WHAT'S UP IN EUROPE? - God is doing extraordinary things through ordinary people like us. We can see that during events and camps or through everyday friendships, the Body of Christ in Europe is alive! UnitedHive is an app where you can find testimonies of what God is doing in Europe and in your region. Check it out HERE, it’s a fun way to share and read about lives being changed.

We recently celebrated fifty years since men landed on the moon. But NASA did not share one celebration on that day. Once the lunar module landed in the Sea of Tranquillity, Buzz Aldrin radioed Earth to say they wanted a moment’s reflection on what had just happened. Then he turned off the radio. Aldrin, who was a church elder, opened containers of bread and wine that he had brought with him and read John 15:5. In the 1/6th gravity of the moon the wine curled slowly and gracefully up the side of the cup: the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion elements. A few years earlier three Catholic astronauts took Holy Communion on board the Endeavour, and Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon said the Jewish Shabbat Kiddush prayer while in space.

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr told a congregation, ‘I saw the lame walking and people healed at a conference in California. We prayed for healing, and people were healed all over the place. We saw one man's hand open for the first time in five years. Another man, in a wheelchair, began to stand up and dance while they were playing their music.’ He told them that he was describing these miracles so that they would have opportunities to ‘get a word deep within you, that you would be so filled up with the awareness of the Holy Spirit that when people look at you, they say, “That is amazing. I must go see what that is”. You see, you don't need a twelve-step programme. All you need is one moment in God's presence. I believe that can change your life.’

Apulstock is a safe music festival in Sussex, for people with special needs. It is organised and run by volunteers whose sole aim is to inspire and entertain people who don’t have the opportunities or support to attend the larger annual music festivals. Apulstock is a mixture of music and dance slots led by professional rap, rock and roll, and alternative musicians plus lots of fun bands encouraging audience participation in Zumba fitness and funky dance routines. Every week, across the country, there is an army of volunteers using their talents to touch the lives of the hidden 2% in our communities. They deliver special church services, discos, karaoke, sports, arts and crafts, gardening, etc to develop people’s individual strengths and support them to overcome their weaknesses.

Lord, you moved the heart of Cyrus, even though he did not know you, to do your will for the sake of the nation (2 Chron. 36:22). You changed Saul’s heart and used him to fulfil your purposes (Acts 9:4). The UK has a new prime minister. We pray that you will enable Boris Johnson to stride into your Kingdom purposes with every decision he makes. We ask You, Father, to use his strong intellect to take us on the Brexit journey and also to inject your purposes into education, the NHS, social services, police, military, commerce and industry; bringing them back onto the paths of mercy and moral laws. Father please open his mind to Your strategies for the coming months. May he lead this nation into restoration and renewal. Surround him with wise advisers who have Your vision and anointing to meet the needs of society through Brexit transitions to achieve a ‘breakthrough’ in the Irish border blockage.

New cabinet

25 Jul 2019
Boris Johnson is leading a ‘Brexit’ cabinet, so called because key roles were given to leading Brexiteers. Our reputation in the world will change as new faces represent the UK, possibly with new policies. Let us pray into these changes. May God's hand and mercy direct Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary; may he see the work centred on the persecuted church through to completion. May Priti Patel, the home secretary, use her innovativeness to address terrorism, drugs, and knife crime, keeping our streets safe. May Chancellor Sajid Javid keep our economy safe during and after Brexit. Apart from high-profile ministers, Boris will also rely on key advisers behind the scenes, such as his senior adviser Dominic Cummings; may God use his outspokenness to establish reforms aligned to Kingdom purposes. For a ‘who’s who’ of the new cabinet, click the ‘More’ button.

In difficult economic and social times, we need strong and courageous international, national and local media, working to the highest ethical standards. To this end, the vision of Christians in the media is to see the media flourish as they become key influencers. Please pray for more churches to engage positively with the media, and for the life-affirming Gospel message of faith, hope and love to be reflected more and more in the UK’s national newspapers, community radios, websites, TV networks and blogs. Pray for more Christian researchers, writers and editors to step into key roles of international and national networks. May there be thriving media with Kingdom values woven into programming schedules. Ask God to give spiritual and moral strength to those striving for integrity and truth. Pray also for journalists around the world facing death and imprisonment for speaking the truth.

Ten-year-old Kasey, a Pentecostal Christian, is speaking out against the growing LGBT agenda in her classroom. As parents nationally protest against LGBT school lessons, the Christian Legal Centre is supporting courageous Kasey and her mother, who are taking a stand against a school seeking to eradicate any opposition to its LGBT agenda. Kasey and her Catholic friend, Farrell, were explaining in the lesson how gay people would be 'punished' for their sexuality in some countries, but their point was misunderstood and the school suspended them for five days for being homophobic. Kasey said, 'I only learned what homophobic means the other day. I'm not homophobic, I'm just against the school traching LGBT topics to children.' Kasey's mother said, 'The school is failing to recognise our Christian beliefs and is persecuting us for wanting to maintain our Bible principles.' The Christian Legal Centre said the situation reflects the sexual agenda imposed on innocent children.