Church planting in Ghana

After a widespread survey of northern Ghana in 2011, it was decided to launch a coordinated effort among the Komba people, a subgroup of the nearly 600,000 Konkomba. Demonstrating a unique openness to the gospel, many Komba villages have openly invited the presence of Christian workers. Responding to this open door, OneWay Africa is currently partnering with 17+ national and international ministries to see the Komba reached in this generation, with a focus on local leadership training, evangelism and church planting, they are seeing a movement to Christ begin. To date, 368 Komba leaders have been trained in disciple-making and church planting, resulting in at least 63 new churches. A core value in their approach is to work side-by-side with local leaders, equipping them to do what God has called them to do – transform lives, plant churches and propel new believers among their own people and beyond.

Praise:

God for OneWay Ministries and others working with Christ to restore lives. (Ja.3:17-18)

Outreach produces results

People are in desperate need of God. Wayne came to faith through patient, sensitive and long-term work by London City Mission (LCM). He was five or six when he started going to mid-week sports at their centre, then later to a youth club called Jucos, with a Bible class. ‘It wasn’t the stories that drew me in: it was the sport. I’d be at the centre to play sport in the week, and on Sunday I’d go to Jucos, stay for tea and the evening service. I loved being at the centre. Over time, faith became real and relevant.’ He gave his life to Jesus and today he lives in Slough with wife Joyce and son Chris. He works with a charity called Christian Connections in Schools, a local ministry partner with Scripture Union. ‘My work now is exactly the same as what LCM did with me all those years ago: talking about what Jesus said and did, and its relevance today.’

Praise:

God for the relevance and impact His gospel makes on the lives of each generation. (Ps.45:17)

Government agenda outlined

The Queen delivered her 2016 speech this week, setting out the Government’s agenda for the coming session. Measures will be introduced to help the lowest-income families to save, through a new Help to Save scheme. Pray for those who will still have to wait for a first payment of Universal Credit and struggle to repay hardship loans and still stay out of debt. Pray also for the Government commitment to build a million new homes and promote home ownership. May they implement workable changes that end homelessness quickly and help first-time buyers. The Government will reform prisons and courts to give individuals a second chance. Prison governors will be ‘independent legal entities with the power to enter into contracts, generate and retain income, and establish their own boards with external expertise.’ Pray for the prison service to be wise and discerning as changes are implemented, and not to be tempted to cut corners or widen profit margins.

Pray:

for the Government to make wise decisions in the coming session. (Dt.4:6)

BBC: content too Christian?

An internal review by the BBC says its content is ‘too Christian’ and should be more balanced. Aaqil Ahmed, a Muslim and the BBC's head of religion and ethics, compiled a report that suggests the company should give more airtime to Muslim, Hindu and Sikh faiths. One proposal is for the BBC to broadcast Friday prayers from a mosque similar to Songs of Praise on Sundays. Ahmed said in a statement that they look at the number of hours they produce, and measure that against the religious make-up of society. The number of Muslims has doubled in ten years, to three million. According to The Daily Telegraph, controversy surrounded Ahmed's appointment in 2009 over allegations he had demonstrated a pro-Islam bias in his former position at Channel 4. The Muslim Council of Britain said, ‘We would not wish Christians to have any less exposure.’

Pray:

for more, not less, far-reaching unashamedly Christian programming that impacts lives. (Heb.10:35)

Threat to pupils: 100 illegal schools uncovered

Ofsted has warned, ‘Thousands more children than previously thought are at risk of harm and indoctrination in illegal madrassas and faith schools.’ Inspectors uncovered 100 ‘underground’ schools across Britain, many catering to very religious communities. A third of illegal schools were Muslim, and one-sixth either Christian or Jewish. Others were private, non-religious schools. Investigators were deeply alarmed by sub-standard education which undermined Government efforts to ensure schools promote British values. In a drive to crack down on radicalising pupils, new rules state that schools must promote tolerance of other faiths and lifestyles. The illegal schools have not registered with the Government and so are not subject to any regulation. Ofsted said that pupils attending these schools may be at significant risk of harm and indoctrination. Inspections revealed serious fire hazards, and unsafe and unhygienic premises. Ofsted believes that unregistered schools uncovered so far are a small proportion of the total of those operating.

Pray:

for God to protect children, and for unsafe schools to be found and closed or improved. (Ps.34:7,11)

Detained British-Iranian woman - update

Last week we prayed for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British charity worker who was arrested at Baghdad airport and held in solitary confinement without charge. A campaign to free her was instigated with a petition to David Cameron to act on her behalf. On Thursday Nazanin’s husband Richard wrote on his blog, ‘I was not planning an update - but I wanted to share. Nazanin told her family a few hours ago that she has been moved out of solitary confinement, and is now kept in a group cell. More details will follow when I have spoken to the family, but it is a happy day. Thank you to everyone who has made that happen.’ Next week he is going to Brussels to petition about her case.

