Christian giving charity responds to 2000th request for help

An online giving charity set up by the Archbishop of York in 2010 has responded to its 2,000th request for help. Acts435.org.uk connects those in need with those who can help, while protecting donor anonymity and applicant confidentiality. Donors around the country are giving on average £7,000 a month through the platform, more than triple the level of donations this time last year. Since its launch, Acts435 has provided over £175,000 in donations to people needing help with things like school uniforms, furniture, food and debt relief orders. The charity says many of the applicants are people struggling to cope after a relationship breakdown, redundancy or a change to their benefits. ‘As the country goes through tough economic times, many people are struggling to cope with unexpected expenses and even everyday ones. Acts 435 is bringing real hope for these situations.’

Praise:

God for the success of Acts435.

300 new churches planted in Norway

In Norway 300 churches have been planted in the last 15 years. This is reported by Oivind Augland, director of DAWN Norge, a national network for church planting in which many denominations and churches participate. DAWN Norway is serving a network of people who recognize that when we stand together as the Body of Christ, we have the opportunity to see the nation filled with living cells, groups and congregations of believers in all geographic areas, ethnic and cultural groups in the nation. Churches in Norway are actively working together and have a vision beyond their own nation. They want to ‘ignite multiplying church planting movements all over Europe.’

Praise:

God for this encouraging cross-denominational growth in Scandiinavia and beyond

Preview to the 2013 G8 Summit

Eight of the world’s leading financial powers will work on advancing trade, ensuring tax compliance and promoting greater transparency during the 2013 G8 summit in Northern Ireland next week. The UK, which took the annual rotating presidency of the G8 in January, will host this year’s summit in Lough Erne, Fermanagh from June 17 to 18. The eight global leaders hoping to address international issues and tackle the most pressing global challenges, and ‘advance growth and prosperity across the world, include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the US and the UK President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy will represent the EU at the summit. In a May 12 editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Cameron called his agenda ‘pro-business and pro-development,’ citing his plan to cut Britain’s corporate tax rate to 20 percent, the lowest rate in the G7.

Pray:

for the gathering of G8 leaders that they will be given wisdom and discernment to judge the needs of the peoples. (Is.58:10a)

Government demands action on web safety

Google, BT and a clutch of other web giants and internet service providers have been put on notice - the government wants action on sorting out the problem of harmful content on the internet. The Culture Secretary Maria Miller has summoned them to a meeting on 17 June where they will be expected to come up with plans to do more to stop access to material such as child abuse images or material designed to promote terrorism. In her letter to the companies, the culture secretary says there is widespread public concern. Whether these concerns focus on access to illegal pornographic content, the proliferation of extremist material which might incite racial or religious hatred, or the ongoing battle against online copyright theft, a common question emerges. An aide to Ms Miller says. ‘Enough is enough - concentrated effort is now needed by the whole industry.’

Pray:

that the meeting on 17 June will lead to significant developments and changes in web safety. (Pro.1:33)

Number of lone parents rising by 20,000 a year

The number of lone parents is rising by a rate of more than 20,000 a year with ‘devastating’ consequences for children and adults alike, warns the Centre for Social Justice. In a report, the CSJ says the number of lone parents will pass two million by the time of the next election. The increase is not being fuelled by divorce but by the surge in cohabitation. Since 1996, the number of people cohabiting has doubled to nearly six million but cohabiting parents are three times more likely than married couples to separate by the time a child is five. The number of lone parents increased by almost a quarter between 1996 and 2012. Britain has one of the highest rates of family breakdown in the developed world, with a quarter of families with dependent children being headed by a lone parent. Around a million children are growing up without any contact with their father.

Pray:

or less family breakdowns. And for lone parents and their children to establish sound relationships compensating for any loss of stability and family breakdown. (Ps.79:6)

Humanists want the church out of schools

A group of humanists are demanding that faith schools should be open to all children, regardless of their parents’ religion. The Fair Admissions Campaign wants all state-funded schools in England and Wales to be open equally to all children, without regard to religion or belief. The Church of England’s website says: ‘Latest available statistics indicate one in four primary schools and one in 16 secondary schools in England are Church of England schools. Approaching one million pupils are educated in more than 4,700 Church of England schools.’ The Fair Admissions Campaign claims that it is ‘widely supported’, by those at its meetings. In the real world, according to the Church of England: ‘Seven in ten (72%) of the population agree that Church of England schools help young people to grow into responsible members of society and 8 in 10 (80%) agree that they promote good behaviour and positive attitudes.’

Pray:

that faith will continue to be central in our schools' teaching and the developing of positive attitudes. (Rom.15:5)

Marriage Bill to be scrutinised in Committee

On Wednesday, the House of Lords voted against a motion which would have vetoed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill by 390 votes to 148. Whilst this is disappointing, there are grounds for hope as we approach Committee Stage. Many Peers said that although they had serious misgivings about the Bill they did not feel able as members of an unelected House to vote it down at this stage. However, some of these Peers indicated support for amendments and did not write off the possibility of voting against the Bill at a later stage. Far from being the end of the battle in the Lords, Wednesday's vote was just the beginning. We were very grateful for some excellent speeches on Monday and Tuesday. Please click on ‘More’ to see an analysis of the vote and excerpts from some of the speeches given by Peers supporting the current legal definition of marriage.

