Pentecost: Britain’s churches take to the streets

Last weekend Britain’s multinational churches took to the streets to celebrate the birth of Christianity in vibrant style. Pentecost festivals called 'the Biggest Birthday Party Ever' took place across the country drawing on the culture of some of the world’s fastest growing churches – sharing free food, dance and music as expressions of their Christian faith. For example churches in Islington, London, staged a free multi-cultural festival in Caledonian Park with music, dancing and food from almost every continent. There was a Ghanaian choir, Argentine opera, Ethiopian and Eritrean traditional music, Mexican music and dance, a Spanish choir and Brazilian traditional music as well as jazz, soul, gospel and folk. Coventry's Big Birthday Bash run by HOPE Coventry organised a free BBQ funded by the local churches, including African drumming, a Chinese choir, and a huge birthday cake cut by the Lord Mayor. The events were linked as part of HOPE.

Praise:

God for the vibrancy of all denominations across the country working together to put their Christian faith into words and actions. (Ps.147:1)

Prayer for revival across Norfolk

The 35th Prayer for Revival gathering started this week with pastors and churches from across the city and the region praying together in unity. Organisers are delighted that more churches are joining and actively supporting and praying for each other. The intent of Prayer for Revival is church leaders standing in agreement by involving themselves in cooperating with Jesus in building healthy churches that impact communities; bringing the rule the reign and works of Jesus across the cities, regions and beyond. The pastors and churches choose to honour one another by speaking well of each other and praying for success, growth and blessings in one another’s churches. Their ethos -‘Your success is our honour’ is a kingdom value that emphasises the words of Jesus, ‘It is more blessed to give than receive.’ It is an ‘in honour preferring one another.’

Praise:

and thank God for churches who stand together as brothers and sisters, rejoicing in the success of each other and helping one another through the challenges and disappointments of ministry. (Ps.133)

'Trojan Horse' Birmingham academy trust criticised

The Birmingham academy trust at the centre of the so-called 'Trojan Horse' allegations was accused of running schools that took the Islamic focus too far. A highly-critical report found a classroom culture which was not welcoming to non-Muslim pupils. It described a ‘madrassa curriculum’ in personal, social, health and economic lessons, and ‘posters written in Quranic Arabic in most of the classrooms visited’. Loudspeakers were used to broadcast the call to prayer and there were posters in classrooms encouraging children to begin lessons with a Muslim prayer. There were also claims of an inappropriate external speaker being brought in to talk to pupils. In RE lessons, the few pupils taking a Christian unit in the GCSE course, rather than the Islamic Studies paper, had to ‘teach themselves’ because the teacher had to concentrate on what the majority were studying. As far back as 2010 the Department for Education was warned that Muslim hardliners were trying to take control of Birmingham schools. See also Here

Pray:

that Birmingham and other city councils will keep pupils safe from the risks of extremism. (Ps.72:3-5)

Prayer for Scotland

At this time of preparation for the Referendum, Members of the Scottish Parliament are hard pressed; keeping all their normal remit running, plus attending many extra husting meetings and trying to keep a life balance so that family is not neglected. Remember especially the front runners with the extra responsibility of every word weighed and reported in the Press. Intercessors at Pray For Scotland (who take a completely neutral stance) and whose prayer for the result of the Referendum is ‘God’s will be done in our Nation’ ask that we pray that leaders will arise who speak with authority, clarity and integrity. Christian members of the Scottish parliament include Dave Thompson, Nigel Don and John Mason (SNP); Ruth Davidson and Murdo Fraser (Conservative); Johann Lamont, Jacquie Bailie, and Anne McTaggart (Labour).

Pray:

God's will be done in the British Isles and his Kingdom be established through our leaders. Pray for the nations’ inheritance and boundaries established by God. (Dt.32:8)

New threat of assisted suicide as bill comes to Parliament

Following last week's State Opening of Parliament, Lord Falconer introduced a bill that would legalise assisted suicide. It is the latest in a number of attempts to change the law. The bill will be debated in the House of Lords at its second reading, which is expected to take place on Friday 18th July. Baroness Hollins, a top psychiatrist who has been President of both the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Medical Association, has spoken out and written of her concerns. Baroness Grey-Thompson, who won 11 golds at the Paralympics, has joined with Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, who has a degenerative illness, to express her deep opposition to Lord Falconer's bill. ‘Why is it that when people who are not disabled want to commit suicide, we try to talk them out of it, but when a disabled person wants to commit suicide, we focus on how we can make that possible?’

