Ban lifted on schoolgirl's Catholic fundraising effort

A Scottish schoolgirl who raised money for a Catholic charity by posting photos of her school lunches online has beaten an official ban trying to prevent her from doing so, reports Catholic News Agency. Nine-year-old Martha Payne, who attends Lochgilphead Primary School, began posting photos in late April of her daily lunch on her blog titled ‘NeverSeconds.’ She gave each one a score for healthiness, tastiness and the number of mouthfuls it took to consume. Her aim was to raise $11,000 for Catholic charity Mary’s Meals to allow them to build a kitchen in a school in Malawi in Africa. Within a few weeks, Martha’s site had received more than two million hits and a third of the donations required to build the kitchen. However, after the success of Martha's blog was highlighted in a national newspaper June 14 – under the headline ‘Time to fire the dinner ladies’ – she was told to stop her activities by school officials.

Praise:

God for this young lady's' initiative to raise money for those in need. (Pro.22:1)

Inuit people celebrate arrival of their Bible

‘Every time I visit the Arctic the people ask me, ‘When will we have the complete Bible?’ Now their question can finally be answered,’ says Hart Wiens, director of Scripture translations at the Canadian Bible Society. On June 3, in Iqaluit, the capital of the Nunavut territory, milestones were celebrated as a new cathedral was dedicated, two new bishops were consecrated and God’s Word was celebrated. On this brisk, sunny day the Inuit people finally received what they had eagerly awaited for - The Inuktitut Bible - an entire translation to their own tongue! Inuktitut, the language of Inuit people, is the most widely spoken aboriginal language Arctic. This historic undertaking marks the first Canadian translation of the whole Bible completed entirely by native speakers rather than missionaries. The Inuktitut Bible is also the first full translation produced in Canada using the cutting edge computer software tools distributed and supported by the Canadian Bible Society.

Praise:

God for the gift of His Word. (Ps.147:1)

Newlyweds receive hate mail over marriage stance

A newlywed couple have become the target of a hate campaign after supporting traditional marriage. The cyber bullying started after Rhys and Esther Curnow took part in handing over a petition to 10 Downing Street containing more than half a million signatures in support of traditional marriage. The petition was launched by the Coalition for Marriage (C4M) after the Government announced a consultation into changing the law on marriage to include same-sex couples. C4M said the Curnows have received more than 100 hate messages to their personal Facebook accounts in what appears to be an orchestrated campaign against them. A message sent to the couple said in block capitals: ‘GO DIE AND ROT IN HELL.’ Another user said: ‘I really hope you & your husband turn out infertile & die of cancer. That would be something to celebrate.’ Colin Hart, C4M campaign director, said: ‘The level of abuse that this young couple have been subjected to is shocking.

Pray:

for the Curnows that they will find courage and resilience from God and that such evil messages will now stop. (Matt.5:10)

Rowan Williams pours scorn on David Cameron's 'big society'

The Archbishop of Canterbury has denounced David Cameron's ‘big society’, saying that it comes across as aspirational waffle that was ‘designed to conceal a deeply damaging withdrawal of the state from its responsibilities to the most vulnerable’. The outspoken attack on the prime minister's flagship policy by Rowan Williams is contained in a new book, Faith in the Public Square, that is being prepared for publication ahead of his retirement. Passages from the book, obtained by the Observer, reflect the archbishop's deep frustration not just with the policies of Mr Cameron's government and those of its Labour predecessors, but also with what he sees as the West's rampant materialism and unquestioning pursuit of economic growth. He suggests that ministers have fuelled cynicism over the Cameron vision by failing to define what the role of citizens should be. He also laments spiralling military expenditure, writing ‘the adventure in Iraq and its cost beggars the imagination’.

Pray:

Methodists have Britain mapped online and interactively

The Methodist Church has launched an interactive web map of its churches in Britain, combining Methodist data with information from the Office of National Statistics, the Church of England, and Action for Children. The map has been designed to enable people to view and explore churches, fellowship groups, projects, schools, and much more within their local contexts. As well as displaying a range of data about these places, groups and activities, the map allows users to find out what their communities are like. It also shows land use, wealth, poverty and wellbeing in any given area, incorporating the latest available statistics from the Office of National Statistics and the Church’s partner organisations. The tool even enables people to create their own maps, displaying the pieces of information they want to see at the scale they want to see it. Church leaders hope that the data will improve people’s understanding of local and national demographics.

