CHRISTIAN TODAY DIGEST – SUMMER 2006
[This magazine has been jointly edited by Christian Today and Torch Trust for the Blind. All the articles were first published on the Christian Today website christiantoday.com over the last three months.]
From:-
TORCH TRUST FOR THE BLIND, Torch House, Torch Way, Northampton Road, Market
Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9HL, U.K.
Telephone: (01858) 438260, Fax: (01858) 438275, email: info@torchtrust.org
Charity Number 1095904.
CONTENTS
Can God Use The Da Vinci Code?
Delirious? rings the “Mission Bell”
Spiritual Hope For New Orleans
Welcome to our new magazine!
Christian Today Digest replaces Christian Herald Digest which necessarily ceased with the demise of the erstwhile Christian Herald weekly newspaper. Introduced just three years ago, Christian Herald Digest has become very popular with our UK readership and we knew that we must put something in its place. But most remaining Christian newspapers are published by denominations with only the members of their particular network of churches in mind.
We turned our attention to the Internet and soon found a website with a broad spread of Christian news. We made a visit to Christian Today’s offices in London and explained our mission. They shared their vision for bringing Christian good news from all over the world to a wide audience through the internet, describing themselves as “new feet”, referring to the words of Isaiah:
How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation ... (Isaiah 52:7)
We were delighted. And not only were they willing for us to use their material but were eager to help by doing much of the editorial work, selecting stories from a website that has new material added throughout each day! And what you are about to read is the “first fruits” of this groundbreaking partnership.
This magazine may replace Christian Herald Digest, but it is an entirely new magazine. The common theme is Christian news, but just as its predecessor followed the editorial style of the print newspaper, so Christian Today Digest reflects the distinctive style of the website from which it is drawn.
We hope and pray that you will enjoy reading the magazine, and that through it you will feel more aware of what God is doing in the world today.
Gordon Temple
Kember Describes His Ordeal
by Daniel Blake, April 15th
Christian Peace Activist, Kember, describes his Iraq Hostage Ordeal
Christian peace worker, Norman Kember, revealed in detail his ordeal of being taken hostage in Iraq with others from the Christian peace organisation, Christian Peacemaker Teams.
Kember, 74, from north-west London, was held hostage in Baghdad for four months before finally being rescued on 23 March. The Baptist worker wept as he reported on BBC Radio 4 how British special forces called out for “Mr Kember” as they rescued him and his two Canadian colleagues.
Passionately, Kember spoke about his fellow American Peacemaker, Tom Fox, 54, who was killed before the rescue, and he described him as a “remarkable man”.
Describing how they were abducted, Kember said, “We got in our car, the four of us with a driver and a translator, and we were just driving out towards the main road when a car stopped in front of us. Out popped four men with guns, pushed out the driver and the translator and took over the car and told Jim to lie on the floor and pointed guns at us, and off we were driven. It was sort of an odd feeling: ‘Is this actually happening to me?’ It seemed unreal. I do not think I was frightened. It was just unreal: ‘This is what a kidnap is all about’.
“They drove us not very far but tried to confuse our sense of location by driving round the block three or four times. I remember seeing the same boys playing football twice,” Kember said.
He said they were then “driven through a big iron gate and into a fairly secure house. We were taken in, sat down, and we were handcuffed fairly soon after that. We were seated as a row, either four of us or three of us, handcuffed together, and that is where we sat for about 12 hours a day.”
Kember recalled how they were held in a room with a window that was closed, except in the morning when the captors would “open the window a bit to let some fresh air in. Then we would see a bit of sunlight, but of course the windows had bars on the outside.”
His voice breaking with emotion, he spoke of the moment his rescuers arrived.
“We had this sort of futon thing on the floor, and we were lying there, and suddenly we heard noise outside and then somebody calling out and then the breaking of glass and then up the stairs came these SAS agents,” he said. “It’s unbelievable because it was so sudden and first of all, because they were British, they wanted to know if ‘Mr Kember’ was there, and I said, ‘Yes’ and then they said, because I was the person at that stage chained to the door, ‘This is a bolt-cutter job,’ so they went down and cut the padlock and released me.”
Kember said he continues to thank his rescuers. “They were brave. I disagree with their profession, but it is ironic isn’t it – you go as a peace activist and you are rescued by the SAS, which is perhaps the most violent of all the British forces. Anyway I am grateful to them. I met one of them by chance on the way out of Baghdad and he was quite happy to chat to me and I was happy to chat to him.”
Kember’s voice was filled with emotion when asked about his reunion with his wife, as he said he had “asked for forgiveness” and she was “kind”. He realised the “enormous stress” she had been under when he found that she had made television appeals for his release.