Pray:

for the British/EU Governments to advocate on behalf of the Ratcliffe family. (Pr.16:3)

Midwives head in abortion row

Cathy Warwick, the chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, has been attacked for her decision to give the union's backing to a campaign to scrap the abortion time limit without consulting its members. She chairs the board of trustees at British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), which assists 65,000 women a year with birth control, and believes that abortions should be removed from criminal law. Peter Saunders, CEO of the Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF), has called this decision ‘absolutely appalling’ and called for her resignation. Mr Saunders said, ‘It looks like a personal crusade; she wants to decriminalise it all together. This is astonishing from an organisation whose very motto is that life is the gift of God.’ New research by the World Health Organisation shows that one in four pregnancies now end in abortion – that is 56 million abortions every year worldwide. Official figures released by the Department of Health on Wednesday revealed that abortions across England and Wales in 2015 have reached a five-year high. See also

Pray:

for a miraculous change of Britain’s attitude to childbirth and abortion. (Ps.139:13,14a)

Archbishop’s call to end AIDS by 2030

The Archbishop of Canterbury has given his strong support to the work of community-based responses to the global AIDS epidemic. In a video message released before next month’s High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS (8-10 June), Archbishop Justin Welby celebrates the great progress that has been made to eliminate AIDS as a threatening global disease by 2030, and calls for a ‘great further step’ - the mobilisation of ‘political, financial, technical and clinical resources through communities’ to make this a reality. He praises the role of communities, particularly faith-based communities, in providing treatment for the poor and marginalised. The Archbishop highlights the role the Anglican Communion has played for many years in offering community-based treatment, ‘enabling communities to.. support the victims of AIDS, their families, and others affected directly and indirectly’.

Pray:

for men and women, boys and girls who can be overwhelmed, ashamed, and afraid to face a future living with the scorn and stigma of HIV and AIDS. Pray for a cure. (Ps.140:3a,4)

Soldiers’ defective body armour

British soldiers are raising concerns about their new Israeli-made, army-issue body armour – with one troop suggesting parts of the latest load-carrying system may as well be ‘used as fire fuel.’ The criticism focuses on parts of an integrated new armour system called Virtus, which is being brought into service to replace the heavier Afghanistan-era Osprey armour. Soldiers say some of the pouches and straps used to store and attach equipment are ‘snapping.’ So far the military has issued 9,000 units of Virtus to key combat units including the Parachute Regiment and Royal Marines. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it is working with the supplier to fix the issues. However, the father of one soldier told the BBC he is appalled, the new kit appeared to be substandard. His son and fellow-soldiers still found it hard to get back up again if they were forced to go to ground in the face of the enemy, he said.

Pray:

for the MoD and the Israeli supplier to eradicate these teething problems as a priority. (Pr. 3:23)

Eleven children in dog attack

A Staffordshire bull terrier was restrained by a parent after biting eleven children in a play park in Blyth, Northumberland. They suffered bite wounds as they remained trapped in the fenced-off area. Nine were taken to hospital, with a seven-year-old girl expected to need skin grafts. Northumbria Police officers are working to find the animal's owner. The most recent survey reports that hospital admissions for injuries caused by dogs are up by 76% in ten years. The most likely age group to be admitted after dog attacks are children under ten.

Pray:

for more to be done to tackle irresponsible dog owners and to protect the public. (Ez.34:25)

Zika virus could reach Europe this summer

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the Zika virus could spread to Europe this summer, although the likelihood of an outbreak is low to moderate. Areas most at risk are those where Aedes mosquitoes spread the virus: the Black Sea coast of Russia, Georgia, and Madeira. Countries with a moderate risk include Spain, France, Italy and Greece. UK risk is low. The WHO is calling on countries to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and ensure that people, particularly pregnant women, have information on the potentially harmful consequences of the disease.

Pray:

for countries that could be affected to be well prepared to pick up and deal with cases quickly. Ask God to help people resist panic and fear at what appears to be an escalation of the virus. (Ps.23:4)

Authorities vow solidarity over missing aircraft

French and Egyptian authorities have been reacting to the disappearance of EgyptAir flight MS804 with 66 people on board. The French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in Paris, ‘Obviously, we can only imagine the anguish of the families. There are fifteen French citizens on board. So our top priority is to inform the relatives. A crisis management unit has been set up at the Foreign Ministry and a hotline number has opened. Another crisis unit is at work in our embassy in Cairo.’ The French prime minister promised assistance in the search for the aircraft. Speaking from Cairo International Airport, Egyptian prime minister Sherif Ismail said, ‘All we can say is that contact with the aircraft stopped in a specific area and the search operation is focused there. The military have sent aircraft and ships which will arrive at the site shortly. Greek aircraft are currently searching the area.’

