Ten Questions: A noisy prayer life!
Andy Bannister
1. How did you become a Christian?
Pain produces church growth in Krakow
One Polish church in the southern city
of Krakow has experienced remarkable
growth over the last two years in surprising
circumstances: the Covid-19 pandemic and
warfare, writes Tim Thornborough.
Christ
the Saviour Presbyterian Church
(CSPC) currently meets in a converted bank
and, as we entered, we were handed headsets to
enable us to listen to the live translation of the
service from Polish to English. Others picked
up the headsets marked ‘Ukrainian’. My main
contact in Krakow is Sashko – a Ukrainian from
Lviv, just over the border from Poland – who is
the assistant minister at the church.
From music to nerf guns: right across the UK - this is mission today
www.apassionforlife.org.uk
Date posted: 1 Oct 2022
What does mission in the local church look like in 2022?
The answer is that it is as gloriously varied as each individual congregation and its members.
A forgotten heroine who should be known today: 60 years of faithful, daily, humble service
Adrian Russell
Date posted: 1 Apr 2023
The province of Sindh in Pakistan suffered appallingly from flooding last year. This province and the people who live there may be unfamiliar to you, but this location was the home of one of the lesser-known Christian heroines of faith, Blanche Brenton Carey.
Blanche, the daughter of a Brixham vicar, joined the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society in 1884 and became one of their pioneer missionaries, serving in Karachi from 1885 to 1950. Her deep desire was to tell the women and girls of Sindh about her Saviour Jesus Christ.
news in brief
Church disability support
trebled
A charity’s support for disabled people in
churches across the UK is being trebled,
thanks to a £150,000 grant from Benefact
Trust. It will mean that disability inclusion
charity Through the Roof will be able to
increase the number of disabled people it
can support from 9,000 to 30,000 within
just three years.
The additional
funds will be used
to
recruit three regional co-ordinators to build
up local Roofbreaker networks of volunteers
across the UK; provide specialist resources
and support; and help disabled Christians
in
leading
training and organise events.
According to the Lausanne Committee for
World Evangelization, just five to ten per cent
of disabled people ever hear the gospel in
their lifetime.
‘The car careered out of control’
Kicked out of college and hooked on drink and drugs, Pauline Hamilton drove recklessly towards a cliff near her home to end it all. At the last moment, her tyre blew out, leaving her stunned in the stationary car.
Pauline’s life changed forever. She turned at once to the God who had rescued her and, in grateful amazement, offered her whole life to Him. This dedication would eventually take her to China, where she would serve for over 30 adventure-packed years as a missionary. Through many trials Pauline never lost sight of the God who had promised never to let her go.
Niceness and newness
Date posted: 1 May 2023
Dear Editor,
David Robertson (en March) poses the very relevant question of why many Christians today are so concerned about being ‘nice’. Robertson Biblically demonstrates the case, at appropriate times, for preaching the gospel extremely vigorously. It is also obvious there would be no Christianity today without Christ’s unwavering mission stance and likewise that of His steadfast followers down the succeeding ages, whether Catholics or Protestants.
Coronation chickens? Not us!
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 1 May 2023
Churches and communities across Britain and beyond have been finalising their preparations ahead of the Coronation.
Jonathan Gillespie, assistant curate at All Souls Langham Place, says: ‘It’s a missional opportunity to point to monarchy under Jesus’ loving rule.’ And Ben Topham, associate rector at St George’s Church, Stamford and St James Gerrards Cross, pointed out that many will get invited to family events and street parties. ‘We are encouraging our church family to plug into those, to be a Christian presence in those places.’
Inspirational women
Rebekah Brown
Date posted: 1 May 2023
Book Review
CLOTHED WITH STRENGTH:
Women who built the church and
changed the world
Read review
The Coronation ... how should this event bring us back to the Bible?
Gary Clayton
Date posted: 1 May 2023
If the King’s Coronation service follows the pattern of that of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, His Majesty Charles III will be handed a copy of the Bible as part of the ceremony. But, out of the hundreds of different English language translations, who knows which version it’ll be?
Imagine you were interviewed or gave an important talk which was reported throughout the world. If it was translated into 723 different languages, you’d probably be flattered.
Russian villagers hear gospel for the first time
Slavic Gospel Association
Date posted: 1 May 2023
In parts of Far East Russia there are those who have never heard the name of Jesus.
Alexander Balagansky, a missionary sponsored by the Slavic Gospel Association (SGA), in the Buryatia region, is involved in the difficult and sometimes dangerous challenge of reaching them. Villages and communities there are isolated, often cut off and inaccessible due to extreme weather conditions. However, strange as it may seem, the extreme weather can become the missionary’s friend and associate in pioneering gospel ministry!
news in brief
Spain: becoming less religious
According to a new report, Spain is becoming less and less religious.
Secularism in Figures 2023, published by the Ferrer Guàrdia Foundation, reveals that 40% of the Spanish population identifies as atheist, agnostic or indifferent to religion. The figure rises to 58% among young adults aged 25 to 34, and to 60% among those aged 18 to 24. ‘Religious practice has declined considerably, especially after the pandemic’, the Foundation says. Only 19% of respondents consider themselves to be practising believers.
