Displaying items by tag: Religion

Lambeth Palace has hosted a conference exploring links between mental health and gardening and has called for churches to use their green space to offer ‘therapeutic gardening’. Green Health Live 2, brought together chaplains, public health experts and healthcare professionals. They showcased innovative work being done by parishes to provide therapeutic gardening spaces - and encouraged more churches to work with local mental health charities and medical professionals to do the same. A survey of clergy revealed that mental health issues were at the top of the list of problems faced in their parishes. Research shows that gardening helps to relieve the effects of depression, loneliness and a range of mental health issues, but many people, particularly in towns and cities, do not have gardens of their own. However churches often have spaces where a garden can be created to offer basic gardening experience, access to nature and companionship.

Ukraine has deep-seated corruption, economic challenges, and conflict with Russia-backed militants in Donetsk and Luhansk resulting in 13,000 deaths since 2014 when Russia seized control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy is a popular comedian with no political experience. He has called on the EU to step up sanctions against Russia ‘to get peace back in Ukraine’. Zelenskiy said that under his leadership Ukraine will continue to pursue EU integration, calling it ‘an assurance of the independence of the Ukrainian state, the welfare of the Ukrainian people, and the accelerated economic and technological growth.’ As the ‘Bible Belt’ of the former Soviet world, Ukraine’s Church has a history of persecution. Freedom of religion is improving, but is not yet protected in both law and practice. Leadership training and direction are greatly needed among Christians. May followers of Jesus arise as messengers of His hope for the future. See

Sadly, two out of every three people worldwide can’t get safe, affordable, timely surgery. Most of these people live in sub-Saharan Africa – people like mother and daughter, Valerie and Edith. Valerie lived with an enormous tumour on her face for nearly 20 years, but her heart didn’t break until she saw a similar lump growing on her daughter Edith’s face. To watch their story click the ‘More’ link. Mercy Ships believes everyone deserves access to safe, affordable medical care. They use the world’s largest charity hospital ship to deliver free, safe medical care to some of the world’s poorest people. They also train local doctors and medical professionals, enabling them to make an impact that endures long after their ship departs. Mercy Ships has helped the lame walk and the blind see, sharing God’s love and healing all around the world.

Windows International Network reported, ‘Christian churches are locked down, Believers are threatened and beaten, homes are invaded, Bibles are confiscated and destroyed, pastors are imprisoned’ and ‘the Muslim persecution of Christian Believers has drastically increased since 2017.’ Algeria is a former French colony, and the French government is so disturbed by this new intolerance that the French parliament has officially opened an inquiry into persecution of Christians in Algeria which has risen to number 22 on the 2019 Open Doors World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians in the world. Pray for Christian believers as they face increased persecution and the pastors who are imprisoned to be sustained by the Holy Spirit. Pray also for Muslim-background Christians to be strengthened in their witness to family and friends.

The Australian Christian Lobby is raising the profile of the need to protect religious freedom. They are stating that for some time now, the threat to religious freedom in Australia has not been merely a threat, but a reality and Australians now live in a country where religious freedom isn’t guaranteed. Countless court cases and new laws have already prevented Christians from living out and sharing their faith – and the cost is great. Loss of religious freedom paves the way for loss of other freedoms, and also restricts Australian Christians from sharing their faith with others. Pray for the voice of the Christian Lobby to be heard by the Governor-General, and in the Senate and the House of Representatives, and for those in society who are doing and thinking wrongly to be changed.

Former defence minister Avigdor Liberman whose party draws support from Israel’s largely secular Russian immigrant community, refused to join the government unless a military draft bill, crafted in the last Knesset, would be passed unaltered. The ultra-Orthodox parties dismissed this outright. Netanyahu needed 61 seats to form a governing coalition, but disagreements between secular and Halachic parties meant he was five seats short to form a coalition government by a 30 May deadline. A Halachic party is founded on Jewish law based on the Talmud, which is law passed down orally, not written. The deadline has passed, so the State of Israel is going to the elections again. In his comments following the dissolution, Netanyahu declared that Likud ‘will run a sharp and clear election campaign, and we will win.’

Trafalgar Square will be transformed into a joyful family festival and service. The day is packed with festivities; live performances from acts including worship leader and Grammy award winner Matt Redman and The Kingdom Choir, made famous around the world for a memorable performance of Stand By Me at the wedding of HRH Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle last May. There will be something for everyone, from uplifting live music, spoken word, dance, prayer workshops and crafts – to family fun and activities to keep the kids entertained. The Pentecost service will be between 4-6pm with praise, worship, witness, word and prayers. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby will be at this Pentecost celebration and is inviting all in London to take part of a joy filled celebration thanking God for the water of life and committing to be those through whom that water flows into a thirsty world.

Trypraying is for the non-religious who don’t do church. Trypraying banners are appearing on buses, billboards and buildings. Some fly on a wind farm in Scotland, on the turnstiles of a railway station and one was on the route of the Tour de Yorkshire. Why? People pray when they see them, and it opens up conversations around faith. 400+ churches are currently using Trypraying across the UK and 40,000 booklets were printed and shipped to the USA, with 10,000 children's booklets and 10,000 youth booklets. A Spanish edition is coming soon. Churches are using Trypraying, as is a whole diocese in Leicestershire! Other churches are joining it with 'Thy Kingdom Come'. How does it work? Each person in a congregation thinks of and prays for a person, and then they give that person a Trypraying booklet to use and then hand on to someone else.

According to church tradition, 29 June marks the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul. This year, Christians around the world will take time on that day and throughout that weekend to honour the legacy of those who have sacrificed their lives for the advancement of the gospel. Churches are invited to register and receive links to download free digital resources to inspire congregations, small groups, classes and families to witness boldly for Christ.

Over forty representatives from a wide range of religious and non-religious backgrounds have written an open letter to the Home Secretary, warning against adopting a proposed definition of Islamophobia. They say the definition is ‘deeply problematic’ and ‘flawed’, and that officially adopting it could create ‘a backdoor blasphemy law’, restricting anyone from legitimately criticising Islamic beliefs or practices. Yet it has already been adopted by several political parties and local councils. One signatory, Tim Dieppe of Christian Concern, said, ‘The problem with the term “Islamophobia” is that it inevitably conflates the religion with the people. It may be that attempting to define this term in ways that will not restrict free speech turns out to be extremely difficult, if not impossible.’