In an interview with The Baptist Times, Mr Kember thanked his fellow Baptists for “keeping us in your prayers, for your vigils, and for the hundreds of letters Pat and I have received. We have been overwhelmed by the goodwill and the concern we have been shown.
“The experience of being confined is desperate. Not going outside for four months – it’s having that time stolen. I’d want to remind your readers how precious life is, and how precious the sight of a green tree would be when you’re deprived of it.”
Faith In Politics
by Daniel Blake, April 5
Blair promotes faith in politics to London churches
British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, received an overwhelming reception from black churchgoers in the first week of April as he fulfilled a public engagement at the Ruach Ministries Christian Centre in Brixton, south London.
Blair took the opportunity to say that Black and minority communities should keep faith with politics, and that they had a “crucial” role to play in helping to get more ethnic minorities to return to the polling booth.
More than 200 Pentecostal Christians gave a three-minute standing ovation to the prime minister and continued to applaud and cheer throughout the entire speech. Blair commented that their welcome was “certainly the best part of the day so far”.
Research during the 2005 General Election suggested a sharp decline in the number of voters from minority backgrounds. As he urged faith groups to get involved in public life Blair said, “Don’t be a bystander in democracy, be a player.”
Blair’s appeal came in the run-up to the May local elections in England, choosing a conference on politics and society organised by the major churches within UK’s Caribbean and African communities as the stage to speak. In particular, Blair emphasised that increased efforts had to be made to bring people back into politics and public life. He said, “Turnout has fallen across all groups, but particularly so amongst black communities.”
He warned, “Research carried out during the General Election last year suggested that voter turnout amongst black and minority ethnic communities could have been as low as 47%. This is of concern because, in the end, we make choices about the future of the country, together, in our local and general elections,” he said.
The prime minister continued: “The vote is precious. Because to exercise it is to say something important about the type of society we are. Because to be able to transfer power calmly, collectively, peacefully through the decision of the people is a great, historical achievement.”
“Voting is not just an instrument of people power, though it is certainly that. It is also an expression of our continued faith in the way we govern ourselves.”
Blair highlighted that faith had a crucial campaigning role in the British society: “People talk a great deal about the decline of religion and churches in our national life. Many people are unaware that almost half a million people from Britain’s African and Caribbean communities walk through the doors of a British church every week,” he said.
“Churches such as yours have long been the bedrock of our local communities. This can be seen in your work in schools, your contribution to welfare, your support for the vulnerable and the most needy. You promote important values: respect, tolerance, family, trying to bring up children properly, caring for the less well off and ensuring that we all make the most of the talents we’ve got. The more representative your institutions, the more government will dance to the tune of the people. And also because, these days, government is not something that is done to people; it must be a partnership with the people,” Blair concluded.
New Name For Crusaders
by Courtney Lee, May 22nd
Crusaders changes name in consideration towards Muslims
As a Christian youth organisation, Crusaders, celebrated their 100th anniversary, they announced their new name, “Urban Saints”, which will be used from 1st January 2007.
Claims that the name “Crusaders” is anti-Islamic were one of the reasons for the change. Schools and charities said its name might be offensive to Muslims, and that it was too closely associated with the crusades – the military campaigns in the 11th and 13th centuries to recapture Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Muslims.
“Our new identity is part of a recognition that we are now a 21st-century organisation and are not still stuck in the last century,” said Matt Summerfield, executive director. “There are some people who love the name Crusaders, but we recognise that others get very offended by it, as they think we are harking back to the historical crusades.”
Rob Rawson, director of Crusaders Scotland, said the name Urban Saints was more relevant. “In the west of Scotland the term ‘saints’ often has Catholic overtones. We are stressing that the name is based on the biblical term – basically a follower of Christ. Crusaders is a strong, almost aggressive name which was fine in 1906, but is certainly not appropriate in 2006.”
Muslim leaders applauded the change. Sajid Quayem of the Islamic Society of Britain, said: “The term crusader is still seen as offensive by many Muslims and Christians, particularly after George Bush misguidedly referred to the war in Iraq as a crusade. The name Urban Saints is quite groovy and will not cause offence to anybody.”
Thousands gathered at the Royal Albert Hall on 20th May as Crusaders celebrated their 100th birthday and introduced their new name. The sold-out centenary celebration was titled, “No Turning Back: The Main Event” and featured music from some of the UK’s top Christian bands and performers including Delirious?, yFriday, thebandwithnoname, Blush, The Psalm Drummers, Rob Lacey (Street Bible Theatre Company), Steve Legg, Tommy Baker, Tim Vine and John Archer.
Teenagers, children, and youth leaders hooted and celebrated the occasion with loud screams, cheers, and singing, as thebandwithnoname opened the stage with a dynamic performance, which included dancing and rapping. The rest of the night was filled with more God-glorifying entertainment, including the highly anticipated Delirious? performance.
