Letter from America
A shining sun
Josh Moody
Date posted: 1 Dec 2003
I recently went to hear Chuck Colson, the famed author of Born Again, once notorious as an insider in the political Watergate scandal. He was sent to prison. But in the midst of the maelstrom surrounding him, Chuck Colson became 'born again'. Ever since, he has been the highly regarded and influential leader of Prison Fellowship.
Colson was speaking about Jonathan Edwards. In his lecture he touched on a wide variety of contemporary themes and issues that are facing evangelicals. In particular, he suggested, the drift towards moral relativism was likely to face a turnaround as a result of September 11. It's hard, was the gist of what he was saying, to swallow the idea that there is no evil in the world when you watch airplanes on suicide missions colliding into buildings containing thousands of human lives.
Replanting the Bible on campus
Jonny Woodrow & Matthew Spriggs
Date posted: 1 Sep 2003
UCCF came into being as it defended Bible Christianity on campus. Recent events Loughborough University show that their historical stance is still necessary...
We are two Christian students at Loughborough and this is our account of the attempts that have been made to maintain a biblical witness on campus over the last few years. Our purpose in writing this article is to encourage university students to be faithful disciples of Christ by rooting evangelism and discipleship in the word of God.
'Restoring hope in our church'
Steve Donald
Date posted: 1 Nov 2003
'Restoring Hope to the Church' was the title of a recent Anglican national initiative featuring church leaders and parishes engaging with their communities. However, hope for the Church of England rests in whether it will turn away from the liberal agenda that has dominated it for so many years to the gospel agenda outlined in the Bible.
There is great hope coming from the mainly orthodox and growing Anglican Communion which appears determined to exercise biblical discipline on the New Westminister decision to allow same-sex blessings and the New Hampshire decision to appoint the first gay Bishop, Gene Robinson. Manchester Cathedral has been caught up in this crisis by agreeing to host a service in October for the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement.
Monthly column for hymns and songs
Christopher Idle
Date posted: 1 Nov 2003
Worship & war
Before this series signs off (next month, after four years; believe it or not, it replaced Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in the paper), and before postmodernism is eclipsed by something else, let's try out a bit of pm-ism here. That is, the text you are reading and singing from may sometimes be crucially defined by its context or its readers, whatever the author thought it meant.
For example, however you chose to remember September 11, November 11 still reverberates at least in the older national British consciousness. 'Armistice Day' may have been transferred to 'Remembrance Sunday', but it is 11/11 which defines the relevant religious observance-for some, the last surviving vestige of a liturgical year.
Monthly column on hymns and songs
Christopher Idle
Date posted: 1 Sep 2003
Unless a British Christian of the current generation has been stolidly attending only one church, or one kind of church, for the past 20 years, it is unlikely that he/she will have failed to encounter 'Mission Praise', in one of its many shapes or forms.
The success of this book has been phenomenal; in some congregations it has swept the board, and even in otherwise catholic, reformed, liberal or charismatic assemblies it has crept in at least as an alternative option for Sunday or the week night gathering. How come?
Bible isn't rubbish any more!
Terry White from Belfast found a Bible in a council skip. It changed his life.
I come from a non-Christian family. In 1985, while walking up the road one morning, a friend offered me a job. Immediately I said 'yes'. I wanted it because I had been unemployed for three years. He told me to come down to the council offices for an interview. After I had a medical, I got the job!
Monthly column on student work
UCCF
Date posted: 1 Sep 2003
It's been a scorcher of a summer. As I write, temperatures are climbing towards a record 100 degrees. So as Britain basked in the hottest summer and students dispersed to go on mission teams, family holidays, or to earn some cash, what have I been up to? Did I stop work in the absence of any student activity on campus? Have I spent the summer months topping up my tan and perfecting my barbecuing techniques?
I may have been tempted to, but instead a sweltering office in Victoria has been my home. But I'm not complaining, because I was given the exciting task of working with a team of students and UCCF staff around the country to prepare three new projects for launch in September.
Excellent
John Benton
Date posted: 1 Oct 2003
Book Review
THE BLURB 36 pages. £1.75 Published by UCCFThis month sees the launch of an excellent new magazine from UCCF who usually write this column for EN. For obvious reasons we couldn't let them review their own mag, so...