Pray:

that those speaking out against this Bill will be heard and listened to. (Pr.1:5)

Key witness against mega-mosque withdraws after pressure

‘Misogynyst mosque supporters’ have harassed a key female witness into withdrawing from giving evidence at the mega-mosque public inquiry being held at the ExCel Centre in London this week. Tehmina Kazi is the Director of British Muslims for Secular Democracy and a crucial opponent of the massive fundamentalist mega-mosque proposed for West Ham in London, close to the Olympic Stadium. She withdrew from the inquiry after being pressured by members of the Muslim-run Newham Peoples Alliance (NPA) while abroad on holiday last weekend. Ms Kazi, a former project officer at the Equality & Human Rights Commission and long-time supporter of Muslim women’s rights, publicly opposed the mega-mosque project at a previous public inquiry in 2011. She has also objected to the anti-women bias of Tablighi Jamaat, the fundamentalist group behind the proposed mosque. ‘Why do Islamists always pick on women?’ said Alan Craig, director of the long-running Mega Mosque No Thanks campaign.

Pray:

against the use of intimidation tactics by the NPA on those opposed to this fundamentalist mosque. (Heb.12:3)

Religion 'makes people more generous'

Religion preaches help for the poor and loving your neighbour, but now a new study has provided evidence that religion can make people more generous in their everyday lives. Research commissioned by the BBC found that people who profess a religious belief are significantly more likely to give to charity than non-believers. Sikhs and Jews emerged as the most likely to share their worldly goods with a good cause, just ahead of Christians, Hindus and Muslims. The study, carried out for the BBC's network of local radio stations, included polling by ComRes of a sample of more than 3,000 people of all faiths and none. It found that levels of generosity across the British public are strikingly high, but are highest among those with a religious faith. The Revd Dr Martyn Atkins, General Secretary of the Methodist Church, said: ‘Religious faith should motivate people to acts of generosity, and it’s good to see this reflected in these figures’.

Pray:

for us all to have generous hearts and minds in finance, our skills and with our time. (Ac.20:35)

UK child poverty plans doomed to failure

Britain's child poverty plans are ‘doomed’ to fail as 3.5 million children will be in poverty by 2020, says a watchdog chaired by former health secretary Alan Milburn. The government's draft strategy for the next three years is a ‘missed opportunity’ and falls far short of what is needed, said the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission. Mr Milburn said: ‘Our new research shows that the gap between the objective of making child poverty history and the reality is becoming ever wider.’ But, he said, child poverty was ‘not just an issue’ for the current government. ‘Across the political spectrum, party leaders now need to come clean about what they plan to do to hit the targets, or what progress they can deliver if they expect to fall short,’ he said.

Pray:

for all political groups to work together in a concerted way that will have a significant impact on reducing child poverty. (Pr.31:8-9)

Fury over parents' mistakes being reported to the state in Scotland

Scotland’s named person scheme has sparked widespread outrage after it emerged that parents will be reported to the state for trivial family incidents, including forgetting their children’s hospital appointments. Although the scheme is not set to be fully implemented until August 2016, the Scottish Parliament guidance is now being used by the NHS to justify sharing data on children with head teachers. The health board seems to be acting in advance of the law being implemented. Aidan O’Neill QC said the plans appear to be ‘predicated on the idea that the proper primary relationship that children will have for their well-being and development, nurturing and education is with the State rather than within their families and with their parents’. Director of The Christian Institute, Colin Hart, said, ‘The state seems intent on usurping the role of parents and reducing them to helpless spectators in the lives of their children.’