Delirious? front man, Martin Smith, told Christian Today: “I think it’s incredible for any organisation to run this long. My memory as a kid is being in ‘Covenanters’, playing table tennis against the Crusaders, and always losing.”
Tickets sold out to over 4,000 Crusaders from across the United Kingdom. According to Crusaders, the aim of “No Turning Back: The Main Event” is to challenge young people to go for God’s very best, rather than having them settle for second rate Christianity, with one foot in the world and the other in God’s Kingdom.
At the celebration stage, a letter of congratulations by the Queen was delivered to Crusaders through a letter which was read out to the crowd, as well as video messages from youth leaders, Andy Hawthorne and Steve Chalke.
Matt Summerfield concluded the event by saying: “I just pray that through everything that happened today, every person here can discover for themselves – not because I said it, not because the other bands said it, but discover themselves, that Jesus Christ is real. And that He gives us hope for the future.”
Crusaders is a dynamic interdenominational youth and children’s missionary movement, established in 1906. Over the past 100 years, Crusaders has been reaching out to children and young people, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with them and challenging them to live out God’s great adventure for their lives. Every week many thousands have an opportunity to hear the awesome Christian message through our Crusader and Energize groups. Thousands more attend our wide range of residential camps, holidays and events.
Church Helps Local Authority
Rev Steve Chalke Describes an exciting Local Strategic Partnership
(March 8th)
When Poole Council approached the local churches with a challenge, they were ready to respond. “If you’re serious about working to bring healing and restoration in people’s lives”, the council asked, “what can you do to help children who have been adopted or fostered and who often face a significant amount of stress due to the uncertain start to their lives?” The churches, working under the banner of Faithworks Poole, thought and prayed about the issue and came up with a response.
After raising £50,000 as their share of the start up and ongoing costs of the project, a part time worker was employed just a few weeks ago. Her remit is to support fostered and adopted children by offering them mentoring and advice. She also works alongside the children’s new families and, where appropriate, their birth families to give them the backup they need. A small step towards creating the stability they need to thrive.
The forum that gave birth to this creative conversation and coalition was The Poole Partnership – known as a Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), now mandatory for all local authorities. Through its LSP every council is required by central government to meet, listen to and work with as wide a spectrum of local community organisations as possible.
As Jonathan Martin, the chairman of Faithworks Poole and member of the Poole Partnership Steering Group, puts it: “It’s amazing what you can accomplish when the different players in the community all sit down in the same room and talk.” Jonathan is a man who wears many hats; as well as his role with Faithworks Poole and the LSP, he acts as chaplain to the local authority and is also minister to a small United Reformed Church.
The LSP steering group, which is made up of representatives from all sections of the community in Poole (business, education, healthcare, faith groups etc), is designed to give input to the local council as it formulates its strategy for the ongoing development of the area.
Through involvement with The Poole Partnership the local churches enjoy a very active and effective role in the shaping of their community. For example, Faithworks Poole has also recently embarked upon a programme of care for vulnerable elderly people in the town.
Their involvement with The Poole Partnership has meant that the project’s volunteers have been able to be trained by the Pensions Agency, giving them a much deeper understanding of the statutory help available to their clients. Without the partnership, this link, and the resulting breadth of service, would probably never have been possible.
The churches’ involvement with The Poole Partnership is good news for everyone – it creates a genuine “win, win, win” situation. The local authority win because they gain a greater understanding of the needs of the community and can, therefore, do more to meet those needs. The churches win because their understanding of community needs and workable solutions deepens and matures; they can have real influence on the council’s policy decisions as well as finding ways in which they can practically help to meet local needs. And the people of Poole win because services are improved, community is built and individual aspirations are achieved. As the Bible itself puts it: “People learn from one another, just as iron sharpens iron.” (Proverbs 27:17).
The One in Whom God Delights
(Author unknown)
Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out or raise his voice in the streets (Isaiah 42:1-3).
How often is it that we judge others before judging ourselves? This passage tells us of the deep heart of compassion that is within the ones whom God loves – the ones in whom he delights and puts His Spirit.
God does not demand shouting or crying out at people in the streets. He does not demand raised voices nor burnt offerings, but rather compassion and love; mercy not sacrifice. It is not that God is an unfair God. God is fair and God demands justice; however, what is also important is that God forgives and God comforts ...
How often are we so strict with other people? Here, God is explaining to us that we should be compassionate to others and strict to ourselves; a heart that is gentle and caring, that does not break a bruised reed and does not snuff out a smouldering wick.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter and be discouraged.
By living with these two hearts of justice and compassion, we can receive strength from God and live a true life of faith.
What kind of person should we be? We should be the one who lives with the heart of compassion, does not falter or become discouraged. This kind of person receives strength from God.
This kind of person can bring joy to God.
