Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

Rural Mission Sunday is fun, according to Revd Doreen Sparey-Delacassa, Superintendent Minister of the Camelford and Week St Mary Methodist Circuit in Cornwall. Last year they held a Rural Mission Sunday celebration called Fun, Frogs and Bishops; a community outreach event with a bouncy castle and games, Open the Book displays and Messy Church crafts. This year rural churches are celebrating Rural Mission Sunday on 15 July. Last year over 300 churches from across the denominations registered to take part. They had pet services, Bar B Qs, treasure hunts, reaching out to a ‘hard-to-reach’ by the local Dementia Action Alliance; and lots more that brought in people from within and outside their communities.  Click the ‘More’ link for a free resource pack.

Scotland’s largest council was condemned when it decided to sponsor the arms fair that ran from 26 – 28 June in Glasgow. Christians protested with members of the Sink the Arms Fair Coalition and activist groups from across Scotland from CND, Palestine solidarity activists, Kurdistan solidarity activists and Quakers for Peace. See #UDT2018 Rev Dr Richard Frazer was disappointed that Glasgow supports an international festival of the arms trade, ‘To facilitate such a gathering is deeply uncomfortable at a time when so many innocent people around the world are suffering from effects of war and the damage and destruction caused by weapons.’ Dr Frazer said that public bodies in Scotland should not support or benefit from a conference which facilitates conflict and destruction. ‘Humanitarian catastrophes are taking place all around the world and some companies here are cashing in on the plight of those fleeing suffering by equipping oppressive states to stop refugees from reaching safety.’

The next General Synod, from 6 to 10 July, will debate allowing Anglican congregations to share services and preachers with black-majority churches. It is called the ‘Michael Curry effect’ after the African-American bishop's barnstorming sermon at the Royal wedding. The change relaxes rules governing the links parishes make with other churches. Many of the liveliest congregations in England are black-led Pentecostal, in black majority churches. A Synod representative said that the framework would make it easier for parishes to welcome members of the fastest-growing expression of Christianity in England, work in partnership with them, and learn from them. Joe Aldred, a Pentecostal bishop in the Church of God of Prophecy, said, 'This is a great moment for relations between the Church of England and Pentecostal and charismatic denominations and congregations, including many black-led churches, as we share the task of building the Kingdom of God in this country’.

British evangelist Rico Tice spoke at GAFCON, warning that God would take His power, spirit and gospel outside the Anglican institution if Anglicans leaders do not submit to scripture and repent of sin. He said he could relate to Rev Behan when he said he wept and grieved over New Zealand’s church; adding, ‘To come here and see the largest collection of Anglicans for the last 50 years meet together and have a Nigerian bishop rebuke us about our sin was so refreshing.’ He said that the road to ruin in Britain is defined by tolerance and permissiveness, doing what you please, thinking what you please. ‘In a way I come to GAFCON partly grieving but also delighted to find a family that is Anglican, that I can trust, who submit to the Lord Jesus and to Scripture. There’s a loss of nerve in the Church because culture is intolerant of people holding onto the uniqueness of Jesus and his high and holy standards.’

Cannabis plants contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which affects minds and moods. While giving a ‘chilled out’ feeling, it can also cause hallucinations, paranoia and long term psychosis. The risk of schizophrenia is higher when used by younger people as THC interferes with the still-growing brain. Cannabis also contains cannabidiol (CBD), which shows promising results for reducing seizures in children with severe epilepsy. Caring for a person suffering epileptic seizures is heartbreaking, and can be frightening if a seizure is prolonged and leads to status. Status happens when one seizure follows another without the person recovering in between. Severe seizures can cause brain damage. Pray for God to give peace and strength to families currently caring for a person experiencing epilepsy. Pray for God to inspire MPs to make rapid, accurate decisions regarding the use of CBD.

Theresa May has welcomed the passing of the Brexit bill through Parliament as ‘a crucial step’ in delivering a ‘smooth and orderly Brexit’. Peers accepted the amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill sent to them from the House of Commons, meaning the bill becomes law. The important decisions agreed on 20 June give Britain a brighter future, in control of its money, laws, and borders. The PM promised more detail on the UK-EU's future relationship soon, and said that after a white paper is published with more details of a proposed future relationship with the EU, the Trade and Customs Bills will be brought back to the Commons. International trade secretary Liam Fox said that the option of a no-deal Brexit had been left firmly on the table. He said the Government has to be able to hold out in our negotiations with the prospect of no deal, otherwise the EU will get the upper hand in future negotiations.

Christians in Parliament, at their annual national prayer breakfast, gave 470 leaders time to stop and reflect, sing hymns, pray, and hear the American Presbyterian pastor Tim Keller. One of the themes was, ‘What role can Christianity play in contemporary public life?’ Theresa May said that Christianity had transformed the United Kingdom with its values and teachings, helping to shape the laws, customs and society of the country. She added, ‘Whether you are a Parliamentarian or a constituent, I encourage you to continue your engagement as Christians in public life for the common good of all.’  The Christians in Parliament ethos is for more Christians to respond to God's call and engage positively in party politics and government. Their mission is to make the biblical case for participating in party politics at high-quality events, and connect Christians and churches to people or organisations that can help them engage politically.

Documents used to investigate the deaths at Gosport Hospital have revealed that 456 people died from the staff practice of prescribing too many painkillers without medical justification. An additional 200 patients were ‘probably’ similarly affected between 1989 and 2000. The inquiry, led by Rt Rev James Jones, did not ascribe criminal or civil liability for the deaths. He said that a number of nurses raised concerns about prescribing diamorphine. Their warnings went unheeded, the opportunity to rectify the practice was lost, deaths resulted, and 22 years later it had become necessary to hold an inquiry to discover the truth of what happened. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said that a catalogue of failings had been identified, and apologised to the grieving families. Hampshire’s chief constable said that police would assess any new information contained in the report,, and consult their partners in health and the Crown Prosecution Service in order to decide the next steps.

On 21 June the Archbishop of York Youth Trust hosted a regional conference, for primary head teachers in church schools across the Diocese of Manchester. It provided an opportunity for them to learn more about the Young Leaders Award delivered at Key Stage 2 and to share in the experiences of those completing the award. To date the Youth Trust has enrolled over 550 primary and secondary schools in these award schemes, empowering 63,000 young people to put leadership into action and make a difference in other people's lives through acts of service and community volunteering.

You recently prayed for a change in visa rules regarding trained medical staff because they were not working in the best interests of NHS patients. The Home Office has now decided that foreign doctors and nurses will be excluded from the government's visa cap. This will be a huge relief for NHS trusts across the country, which have been really struggling to fill their doctor and nurse vacancies. Some believe that Home Secretary Sajid Javid’s latest move could indicate a new direction for immigration policy post-Brexit.