for His call on intercessors to prayer for the healing of the nations. (Rev.22:1-2) More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christians.pray.to.heal.britain/25969.htm
Re Westminster 2010 Declaration of Christian Conscience
The election result of a coalition government has produced a better balance on Christian conscience issues. 63 MPs with poor voting records and only 10 with good voting records stepped down. Thirty two MP’s made the Westminster pledge to 'respect, uphold and protect the right of Christians to hold and express Christian beliefs and act according to Christian conscience'. Thirty eight were ‘supportive' of the pledge, twenty four new MPs are Christians including nine members of the Conservative Christian Fellowship and one from the Christian Socialist movement.
Praise: God for mercifully watching over nations - and ask him to carry us deeper into a Christian inheritance. (Ps.22:4)
More: http://www.westminster2010.org.uk/news/election-results-in-more-mps-supportive-of-christian-conscience---mond/