“Gospel of Judas”?
by Maria Mackay, April 11th
Bible Society Theologians refute “Gospel of Judas”
The Bible Society and New Testament Scholars remain unconvinced by claims by some that the Gospel of Judas, unveiled in the first week of April in Washington, will challenge traditional Christianity.
The Bible Society and a number of New Testament scholars came out in April to quell the media hype and sensationalism over the Gospel of Judas, which some claimed would “shake Christianity to its foundations”. In a press statement, the UK’s Bible Society said it would be “miraculous” if the Gospel of Judas unveiled in Washington DC “was actually written by Judas the apostle, since he had been dead for over 100 years”. The Bible Society stressed that the Gospel of Judas, which portrays Judas as a favoured disciple who turned Jesus in at his own request, was regarded as a fake by the early Christian writer, Irenaeus, being written a whole century after the real Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
Other Bible experts expressed an academic interest in the text and what it could reveal about later Christian history, but were quick to dismiss the media claims that the Gospel of Judas would challenge the Christian faith.
Dr Simon Gathercole, a New Testament expert from The University of Aberdeen, stated: “The so-called ‘Gospel of Judas’ is certainly an ancient text, but not ancient enough to tell us anything new about the real Judas or Jesus. It contains a number of religious themes which are completely alien to the first-century world of Jesus and Judas, but which did become popular later, in the second century AD. An analogy would be finding a speech claiming to be written by Queen Victoria, in which she talked about The Lord of the Rings and her CD collection.”
The crumbling papyrus text is to scholars and theologians the most interesting from a bundle of texts unearthed in the Egyptian desert in the late 1970s and which resurfaced following decades of being passed through the hands of antiquity dealers.
New Testament expert at the University of Manchester, Dr Todd Klutz, said: “Like nearly all literary remains from antiquity, the Coptic manuscript of the Gospel of Judas will need to be analysed and discussed by scholars for a considerable time before anything resembling sober results can be attained.
“Based on informed reports by those who know the text best, I would conjecture that its greatest value will not reside in what it might tell us about the historical figures of Jesus and Judas but rather in what it reveals about the immediate context of its third or fourth century copyist and possibly also the Greek text on which it is probably based – which may correspond to a document criticised by Irenaeus late in the second century.”
The text was launched in Washington DC in April by the National Geographic Society after painstaking reconstruction. According to carbon dating, it was written in the fourth century AD, with experts at the launch confident it was a translation from Greek into Coptic.
Can God Use The Da Vinci Code?
(by Maria Mackay, May 11th)
Interview: David Couchman supports Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code has brought forth the criticism and condemnation of many Christians and church leaders around the world but amid all the noise and the haste one man begs to differ.
As the world awaits the release of The Da Vinci Code next week [note date of article], Christians at this week’s National Christian Resources Exhibition have been debating the issues raised by the massive success of Dan Brown’s novel.
Christian Today spoke with Focus Radio’s David Couchman to find out his view on how the Church should respond.
CT: Do you think the whole phenomenon surrounding The Da Vinci Code is a vice for the Church or a huge opportunity?
DC: I think it’s a huge opportunity, because people out there who would never have come to church and would probably have never thought about the story of Christianity are talking about it, debating it, discussing it.
CT: Do you think it has wakened up the Church and made it really realise just how much of an interest there is in spirituality and how much they really need to capture it?
DC: I think it’s wakened up some segments of the Church and some people really are using it. I have been invited to take dozens of meetings and speak about it. I think there is an opportunity there and some people are latching onto it. But my theory is that there are lots of Christians where yet again it is an opportunity that is going straight past us.
CT: Tom Hanks said if you advertise a discussion on the Gospel, 12 people show up, but if you advertise The Da Vinci Code 800 people show up. Do you think this is leaving the Church in danger of always having to make itself entertaining?
DC: On one level I don’t think it is a problem if the Church has to make itself entertaining. Jesus used stories and parables. Paul used the kinds of communication techniques that were appropriate in his day. So there is nothing wrong in using these opportunities. But if that’s all that we did, then yes I think that could be the case.
CT: You talk a lot about having to know the facts and making sure that people do know the facts. Do you think this is a challenge for Christians, that this is one of the things that people can really pick at and be tested by and shaken by?
DC: I think the danger is that as Christians we haven’t thought hard enough about why we believe what we believe. And when something like this comes along it rocks us. We don’t have the answers in our own hearts or the answers to give to somebody else and I think it is one of Peter’s letters that says always be ready to give people a reason [for our faith] and the trouble is that sometimes we are not ready.
CT: What do you suggest the Church does about that?
DC: Learn the facts, buy our DVD! But just generally people need to equip themselves so that they can answer the questions that folk will ask coming out of the cinema or having read the book or getting off the plane or whatever it is.