Pray:

Elderly patients 'helped to die to free up beds', warns doctor

Professor Patrick Pullicino has claimed that doctors are using a care pathway designed to help make people's final days more comfortable as an equivalent to euthanasia. The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) is used in hospitals for patients who are terminally ill or are expected to die imminently. Under the pathway, doctors can withdraw treatment, food and water while patients are heavily sedated. Almost a third of patients - 130,000 - who die in hospital or under NHS care a year are on the LCP. Professor Pullicino said he believed the LCP was being used as an ‘assisted death pathway’ with patients placed on the LCP without clear evidence. ‘Very likely many elderly patients who could live substantially longer are being killed by the LCP. Patients are frequently put on the pathway without a proper analysis of their condition, says Prof Pullicino.

Pray:

UK Church sees need for missionaries from abroad

The UK was once a missionary-sending nation but after years of secularisation, a new poll has found that Christians in the UK are increasingly looking to the overseas Church to help in the work of spreading the Gospel. In a survey of more than 1,100 UK Christians, 74% agreed that the UK needed missionaries from other countries to come and bring the Gospel to the people. This figure was supported by 68% who stated that out of all the world's regions, the UK should receive the highest priority for church mission, prayer and support. The feeling among UK Christians is reflected in their giving, with a quarter of those surveyed saying they had started to give more generously to UK causes than to overseas ones. The figures were published in ‘The World on our Doorstep?’, the latest quarterly booklet from the Evangelical Alliance's research arm.

Pray:

Church hits out at proposed welfare cuts

CSAN, the social action arm of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, has come out in opposition to the Prime Minister's plans to introduce more cuts to child and housing benefits. David Cameron announced on Monday that housing benefit would no longer be available for under-25s, while child benefit payments would be limited to families with no more than three children. CSAN said it was ‘extremely concerned’ by the proposals and their impact on families already affected by a cap on the size of their homes and an overall benefit cap. ‘Child benefit exists to provide for the basic needs of children; imposing limitations on the basis of family size will inevitably deprive children from larger families of essential support,’ it said. A spokesperson for Depaul UK, the largest national youth homelessness charity added: ‘80,000 young people become homeless every year. The majority of these become homeless because of family breakdown.’

Pray:

DFID launches faith collaboration document

The Department for International Development (DFID) yesterday announced a major new document setting out its relationship with faith groups. The 'Faith Partnership Principles' were launched by Secretary of State, Andrew Mitchell, at the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lambeth Palace. The document has been produced by DFID to build greater common understanding, mutual respect and cooperation in overcoming poverty. Writing in the foreword, Mr Mitchell acknowledged that faith was making an important contribution to development. ‘Faith groups are doing excellent work in providing not only humanitarian relief, but delivering health, education and other services in some of the most troubled parts of the world,’ he said. ‘I look forward to the closer partnership with people of faith who play a unique role in fighting poverty.’

Pray:

A Norwegian trained by Al Qaeda is awaiting orders to attack on the West

A Norwegian man has received terrorist training from Al Qaeda's offshoot in Yemen and is awaiting orders to carry out an attack on the West, officials from three European security agencies told The Associated Press on Monday. Western intelligence officials have long feared such a scenario - a convert to Islam who is trained in terrorist methods and can blend in easily in Europe and the United States, travelling without visa restrictions. Officials from three European security agencies confirmed on Monday the man is ‘operational’, meaning he has completed his training and is about to receive a target. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly. They declined to name the man, who has not been accused of a crime. ‘We believe he is operational and he is probably about to get his target,’ one security official said. ‘And that target is probably in the West.’

Pray:

Switzerland: Jihadis using country as a base say police

The Swiss Federal Police are worried that Islamic terrorists are using Switzerland as a base. ‘Suspected jihadis continue to use Switzerland as a base to support extremist Islamist groups by placing propaganda and incitement to violence on the web,’ FedPol said in its annual report published on Thursday, newspaper Tribune de Geneve reported. A new specialist department, formed at the beginning of 2011, has been looking into the websites and their operators.

Pray:

that all terrorist groups would be exposed and the authorities would be given the power to control them and stop their activities.

Sudan: Alarm over demolition of church

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) have condemned the destruction of a church in Sudan. The Episcopal Parish Church of Saint John, Haj Yousif, in Khartoum was reportedly demolished on 18 June on the orders of Sudanese government officials. The WCC and AACC have denounced the action as the latest in a series of ‘calculated attacks’ on minority communities and Christians in particular. On 21 April, the Sudan Evangelical Church Bible School in Khartoum was destroyed and books including the Bible set on fire in full view of the police. Two days later, security forces occupied the premises of the Sudan Council of Churches and Sudan Aid in Nyala, Darfur, and confiscated property. The WCC and AACC warned that Christians of Muslim background were being targeted and dispossessed of their property and their spouses.