New ‘healthy church’ event
Free Church of Scotland
Date posted: 1 May 2023
Around 90 people from congregations in the Glasgow and Argyll Presbytery of the Free Church of Scotland have attended the first ‘Healthy Church Gathering’ organised by the Free Church of Scotland.
Two main sessions were held. The first session focused on what it means to be a healthy Christian and what a healthy church looks like. Andrew Giffen, CEO of the Free Church of Scotland, spoke about these topics, with opportunity for discussion around tables.
letter from Latvia
Ukrainian amputees with gospel hope
John Woods
Date posted: 1 May 2023
One of the questions I am asked whenever I return from Latvia is: ‘What is the mood in Latvia at the moment?’
The question relates to the fact that Latvia shares a land border with Russia and has many historical reasons to be anxious about the intentions of its larger neighbour.
101-year-old mission veteran takes to the skies once again
en staff
Date posted: 1 Oct 2022
A pioneer of the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has marked his 101st birthday by taking to the skies again.
Jack Hemmings, who is also a former RAF Squadron Leader, was given the flight as a surprise present.
London calling
London City Mission
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
People from more than 20 churches across London were welcomed to London City Mission (LCM) at the end of January for a conference on reaching young people with the gospel. Sharing inspiring and sometimes heartbreaking testimonies, the two-day LCM Winter Conference offered practical ways to share the love of Jesus with youth and children growing up in London.
'We want people to be inspired to see the opportunity we have as a church to reach out to the young people in their communities with the gospel and leave here, ready for action,' explains LCM Field Director for Children, Youth and Schools, and one of the organisers of the event, Gareth Jones. 'Our aim is to equip churches and help them find opportunities to work alongside us to reach young people in this city.'
From Korea with love – to Wales
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 1 Feb 2023
Korean Christians are preparing to descend on Wales this summer – with Welsh churches urged to prepare for a week-long Korean Prayer Mission and pray for a fresh revival.
Organised by the Director of the Europe Prayer Mission, Namjin Kim, the mission is due to take place on 3–10 July. Kim, who recently returned to the UK after a three-week visit to South Korea, had been invited by 11 Korean churches to share with them the spiritual state of Wales and to pray together for the country.
‘All the drug dealers thought we were stealing their clients.’ This is Igal’s story
Iain Taylor
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
Igal Vender was born in Ukraine but emigrated to Israel with his family in 1988. He began using drugs as a child and later switched to heroin and cocaine.
Igal writes: ‘I was an addict and in and out of prison, but empty inside. I came to faith after meeting an old friend who had become a Christian. Now I am a missionary with IMJP (the International Mission to Jewish People) telling Jewish people about Jesus.’ Igal Vender tells his story to Iain Taylor for en.
Cambridge to Madagascar
en staff
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
Julian Hardyman has ended his ministry as pastor of Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge and is heading unexpectedly to Madagascar.
He had become Associate Pastor in 1996 and then Senior Pastor in 2002. To their surprise, Julian and wife Debbie (see photo) discovered the Lord was calling them in a sudden and dramatic way in a single weekend in September 2021 to leave Eden and Cambridge, to serve as missionaries in Northern Madagascar. The church joined in the discernment process and so their pastor and his wife will become Eden Mission Partners and members of evangelical mission organisation SIM.
Mike Jourdain
en staff
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
The head of Brighton City Mission has
died. Mike
Jourdain was described as
someone with
‘great
faith, passion and
ability’ by Nick McQuaker of the Sussex
Gospel Partnership.
Will Cockram,
pastor
of Cuckfield
Baptist Church wrote:
‘Mike was treated
for oesophageal cancer three years ago, but
around Christmas
it
reappeared. Whilst
given
initial confidence
from
the medics
over Christmas that it was treatable, Mike’s
health declined very steeply, and the family
were given the news that it was very possible
that it might not be treatable and that he
had months –possibly weeks – to live. He
died six days later (17 January) in a hospice,
aged 58. He
leaves his wife Wendy, his
daughter Clio, and a church family that is
rejoicing for him, but grieving very deeply.
We would covet your prayers.’
C of E evangelicals in watershed fight for own bishops, structures and training
en staff
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
Evangelicals in the Church of England are facing a battle of historic Reformation-era significance as they fight to secure guarantees that might enable them to continue in the denomination.
After February’s General Synod vote, which approved in principle giving clergy the option of using marriage-style ‘prayers of blessing’ for same-sex couples, with only four bishops opposing the idea, the focus now moves to key Synod decisions this July. Speaking exclusively to en, Ed Shaw, co-chair of the Church of England Council (CEEC), said strong safeguards would be needed.
Mission today: TikTok pastor clocks up online flock
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 1 Feb 2023
An evangelical church minister has headed for the spiritual harvest fields of TikTok, one of the latest and most popular social media platforms, to evangelise a new, younger audience – and he’s starting to reap success.
David Sims, vicar of St Thomas’ Church in Aldridge, Walsall since 2021, has amassed more than 10,500 followers on his @ tiktok_vicar profile where he runs virtual church services, reads the Bible and raises controversial subjects.