[David Couchman is director of Focus Radio which has its own website with resources and information about claims in The Da Vinci Code. Couchman was at the CRE to dispel some of the myths generated by Dan Brown’s novel in a sermon that followed a debate on the book hosted by Times religious correspondent, Ruth Gledhill.]
Delirious? rings the “Mission Bell”
Posted: Monday, May 22, 2006
Delirious? rings the “Mission Bell” worldwide
Over the past few months since releasing their eighth studio album, The Mission Bell, legendary Christian rock band, Delirious?, has reached out to over a million people around the world as a result of diligent touring.
Last February in India alone, the band delivered their music to an audience of 1.2 million whilst touring with dynamic preacher, Joyce Meyer. And if that wasn’t enough, front man, Martin Smith, and guitarist, Stu G, recently travelled to Rwanda to reach out to thousands more.
Following a US tour, the British rock band recently embarked on a Europe tour that takes them to Croatia, Germany, Switzerland, and UK. In mid May, the band performed at the Royal Albert Hall in central London for Crusaders’ 100th anniversary. Delirious? received a vibrant reception from the crowd as thousands jumped up and down and sang in unison, rocking the Hall from floor to balcony.
During an interview with Christian Today prior to their performance, the band revealed upcoming plans for a book called “The Delirious Code”- also referred to as “The ‘D’ Code” – which will elaborate on the stories behind their songs. In the summer the band will shoot a DVD, which will release in December.
Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone
by Daniel Blake, April 21st
Mercy Ships transforms lives of medical patients in Sierra Leone
Hundreds of patients at a special clinic in Sierra Leone are set to have their lives transformed by receiving wheelchairs refurbished in UK prisons.
At the Mercy Ship’s New Steps Centre in Freetown, Sierra Leone, people suffering from a wide range of medical conditions receive treatment for problems such as polio that result in the loss of limbs or immobility.
Based in Stevenage, Mercy Ships UK, has been given refurbished wheelchairs from two other charities: Wheels for the World as well as Inside Out Trust.
Inside Out Trust has set up a system whereby wheelchairs are renovated by prisoners at a number of sites across Britain. Inmates disassemble the old wheelchairs, clean then, paint them and rebuild them. Mercy Ships tells that “the prisoners work for the good of those in need. This boosts their self esteem and develops practical skills, helping them to ‘go straight’ on release.”
Working in developing nations, Wheels for the World has also partnered with Mercy Ships for huge numbers of wheelchairs to be distributed. The Mercy Ships New Steps Centre recently received 125 of these wheelchairs, and a further 75 are to be delivered later in 2006.
Mercy Ships testified: “One of the first people in Sierra Leone to receive a free refurbished wheelchair was Kadiatu Barrie. The 23 year old polio patient has been crawling on the ground ever since her previous chair broke a year ago. Kadiatu is especially pleased she’ll no longer have to beg the local children to bring her water each day. She’ll now be able to make the one mile round trip to the local well on her own.”
The Procurement Manager for Mercy Ships UK, Justin Watkins said, “This is a great example of charities working together to serve the poor of West Africa. The wheelchairs are all at the end of their life here in the UK but once they have been refurbished, are in excellent working condition and it is a delight to know that they will be put to very good use. When visiting the prisoners, they were all very interested in seeing where their chairs ended up and took pride in their work as it was doing something useful.”
However, one of the biggest needs to complete the project is funds for the wheelchair’s transportation. Mercy Ships said the cost was more than £4,000 to send a truckload of wheelchairs to the prison for repair and to ship a container full of wheelchairs out to Africa.
Mercy Ships is a global hospital ship charity that provides free medical care, relief aid, community development and long-term sustainable development in the poorest countries in the world. Since its inception in 1978, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 70 countries and impacted more than 5.5million lives through its work on board the ships and through its land-based projects.
Mercy Ships has treated more than 300,000 people in village medical clinics, performing 18,000 surgeries, 110,000 dental treatments and completing close to 350 construction and agriculture projects, including schools, clinics, orphanages and water wells.
The organisation is appealing for donations towards the provision of wheelchairs and other mobility aids for the New Steps Centre. Anyone interested in donating or finding out more information can do so by phoning 01438 727800 or by emailing info@mercyships.org.uk.
The Sculptor’s Attitude
(Author unknown)
I woke up early
today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight.
I have responsibilities to fulfil today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.
Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or ... I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.
Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or ... I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.
Today I can grumble about my health or ... I can rejoice that I am alive.
Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or ... I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.
Today I can cry because roses have thorns or ... I can celebrate that thorns have roses.
Today I can mourn my lack of friends or ... I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.
Today I can whine because I have to go to work or ... I can shout for joy because I have a job to go to.
Today I can complain because I have to do housework or ... I can feel honoured because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.
Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!
