HMP Littlehey is a ‘Category C’ prison (men there cannot be trusted in open conditions but are unlikely to try to escape) and a Young Offender Institute. Chapel attendance is entirely voluntary. The Revd Barry Trayhorn, an ordained Pentecostal minister, has worked as a prison gardener since 2011, and has helped with prison chapel services for the past three years at the invitation of the chaplain. Revd Barry was leading worship in the prison chapel in May last year, and his subject was the glorious forgiveness of God for those who repent. He quoted 1Cor.6:9-11. Four days later a complaint was made. Barry was immediately suspended from helping at the prison. He was told that his comments during the service were ‘homophobic’ and breached national prison policy. Last November he felt compelled to resign as gardener. A hearing of Mr Trayhorn’s case began last week at Bedford Employment Tribunal: the outcome is not yet known. See also: http://www.christianconcern.com/our-concerns/freedom-of-speech/christian-prison-worker-forced-to-resign-after-quoting-bible-in-chape
It is alleged that properties in Rome owned by the Vatican are being run as saunas and massage parlours, sometimes used by Catholic priests, according to leaks in the Italian press. The reports also allege that church-owned buildings are being let at low rents to powerful friends and allies. The Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith is cited as owning hundreds of high-value properties in central Rome, worth hundreds of millions of euros. Two years ago the Vatican bought a £16m stake in a Rome apartment block which housed Europe's biggest gay sauna, according to the Independent. There were many reports of priests using the sauna with the website promoting special ‘bear nights’ that included a video of a man stripping off to change into clerical vestments. Another report said that Vatican-owned properties in Rome are operating as places where priests pay for sex. See also: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vatileaks-scandal-vatican-properties-used-as-brothels-and-massage-parlours-where-priests-pay-for-sex-a6729251.html
Catalonia’s regional assembly voted on Monday in favour of a resolution to split from Spain, energising a drive towards independence and deepening a standoff with central government in Madrid. The declaration, which pro-independence parties in the northeastern region hope will lead to it splitting from Spain altogether within eighteen months, was backed by a majority in the regional parliament. The fraught debate over Catalan secession has railroaded campaigning for December's national elections away from the country’s lopsided emergence from an economic crisis. Parties favouring independence from Spain won a majority of seats in the Catalan assembly in September. But the Spanish constitution does not allow any region to break away, and the centre-right government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has repeatedly dismissed the Catalan campaign out of hand. The Catalan parliament wants a democratic process of massive, sustained and peaceful disconnection from the Spanish state.
Russia: athletics scandal
13 Nov 2015
The World Anti-Doping Agency said the London 2012 Olympics were ‘sabotaged’ by inaction by the world athletics governing body and the Russian federation who turned a blind eye towards Russian athletes with suspicious doping profiles. The IAAF president, Sebastian Coe, is seeking approval from IAAF council members to consider sanctions of provisional and full suspension and removal from future IAAF events by the Russian Athletics Federation. Interpol is now co-ordinating a global investigation into widespread doping in track and field after the former WADA president spent eleven months investigating systemic cheating and cover-up within Russian athletics and the sport’s governing body. He has recommended that five middle-distance runners and five coaches be given lifetime doping bans. The Russian government is accused of complicity in widespread doping and the cover-ups exposed in the 323-page report. On Tuesday, the head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency acknowledged there is a problem but insisted his country is moving forward to address it.
Gospel advances amid war against IS in Iraq
13 Nov 2015
The coalition units in Iraq during October stepped up military strikes in Ramadi in the west and Baiji in the north. At the same time, Christian workers doing spiritual battle in northern Iraq could barely keep up with area residents' desire to learn about Christ and the Bible. People in northern Iraq's Muslim autonomous region of Kurdistan have long been more open to Christianity than other Iraqis, but they have been especially keen since IS took over parts of the region. ‘They're just sick of Islam,’ said the director of a ministry based in Kurdistan. ‘People are very hungry to know about Christ, especially when they hear about miracles, healing, mercy and love.’ He has heard numerous testimonies every day; churches have emerged and people watch satellite television broadcasts of others telling how they came to put their trust in Christ. It’s an ‘awakening’ among Muslims in northern Iraq.
