Displaying items by tag: Community

Jesus encourages us to love the people around us: our neighbour, a stranger on the bus, a shop assistant. This weekend - the National Prayer Weekend - provides an opportunity to show God’s love to people in our communities by asking if they have anything they want us to pray for.

(Emily Owen, National Prayer Weekend)

A humanitarian crisis is developing on Antigua as a result of the devastation wreaked on Barbuda by Hurricane Irma, according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne. He told the UN General Assembly, ‘Overnight Antigua’s population increased by almost 3%. I know of no country that could easily cope with such an unplanned and unexpected increase in its population.’ In addition to providing shelter, accommodation, and basic necessities to the evacuated Barbudans, Antigua’s social services need to provide school places for an additional 600 children; medical services for many elderly; and a means of income for the able-bodied. Preliminary estimates place the cost of rebuilding Barbuda at £185 million - over 15% of the country’s GDP. The PM said it was a stretch beyond their reach: ‘Barbuda is not only a natural disaster, it is a humanitarian crisis that now consumes Antigua.’

Hundreds of thousands of people have been rescued as devastating floods continue to ravage Texas. Many people are refusing to allow it to crush their spirits. Instead, they are courageously choosing to join relief efforts. A Houston pastor took it upon himself to check vehicles stranded on what had been Texas State Highway 288. Although it was dangerous, he waded out to vehicles looking for people trapped inside. ‘He wanted to make sure those cars were empty’, said Brian Roberson, who witnessed the pastor’s bravery. ‘It was so powerful to see first-hand.’ Another man drove his jeep around roads looking for flood victims to save. Many other stories of bravery and the undefeatable human spirit are emerging, even as the floodwaters continue to rise. Good Samaritans are offering boats, water and food to those trapped in flooded homes. See:

A family court judge has ordered that a five-year-old Christian child, who had been placed with strict Muslim foster-parents, should live with her Muslim grandmother. A leaked internal document from Tower Hamlets council said the child was ‘very distressed’ after her foster-parents had taken a necklace with a Christian cross from her and banned her from eating bacon. Judge Khatun Sapnara made this decision at Tower Hamlets’ request. The Children's Commissioner, Anne Longfield, said her office would contact Tower Hamlets with questions regarding placing a Christian girl with two Muslim foster families within six months. Media reporting on the case has been criticised by the Muslim community, who said the family dispute had been seized upon in an effort to demonise Islam.

Speaking during a tour of the £800-million Countesswells new town development in Scotland on 30 August, the Scottish Conservative Party leader, Ruth Davidson, said there were still fewer homes being built than before the financial crash. She added, ‘We know there is a lack of housing across Scotland. We really need to get our fingers out and build more houses across the country. This new community simply wouldn’t happen without the support of the UK Government.’ Earlier this year 636 homes were earmarked for first-time buyers and renters by the Battersea Power Station Development Company, but by July it was offering only 386 affordable homes. The developers said the entire project may become financially unviable if they are forced to stick to their original figure, adding that they made the undertaking when London’s new-build market was booming and construction costs were lower. See:

On Sunday the Bring Back Our Girls Group (BBOG) applauded the federal government and security agencies on the release of 82 more Chibok girls. Their release was negotiated through the combined efforts of security agencies, the military, the Swiss government, the Red Cross, and local and international NGOs. 21 girls had been set free last October, and the government committed to rescuing the 113 girls who are still captive. A spokesperson for the Young Women Political Forum urged the ministry of women’s affairs and the ministry of health to work together to provide the girls and their parents with adequate psychological counselling. Pray that communities will accept these victims of rape, who are now mothers with babies and no husbands. See also the Prayer Alert world article 3.

Data released by the Metropolitan Police showed that the number of reported acid attacks in London rose by 74% in 2016; over 1,800 attacks involving corrosive fluid have been reported since 2010. Acid is a popular weapon for gangs, as it is easy to obtain and it can be difficult to identify the attacker. Schoolchildren are increasingly using acid as a weapon instead of knives. The attacks, known as ‘dosing’, happen when youths smuggle acid or ammonia into school hidden inside drinks bottles. One 18-year-old told the Sunday Times that many were using bottles of cheap household cleaner as weapons. He claimed he has carried acid since he was 12, and said that he could get it for £5 and mess someone’s whole life up. He added, ‘A lot of people ain’t got the heart to stab people. It’s just easier to squirt someone.’ The police are appealing for parents’ help in tackling the problem.

Loving your neighbour begins with sacrificing time to pray for them. Bringing five neighbours before God regularly, praying for them to become Christians, will lead to people getting to know Jesus for themselves. Neighbourhood Prayer Network can testify that this has already happened on a number of streets across the UK. Will you join many others praying for their neighbours?

(Rebekah Brettle, Neighbourhood Prayer Network)

Research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has revealed that two years ago 19 million people in the UK, nearly one in three, were living on less than the Minimum Income Standard (MIS). The problem is that household costs are rising, while incomes have stagnated. The Government has already said it is taking action to raise incomes, after Theresa May identified those ‘just about managing’. The MIS is based on what members of the public think is a reasonable income to live on. A single person renting a flat outside London is said to need to earn at least £17,300 a year to reach the MIS, and for a working couple with two children, living in social housing, each of the individuals need to earn £18,900 a year. The figures include six million children - 45% of all children in Britain. There are also 1.8 million pensioners, 14.6% of the age group. The figures are up from 15 million, or 25% of the population, six years previously. The report warns that many families which are just about managing are in danger of falling into poverty. That is despite record levels of employment.

‘One of the most important issues of our time is how to integrate refugees into German society. Integration works best by involvement in everyday life - in a day-care centre or school, in learning a trade or in a place of work. Here the refugees can come into direct contact with the German language and culture and can also become familiar with the social norms and customs of our society. Integration into the job market however takes time; this might be because of lack of qualifications, or few opportunities for apprenticeships or vocational training. Many refugees remain in temporary accommodation for a long time, with no prospects for work or a more permanent place to live. The ready availability of social housing is an essential component of a successful integration plan: but a home of your own must be affordable not only for refugees but also for the low wage earners, the unemployed and pensioners. These also should not be forgotten! Much patience is often expected also from them. To ensure the keeping of peace and harmony in communities, the task of effective integration requires our constant prayer.’