Pray:

for God’s people in Sudan that they will be covered by the armour of God. (Eph.6:10-20)

Nigeria: Security forces in Northern Nigeria warn more violence is coming

The grim report was confirmed by an e-mail released by the Boko Haram confirming their plans for the coming weeks. In Kaduna and Zaria where churches were bombed last week, a curfew is still in effect. Open Doors reported two thwarted bombings over the weekend. Open Doors President and CEO, Dr Carl Moeller, explains, 'Boko Haram concealed a bomb in a coffin, claiming that it was a corpse. Fortunately, soldiers at a checkpoint insisted on seeing what was inside, and there were bombs in there. The men were arrested.' In the second attempt, a man was arrested when he masqueraded as someone who was interested in learning about Jesus Christ. The pastor noticed a bag a few yards away, which the possible convert denied knowing anything about. However the police discovered that the bag was filled with explosives, and the would-be suicide bomber was arrested. Then, with Sunday came a prison break, a fire fight, and the escape of 40 inmates who are members of Boko Haram.

Pray:

that any further plans by Boko Haram will be thwarted. (Is.8:10)

USA: Police chaplain told how to pray

In some places in the United States, it's getting more and more difficult for Americans to freely exercise their faith in Christ. Many places across the country are taking action against Christians for praying in public, or praying in Jesus' name, reports Mission Network News. Case in point - Pastor Terry Sartain. According to Fox News, he's been ministering to police officers in Charlotte, North Carolina for the past seven years. When he prayed at the request of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, he prayed in ‘the name of Jesus.’ But he can't do that anymore. Volunteer chaplains in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department will no longer be allowed to invoke the name of Jesus in prayers at public events held on government property. Major John Diggs heads up the chaplain programme. He says it respects people of all faiths. Sartain says he's sad that as a pastor he can't give the one thing he has to offer: the Life and Person of Christ.

Pray:

that the prayers of the saints in the name of Christ will be effective and that those who are speaking against will be blessed. (Ps.33:12)

Azerbaijan: Appeals judge to decide fate of Church

A Christian congregation in Azerbaijan is waiting pensively to see if a judge will uphold a court order that banned its right to meet and could ‘liquidate’ the church. ‘They are upset, but at the same time they continue coming out hoping for the best,’ said Mechti Suleymanov, an elder at Greater Grace Church in Baku, Azerbaijan, which has been meeting for roughly 20 years. Judge Tahira Asadova of Baku’s Administrative Economic Court on April 25 ordered the Greater Grace Church to be ‘liquidated’ after the State Committee on Work with Religious Organizations (SCWRO) filed suit against it for failing to register with the committee. The liquidation rendered all activities of the church illegal. The church appealed against the decision on May 24 and is waiting for another ruling, scheduled for July 17, from a judge at the Baku Court of Appeals.

Pray:

for the church in Baku that the Court of Appeal will reverse its thoughts on liquidation. (Pr.29:26)

India: Attack on Christian community in Orissa raises fears of further violence

The discovery of explosives in one village days ahead of a brutal assault on a Christian community in another village has raised fears of a repeat of the large scale anti-Christian violence in Orissa state, India. A church leader and the 12 families in his congregation were attacked by Hindu extremists on 15 June in the village of Mitrapur. Evangelist Baidhar (50) was making his way home from a prayer meeting in a believer’s home when he was set upon. He was seriously injured and left bleeding on the ground. He was found shortly afterwards by local Christians who took him to hospital. Around 50 Hindus then attacked the Christian community in the village. The assailants looted the homes of the 12 families. The Christians fled the village. A few days before this incident, on 10 June, police seized more than 50 homemade bombs and 12 blocks of dynamite from a hut in Gambhari village, Puri district. The offenders fled and the explosives were taken to the police station to be defused.

Pray:

against any recurrence of extremist activities in Orissa state. (Ps.5:11)

Egypt: Coptic Christians wary of Islamist president

Many Coptic Christians in Egypt have reacted gloomily to Mohamed Morsi’s election, fearing they could suffer with an Islamist in power. Representing over 10 percent of the population, the Christian community already complains of discrimination and has been the target of many violent attacks. However, one senior Christian told Euronews of his satisfaction at the democratic process, after decades of military leaders. ‘Thanks to the people’s will, it is really the first time that Egypt has chosen a civilian president in 60 years,’ said Coptic Archbishop Salib Matta Sawiris, explaining that since the July 23 Revolution in the 1950s, all of the country’s presidents have come from the military. In the election run-off, Christians overwhelmingly backed Morsi’s rival, former general Ahmed Shafik. While some in the Christian community might now fear for their freedom and safety, others seem willing to give the new president a chance.

Pray:

for the new regime in Egypt that it will learn to work together in peace fully with the military. (Ps.133:1)