Pray:

for the families of the missing, for the search and rescue teams, and for quick answers. (Ps.25:16,17)

Nigeria: first missing Chibok girl found after two years

On Tuesday night, Amina Ali Nkeki wandered out of a forest, asking for help, accompanied by a baby and a man who claimed to be her husband and the father of the baby. Amina was in poor physical condition, as were the baby and man. They were part of a group asking for help. The man said he had been kidnapped by Boko Haram from the town of Mubi, taken to Sambisa Forest, and married to Amina. Amina was taken to her house in Mbalala, where she was reunited with her mother, Binta Ali. The Sambisa Forest is an ideal hiding place for militants and their explosive devices:recently soldiers have infiltrated the forest and driven many out of their territory, but some are still hiding there. Stop press: the army has rescued a second Chibok girl, Serah Luka, and 97 other women. See also

Pray:

for the 200+ still in captivity. Pray for Amina, her husband and baby’s healing and recovery from their ordeals. Pray for the families and the girls living in hope / fear. (Job 5:16)

Iran: further harassment of Christians

Iranian Christians request prayer for three Christians belonging to the self-styled ‘Church of Iran’ network who were arrested on 13 May and remain in detention in Rasht. Security agents raided the home of Yousef Nadarkhani, a church leader who had attracted international attention after he was charged with apostasy and sentenced to death in 2010. He was finally acquitted of apostasy charges, but sentenced to three years' imprisonment for evangelising. He was eventually released on 7 December 2013. He and his wife Tina were arrested, along with Yasser Mossayebzadeh (who remains in detention - the other two were released). In addition, Saheb Fadaie and Mohammedreza Omidi were summoned to report to the security offices. Their homes were then raided and phones, computers and Christian literature were confiscated. The two men were detained, and are thought to be in Lakan prison near Rasht. Omidi was also one of four Christian converts sentenced in 2013 to receive eighty lashes for drinking communion wine and possessing a satellite receiver and dish.

Pray:

for these men to be released soon without charges or further action. Pray for God’s peace, comfort, strength and encouragement for all involved, and for officials to learn about Jesus and follow him. (Job 4:3,4)

Canada: Alberta wildfire and a call to prayer

Officials are rethinking their plans to let people return to Fort McMurray after the fires gained new life this week and destroyed a 665-room oilsands work-camp north of the city. Oilsands facilities and work-camps north of Fort McMurray were ordered to evacuate. Nineteen work-camps and as many as 8,000 people were affected by the new evacuation order. Oilsands facilities are used for processing bitumen. They have separate teams of firefighters and are surrounded by gravel to keep the fire out. Canada’s prayer network ‘Ears to hear’ has called for a forty-day prayer focus on Alberta, from 16 May to 24 June. They are focusing prayer from across Canada, praying for the people who lost everything in Fort McMurray; for rains for the fire and the rain of the Spirit; and for the Church to awaken and experience wholehearted turning so that blessing will come. See also

Pray:

for those who are praying for the Church to catch a holy fire; and for the men and women in the province who have gone through such difficulty fighting and losing everything to a natural fire. (Job 26:2)

Brazil: disaster or opportunity?

Crowds have taken to the streets of Brazil in recent months. Fed up with corruption and the realities of a declining economy, many called for President Rousseff's removal. This week her presidency was officially suspended. The country stands in the midst of a political crisis and severe economic recession, but the issues are far deeper. Brazil is the second highest consumer of illegal drugs globally, and has the highest rate of firearm homicides. There are seven million child labourers and 600,000 girls in prostitution. However, Brazil also has one of the largest evangelical populations in the world, with large and growing movements of prayer and missions. The mounting political and economic crisis contrasts with the reality of the growing and influential Brazilian Church.

Pray:

for the Church to arise at this pivotal time, bringing unity, healing, and the message of the hope of Jesus in a time of turmoil and confusion. (Is.60:1)

Venezuela: public health emergency

‘The death of a baby is our daily bread,’ said a Caracas surgeon, referring to Venezuela’s collapsing hospitals. The economic crisis has exploded into a public health emergency, claiming the lives of untold victims. The unravelling has become so severe that the President has imposed a state of emergency and raised fears of a government collapse. In hospital wards there are no gloves or soap, and cancer medicines are only found on the black market. There is so little electricity that the government works just two days a week. At a hospital in Mérida there is no water to wash blood from operating tables, and doctors clean their hands with bottles of seltzer water. It is criminal that a country with such large oil reserves allows people to die for lack of antibiotics. The food shortage, due to a variety of government-imposed problems, is so severe that the opposition party is organising street protests to demonstrate the people’s needs. They need food, and the government is not getting it out fast enough. See also

Pray:

for God to breathe life into the government areas where there is death and fear. (Job 5:11)

Pakistan: Muslim threats, and forced marriage

In a Punjab village, 28-year-old Imran Masih has been accused of keeping a ‘blasphemous’ video clip on his cell phone. He is an illiterate man with no knowledge of the internet. Local Islamists have issued a fatwa (Islamic death edict) against Masih, and have told the 300 villagers that they must either produce Masih, leave the area, convert to Islam, or be killed. Police thwarted an attempt to burn down all their homes. Elsewhere in Pakistan Maryam Mushtaq, a 24-year-old Christian woman, was abducted by Muslims and forced to convert to Islam and marry one of her kidnappers. Maryam’s mother (who lost her husband to cancer in 2013) reported her daughter’s kidnapping to police, but nothing has been done yet. A hearing will be held about Maryam’s case, but justice is unsure: unfair treatment of Christians by Pakistani officials is a frequent occurrence. See also

Pray:

for God to strengthen and protect these victims and other Christian communities in Pakistan. (Ps.5:8)