US churches challenge anti-poor law

The National Council of Churches USA, an official ecumenical body, and 29 other American faith-based organizations, are urging the US Congress to end a law they say hurts poor families who need legal advice.

“Our faith calls us to advocate for the ‘least of these’ within our society, and to seek the common good,” says the Rev Dr Eileen Lindner, the NCC’s Deputy General Secretary for Research and Planning. “The protection of the access to legal counsel for rich and poor alike stands at the heart of the commonweal and is consistent with our moral precepts.”

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Pakistan government apologises for attacks on churches

Christians in Pakistan have been offered a government apology over an attack by Muslim militants, in a gesture described as “a hopeful sign” by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

Dr Williams has been on a tour of Pakistan and has asked the country's president, Pervez Musharraf, to review the country’s controversial blasphemy laws

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Priest Idol - Episode 3

Tonight was the third and final episode of the excellent series Priest Idol.

The program starts with the "Church Lite - It's better for you" adverts being put up on the advertising boarding. And then a car drives around the village, towing a big advertisement boarding. Some people notice it but it does not seem to be having a big effect. Apathy is still the problem.

The interior designer completes the work on the reflection zone and the PCC come to see it. Despite their initial misgivings, three of them are ok with it, the other member is not!

Next, a sales training team are bought in to help train the church members to be better at inviting their fellow villagers along to the church. They have a practice session at a party in the church grounds and it does not go too well.

Various new noticeboards are put up with the Church Lite message on them to publicise the campaign.

The church members then distribute light bulbs to all the village, inside the package is an invitation to attend the Church Lite launch event. The priest goes into the social club and hands some out, but it seems that the members are not interested in attending.

In keeping with the Church Lite theme the priest gets a new robe for himself and the lad who carries the cross into the church each week.

The local comedian comes in and sees the priest and gives him some tips about making the people feel welcome and special. He says to the priest that this could be the biggest event in Lundwood since the miners strike.

The big day comes - Church Lite launch event. On the Saturday the church has a barbeque with a juggler and fireworks and 300 people attend. The priest thanks them and reminds them that the new Church Lite Sunday service is on the next day and invites them to attend.

Sunday arrives. Everyone is impressed with how nice the church looks, much hard work has gone into it for this day. A New Testament Gospel Choir are bought in for the service. Comedian Jimmy Cricket is the guest speaker. However will the people come to the new kind of church? The good news is yes! Over 200 hundred people pack into the church. It's good to see the kids there, some young people and a number of families also. Everyone enjoyed the service and was clapping and joining in with the Gospel choir. What was also encouraging was that the traditionalists who were uneasy with the Church Lite concept all joined in and enjoyed it.

Three months later after the Church Launch event, a Family Service is launched and the theme of the first one is football. 52 people attend. The PCC despite their initial misgivings are happy. It was good to see the way that the PCC were prepared to adapt and change.

The final word should go to the Archdeacon whose ideas this all was, "The job of the Church is to take risks."

Advent

Yesterday was the first Sunday in Advent. In fact Advent is actually the start of the new church year. In Advent we prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ - the true meaning of Christmas. We also look forward to the return of Christ.

Advent involves waiting. When Jesus was born about 2,000 years many people were waiting for God to send his Messiah to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Roman Empire and establish God's kingdom on earth. However, although they were waiting, they missed the Messiah as he came in a way they were not expecting. Not everybody missed him though. When Jesus was born both Simeon and the devout woman recognised him as the Christ.

When Jesus returns again, we will all recognise him as he will be returning as a king this time. Let us all be ready for this.

For more information on Advent please visit the website in the link below:

http://www.cresourcei.org/cyadvent.html

Archbishop of Canterbury calls for Pakistan blasphemy review

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has called on President Musharraf of Pakistan to review the country’s controversial blasphemy law. The Archbishop is in Pakistan to visit quake-stricken zones in the north, to meet with church leaders, and to promote inter-faith understanding.

The appeal from the spiritual head of the world’s 77 million Anglicans comes a few days after the violence perpetrated against the Christian community of Sangla Hill.