Women’s Ministries in China
by Eunice Or, May 15th
Open Doors UK supports development of Women Ministries in China House Churches
In light of the growing need of women and family ministries for house churches in China, Open Doors UK has launched some special projects in 2006.
Project Ruby is a new program that aims to distribute more than 2.6 million pieces of literature, including The Power of a Praying Wife, The Power of a Praying Woman and The Power of a Praying Parent to house churches in China in 2006. The three books are among the first titles from the series of books by the American author, Stormie Omartian, and are now available in Chinese.
Open Doors has a long-standing history of supporting the persecuted churches in China by providing Bibles and other Christian cultural resources such as hymnals, tapes, and music players. While it offers theological training to raise house church leaders, it also majors on faith education for the second generation through Sunday Schools.
However, a new challenge is emerging as house churches grow bigger.
According to Open Doors, women tend to make up the majority of the Church and many of them have to play important leadership roles. In many cases where their husbands or family members have not become Christian, they are easily blamed and misunderstood.
“Families in China are breaking up at an alarming rate. In the church, many wives have become Christians while their husbands have not. They need books that teach them how to deal with the problems of an unequally yoked marriage, how to live out their Christian witness in the home, and how to pray for their husbands and children,” Open Doors stated.
In China, house churches have been able to gain access to Bibles more easily via Open Doors and other mission organisations. However, Chinese believers still need help in learning to apply the principles of God’s Word to their daily lives and in their ministries by reading other spiritual books. Unfortunately, these kind of books are not available for purchase anywhere in China.
“I was speaking with a couple who were themselves leaders of a group of house church leaders, mainly women. Each woman was dealing with some kind of issue in her own marriage which, of course, was affecting her ministry as well. I remember the couple saying that they felt this book would help greatly as it addressed key issues that most in their group were facing,” shared an Open Doors co-worker from Southern China after introducing The Power of a Praying Wife to some house church leaders.
Meanwhile, Open Doors is looking to find more donors for Project Ruby to send literature as gifts to house churches in China. There are Chinese believers who are praying and fasting to receive these books and the books are going to be a blessing to many, Open Doors says.
Other than Project Ruby, Open Doors has been actively organising many marriage and family enrichment camps to touch and transform marriages and families. According to Open Doors, sometimes the impact can extend as far as the entire network of churches.
“The needs are real and the requests are urgent. If we had more personnel, we could be conducting the same training in many other equally needy locations. Thank God for the impact of these camps, and please pray that we will be able to equip more couples to run the camps,” stated Open Doors in the prayer request.
Praise for the Queen
by Courtney Lee, April 24th
Queen Elizabeth II Praised for giving the nation “Heart” at Church Service
Hundreds filled St George’s Chapel on Sunday April 23rd in the precincts of historic Windsor Castle to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 80th birthday, following a mix of public and private events two days earlier.
Five days of celebrations wound up with a further tribute for Elizabeth II in a church service, where the Queen was hailed for giving Britons a “sense of calmness, serenity and stillness” in a turbulent world.
During the special thanksgiving service, the Queen has also been praised for giving the nation “heart”, taking account of the Queen’s role as Head of the Church of England, a position she deeply cherishes.
A special birthday prayer written for the occasion began the proceedings in the ornate 15th century chapel as voices of the choir filled the historic building.
The Rt Reverend David Conner, the Dean of Windsor, paid tribute to the monarch’s “sense of calmness, serenity and stillness” in his sermon at St George’s Chapel. He singled out the Queen’s Christian faith, saying it was the “very bedrock” of her life.
“On this particular St George’s Day, in St George’s Chapel, family and friends and neighbours have gathered to join in thanksgiving for the birthday of our Queen,” Bishop David told the congregation, which included senior royals, friends of the monarchy and staff. “As we do so, I have a hunch that every one of us will be expressing gratitude for some kind of encouragement received as we have tried, in our ordinary lives, to be decent and to care. Your Majesty, not so much through word as by unselfconscious good example, you encourage us; you give us heart.”
Among the 700 guests were former prime ministers, Baroness Thatcher and Sir John Major, Earl Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the Agha Khan.
An anthem by the Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion was also performed. The Golden Rule, written as a birthday tribute, was sung by the choir and set to music by the Master of The Queen’s Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
Queen Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen in February 1952, aged just 25, after the death of her father, King George VI, and was crowned in June 1953.
Assisted-Dying Bill Blocked
by Daniel Blake & Maria Mackay, May 13th
Relief as Lord Joffe’s Assisted-Dying Bill is blocked by Lords
The controversial Assisted-Dying Bill has been dramatically blocked by the House of Lords, Friday 12th May 2006. Peers have backed an amendment, by 48 votes, to delay the bill by six months.
The amazing development has come following a petition being presented to 10 Downing Street on Friday, listing more than 100,000 signatures of those opposing the assisted-dying bill.
