news in brief
Algeria: appeal denied
A case that began with police in Algeria stopping a Christian suspected of carrying Bibles in his car ended on 16 May with a large fine for the church leader.
A judge denied Pastor Nouredine Belabed’s appeal against a sentence of a 100,000-dinar (£643) fine and payment of court fees under a controversial law that forbids ‘undermining the faith of a Muslim’. Belabed had received the sentence on 8 March, including a three-month suspended prison term.
Falkirk: celebration
The Revd Iain MacAskill
Date posted: 1 Aug 2018
A mission in the tradition of Billy Graham, with
his grandson Will Graham preaching, took
place in the Falkirk Stadium during June.
Central Scotland Will Graham Celebration
of Hope was advertised as ‘not just an evangelistic event; it is a process of prayer, training, outreach, and follow-up that takes place
over a 12-month period – and it begins and
ends with the local church’. Around 9,500
people attended over
the weekend, with
31,000 watching on mobile devices
from
87 countries across the world. 65% of the
spiritual responses to the event came from those under the age of 35. Will Graham
preached with clarity and conviction: about
the prodigal son; time; and the thief on the
cross at the finale on Sunday.
Turkey: still being held
World Watch Monitor / CNN
Date posted: 1 Aug 2018
The American Charge d’Affaires in Ankara
said in late June that Turkey’s continued
detention of Pastor Andrew Brunson on
spying and terrorism-related charges was
impeding US-Turkish relations.
Philip Kosnett said there is a ‘strong sense
of unity in Congress between Republicans
and Democrats’ on the need for Brunson
to be released. He continued that there is:
‘A similar sense of unity between Congress
and the administration that, in order for the
relationship between Turkey and the US
to progress, we need to resolve that status
not only
for Brunson but also
for other
American citizens and local Turkish employees of US missions who we feel are detained
unjustly under the state of emergency’.
news in brief
Egypt: naked aggression
Coptic houses were attacked in a village on 4 June, after Copts objected to a group of young Muslim men swimming naked in a canal in front of their homes as Coptic women sat outside.
A Muslim mob gathered around the homes of Christians across the canal and began pelting them with bricks and stones, while shouting ‘Allah is the greatest’ and chanting slogans against Copts. They broke the windows and doors of houses, and looted and destroyed some properties. Six people were injured, requiring stitches.
Returning to North Korea
Andrew Dudgeon
Date posted: 1 Jul 2018
The strangest thing happened the other day: I got stuck in a traffic-jam in Pyongyang!
After eight years, it was time to return to North Korea along with a team of wonderful Christian medics from around the world.
Evangelical crisis
Kenneth J. Stewart
Date posted: 1 Jul 2018
Dear Editor,
I am largely in agreement with Ranald Macaulay’s concern over the prevalent evangelical tendency to shun engagement with society and its worrisome tendencies (en June ‘Evangelicalism in Crisis’). Yet I believe that his readiness to point the finger at European Pietism as providing an explanation of the origin of this tendency does not bear careful scrutiny.
The Third Degree
Student life & mental health
Ellie Cook
Date posted: 1 Jul 2018
A YouGov survey in 2016 found that one in four university students in the UK struggle with their mental health.
This ranges from those who have been diagnosed with a mental illness through to vast numbers who are battling with stress and worry: 63% of students say that they feel levels of stress that interfere with their day-to-day lives. Among those who identify as struggling with mental health problems, anxiety and depression are the most common, and often affect the same students (around 70% of sufferers).
Ministry training with a difference
Paul Brennan
Date posted: 1 Jul 2018
Paul Brennan tells us about the Cornhill Scotland approach
In the May edition of en the editorial raised some of weaknesses in traditional methods of ministry training.
PTI: a joy
The Pastor Training International (PTI)
and Christian Books Worldwide (CBW)
supporter’s day on 12 May was inspiring.
With reports from across the globe showing how the work of PTI and CBW has
grown, a highlight was Pastor Andrew, from
Myanmar, sharing how PTI’s training benefits local pastors. Many new churches have
been planted in the rural Buddhist country.