Read review
Brief lives
John Benton
Date posted: 1 Oct 2003
Book Review
THE BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF EVANGELICALS
Read review
Leadership, truth & witness
UCCF
Date posted: 1 Oct 2003
As UCCF gives thanks for 75 years of witness to Christ in the student world EN asked Dr. Oliver Barclay, a staff member of UCCF from 1945 and General Secretary 1964-1980, to reflect on his involvement with the Christian Union movement.
EB: What was your experience as a Christian student?
Taking a tough job
Jonathan Stephen, who for many years has pastored Carey Baptist Church in Reading, takes up the position of Director of British Evangelical Council from September. Known as a man who likes to get things done, EN asked Jonathan about what the future might hold . . .
EN: Can you remind us of the function of BEC and how it came into being?
IFES now in 150 nations
Fred Catherwood
Date posted: 1 Sep 2003
The apostle's vision of heaven, with saints 'from every nation, tribe, people and language' is brought vividly to life by the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES).
This summer its' World Assembly drew delegates from 115 national student movements, and from most of the other 35 countries where work has started. As the names of one country after another came up on the screen in the opening meeting, it was hard to keep back the tears. The last countries to appear were those who would formally join the Fellowship that week: Russia, Rwanda, Indonesia, Belize, Lesotho and St. Lucia. They rolled up the screen to spontaneous applause.
Monthly column on student work
UCCF
Date posted: 1 Jul 2003
If you want a long history of Christian work at university, and a wide variety of local churches to choose from, then Queen's campus in Stockton is not the place to go.
However, in the last five years the Christian Union has grown from non-existence to one of the fastest growing groups in the country. Their aim is simple: to proclaim the gospel to as many students as possible. God has honoured their work and people are sitting up and taking notice; not just their fellow students, but other CUs in the North East too.
'That excellent society!'
Andy Banton
Date posted: 1 Jun 2003
Recently I met a man who, five years before, had been converted to Christ after no less than 15 years as a heroin addict.
The Lord's means of his deliverance and salvation was an open-air preacher who had faithfully made Christ known outside Whitechapel Tube Station in London.
Future hopes for the Church of England
Nigel Scotland
Date posted: 1 Jun 2003
R.V.G. Tasker, a former Professor of New Testament at Kings College, London, once wrote that 'hope is a psychological necessity'.
Such is certainly the case at the beginning of a new year for those of us who are members of the Church of England as we face many uncertainties in matters of belief, finance and strategy. Thankfully 'hope springs eternal in the human breast' and, although there is much gloom on the horizon, most of us still find ourselves harbouring some hopes of better things to come.
Preachers: coming or going?
Ken Brownell
Date posted: 1 Jul 2003
Why are ministers going to North America and why should they think of staying here? Ken Brownell has investigated this pressing question...
I have been thinking about writing this for some time. Every so often we hear of a good minister leaving this country and moving to North America. When recently I heard that two very well-known ministers are planning to do just that, I decided the time has come. Because I am an American, but have lived here for 27 years, I may be able to say what a Briton could not without sounding like sour grapes.
EZ36 - Rebuild the ruined cities
Dai Hankey
Date posted: 1 Aug 2003
8.00 am. The park has been abandoned for years. Only the frame of the swings is left - the rest has been ripped up or burned down. Just yards away the smouldering corpse of another car continues to send up smoke to the heavens. A mother and her children scurry past on their way to school. The picture is bleak. The future...
Like many other council estates, the St. Mellons estate in Cardiff has had its fair share of problems over the years. The large out-of-town estate was written off by the former Welsh Secretary, John Redwood, as a den of single mothers and scroungers.
Hotel Kupendeshwa?
Noel and Margaret Todd
Date posted: 1 Jun 2003
Six months managing the Africa Inland Mission Guest House in Kampala in 2002. Fascinating (kupendeshwa is the Swahili). Missionaries are particularly interesting people. . . .
Here comes Wayne from Texas. True, he does not have six guns and a stetson. But the laconic drawl and the laid-back ambience are vintage Wild West. He is 'just down from Sudan'.
