Church to tackle bullying and harassment
23 Apr 2015
The Methodist Council has pledged to tackle issues of bullying and harassment within the Church. The move is a response to concerns raised about the vulnerability of churches to destructive patterns of behaviour and affirms the desire for the Church to be a safe and inclusive community for all. ‘It is uncomfortable and difficult to admit that bullying and harassment do sometimes occur in our churches,’ said Tony Tidey, Connexional Wellbeing Adviser. ‘But the decision made today, and the recommendations that will be made to the Conference in July, are something to be proud of. By clearly stating our commitment to addressing this issue, we are calling everyone in our churches to a standard of behaviour that should reflect our calling as Christians to treat one another with dignity and respect at all times.’ Council members affirmed that bullying and harassment were always unacceptable and that dealing well with these issues in a church context is vitally important. See also the statement from 'The Mill Gathering'in last week's Prayer Alert.
UK one of world's least religious countries
16 Apr 2015
The UK is among the least religious countries in the world, according to a new survey. In a global ranking of 65 countries, the UK came six places from last, with 30% of the population calling themselves religious. While 53% of people said they were not religious, only 13% said they were a convinced atheist and the remainder did not know how to define themselves. This compares with 94% of people in Thailand and 93% of people in Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia and Morocco who said they were religious. Jean-Marc Leger, president of Win/Gallup International, said that globally an average of two-thirds of people still consider themselves religious. ‘Religion continues to dominate our everyday lives,’ he said. ‘Furthermore, with the trend of an increasingly religious youth globally, we can assume that the number of people who consider themselves religious will only continue to increase.’
Anti-Muslim sentiment is widely considered to have increased in the UK, particularly with the rise of IS and following the January Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris. Race and religious hate crime have increased by more than a quarter in the past year, a new report from London's police force has found. Statistics released by the Metropolitan Police Service compare offences reported between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015 with those reported in the previous financial year. They reveal that these crimes, have risen by 25.7 per cent in the capital. The Met has attributed this rise to an increase in awareness of and willingness to report hate crime, as well as the support of more than 500 specialist investigators
Christian values can still turn the world upside down and transform people's lives from within, according to the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu. ‘Young people know in their bones that there must be something better, something more worthwhile than the self-centredness which is attracted by the promise of endless pleasure but which somehow never seems to deliver,’ he says in the The Yorkshire Post. It is not simply about numbers: It is renewal and revival, both at a personal and a corporate level, that are necessary today, he added, warning against the temptation to slide into ‘compromise and apathy’. Christians today must do a regular ‘spiritual workout’, with 'honest self-examination’ conducted in the searchlight of Christ's all-seeing, ever-gracious love. ‘In the eyes of most young people, the status quo has been tried and found wanting. Something far more worthwhile and exciting is needed.’
Teenage years could never be described as an easy ride emotionally, but according to new research, it would seem that, for girls at least, early adolescence is getting increasingly difficult. According to new research emotional problems are increasing, with a 55 per cent rise between 2009 and 2014. This is compared to other mental health and behavioural difficulties, which didn’t see a significant change. It has been suggested that increasing pressure on girls to perform academically, coupled with anxiety over body image ‘amplified by social media’, could be reasons behind the rise. The research, conducted by University College London and the Anna Freud Centre, compared the mental health of 1,683 11 to 13-year-old boys and girls in 2009 with the same number of pupils in 2014. Dr Elian Fink, lead author of the report, warned that ‘more effective interventions’ were needed in order to address the issue, including increasing provision of mental health services for young people
The Post Office failed to find out why large cash shortfalls occurred at sub-post offices before starting civil and criminal proceedings against sub-postmasters, according to a report by forensic accountants. The report looked into complaints by sub-postmasters of unfair sackings and wrongful convictions caused by flaws in control systems. Concerns were raised by MPs in 2012. The Post Office vehemently denies the report's conclusions. The report also revealed that the Post Office had refused to hand over documents which the accountants felt they needed to investigate properly. A number of MPs raised concerns that dozens of sub-postmasters had been faced with unexpected demands to pay large shortfalls - and been sacked, sued or prosecuted for theft when they could not pay. Alan Bates, chairman of the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance, has previously said problems with the computer system were reported since its introduction more than a decade ago.
Fourth attempt to redefine marriage at Stormont
23 Apr 2015
The Northern Ireland Assembly is to vote on redefining marriage at the end of the month, despite similar proposals having already been rejected three times in the last three years. Four MLAs have tabled a motion calling for marriage to be brought in for same-sex couples. The Christian Institute has warned that the motion also seeks to limit the free speech of Christians who object to the redefinition of marriage. A spokesman said, ‘the motion last year claimed to support ‘freedom of religion’ but this has now been deleted. It looks like they only want to allow free speech within church services. But a Christian’s faith must apply to every area of life. We can’t section off Christ’s teaching from our daily activities.' The motion will be debated on 27 April. MLAs have defeated three similar attempts to introduce gay marriage, in 2012, 2013 and again last year. In April 2014, MLAs voted 51 to 43 against redefining marriage. See also the statement from 'The Mill Gathering'in last week's Prayer Alert.
Statement from 'The Mill Gathering'
16 Apr 2015
During the 28 - 29 January the World Prayer Centre hosted an event that was attended by a number of leaders within the prayer movement. It was held at The House of Bread at The Mill in Shipstonon-Stour - and the statement they produced is called THE MILL GATHERING. They asked the question - ‘What is God saying to us in the British Isles at this time?’ and ‘What is our response?’ A link to the statement can be found when you click the 'More' button below. The leaders believe that God is preparing us for an unparalleled spiritual harvest and that there is going to be a great increase in turbulence and uncertainty as the Lord continues to shake the nations. He is calling us to mobilise prayer and be ready for action. This is a time of awakening - a time when many will come to know Jesus and a time when many will come back to the church. It’s not like anything we have experienced in our nations before. This is a time of great opportunity. Are we ready? Can we gather it in? Do we have enough capacity to cope with what is produced? Jesus warned that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few (Matthew 9: 36-38).