Pray:

for the Scottish Parliament to review how they can best protect children from abuse and neglect without compromising fundamental parental rights. (Pr.1:8-9)

EU takes aim at radical jihadist websites

Nine European countries endorsed plans on 5th June to step up intelligence-sharing and take down radical websites to try to stop European citizens going to fight in Syria and bringing violence back home with them.The initiative by states that deem themselves most affected by jihadist violence was given new urgency after the killing of three people at the Jewish Museum in Brussels last month by a Frenchman recently returned from fighting with Islamist rebels in Syria's civil war. EU officials will hold meetings with ‘the leading Internet operators’ this month to look into the possibilities for immediately shutting down web sites and barring messages that spread hatred or encourage violent militancy or terrorism. Also Britain proposed creating a European task force using media campaigns to counter the radicals' message. Experts will work on details of the new measures before they are decided on by ministers at a meeting in Milan in July.

Pray:

for the EU to develop and enforce successful ways to prevent the growth of terrorism and hate crimes in the EU. Pray also for the young men being led astray by persuasive words. (Pr.7:21)

Italy: Navy rescues 1,000 migrants

The Italian coastguard rescued more than 1,000 migrants from three separate boats early last Saturday, in the second such operation in two days. The migrants and asylum-seekers were plucked from three boats 40 miles off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa. The rescue came a day after the Italian navy picked up another 2,500 asylum-seekers from 17 boats, as good weather conditions in the Mediterranean further boost the influx of migrants desperate to reach Europe. Most of the migrants and asylum seekers arriving in Italy come from Eritrea or Syria and are departing from Libya. Refugees also come from impoverished parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. Thousands have died in tragedies at sea in recent years because they often cross in rickety fishing boats that are badly overcrowded to maximise profits for traffickers.

Pray:

that these and other refugee victims of war and famine would receive care and protection. Pray for the Christian and secular agencies ministering in refugee camps. (Jer.29:11)

Nigeria: Boko Haram crisis

Last Wednesday Boko Haram entered a village saying they had come to preach then fired on the crowd that gathered, killing 45. It follows a similar attack on Attagara village the previous day when gunmen in military uniforms convinced residents they had come to provide protection, gathering people in the centre of the village to kill them. A survivor said ‘they fired continuously for a very long time until all that had gathered were dead’. A local MP said it was impossible to count the dead because survivors fled into nearby hills but he estimated 200. (See last week's PA STOP PRESS) These attacks happened near the mountains, close to the border with Cameroon where Boko Haram operates. Also please pray for Christian negotiator Stephen Davis, a former canon at Coventry Cathedral, who has been having talks with a senior commander of the group holding the 200 Chibok girls. See also Here

Pray:

for all hostage negotiations. (Pr.23:9) and pray for Nigeria's government to successfully tackle Boko Haram in remote areas in the north-east. (Pr.23:10-11)

Global gender-based violence and killing for the sake of it

In the Democratic Republic of Congo soldiers march through the night hunting for women who are hiding in the bushes. 2,000 young soldiers fire gunshots in the air. The commander orders, ‘Go and rape women.’ The soldiers obey. Research from the American Journal of Public Health says that ‘in DRC 1,152 women are raped every day - 48 women every hour). Despite conflict officially ending in 2003 fighting has never stopped, claiming more than five million lives. Throughout this time, sexual violence has continued as a weapon. A total of 12% of the female population of the DRC have been raped at least once. DRC’s reputation is ‘the most dangerous in the world for women’. War Child UK, a charity working to reduce rape in the Congo, says sexual violence rises in conflict because men lose their role in society, are mentally scarred, and commit crimes with little consequence. Pray for the 4-day conference ‘End Sexual Violence in Conflict’ being held this week in London.

Pray:

for charities like War Child, Seeds of Hope and others working with war victims in the DRC and across the nations to bring about change. (Ex.15:6-7)

Middle East: Israeli-Palestinian children’s camps

Musalaha’s Israeli-Palestinian Children’s Summer Camps provide a framework for Israeli and Palestinian children to meet together in a fun and friendly atmosphere. They have the opportunity to build relationships with children from the other side, whom they would otherwise not have the chance to meet, and learn to counter many of the stereotypes they have learned. The children learn about the reconciliation process as they build relationships with each other. This is done through sitting together at meal times, playing water games, engaging in activities and studying the Bible together. They walk away from these camps having learnt new phrases and songs in Hebrew and Arabic; having shared cabins, they potentially become agents of change at a young age after having made new friends. Sudanese refugee children also participate as the children learn to be around other groups of people who are living in both Israeli and Palestinian societies.