The signatures, gathered by Care Not Killing (CNK) within just four weeks, demand an end to the proposals laid down in Lord Joffe’s Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill.
Lord Joffe’s Bill had proposed that doctors be given the right to prescribe drugs for a terminally ill person to end their own life. However, even though the bill has been blocked, Lord Joffe has vowed to reintroduce his bill at a later date. The government has said it would not block a further hearing of the bill, according to the BBC.
CNK campaign director Dr Peter Saunders said: “We believe that this is a very bad Bill and one that would create great problems for old and sick patients and the medical and nursing professions. Over the past few days as the public has become aware of the issues at stake, people have been signing our petition opposing the Bill at the rate of 10,000 a day. More than 100,000 people have signed the petition we will present to Downing Street today.
“Against this background of popular dissent, we believe it is right that the House of Lords should pass judgement by holding a vote at second reading and halting moves to legalise euthanasia in the UK. It is time to take a stand against this grossly misguided measure.”
In the Lords, peers took part in a passionate debate on whether it was right or not to allow the terminally ill to be given killer drugs. Lord Joffe told the house that patients should not have to face unbearable suffering “for the good of society as a whole”.
However, Lord Carlile, the Liberal Democrat peer said, “Everybody in your Lordships’ house knows that those who are moving this bill have the clear intention of it leading to voluntary euthanasia. That has always been the aim and it remains the aim now.”
A palliative care expert, Lady Finlay expressed, “Let us get on with working for patients to live as well as possible until a naturally dignified death, not taken up with becoming complicit with suicide.”
Also opposing the bill in the Lords was the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. He has said that the cost of passing through such a bill would be “disproportionately high to the benefit of certain individuals”. Dr Williams, the spiritual head of the worldwide Anglican Communion’s 70-million members, told BBC Radio 4 that there was now a very broad consensus against the proposal that extended way beyond the Church and religion.
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Murphy O’Connor, stated his worry that the proposals could lead to great pressure being placed on vulnerable people to take their own lives.
Whilst the heated debate continued in the House of Lords, Christians joined human rights and disability activists, as well as medical practitioners in demonstrating against the bill outside Parliament.
Speaking to Christian Today at the rally, Bishop Scott-Joynt, the Bishop of Winchester, commended the churches for the “great deal” of work they had done to campaign against the Bill, adding that he was “entirely on board with” the work of the Roman Catholic Church in particular.
He criticised support for assisted dying saying: “Those who are in favour of the Bill would say they value life so much they don’t believe anybody should be forced to live it when it ceases to be life as they understand it, but I don’t think that really follows. And I do think it’s a highly elitist position and a position that disregards the vast majority of people who will be made vulnerable by the Bill,” he added.
While he was sceptical the “unworkable” Bill would actually become law, he urged campaigners to keep up the protest. “The trouble is that the more time that’s spent on it [the Bill], the more there is a kind of impression given that these are things to go on pursuing and keep thinking about, which is why I think there is everything to be said for trying to stop it today,” he said.
Bishop Scott-Joynt also warned that the Bill would “lead to further attempts at legislation to broaden it and all kinds of personal and legal difficulties”.
Mark Slattery, of the charity, Dignity in Dying, said the campaign to introduce an assisted dying bill would continue. “The bill has faced the onslaught from the biggest political campaign in church history, but public support for it has held firm. The bill will be back and the campaign has not stopped.”
Julia Millington of the ProLife Alliance was also delighted with the Lords’ decision: “Legislation that permits doctors to assist in suicide fundamentally changes the role of doctor from someone who cures or cares to a killer. We will continue to resist any change in the law.”
“Go Green”
by Courtney Lee, April 13th
UK Church Leaders urge residents to “Go Green”
UK church leaders are urging people to “go green” in order to protect God’s creation, following an announcement made by the Government that the UK will not meet its target to reduce CO2 emissions and resource clean energy sources.
Christian leaders have joined forces to encourage individuals and businesses to enforce a low consumption, non-nuclear energy plan, asserting that it is a moral imperative to be environmentally-aware. They also emphasised Christian principles of wise stewardship, peacemaking, justice, loving our neighbours and moderation in consumption.
The plea has been compiled by Dr Tim Cooper, head of the Centre for Sustainable Consumption at Sheffield Hallam University, and has been made by Christian organisations, Christian Ecology Link (CEL) and Faith and Power.
Faith and Power argues that promoting energy efficiency, switching from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy and phasing out nuclear reactors in electricity generation is appropriate in order to take proper care of God’s creation.
The Bishop of Liverpool, Rt Rev James Jones, said: “Faith and Power comes to similar conclusions to those of the Sustainable Development Commission, which I welcome. What we lack is the commercial leadership to invest in renewable sources of power and the political leadership to reduce our energy consumption. People of faith and goodwill must work together to educate and inspire the public to use their own power as consumers and citizens to ensure the future health and safety of the planet.”
