An NHS report covering the Highlands, Argyll and Bute said poverty was the biggest issue with 53,000 people in poverty last year, see:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-15153821 Elsewhere, across the British Isles poverty-stricken families are joining lengthening queues for food handouts from charities and voluntary groups and alarm bells are ringing at the number of people going hungry. Food charity FareShare distributes donated food across the country to church halls, homeless projects and other charities struggling to help families hit by unemployment, price rises and benefit changes. They have reported a 20% rise in demand for food handouts from families unable to make ends meet. FareShare is a marker for chronic hunger as the economic forecasts worsen. This weekend the Conservative party meets in Manchester to discuss what can be done about it.
Pray: that the Lord will lead all those in authority to address the causes of poverty wisely as well as the symptoms. (Job.5:16)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/oct/01/families-queue-for-food-handouts.
The recent riots spread across a number of major cities in England, including many parts of London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham and Bristol. The police struggled to respond to fast-moving and rapidly changing events. Most of the looting and disorder has been in economically deprived parts of the country, and among young people. The General Director of the Evangelical Alliance has described the rioting, looting and vandalism of the last few days as ‘shocking and unacceptable’. He added that churches were uniting and taking ‘immediate action’ to provide relief, support and care to victims of the riots. ’Christians are present on the street and participating in the clear-up by offering encouragement and support to the emergency services and their neighbours while praying for peace,’ he said. After four days of riots the Prime Minister has said ‘We needed a fightback and a fightback is under way.’
Pray: against the work of the enemy that has corrupted the minds of the young and pray for the restoration of order, for peace and for safety and understanding. (Job.28:28)
The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that last summer’s riots may return unless the government and civil society do more to reach out to young people. Writing in the Guardian, Dr Rowan Williams attributed the unrest in part to ‘massive economic hopelessness’ and a lack of opportunities for young people. He said that many of the rioters were people who had ‘got used to being pushed to the margins and told they are dispensable’. ‘Too many feel they have nothing to lose because they are told practically from birth that they have no serious career opportunities’ he said. While the Archbishop acknowledged the selfishness of the rioters’ actions, he said that demonising destructive young people would not help to address the problem. Instead, he went on to suggest that greater consideration be given to the impact on young people in debates over spending cuts, adding that the idea of cutting provision to youth services was ‘manifestly indefensible’.
Pray: that the Government will face up to its responsibilities and challenges in reaching the young. (Dt.30:11)
Right to Believe petition
27 Aug 2010
More than 20,000 people have signed a petition expressing support for millions of believers around the world who are denied the right to practice their faith. The Right to Believe petition has been launched by Oxfordshire based Open Doors, which supports persecuted Christians worldwide. It opposes efforts by an Islamic organisation to win the right for governments to choose which religious views are permissible in their country. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is again introducing the Defamation of Religions Resolution in the United Nations this year. Open Doors believes the terms of the resolution impose substantial limits on the freedom of individuals to express their religious beliefs. It would also criminalise defamation of a particular religion, Islam in particular. The organisation said that persecuted Christians were looking to believers in countries with religious liberty to ‘walk with them on our knees in prayer and on our feet in action’. Pray: for opposition to be so strong that this resolution will be defeated in the UN. (Tit.2:8) More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/thousands.sign.right.to.believe.petition/26551.htm
Right to appeal refused for Christian counsellor
19 May 2010Lord Justice Laws today refused permission to Gary McFarlane to have his case heard before the Court of Appeal. Mr McFarlane, a relationships counsellor from Bristol, sacked by the Relate Relationship organisation after he refused to provide sexual counselling to homosexual couples because of his Christian beliefs, asked that his case be heard by different judges to those who ruled against Lillian Ladele in December 2009. Church leaders have been deeply concerned by the ruling by Lord Neuberger, the Master of the Rolls, on behalf of the Court of Appeal, in the case of Lillian Ladele - a registrar who refused to conduct civil partnerships ceremonies because they were against her Christian beliefs - and have argued that the Court of Appeal’s decision effectively means that the right to express a strong Christian faith must take second place to the rights of homosexuals under Labour's equality laws. (See also Prayer Alert 1610)
Pray: that despite this refusal ways will be found to reverse this decision. (Ps.7:6)
More than one national election is taking place this year. A campaign is launched today to encourage ‘people with a very big heart’ to stand for election to the General Synod of the Church of England. Containing 378 lay and clergy members, and passing measures that have the same effect within Anglicanism as those of Parliament, the General Synod continues to play an essential role in the life of the country as well as the Church. It will be dissolved at the end of the July 2010 group of sessions in York. A new Synod will be elected for a five-year term in September/October, and inaugurated in November. Under the slogan 'Be Part of the Big Picture', new resources include a five-minute DVD filmed at General Synod in February 2010, featuring contributions from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Business Committee chair Preb Kay Garlick, outgoing members of the Houses of Laity and Clergy, and national journalists.
Pray: for Anglicans throughout the country to prayerfully consider God’s calling to stand for the General Synod. (1Sa.3:10b)
Resignation of Anglican bishops
11 Nov 2010
The Archbishop of Canterbury accepted ‘with regret’ the resignation of Church of England bishops planning to convert to Roman Catholicism in protest over the ordination of women bishops and joining a network that will allow them to retain some Anglican traditions. The move involves three serving bishops, who minister to parishes opposed to female clergy, and two retired bishops. The serving bishops are the bishop of Ebbsfleet, Andrew Burnham, the bishop of Richborough, Keith Newton and the bishop of Fulham, John Broadhurst. They will be joined by the former bishop of Richborough, Edwin Barnes, and a former Australian bishop, David Silk. All wanted more accommodation from the Anglican Church for opponents of women clergy. Groups within the Church of England have been campaigning for female clerics to become bishops without any concessions that would undermine their authority. Traditionalists and conservative evangelicals oppose the historic change, claiming the concept of women bishops runs contrary to doctrine. Pray: that these issues will not hinder the spreading of the Gospel message. (Phl.1:27) More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/08/archbishop-canterbury-accepts-bishops-resignation
There are half a million children in the UK who are unhappy with their lives, according to The Good Childhood Report 2012 published last Thursday. Launched by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, it warns that a generation of children will be ‘lost’ unless a radical new approach is taken to childhood in Britain. Compiled by the Children’s Society the report is based on interviews with more than 30,000 children aged eight to 16. It says nine per cent of children have ‘low wellbeing’ – a percentage that equates to 500,000 children and the figure increases as children get older. The family has the biggest influence on levels of happiness, with children more likely to feel happy if there is harmony in the home and if they have an experience of loving relationships between family members. Children who felt listened to and involved in making decisions within the family also had a ‘significantly’ higher level of wellbeing.
Pray: for children who are in ‘unstable’ home lives and pray for more government policy to include the recognition of stable marriages as the basis of family life. (Ps.68:6a)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/report.says.half.a.million.children.in.britain.are.unhappy/29163.htm