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Christian Aid laments receding trade talk hopes

“These negotiations are teetering on the brink ... rich countries do not have the will to make the concessions required to allow progress.” So said Claire Melamed of the UK-based international development agency Christian Aid today, responding to receding prospects for the forthcoming world trade talks.

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Turkey under pressure on minority religious rights

The European Commission has criticised Turkey for infringing Christian and minority religious rights, a month after the country began talks with the aim of joining the 25-nation European Union, writes Jonathan Luxmore for Ecumenical News International.

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Aid agency warns of southern Africa food shortages

Christian aid agency Tearfund is this week launching an emergency appeal for funds as more than 11 million people across southern Africa face acute food shortages.

Tearfund's partners in the region say the humanitarian crisis will deepen in the coming months if rapid international action is not taken.

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Revival still at the heart of Life Action Ministries

Life Action Ministries is dedicated to one thing; to see God glorified through a revival among His people. This purpose has carried Life Action for over three decades of work alongside the churches and clergy in the United States. Today, Life Action Ministries is the largest revival ministry in North America, with a staff of over 170 workers.

One aspect of their work is with four full-time revival teams that travel around the country. They take over a church for three weeks of revival preaching, dynamic worship with the Life Action Singers, prayer ministries, youth and family seminars, tailoring a program to maximize spiritual growth.

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Hunger kills '6m children a year'

No developing region is on track to meet the international goal of reducing the number of hungry people by half, a UN agency has warned.

Nearly six million children die from hunger or malnutrition every year, the Food and Agriculture Organisation says.

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It is a disgrace that the rich nations are not doing more to rectify this problem, especially as many of the deaths result from treatable diseases.

'There's no such thing as the perfect sermon. Thank God'

The Rev Mervyn Roberts was halfway through his sermon when he began to feel an unsettling pressure on his bladder. Ever the professional, he pressed on regardless. But then, just as he was expounding on the textual intricacies of Psalm 42, disaster struck.

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Bush preaches religious freedom

The President uses a pulpit in Beijing to speak up for the persecuted Christian minority in China

For his father, Gangwashi church in Beijing was “a home away from home” where he used to head on his bicycle for the Sunday service. For his sister Dorothy, it was the church where she was baptised as a teenager. For President Bush, Gangwashi church offered a pulpit yesterday where he could break with diplomatic nicety to urge China’s Communist leaders to allow freedom of religion.

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Chinese Christians step out of shadows for Bush

China's Christians are more used to police surveillance and harassment and worshipping in secret than basking in the limelight. But a visit by US President George Bush to the Gangwashi Church near Tiananmen Square for a morning's service, offered a rare chance for them to step out of the shadows.

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Priest Idol - Episode 2

The second episode of Priest Idol was on Channel 4 tonight following Father James McCaskill and his ministry at St Magdalene's in the village of Lundwood.

Father James is faced with the problem that most of the village only consider attending Church on three occasions: Christenings, Weddings and Funerals. How can he persuade them to attend on other occasions? Although he tries hard to think of different ideas, the weekly congregation struggles to reach double figures.

The marketing team, who the Archdeacon has employed, attend a Sunday morning service. They didn't really understand the service and found it boring. One of them said that it was dull and needed some theatre.

In additon to this, the church building itself is discovered to have dry rot. Also there are problems with the roof. So as well as the spiritual challenges they face, there are also practical issues which need addressing.

An interior designer visits the church and has some suggestions and how it can be improved. However, the Priest is advised that he will need a Faculty for these changes.

The market research team speak to some of the village residents, who comment that the Church is "too stuffy". The team then visit a Church in Wakefield, who host a "Cafe Church." They enjoyed the Church service and it helped give them some ideas of how they can bring more people into the Lundwood Church.

Father James, the Archdeacon and one of the Church Wardens goes to a meeting with the Marketing team. They are told that the Church needs to be relaunched and come up with a slogan, "Church Lite - It's better for you." In addition to that they also had the following slogans: "Easier to digest"; "Conversation not conversion"; "Church with a difference"; "More songs of Dido than Songs of Praise"; "10 minutes peace rather than 10 commandments." Although the Church Warden is uneasy with the slogan "Church Lite" they decide to proceed with the idea - although it will need to be approved by the PCC.