IS releases 37 elderly Assyrian Christians
13 Nov 2015
The Assyrian Human Rights Network has confirmed that the Islamic State has finally released 37 elderly Assyrian Christians on Saturday morning, following their nine months of travail under the hands of the extremists. They were captured in Tal Talmer, a city in northeastern Syria. The recently released captives were part of a group of 215 civilians who have been held by IS since February. Families of those still being held hostage are hopeful that they will also be released because Saturday’s release of hostages follows recent smaller releases. 88 of those captured are now free, and the Human Rights Network is in ongoing negotiations to free the rest. See also: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/07/middleeast/assyrian-christians-isis-released/
The Heartbeat
12 Nov 2015
Read the recent copy of the World Prayer Centre's print newsletter The Heartbeat, which goes out once a quarter. You can view it here.
We also send a regular email newsletter called The Pulse which keeps people regularly updated with prayer points, prayer events, initaitives and lots of new stuff! Sign up to receive The Pulse.
Small Group study & prayer guides
12 Nov 2015
World Prayer Centre has ten prayer booklets to help people with prayer. These simple study guides can help small groups learn together about a key prayer theme or issue, and then think through how they can pray in new and more effective ways. The approach is simple – read the booklet (takes 10-20 minutes) before your meetings, discuss the content and work on a new approach to prayer together. Here are some guidelines:
WHICH BOOKLETS CAN I USE?
All of them are easy to read and study. There are some practical ones on strengthening prayer – Praying Scripture, The Call of the Watchman, a Guide to Blessing and Prayer Walking. Others are focused on key areas for prayer and you can decide which will resonate most with your small group. Choose from praying for - Children and young people, A Nation, People at work, Persecuted Church, Health Care Professionals, and Unsaved family and friends.
BE PREPARED
You must read the booklet before the study. It is a guide with some ideas, scriptures and practical actions. As you read, make notes on the guide. Where you find something that resonates with you, or you like it, put a tick. Where you want to explore an issue put a question mark. Highlight or underline passages or lines that you want to remember for the future or refer to when you discuss the booklet. Pray before the meeting that God will speak and guide your group into a renewed focus on prayer.
BE VERY PREPARED
Our prime focus at World Prayer Centre is on the Supremacy of Christ. Study, group time and prayer are only worthwhile when we are consciously and deliberately in His presence. Why not start the study by meditating and praising around key descriptions of Jesus.
He is the Good Shepherd – He will guide our ways as we study
He is Sovereign – we are in a place of obedience to Him
He is the Lord of Hosts – when we pray things happen in the heavenly places
He is the Prince of Shalom/peace – He wants strong whole relationships with himself and between us
He is the Redeemer – He is constantly working to bring people to Himself
Proclaim God's sovereignty over the subject you are studying – and praise Him!
GETTING GOING
Check on the level of knowledge and expertise in the room, e.g. if you are studying the children's guide, get names and ages of children/grandchildren, who has worked in a job with children, been a parent or helped in church work or other organisations.
Review the key messages in the book. This can either be done as a whole group or in smaller groups of 3 – 5 people.
- Ask 3 or 4 people to say (one at a time uninterrupted) what they felt were the key messages in the booklet.
- Ask others what additional things struck them as key messages.
- Who do we know on the front line? Who is working in this particular area? How could we pray for them? How could they help us pray?
- What is happening in our village, neighbourhood/town or city? What should we be concerned about? What might be key things to pray about?
- Are there any testimonies from the group? Personal testimonies of God using them or stories of others from books, the internet, friends etc.
- What were some of the issues the group marked for discussion? Pick 2 – 3 recurring issues and ask – what was the concern? What do others think? What is the way forward?
CREATING A PRAYER ACTION PLAN
This should not be rushed at the end. It needs time because many in the group might not have thought practically about praying for a subject in an informed and determined way before. Each of the booklets will give some ideas for action. We encourage you to listen to what God might be saying to you as a group and then to think through some ways forward.
- Listen to God quietly- some people might want to meditate on some of the scriptures in the guide booklets, others might want to just sit in the presence of God and ask God what is on His heart. God may give you a word, scripture or picture.
- Pray together submitting yourselves to God and asking that you might each know His heart.
- Discussion What happen next? What will we do in the next four weeks?
- How can we pray for this issue in the future?
- How can we keep ourselves informed? What more do we want to know or understand?
- Who can we pray for? What situations or places should we pray for?
- How do we keep praying for significant change? E.g. for the sovereignty of Christ, for harvest, for strongholds to be broken.
- How do we make sure we are monitoring on-going issues? E.g. praying protection, releasing blessing, pray for wisdom for key people, etc.
- How do we ensure God gets the glory? Keep watching for stories, answered prayer, testimonies that demonstrate that God is on the case!
- How do we sustain this?
Now put it into action! Visit our store to check out what guides are available and order them for your small group.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6.18