Pray:

for the ongoing work of parliament as it seeks support for amendments. (Job.12:12)

Boy, 3, taught about gay marriage in nursery

A three-year-old boy has been taught by his nursery carer that when he grows up he will be able to marry a boy or a girl. The boy’s identity is being protected, but his parent wrote a letter to a local newspaper about the incident. ‘In response to my three-year-old son’s question as to what marriage was, I told him that it was when a man and woman loved each other very much and wanted to spend their lives together. My son then told me that ‘boys’ could get married, too. As he doesn’t read the newspapers, I was keen to understand how he had formed this view. Apparently, his carer at nursery, a homosexual, told the entire class that he had great news: when they grew up, they could get married to a girl, or a boy.

Pray:

that the teaching of those who are young should be wise and not be directed along non conformist ways. (Ps.25:5)

Our beliefs risk being made ‘illegal’, says adoption agency

Scotland is ‘on the brink of declaring illegal the belief that every child where possible deserves a mother and father’, the chairman of a threatened Roman Catholic adoption agency has said. It follows the agency being told to end its pro-marriage policy by officials who say it discriminates against gay couples. But one board member of the agency commented: ‘The ultimate irony is that apparently in the name of tolerance, societies such as Saint Margaret’s are no longer to be tolerated.’ St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society, which is based in Glasgow, lost a ruling in March from the charity regulator. The regulator backed a previous decision which forces the agency to end its policy of prioritising couples that have been married for at least two years. And he added: ‘The reality is that the issue is not one about equality or diversity, but about freedom of religion and belief.’

Pray:

that those organisations that hold to a belief in the centrality of marriage will be able to follow those convictions. (2Cor.8:13)

Germany: From ‘Call of the Watchman’

Europe is dependent on a well-oiled working relationship between France and Germany. However the chemistry between François Hollande and Angela Merkel is poor. Merkel offended Hollande by refusing to meet him in Berlin when he was a candidate in the French presidential election. He took his revenge by inviting the SPD chief to the Elysée Palace, where only heads of state are normally welcomed. There is much that has yet to come out into the open between the two of them. Politically they are divided on how to solve the European crisis. Merkel believes this can be achieved by strict budget control, debt reduction, liberalization of the labour market (with minimal state interference), and the reform of the social system. Hollande holds the opposite opinion. The economy should first be revived with state investment, before looking for savings and reform – a more palatable recipe. In the past, Berlin and Paris agreed a policy in advance and then presented a united approach. This is not happening and Germany appears to be standing alone.

Pray:

for reconciliation between the two leaders at a personal level. (Psalm 133) and wisdom for an agreed basis of budget control. (Job 12:.13)

European week against cancer

The European commission estimates that 700,000 people die and millions of EU citizens suffer as a result of smoking related diseases every year. Tobacco consumption is by far the largest avoidable health risk and the biggest cause of premature death in the EU. Linda McAvan parliament’s rapporteur on the tobacco products directive, said, ‘The biggest worry for me is that more young people smoke than adults in the EU.’ The British MEP, who is a member of parliament’s environment, public health and food safety committee, said that 28 per cent of European citizens smoke. According to the European commission, the figure for 15 to 24-year-olds is slightly higher, at 29 per cent. ‘We have to do something to tackle the recruitment of children and young people into smoking, and that’s what this new law from Europe’s about,’ McAvan said.

Pray:

that the battle against cancer and smoking by the young will be taken seriously. (Ps.144:1)

NIGERIA: Refugees

A UN report for refugees stated that no fewer than 6,000 people - mostly women, children and elderly were displaced following the military onslaught against Boko Haram and the al Qaeda-linked Ansaru. They fled to neighbouring Niger Republic fearful of being caught in the government-led crackdown. The presence of Nigerian refugees in Niger is putting a strain on meagre local food and water resources as they struggle after years of drought. Refugees are either renting houses or staying with host families who are themselves living in very precarious conditions. A UNHCR member of staff who visited several border villages hosting refugees met Nigerian families living out in the open and some under trees. Refugees reported air strikes by government forces from time to time, and planes regularly flying over Borno, Yobe and Adamawa where a state of emergency has been in force since May 14.

Pray:

for the UN to effectively deliver structured and coordinated help for host communities of Nigerian refugees. (Ps.12:7)

Syria (a): UN security concern for Golan Heights

The Golan Heights has a political and strategic significance which belies its size. There are 30+ Jewish settlements on the heights and 20,000 Syrians, mostly members of the Druze sect. 900+ UN soldiers monitor the Israel/Syria border. However Syria’s violence spilling into the UN patrolled zone has prompted Austria to remove its 377 peacekeeping soldiers after nearly four decades of peacekeeping. This decision leaves the Philippines as the largest contributor. India also has troops based in the Golan, but Croatia, Canada and Japan have withdrawn their contingents because of the Syrian conflict. Syria's deployment of tanks in the demilitarized zone violates 1973 ceasefire agreements but sources told the BBC that Israel will not react. There are concerns the civil war in Syria will spill further over this and other borders and that the Golan Heights could be used to launch attacks against Israel.