Before the PCC meeting, is Holy Week and that goes well. The church go on a prayer walk around the village and stop and pray at various points. They take a real live donkey with them. The walk goes well and eventually 50 people follow the Priest and donkey into the Church to complete the service. James is encouraged as that is the biggest congregation he has had since starting in Lundwood. One 10 year old boy starts attending church and comes to faith.

The PCC meet to discuss the "Church Lite - It's better for you" rebranding campaign. The marketing team attend and explain their thinking. After much discussion, the PCC reluctantly decide to agree to the relaunch. However, the traditionalists are unhappy. Sadly, some senior members of the congregation start giving Father James "the cold shoulder".

There are also some changes to the interior which also upset the traditionalists. One of these being a "Chill out" area, which is being designed at the back of the Church and the font is moved to create space for a glass coffee table. The church elders are not happy!

However, "Church Lite" is being launched and part of that will mean dealing with tradition. The final episode is next Monday

Foreign missionaries under pressure in Russia

Reports indicate Russia may begin to tighten control over foreign missionaries in the weeks ahead. According to reports the Justice Ministry plans to tighten the rules for granting visas to foreign missionaries. That's causing a major stir in religious sectors.

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Chancellor warns Christians that global justice will take a lifetime

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown MP has told Christians that their campaigning efforts for debt relief and increased aid levels had brought results that no-one could have foreseen - but warned that their work will take a 'lifetime' to complete.

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Lutherans back low-income homes in US and Caribbean

As concerns continue about the gap between the rich and the poor, Lutheran Services in America (LSA) has launched an initiative to further support low-income families and, it hopes, change the face of affordable housing in the Caribbean and the United States.

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Church aid agency pitches flying toilets at radio

Christian Aid has launched its 2005 seasonal gifts catalogue with a spoof Christmas single ‘Feeling flush this Christmas?’ to help tackle sanitation problems such as ‘flying toilets’ which affect many people in third world slums.

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Indonesian Christians in fear after attacks and beheadings

Christians and foreigners living in many parts of Indonesia, the word’s most populous Muslim nation, are increasingly fearful for their safety following the Bali bombings and a series of brutal religious attacks over the past few weeks.

On Saturday police in Sulawesi announced that two young women had been attacked on Friday by assailants on motorbikes armed with machetes. A 20-year-old woman died and her friend was injured.

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Neglect of poor in US budget bill immoral, says leading evangelical

Social justice campaigner and Christian leader Jim Wallis has launched a swingeing attack on the “immorality” of some US politicians after their failure to support vulnerable communities in a budget bill.

In spite of enormous pressure from churches and welfare groups, the US House of Representatives yesterday narrowly passed a budget proposal (217-215) that, if enacted, would make severe cuts to our nation's most vital anti-poverty programmes – such as food stamps, Medicaid, and child care.

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Good news bears slim hopes in Niger's food crisis.

Niger(MNN)--Niger's recent harvest may cut short a feared famine.

It's a slim hope in a country still trying to come back from multiple disasters that affected food security for over three and a half million people and killed thousands.

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Evangelical scholars to tackle issues raised by ‘da Vinci Code’

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (BP)--How did Christianity begin?

For centuries, the answer to that question was taken for granted, but the popularity of revisionist history like Dan Brown’s novel, “The da Vinci Code,” is causing the world’s largest society of evangelical scholars to once again defend Scripture against attacks on its truthfulness.

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Docu-Drama Focuses on Martyred Missionaries

In 1956 two worlds collided, beginning a journey beyond fear, beyond violence, beyond forgiveness. Now, Twentieth Century Fox goes beyond the big screen to bring a story of faith and forgiveness to the hearts of millions with its recent home video release of Beyond the Gates of Splendor.

Based on a true story inspired by Elisabeth Elliot's best-seller, Through Gates of Splendor, this award-winning documentary-drama highlights the lives of five North American missionaries -- Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming, Ed McCully and Roger Youderian -- who were brutally slain by the savage Waodani tribe in Ecuador. Vintage 16-mm films and still photographs combined with re-enactments and personal interviews of the surviving family members and Waodani tribesmen provide audiences with an authentic portrayal of a tragedy turned to triumph.