Pray:

these camps will be well-funded and fully-attended, and that they will successfully replace the barriers of hate with a new generation seeking transformation. (Gen.26:29)

Brazil: The World Cup's biggest secret

While its popularity is renowned across the world, its notoriety goes deeper than you may expect. It’s an industry that engages almost every country on the planet; captivating countless numbers of male and female clientele alike and making more money annually than Nike, Starbucks and Google put together. Sadly, this industry isn’t football - it's human trafficking. The World Cup brings a mass influx of tourists and traffickers are preparing for a month of the highest demand they’ll encounter. In business when demand increases, so does the supply - and unfortunately sex-tourism is no different. 20% of Brazil’s population live below the poverty line, with one of the largest disparities in the world between rich and poor. The economic imbalance is increasing and the poor are vulnerable to exploitation and violation. 120 years after slavery was abolished in Brazil an estimated 40,000 people are still trapped by it. 12-year-old children are sold for a night for less than the price of a cup of coffee.

Pray:

for change. Pray for advocates to speak up for the vulnerable, destitute, poor and needy. Pray for God to work His miracles against the evil of trafficking. (Pr. 31:8-9)

Nepal: Calls to outlaw religious conversion

Religious freedom groups have expressed concern after reports that the Vice President of the Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has urged Nepali leaders to outlaw religious conversion. Bhagat Singh Koshiyari reportedly spoke to senior leaders including Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Chairman of Maoist party Pushpa Kamal Dahal, claiming that Western countries had been promoting proselytising in Nepal since it was declared a secular state in 2008. Koshiyari called for an immediate stop to religious conversions, particularly from Hinduism to Christianity, Christian Solidarity Worldwide's CEO Mervin Thomas expressed concern that Nepali leaders were being persuaded to exclude the rights of the people to freedom of religion in the new constitution of Nepal. In the past, Christians faced persecution and harassment from both the government and society, but have experienced a period of calm in the last few years. According to OM, Nepal has the fastest-growing Christian church in Asia. Hinduism remains the major religion with over 80% of the population.

Pray:

that Nepal would honour its signed agreement to allow freedom of religion or belief in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Ask God to silence those speaking against His purposes for Nepal. (Ps.143:11-12)

Iran: Pastor persecuted in prison

Pastor Behnam Irani was sentenced to six years in prison in 2011 on charges of offences against national security. He has been badly treated during his imprisonment and his health suffered to the extent that he needed an operation in February to stop internal bleeding. On 7th June, Behnam was summoned to appear before the head of a revolutionary tribunal in Karaj. The summons was irregular and Behnam wrote a letter protesting against the order. In response, intelligence agents arrived at the prison, beat him and brought Behnam before the prison governor. They then took him by force to the head of the revolutionary tribunal and he was then transferred to an unknown location. We are asked to pray that Behnam and his family will know the Lord's presence and support; Behnam's whereabouts will become known; and he will experience God's physical healing, including injuries sustained during the beating.

Pray:

that Prisoners in Iran will be treated with respect and dignity, and officials involved will love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow Him. (Mic.6:8)

North Korea: South Korean missionary sentenced to life in prison

South Korea released a statement on Sunday insisting that Baptist missionary Kim Jong Uk be released from a North Korean prison. Kim was sentenced to a life term of hard labour last Friday for alleged espionage activities and attempts to overthrow the North Korean government. The missionary admitted in court to founding a church in the atheist country. Joo Dong-sik, a friend of Kim, told the Associated Press that the 45-year-old also helped North Koreans escape into South Korea by leading them through Laos, Thailand, and other countries. A South Korean Unification Ministry official said that neither Kim's family nor attorneys have been able to visit him. ‘It is regrettable that North Korea went ahead with perfunctory trial procedures in a unilateral manner and gave our citizen severe punishment,’ a statement reads. South Korea has been urging the North to release Kim since his October arrest.

Pray:

for successful pressure by the international community as they demand Kim Jong Uk to be released and repatriated. (Is.42:7)