Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

Politicians and the Bank of England now say that the chances of a ‘no deal’ scenario are high, and may leave the UK with no trading deals in place. Pray that a spirit of fear will not entrench our nation. WTO's director general believes ‘this is not going to be a situation where all trade stops and there is collapse in terms of the economy as a whole. The tendency is that prices will go up because you have to absorb the cost of that disruption’. The WTO facilitates 164 countries, without free trade agreements with each other, to trade using the same tax on imports and the same limits on the number of goods. After Brexit, the UK could lower/waive tariffs to stimulate free trade. Cheaper products could enter UK, but some UK producers could fold. We can pray for business to thrive. The UK already trades under WTO rules with China, US, Brazil and Australia, plus any country without a trade agreement with the EU.

Christian charity Operation Noah has launched an animated film designed to help Christians around the world recognise the human cost of climate change - particularly for women and children. According to the charity, while most adults in the UK think that climate change is real and caused primarily by human activity, many Christians don't yet see it as a faith issue. Recent polling indicates that environmental issues are seen as less important by conservative Christians than in other parts of the church. Inspired by real-life stories, the film tells the story of a seven-year-old girl living on a South Pacific island who is already experiencing the impacts of climate change. UN figures indicate that women and children are 14 times more likely than men to die or be injured during extreme weather events.

The Refugee Council works with refugees and asylum-seekers in the UK, offering practical support and advice throughout their journey. For over sixty years it has helped people fleeing war, rape, or torture. Refugees have unimaginable stories to tell. Many have lost everything, and their lives will never return to normal. The council supports them and empowers them to rebuild their lives. Pray for all those helping refugees as they make the challenging first steps towards resettlement. Pray that they can obtain the necessary immigration documentation and move towards accessing a source of income or interim financial support. Pray for God to anoint the counsellors who assess refugees with physical and mental health problems. Pray for more stable and secure accommodation to be available across our nations for those who need it.

Two children and eight adults received ‘pellet-type wounds’ at a Moss Side street party at its Caribbean carnival. Moss Side has done much work in recent years to remove its reputation of drugs, gangs and violence. Former police officer Martin Harding, who now works with local schools, said that the number of shootings has significantly fallen in recent years as the area re-invented its image. The carnival was a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Windrush arrival. The shootings shocked the local community. The rector of St James’s Church said that they were praying that this kind of violence doesn't develop. In a message to the families of those hurt, he added, ‘We love you. We'll be praying for you. We hope your loved ones will be recovering fast. If anybody needs to talk about this, then our door is always open.’ See also

Churches around the country have begun 100 days of prayer for peace to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War. A similar national day of prayer was held on 4 August 1918; 100 days after this, Armistice Day occurred. Communities across the country are being encouraged to organise peace prayer events, community peace talks, peace festivals, peace arts and poetry competitions, peace projects and many more community building activities. In London, people are praying for peace, especially in the light of rising knife crime. Blackburn Cathedral invites people to ‘come in and light a candle or use our prayer resources over the next 99 days’.

From 5 to 7 October, UCB are asking churches across the UK (and anyone else who wants to get involved) to help raise support for UCB, by going for a walk! It might be a sponsored stroll with a few friends, an organised walk with people after church on Sunday, or people might even take on a much more challenging hike across the whole of the UK. Every single mile walked by every single person counts! The UCB team will be walking to add to the big total. They said, ‘Between us, can we walk enough miles to cover the distance from John O’Groats to Land’s End, and raise funds for UCB to share God’s Word the length and breadth of the UK at the same time?’

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) called on Britain’s NHS to update its policy regarding fertility service coverage, alleging ‘current policy discriminates against transgender people.’ The EHRC wrote a pre-action letter to the NHS pressuring Britain’s health care system to change ‘outdated’ fertility policies, saying that policies should cover the cost of egg-freezing procedures for transgenders because many become infertile as a result of hormone treatments. The transgender and LGBT communities applauded the EHRC objections, ‘We welcome this challenge from the EHRC,’ said Stonewall’s director of campaigns. ‘We know the government are committed to improving health and social care provision for all LGBT people, and addressing barriers to fertility support would be a positive step forward in this process.’ On August 1 Stonewall tweeted, ‘The government consultation on reforming the outdated Gender Recognition Act has launched. We want the voices of trans people and allies heard loud and clear. Find out more #ComeOutForTransEquality in the #GRA consultation

Ruth Davidson - who is the leader of the Scottish Conservatives - has been speaking out following the comments by Boris Johnson about the Burka. The Christian MSP suggested we should defend the right of Muslim women to wear the burka in the same way we defend the right of Christians to wear a cross. She was speaking after the former foreign secretary compared the burka to a letter box and women who wear it to look like bank robbers. Theresa May asked him to apologise. With no apology forthcoming, founder and president of the Conservative Muslim Forum Lord Sheikh said the party should take ‘severe action’ against Mr Johnson. On the other hand, Christian, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said there was no need for Mr Johnson to apologise and an imam who has previously criticised the burka said Mr Johnson should not ‘apologise for telling the truth’. The debate continues.

‘Prospects’ groups are based on two main principles. Firstly, that all people should have an opportunity to hear the Christian message including those with learning disabilities, and secondly, all people are capable of responding to the Christian message because it is a matter of belief and trust, not intellect and ability. In the UK one in fifty people have learning disabilities and Prospects seeks to befriend such people, explain the Christian message in a relevant way, and provide a sympathetic environment where people can grow in their understanding and respond to the message. Prospects meetings can be held in church halls, for meeting-centred ministry, or in the home of a helper, or a residential home for friendship-centred ministry. Helpers make home visits, take people out, provide transport and above all engage in personal discipleship in a way that people with special needs can respond to.

More than 5,000 potential modern slaves were referred for help last year but the CPS only prosecuted 239 suspects, a small fraction of potential cases flagged to authorities. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it was committed to improving its response to forced labour and sexual and criminal exploitation after MPs warned that a national strategy had ‘yet to result in coherent action’. Alison Saunders, the outgoing director of public prosecutions, said, ‘Modern slavery has a devastating, lasting impact on its victims. There is no place in our society for those who enslave others, whether for work, sexual or criminal exploitation or domestic servitude. Referrals to the CPS from police and agencies rose by a third and prosecutors said the increase was part of a ‘dedicated drive to clamp down on slavery-related crime’.