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Queen addresses post-Christendom

The Queen opened the Church of England's General Synod yesterday by addressing the post-Christendom context in which both church and state find themselves, suggesting the situation presented new opportunities for the church.

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Pakistan minority leaders condemn arson attacks on churches

Church leaders and representatives of other Pakistani minority communities have united to denounce a series of arson attacks on churches and Christian settlements in the rural town of Sangla Hill in the Punjab province.

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Soul Obession by Nicky Cruz

Read a review of Nicky Cruz's new book

Priest Idol

The first episode of a three part series called Priest Idol was shown on Channel 4 tonight. For the last year the television cameras have been following Father James McCaskill around as he took up the job of vicar at St Magdalene, the only remaining church left in Lundwood.

Lundwood is a village on the outskirts of Barnsley. It was once a mining town, but since the last pit was closed in 1991 the area has been in decline. There is high unemployment in the village, drug problems and teenage pregnancies. Village life seems to focus around the community centre. St Magdalene's, is struggling to make an impact in Lundwood. The church building is not in the best condition, the congregation just about reaches double figure and most of them are over 50 years old.

The Archdeacon of Pontefract, whose responsibilities include Lundwood, has advertised for a new vicar. Only one person applied an American priest from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After being given a tour of the local area and surviving an interview with the church wardens he is offered the job and accepts it. There is one small catch, in the bottom of his contract is a clause saying that television cameras would be following him as they are making a documentary in the parish!

The new priest goes to the local community centre and introduces himself and invites the people to come to church. One or two said they would, but most people were apathetic towards the church. The Archdeacon conducts the new priests induction service and there are three new people in the congregation. However, two of them are James' parents!

The priest is determined to see numbers grow in the church and whenever possible invites people to come along to the 10am Sunday morning service. Unfortuantely, church numbers continue to remain low. However, James is not easily discouraged and continues to build up relationships with the local people. He is particularly keen to see young people come to church. The priest goes along to the local comedy club and strikes up a friendship with the local comedian Toby Foster, who gives him some coaching in sermon delivery.

The Archdeacon of Pontefract in a bold move calls in a marketing team, called Propaganda based in Leeds to "sell God." The marketing team visit Lundwood and begin to realise that this will not be an easy job, especially when the priest tells them that he wants to see teenagers in the church. Some of the marketing team interviewed some local teenagers to get their views on God and the church.

James continues to build up relationships and again ponders how to get young people to church. He visits the local boxing club and asks the trainer for advice. In addition he visits a local school and is quizzed by many of the young people. He starts to realise that he needs to offer them something different to the normal Sunday morning 10am service. The priest has a pizza evening after school at church which is popular and enables him to continue to build up relationships.

As Christmas approaches some of the village school choir agree to sing in the Christmas carol service. At last a group of teenagers come along to the church for a service. The priest asks them to remember where they are and to behave in church and remove their baseball hats. The teenagers sat down during some singing which upset a congregation member, who then told them to stop wearing their baseball hats inside the church. Sadly they walked out of the service and the priest looked disappointed.

The program finished with the priest on a ladder painting over some derogatory graffiti concerning God on a roof in the church grounds. He seemed quite discouraged, but not willing to give up the struggle.

Personally speaking I admire the courage of James McCaskill in taking on this role. Lundwood is a tough area and many priests would not envy him. I guess that's why he was the only one who applied for the position!

BBC poll shows changes in faith and secularism across UK

I'm not sure who exactly they interview for these "faith polls" but I have never been asked! Still you may find the following interesting if you like polls.

A new opinion poll conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) suggests a persistence of religious belief in the UK, a growth in outright secularism, and widespread ignorance of other people’s convictions among different faith communities

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Remembrance Sunday

Today is remembrance Sunday. This is the day where we remember those who died in wars whilst serving their country. For many it will bring back painful memories of loved ones and friends who did not return from combat. Along with many others we had two minute silence in Church at 11am today. There were some members of our congregation who were wearing their medals today. Some of these were from the second world war, whilst others were from more recent conflicts.