The report came as the Government encouraged home owners and businesses to fit small power generation plants in their premises – including green power from solar panels and windmills. It is estimated that 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions come from households.
Dr Cooper, the University’s sustainable consumption expert and CEL chairman, said: “For many years Gordon Brown has done far too little to integrate environmental sustainability within Treasury policy. As a consequence Britain is not doing enough to reduce energy consumption and thereby reduce the threat of climate change.”
In addition, the Archbishop of Canterbury described climate change as a “moral problem”, according to an interview with the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “It’s a huge practical problem, it’s a huge moral problem,” Dr Rowan Williams said, before quoting the calculations of the International Energy Agency which predicted a 60 per cent rise in carbon emissions over the next quarter of a century with the expansion of the Indian and Chinese economies.
“Unless we are able to effect serious concrete reductions immediately, the problem really is vast,” he said.
Spiritual Hope For New Orleans
by Maria Mackay, March 15th
Top US Evangelists bring spiritual hope to New Orleans
Leading US evangelists, Billy Graham and his son Franklin Graham, were in New Orleans in March to bring messages of spiritual hope and renewal to a city still trying to find its future after it was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina last August. More than 30,000 packed into the city’s Arena, next door to the still badly damaged Superdome, to hear the evangelists proclaim the love of Jesus Christ and the strength he brings amid life’s storms.
The Celebration of Hope was one of the first major public events to be held in the city since Katrina devastated the city last year. So many flocked to the Arena to listen to the evangelists, that overflow crowds were forced to watch the Grahams preach on giant screens outside the Arena. According to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, more than 1,360 people accepted Christ into their lives during the weekend event, which was supported by local churches.
The Celebration of Hope also saw the first public sermon by Billy Graham since his final crusade in New York City last June, the BGEA website reported.
“God loves us with an everlasting love,” Graham said. “Christ endured physical and spiritual death so that we could be saved through faith in repentance in Him.”
On Saturday night, Franklin Graham recalled the scenes of countless victims being rescued from the deep flood waters that covered much of New Orleans: “No one will ever forget the scenes of these people standing on roof tops, waiting to be rescued,” he said.
“When God sent His Son to earth, it was a rescue mission to save us from our sins. God loves New Orleans, He loves Louisiana and Texas, Mississippi and Alabama. He has not abandoned you. Tonight we all can have the hope of heaven if we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.”
Dr David Crosby of First Baptist Church of New Orleans and Co-chairman of the Celebration of Hope committee, said the Celebration of Hope had laid the foundation for a new beginning in the community.
“This has surpassed all my expectations,” said Crosby, whose church now has about half of its pre-Katrina attendance back. “It’s really a moment filled with hope. It’s giving us direction and energy to know where we need to head, and empowering us to do it.”
He also praised the unity among the churches in New Orleans and its surrounding parishes that had arisen from the Celebration of Hope event. “We don’t want to lose the unity,” he said. “We’re bringing down the walls between races and denominations. This is like the opening of a blossom that will continue to grow.”
The weekend of celebrations gave many in the city the opportunity to testify that their faith was stronger than the storm and share that faith with others.
Jim Niemeyer, a 67-year-old local whose home was destroyed by the flood waters, was one of many who took part in the Celebration as a counsellor, receiving training through the Christian Life and Witness Course to share his faith with those who came forward at the event. “People ask me where I see God in all this,” he said. “I tell them I see the Lord in all the faith-based organisations like the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse who are reaching out to help in Jesus’ name. Katrina has only served to strengthen my faith.”
Nathaniel Gaten is just one of hundreds living in the several hundred trailers provided by Samaritan’s Purse, after his east New Orleans home was flooded with five and a half feet of water. “The Lord has provided for me in the midst of the storm,” he said. “God has allowed me to reach out and share with others how He has sustained me so that others can know they’re not alone.”
Elsa Ravencraft, who is also staying in a Samaritan’s Purse trailer after she lost her home to the hurricane, volunteered at the Celebration. She said: “God says we should serve Him all the time, not just when everything is wonderful. He says that we should be joyful in all circumstances.”
Many in the crowds at the event came forward to testify their faith in Jesus Christ after the storm. Ernest “Noonie” Bourgeois, Boothville/Venice Fire Chief who lost his home, described Katrina as being like an “atomic bomb” going off. His wife said, however, that their faith has only been renewed. She said: “We go to bed every night thanking the Lord for the day we had, and we wake up every morning thanking Him for the day ahead. You have to look forward, you can’t look back.”
The Celebration of Hope event was joint-sponsored by the BGEA and Samaritan’s Purse.