Black and white churches in the UK tend not to mix, but last week saw an unprecedented event under the banner of HOPE. More than 70 Christian leaders from black and white denominations and organisations gathered at Jesus House in North London to plan ways to work together to bring HOPE to communities across the UK. As a result, next year’s celebrations of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee look set to see six million people across the UK eating Sunday lunch together: Christians partying with their neighbours at the heart of their communities – just one of a range of mission activities under the HOPE banner, which will lead to a year of united church mission throughout the UK in 2014. HOPE’s Executive Director Roy Crowne said. ‘The goal is lasting spiritual change in the lives of individuals, as communities are transformed by churches working together in mission with practical action as well as words.’

Pray: for all those working with HOPE and for the success of their mission. (Jos.1:7)

More: http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2011/11/13/black-and-white-come-together-as-church-mission-movement-gathers-pace/

The Bishop of Chester has called for the Government to honour its pledge to recognise marriage in the tax system. Bishop Peter Forster said if plans were not introduced in the next Budget, it was unlikely there would be time to bring in the tax break before the election. He said 'a financial recognition of marriage would send a powerful symbolic message into society.' Initiating a debate on children in the House of Lords, he said: ‘At the end of the day, Governments cannot simply wash their hands when moral issues are presented, because government is intrinsically a moral activity. To recognise marriage in the tax system would say something important about the wider importance of marriage to society.’ He asked Baroness Garden of Frognal, who was responding to the debate for the Government: ‘Can the Minister please tell us when this pledge - I underline the word pledge - in the coalition agreement will start to be implemented?'

Pray: for the Government and the Opposition to understand the importance of family and to actively support it in their legislation and the tax system. (Pr.11:29 )

More: http://religiousintelligence.org/churchnewspaper/?p=28708

More than 60 bishops around the country wore a white ribbon last Monday to support the campaign dedicated to stamping out gender-based violence. Many visited local projects and used Twitter to raise awareness. The Bishop of Aston, the Rt Revd Andrew Watson, chair of the Panel for World Mission and the Anglican Communion, said he was delighted that so many bishops had taken up the challenge. He spoke about the White Ribbon Campaign and explaied how he had been approached by colleagues from the worldwide Anglican Communion who are concerned about gender violence. He visited the Birmingham and Solihull Women's Aid, meeting and talked with victims of abuse and those who support them. The White Ribbon campaign, originally started by a group of men, is being supported by a number of Christian organisations in this field. The Mothers' Union has produced an action pack and the organisation 'Restored' has developed its 'First Man Standing' campaign.

Pray: for all victims of gender violence and that the White Ribbon Campaign will make significant strides towards overcoming such abuse. (Ps.11:5)

More: http://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2013/11/bishops-support-white-ribbon-campaign.aspx

Police, teachers and councils are failing to protect tens of thousands of children who run away from home every year and face drug abuse or sexual exploitation on the streets, Church of England bishops have warned. In a letter published in The Daily Telegraph today. 33 bishops are backing a campaign calling on ministers to introduce a national ‘safety net’ to protect runaways from harm. More than one in 10 children in the UK runs away before they reach the age of 16, with 100,000 fleeing their homes every year, but most are never reported missing. Many runaways are forced to leave by their parents or are attempting to escape abusive homes. The campaign, organised by The Children’s Society, a leading charity, calls for a national action plan to ensure that schools, police, councils and health services prioritise the safety of child runaways.

Pray: for ministers to adopt the proposal for a national safety net as outlined by the bishops. (Mk.10 :16)

More: http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2011/09/26/bishops-demand-national-safety-net-to-protect-child-runaways/

Bishops and MPs have criticised the High Court’s landmark ban on prayers during council meetings. The High Court ruled that it was ‘unlawful’ to say prayers during the formal business at council meetings, following a judicial review initiated by the National Secular Society (NSS). Responding to the ruling, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said that public authorities ‘should have the right to say prayers before meetings if they wish’. The former Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, was quoted by The Telegraph as saying that there was a ‘huge constitutional implication’ to the ruling. ‘Where will this stop – by a test case about prayer in Parliament? Prayers in Parliament are definitely part of the proceedings, they are recorded as such, they are on the order paper and part therefore of the constitutional arrangement of the country as the Queen in Parliament under God.’ (See also PA 49 2011)

Pray: for Christians to reclaim and assert the righty to prayer in public life. (Phl.4:6)

More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/bishops.and.mps.criticise.high.court.ruling.on.council.prayers/29307.htm

The Church must be an example of reconciliation to the rest of society, says the Bishop of Edmundsbury and Ipswich. The Right Reverend Nigel Stock said he had been impressed by the new Archbishop of Canterbury's own priority on reconciliation within the Church and the nation. Bishop Stock said: "The Church can influence society and make a real difference, but we do need to be a model of living together and reconciliation ourselves not least over the issue of women becoming bishops and over the differing views on issues of human sexuality." Part of leading by example, he said, meant taking care of the least well off in society. He praised the church-run Ipswich Winter Night Shelter which has provided shelter and hospitality for 12 homeless people through the winter. Bishop Stock said: "This project continues to rely on the hard work and dedication of many people whose willingness to help is an inspiration for the whole of Ipswich.

Pray: for reconciliation in the Church so that it will be able to lead the nation by example. (2Co.5:18)

More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/bishop.church.must.lead.by.example/32006.htm

The Bishop of London has warned that fundamental concepts vital to British society will be unsustainable without a Christian underpinning. The Rt Revd Richard Chartres said Britain’s culture and civilisation were founded on the Bible, and expressed concern at any undermining of that foundation. Rt Revd Chartres, who gave the sermon at last month’s Royal Wedding, was speaking at a symposium in the House of Lords on the Bible. He said: ‘The economy and politics must have ground beneath them. In Britain that ground has been biblical since our earliest days – and you do not sacrifice that without sacrificing much of what has been built upon that ground.’ The Bishop also commented that concepts such at dignity and tolerance would be ‘very difficult to sustain without a Christian ground’.

Pray: for recognition of the Word of God as fundamental to our society and culture. (Dt.31:12)

More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/bishop-warns-of-threat-to-society-without-the-bible/?e270511

Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali has lent his support to a Bill tabled in the House of Lords this week to scale back the influence of Sharia law. Sharia - or Islamic law - is used in around 85 Sharia councils and Muslim arbitration tribunals across the UK. The Bill, tabled by Baroness Caroline Cox, proposes banning the use of Sharia law where it conflicts with English law in discriminating against women and non-Muslims. It proposes to protect women by stopping discriminatory rulings that are contrary to UK law and ensuring that Sharia law does not appear to have jurisdiction where it does not. The baroness said, ‘Cases of criminal law and family law are matters reserved for our English courts alone'. Expressing his support for the Bill in the House of Lords, Bishop Nazir-Ali said Sharia was inherently unequal. Muslims and non-Muslims are treated unequally. Similarly, men and women are treated unequally.

Pray: for those who debate and rule on this matter so that an equitable solution may be found that affords protection to all. (Dt.8:11)

More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/bishop.supports.bill.to.restrict.sharia.law/28146.htm