It was mentioned in our Church service today how soldiers were prepared to lay down their life for their country. This is a message that Christians can relate to, as it reminds us how God sent his only son Jesus who laid down his own life for us so that we might live. By dying for us Jesus defeated sin and death on the cross and made it possible for us to receive God's forgiveness and assurance of eternal life. All we need do is cry out to him today.

Mission Bell - Delirious?

TodayI bought "Mission Bell" which is the new Delirious CD. I'm currently listening to it for the second time as I write. My initial impression of it is that both the music and lyrics are very strong. If you are a Delirious fan then obviously it's essential listening and I think that any Christian who has an interest in music should check it out.

The following two items are from the unofficial Delirious website run by Dave Wood and make good reading:

Mission Bell CD review

Mission Bell CD lyrics

Christian aid groups launch virtual gifts for Christmas

Christian aid groups are making their mark in the run up to Christmas by launching a range of innovative and creative virtual gifts which will provide some great inspiration for shoppers, but also aid some of the world's poorest people.

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Prayer Patrol in Bristol

On the ITV news tonight there was a feature on a road in Bristol which has won the dubious reputation of being the worst street for crime in the country. ITV sent one of their news team to live there for 4 days so that they could get an idea of what life was like in that area.

By 11am in the morning the prostitutes are out looking for clients so that they might fund their drug habits. One of them was interviewed by ITV and she said that she was 33 years old and had been hooked on heroin for 18 years. She admitted that her life was in a sad state but was powerless to do anything about it. It was sad listening to her speaking and to see her life being destroyed by drugs.

One of the local residents took the ITV man to a local park and the place was full of heroin needles. Parents refuse to let their children play in this park.

However, in this area with so many problems and much apparent misery a brave group of people are taking to the streets. They are the Prayer Patrol. The Prayer Patrol are a group of brave Christians who are walking the streets and using the power of prayer to bring change to the area. Here are some pictures of them at work.

Don't forget to pray for these brave Christians who are out there on the front line trying to influence the area for Christ. Here is an interview with the leader Rev Dawnecia Palmer

The Cross Is Not Fashionable

Read this excellent article by Robert Michaels on the "The Cross is Not Fashionable"

Spiritual Warfare

Last night at housegroups we continued our studies on "Angels" by looking at the subject of spiritual warfare. The passage we used as the basis of our study was Ephesians 6:10-20.

This particular section of scripture is very descriptive as Paul uses the example of a Roman soldier and his attire to illustrate his point. Everyone in Ephesus and the world of the early Church would have been very familar with the sight of a Roman soldier. In fact every time they saw a Roman soldier it would have been a reminder to them of this portion of scripture.

Every Christian whether they like it or not is involved in a spiritual battle. We cannot choose to avoid it. However, it can be easy to become unbalanced on spiritual warfare. Some Christians do not believe in a personal devil, whilst others see the devil hiding under every stone. Both positions are incorrect.

If you wish to grow as a Christian and to be used by God at some stage you will encounter spiritual opposition. This can come in varying forms. Much of Jesus' oppposition came from religious people. In fact religious people can still be a problem!

In Ephesians 6:11 and Ephesians 6:13 Paul states the importance of putting on the full armour of God. One of the dangers of not putting on the full armour and only putting some of it on is that we can leave ourself open to attack. The devil is a crafty enemy and he knows our weak points so it is very important that we wear the full armour and not give the devil a foothold.

Prayer is a very important weapon in our struggle. Both personal prayer and communal prayer. In Ephesians 6:19-20 Paul is not hesitant in asking his fellow Christian brothers and sisters to pray for him. He actually gives them specific prayer requests. It is very helpful to have someone with whom you can share your prayer requests. This might be a prayer partner or members of your housegroup. In the exact opposite way to which the world works in admitting your weakness you can find strength to continue through the prayers of the saints.

Whilst it is important not to underestimate the power of our enemy, don't forget that Jesus defeated on on the cross as Colossians 2:15 reminds us.

House Church Leader Jailed For Three Years As Chinese President Visits UK

On the day Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in the United Kingdom, Pastor Cai Zhuohua, a prominent Beijing house church leader, was sentenced to three years. He will appeal to Beijing Intermediate Court.