Congregations have grown, with many new
converts, but pastors need training in how
to disciple and feed them. PTI encourages
pastors to read the text carefully, to interpret
its true meaning, then preach and apply it.
Gaines Manor – ten years on
Ben Putt
Date posted: 1 Jul 2018
Ben Putt tells the recent story of the well-known Christian youth centre
I had never planned to go into full-time gospel ministry.
Reaching the military
Jamie Campbell
Date posted: 1 Jul 2018
Between 8 August and 11 November, The
Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Scripture Readers
is asking churches,
Association (SASRA)
join a
to
individuals
small groups and
Prayer Event called 100days.
SASRA shares the gospel with serving personnel in the Army and the RAF. It is able
to go ‘behind the wire’ where local churches
can’t, with 16 uniformed Scripture Readers, all of whom have served in the Military.
‘Though the earth give way’
Chris Wright
Date posted: 1 May 2018
Chris Wright on how Christians should live in an age of growing international chaos.
I read in the New York Times some weeks ago that there are increasing numbers of young couples getting married with the intention of not having children.
A mission to
code
Kingdom Code
Date posted: 1 Dec 2016
Some 60 Christian coders, designers and
entrepreneurs completed an
intensive
weekend of computer programming
to
help the church and charitable projects, in
the early Autumn.
The
event,
held
at
the
Innovation
Warehouse in central London, started with
short project pitches. Teams were then formed
to work on the different ideas. Projects included one to aid people struggling with depression or addiction to get help right when they
need it from trusted family or friends.
The Third Degree
Storytelling
Kate Duncan
Date posted: 1 Apr 2018
‘It is amazing see God work in front of my eyes.
‘I brought my friend to the Story mission week and, despite personal struggles with suffering, she was able to start believing in God.’
Michael Rees 1937 – 2018
Julia Cameron
Date posted: 1 May 2018
Michael Rees, with his welcoming smile,
will be
remembered by generations of
Cambridge students as the vicar of Holy
Trinity Church (1972 –1984).
Michael stayed close to the CICCU, and
after the Sunday evening service dispersed,
the CICCU would
take over
the building for its weekly evangelistic
address.
Data protection: be ready!
Gemma Adam
Date posted: 1 May 2018
Gemma Adam with some advice for churches on getting ready for GDPR
From 25 May 2018 it is a legal requirement for every organisation (including churches and all charities) to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation.
Lancaster: building for growth
Nathan Weston
Date posted: 1 Jun 2018
The purchase of an historic church building in Lancaster in recent months provided Moorlands Church with the opportunity for more gospel growth.
Thirteen years ago, Moorlands Church Lancaster had a fresh start. Originally founded as a Brethren Assembly in 1940, the congregation had dwindled to the point of closure when it was revitalised by a team of people moving into the area, including the church’s first full-time pastor, Danny Rurlander. The church resolved to prioritise the proclamation of the Word of God in the city, trusting Paul’s words in Colossians that it is the gospel which brings the growth.
Field of Dreams
The parents’ rollercoaster
Graham Daniels
Date posted: 1 Jun 2018
In previous columns, we have shared some of the ways we support Christians involved in elite sport.
But to make the grade as adults, these sports-people will have been identified and trained from a young age. Imagine the emotional involvement of parents… ‘She’s done it. She’s made the British team for the world junior championships. How amazing is that! All that sacrifice has paid off. We almost feel like we’ve been selected ourselves.’
Ireland’s abortion vote
Crowds celebrated the ‘Yes’ vote on 25 May for abortion to become legal in Ireland.
I, like many others, was overcome with huge sadness at the prospective killing of new lives. I’m not sure that these days, as a man, I am even allowed to have an opinion on the issue, but I know that God is a God of life, not death. In England, we have had legal abortion for over 50 years, yet the fact that, statistically, the most unsafe place for a baby is its mother’s womb, I find horrific.