Displaying items by tag: Religion

TLG is a Christian charity that helps churches to bring hope and a future for struggling children. From school exclusion, to poverty and holiday hunger, there are children across the UK facing some of the toughest starts in life. TLG believes change is possible through early intervention: one coach per child, one hour a week, for children struggling in school because of bullying, bereavement, family breakdown, poverty, or being in the care system. These all have a huge impact on a child's education. Some children may be struggling with a lack of confidence, have no positive role models, or just need an adult to talk to. TLG Early Intervention gives the church a practical solution to support children, families and schools in their community. The programme enables trained volunteers to become coaches and work on a one-to-one basis with a child, improving their behaviour and in turn raising their levels of learning. 

Qasem Soleimani was named head of Iran's elite paramilitary Quds Force in the late 1990s. He then became widely known for expanding his country's regional influence by bolstering Shiite proxy forces around the region to counter US, Saudi, and Israeli influence. There are now fourteen militias and proxies broadly aligned with Iran, operating in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. Let us pray for peace to reign in these countries as the atmosphere of antagonism swirls round the region after Suleimani’s assassination. He was the architect of Iran's foreign policy and one of the most powerful figures across these regions. May God prevent proxy terror attacks by Syria and the Yemenis’ Houthis or IS in the current power struggle. See

Open Doors CEO Henrietta Blyth has written, ‘Around the world, life is getting harder, not easier, for Christians. In India we see rising levels of violence against believers – especially pastors’ wives and daughters. The Chinese government has been clamping down hard too. In North Korea there is still a total lack of freedom for Christians, and yet the world and the church remain largely ignorant of the scale and severity of persecution. Galatians 5:1 says that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. The God we worship gives us the freedom to choose and we should defend this freedom vigorously, wherever and whenever we can. The World Watch List is vital because it shows where those freedoms are being denied and the ferocity of the battle we are in. For millions of men and women, each year, the choice to follow Him is a matter of life and death.’

CofE staff are being given ‘unconscious bias training’ in a bid to see an equal gender split across its leadership by 2030. The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, said, 'I certainly think that having women as priests enables different types of conversations that probably wouldn't happen if you're a man. My background as a nurse means people often talk to me in a different way.' The presence of female leaders within the Church has risen in recent years, with the number of women in senior leadership positions doubling between 2012 and 2017. Of the 115 UK bishops within the Anglican Church, currently 25 are women. However the door is still closed for female priests within the Catholic Church.

Hudson Valley towns, north of New York, have seen an influx of Hasidic Jews in recent years, and they have been suffering violent attacks following a deadly 10 December shooting rampage at a kosher market where six Jewish people died. New York City police received at least six reports of attacks in one week. Mayor Bill de Blasio promised an increased police presence in neighbourhoods with large Jewish populations. In London, anti-Semitic graffiti were daubed on a synagogue and several kosher shops during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The graffiti showed the Star of David and ‘911’, referencing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that Jews are responsible for the 9/11 terror attack or Kristallnacht, the organised nationwide attack on Jews which began in Germany on 9 November 1938. In November newspaper headlines stated that anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe, riding a wave of nationalism. See also

Christians in the world’s 6th largest nation make up just 2.5% of the population. Many are poor and experience discrimination because of their faith. The struggle to survive is silencing the voices and eroding the faith of many young people. But also there are remarkable leaders emerging in the Church - strong in the Lord, intellectually bright, culturally aware. PAK7 is a new approach to strengthen and support the Church in Pakistan and her witness for Christ to 200 million countrymen, many of whom know nothing about Jesus. It empowers young Pakistani Christians in the use of media so that they have strong faith, confident voices, and a platform to explain who they are, what the Bible means to them, and the difference Jesus makes in their lives. Click the ‘More’ button to watch a short video about PAK7’s work.

Quakers in Britain are challenging Boris Johnson’s new government to give priority to its promise to take action on climate breakdown. They are urging him to ensure that the economic transition puts the most marginalised people first. They want the government to create a humane and fair immigration system and a culture of welcome. They will encourage the Conservative party to focus on its manifesto pledges on crime prevention and rehabilitation, rather than on longer sentencing, to transform justice; and also to promote peace and nonviolence across the UK and abroad. Quakers want to work with the new government to build a fairer, greener society, and encourage politicians from all parties to come together in the national interest. See also @PoliticalQuaker.

The headteacher of a London primary school ruled that children should sing ‘baby boy Jesus’, not ‘little Lord Jesus’ in the carol Away in a manger (so that pupils of all beliefs could join in). Children also sang edited versions of modern hymns at a carol service and nativity at a nearby church. Margarita, whose children attend the school, said: ‘As a family we go to church, pray together, and celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus the Son of God. If he was just a baby boy named Jesus, there wouldn't be a celebration in the first place. He is our Lord and Saviour and King of all Kings - that's the whole point.’

European Gospel Radio (EGR) is a non-denominational Christian radio touching any country in the world 24/7 on shortwave, streaming and satellite. It is a non-profit organisation, staffed by volunteers and professional broadcasters based in Milan. Since 1988 Christian broadcasters from around the world have trusted EGR to provide a radio link between their radio programmes and listeners globally. They cover Europe, Africa, Asia/Pacific, and the Middle East with daily Bible programmes, Christian news, and information both in English and in regional languages. There are still many places globally and millions of displaced people out of reach of modern communication - FM, AM, TV, satellite, Internet - and even without electricity. However, shortwave radio reaches anywhere.

Here are a few of the many incidents of Christmas attacks on Christians in 2018. Two days before Egypt’s Christian celebrations, a specialist in mine clearance died defusing a bomb hidden next to a church in Cairo. On 24 December a Methodist church in Bury offering night shelter to homeless refugees was attacked by arsonists who also stole their laptop and projector equipment. In Indonesia over 90,000 police and soldiers helped guard 50,000 churches across the country, including those previously attacked by terrorists. In India on 23 December a mob attacked forty people worshipping at a church in Kowad, injuring ten people. Militants increase their attacks on Nigerian churches at this time, and in Pakistan a planned attack was foiled in Karachi. See