Pray:

for containment of Islamist extremists and Hezbollah militants fighting in Syria and that the war will not spill further into neighbouring countries. (Ps.80:14 & 19)

Syria(b): UN seeks host countries for refugees

The United Nations is asking the United States and Europe to take in thousands of Syrian refugees. Since the beginning of Syria's civil war, more than 1.5 million Syrians have fled the country seeking refuge. UN officials think that number could reach 3.5 million by the end of the year. According to agency spokesman Adrian Edwards, the UN is seeking to relocate 10,000 refugees. On Tuesday Edwards told the Associated Press that ‘resettlement is only one of the tools we use and tends to apply to a very small number of highly vulnerable individuals of any refugee population.’ German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said Germany has already agreed to take in half. Edwards says the United States and Germany usually offer the most help.

Pray:

for all the administration and application associated with this initiative for the dispossessed vulnerable. (Job22:29)

Turkey: Questions and answers

Q- Are the riots about trees or something else? A- Protesters are venting pent-up resentment against the Prime Minister. Many secular Turks see him as an authoritarian figure forcing his conservative religious Islamic views on them. He has spoken out against Caesarean births; said women should have at least three children and backed laws to curb the sale of alcohol. Q- Why should other nations care about Turkey? A- Turkey is a largely Muslim nation straddling Europe and Asia, it’s a stable democracy, a key US ally and an important regional influence accommodating tens of thousands of Syrian refugees. Q- Will Turkey see an Arab Spring revolution? A- Turkey holds a presidential election next year in which the current PM will be backed by rural conservative voters (the silent majority) However the daughter of Canadian missionaries in Turkey reported that the 240,000 people protesting against the government are mostly young people looking for change. See http://blog.godreports.com/2013/06/protests-spread-in-turkey -christian-ministry-calls-for-prayer/

Pray:

the current situation would bring about a peaceful end to the ‘soft Islamization’ of Turkish society. (Ps.72:14)

Pakistan: Christians abused

Christians are treated like animals and denied the dignity of human beings in Kasur district of Punjab province, a district where a recent rape of a 15 yr. old Christian went unpunished. The NGO Lead (Legal Evangelical Association Development) reports Muslims abusing, mocking, hitting and publicly humiliating Christian men and women, agricultural workers and pastors. Recently a minor encroachment of some flocks belonging to Christians led to Muslim men breaking into the Christian’s home hitting three women, stripping them and then forcing them to run naked through the streets, while they were ridiculed and harassed. The same humiliating treatment was given to two Christian elders when they reported the matter, followed by police raiding their homes and threatening them with a criminal case. The faithful turned to Rev Saleem Gill for help to register a formal complaint. Other Christian families reported abuse and ill-treatment by Muslim landowners, who are their employers. See also Prayer Alert. 17-2013

Pray:

that the Christians' complaint will be upheld and the aggressors brought to justice, pray against the rise in physical, psychological and sexual abuse of Christian farmers and agricultural workers in NE Pakistan. (Ps.86:14-17)

USA: Prostitution, drugs alleged in State Department memo

Senior State Department and Diplomatic Security officials may have covered up or stopped investigations of inappropriate/criminal misconduct by staff according to an internal memo from the Office of the Inspector General. The timeline places incidents during former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's tenure. Sometimes the sources are one or more agents who became aware of cases from colleagues in ‘a shared environment.’ The documents provided by a lawyer for a whistle-blower who is a former senior inspector general investigator stated, ‘an active US ambassador routinely ditched his protective security detail in order to solicit sexual favorus from both prostitutes and minor children.’ A member of Clinton's security detail allegedly, ‘engaged prostitutes while on official trips in foreign countries’ and ’prostitution problem was endemic.’ Also In Iraq an ‘underground drug ring may have been supplying drugs to State Department security contractors, but an agent sent to investigate the allegations was prevented from completing the job’.

Pray:

for suspected incidents of abuse or corruption to be investigated thoroughly. May all concealed episodes be revealed. (Am.5:7 & 15)

Mali: Serious human rights abuses

Amnesty International has documented dozens of cases of detainees being tortured or ill-treated after being arrested for having alleged links with armed groups. The organization also documented more than 20 cases of extrajudicial-executions or enforced disappearances. Amnesty International’s delegates spoke to more than 80 of the 200 detainees held in the capital Bamako, most of them charged with acts of terrorism and other offences. Many reported being tortured or ill-treated. Some were denied medical treatment. A number of them had marks and scars of burnings and cuts – including on their backs, chests and ears. At least five detainees died in the facility in April 2013, most of them apparently as a result of the appalling conditions of detention and lack of medical care. Mali authorities recognized that some human rights violations had been committed and said a number of cases were being investigated, but so far no one has been brought to justice.

Pray:

that all those responsible for human rights abuses will face justice and for a lasting stabilization of Mali. (Tit.3:1-2