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Brother Andrew Interview

Listen to the Brother Andrew Interview

Reformation in Foreign Missions

"Reformation in Foreign Missions" is a book written by Bob Finley. I have not personally read it, to be honest I only learnt about it 5 minutes ago! This is though a very interesting review I read on the book from the Christian Aid website.

I've also found another review of the book on David Mays website too which goes into slightly more depth.

I think this book will certainly get many missionary organisations thinking!

Are the Hurricanes God's judgement on USA?

I read an article on a website last week in which the writer was saying that he believed that the recent hurricanes in New Orleans, Florida and the Mexican coast were God's judgement on those various cities and towns. In the article he mentioned reasons why these particular places were judged. It was an interesting article that made you think.

Personally speaking I would not be as confident as the person who wrote the article in making this claim. If anyone asks me this question directly I think I will have to say I do not know the answer to it! That might sound like an easy answer, but I do not find those questions easy to address.

On the UCB website today there is an interesting article by R T Kendall on this question. Have a read and see what you think?

French Riots

More than a week of violence in France has missionaries on alert. While the violence has only claimed one life so far, nearly 1,500 vehicles have been burned as minority-Muslim youth ravage the streets.

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As the streets riots that began primarily among young migrants in Paris 12 days ago spread across the country, at least two churches and a number of mosques have been impacted by the continuing wave of unrest.

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Narnia to be inspiration for Christmas services

The new Chronicles of Narnia film is to set the scene for church services across the country this Christmas. The connection between the author CS Lewis’ Narnia stories and the Christian Gospel is well known and the tales are said beautifully illustrate the Christian story.

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American know-how helps vicar breathe new life into parish

An American vicar hired to resuscitate a dying parish has more than quadrupled his congregation with an innovative marketing campaign.
In an experiment that will be watched across the Church of England, the Rev James McCaskill was given the seemingly impossible task of reversing the fortunes of the parish of St Mary Magdalene in Lundwood, a former mining community near Barnsley.

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Prisoners find 'oldest church'

Archaeologists have discovered what they believe to be the oldest Christian church in the Holy Land, dating back to the 3rd or 4th century.
The find was at the most incongruous of sites — inside a high-security Israeli prison holding Hamas and Islamic Jihad prisoners near the biblical site of Armageddon, now Megiddo.

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Pray for the Church in Belarus

The Church in Belarus is in need of our prayer support as they face some difficult times.

Belarusian Christians fined again for worship

A missions team confirms trouble reports in Belarus

Billy Graham

As Dr. Billy Graham gets ready to celebrate his 87th birthday next week, official word has come from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association that his final large venue crusade at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in New York, held between June 24-26, 2005, was in fact his last.

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The Parable of the Ten Maidens or Virgins

First Sunday of the month is the family service at my Church. This is taken by lay members of the congregation as opposed to the clergy. The sermon was taken from Matthew 25:1-13 which is the parable of the ten maidens or virgins depending on which translation one uses. However, whatever version you use the challenge is still the same - are you ready for the return of Christ?

The preacher was encouraging us to be ready for His return and to make sure we are fully prepared. From a personal viewpoint I know it can be very easy to drift along as a Christian and forget about the return of Christ. We need to remain alert and to keep our focus on God each day. One of the best ways to do this is to ensure that we read our Bibles and pray daily. Spending time with God each day should be high on our priority list.

The service finished with "Shine Jesus, Shine" - and only lasted 35 minutes too!

Strange Times

Last night we put our heating on for the winter. Although that might not sound like the most fascinating piece of information you've ever heard, it's actually a month later then I would normally do that. October in Farnborough has been very mild! I'm not sure whether it's what the experts call "global warming" but the weather in England seems to be different from when I was a child. In those days we had four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. We just don't seem to get that any more. Where have the frosts gone? Even today as I look out of the window there is bright sunshine. These are strange times weather wise!

Open Doors Resource Pack For International Day of Prayer

Egi Latapapua, an Indonesian mother and widow whose husband was shot dead by Islamic extremists three years ago and Hamid Pourmand, imprisoned in Iran since last year for his Christian faith, are just two of the of the faithful Christians featured in the Open Doors International Day of Prayer (IDOP) pack for November 6, 2005.

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Christians Team up to Help Pakistani Quake Victims

Pakistan (MNN) -- As the death toll continues to climb in the aftermath of the Pakistan earthquake, Christians are trying to prevent more death. Many are now suffering from the residual affects of the disaster.
HCJB World Radio's seven member medical team is in Pakistan, assisting SIM International reach out with God's love. HCJB's Brad Quist is on the ground there. "SIM was very concerned about the health care needs of earthquake victims in Pakistan and they put out a call to various agencies asking for help. And, so HCJB offered to send a medical team."

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Respect Award Dedicated in Memory of Murdered Liverpool Teenager

Anthony Walker, the Liverpool school boy murdered in July, will be remembered at a national awards ceremony next week. The Champions of Respect awards honour young people making a positive contribution to their communities. The event on 10 November is organised by the Evangelical Alliance who have dedicated the top prize in memory of the teenager, who attended an Alliance member church.

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God's unfailing love

I read Psalm 33 this morning which contained the following verses:

"But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD;he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice,for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us,O LORD,even as we put our hope in you."

It's good to know that despite the surprises and uncertainties that life throws at us we can place our hope in God's unfailing love. That is one thing that is constant and trustworthy. God's love is always there as Paul said to the church in Roman "Nothing can separate us from the love of God." That does not mean that everything will go our way or that we will not be confused at times and wonder why God has allowed things to happen. However, it does mean we can put our faith in his eternal love.

Lamentations 3 says:

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;great is your faithfulness."

The challenge for us all is to continue to put our trust in his love even through difficult and challenging times.

Change

I went on a course today at work called "Managing Change." My employer has recently merged with another company and therefore there is change on the horizon. Some people's working patterns will change and others will be doing different jobs with new responsibilities. Staff will react to this in differing ways, some will embrace change and some will resist it. There will be some who will look back on what they perceive as the good old days and will remember those days with fondness and not want to move forward and change.

As Christians we can too face this problem. We all know that there are changes that need to be made in our individual and Church lifes but we can be very resistant to change. After God rescued the Israelites from Pharaoh it didn't take them long to start complaining and saying that they wanted to go back to Egypt. They seemed to have had rather selective memory about the past they left behind in Egypt. It suddenly seemed very appealing and they quickly forgot about the hardships they had endured under Pharaoh.

How do we react when we feel God wants changes in our lifes? Do we rejoice that He is refining us and changing us to be conformed to His image or do we resist and moan? Lets ensure that with God's grace that we embrace change and grew in our relationship with Christ.

A Brave Lady

Yesterday was the funeral of Rosa Parks whose refusal to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery prompted a mass black boycott of buses, organised by Rev Martin Luther King Jr. The movement culminated in the 1964 Civil Rights Act and an end to segregation, but not without cost to Mrs Parks, who was forced to leave Alabama for Detroit as a result of a hate campaign.

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Housegroups

It's housegroups again tonight and our group will be continuing our study on Angels. This week we are looking at Mark 5:1-20 where Jesus casts the demon out of the possessed man and sends it into the pigs who then drown in the lake. What a transformation in the man after he had met with Jesus! It can be best sumed up in Jesus' words to him at the end of this passage:

'As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.'

I bet they were amazed! What a change in his life. We need to see more of those sort of changes in people's life for God's glory.

Read the Gospels in 24 days!

Do you have 20 minutes to spare each day? If so thats all you need to read all four Gospels in 24 days. Please see the link below:

Read the Gospels in 24 days!

I am helped

In Psalm 28 David says,

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

The Psalms that David wrote are very real, he expresses his fears, worries, joys and longings in them. What has struck me in particular about this one is the phrase, "my heart trusts in him, and I am helped." All of us whoever we are face problems in life. It does not matter whether we are rich or poor, black or white, Christian or not a Christian, we all face problems. Some of these may be big, some may be small. David showed us a good strategy for dealing with these problems. His heart trusted in God and he was helped. If we can focus on God and his goodness and trust in him with our hearts we will be helped. That does not mean we will not face problems or difficulties. In fact Jesus said in John 16 we would face trials in the world.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Lets endeavour with God's grace to focus our hearts on him and be helped.