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Churches are struggling to cope with the rise in demand for homeless and housing services. Housing Justice says that churches in its network have reported an increase in the number of people turning to them for help with housing. New church shelter schemes that opened up this winter in Milton Keynes and Birmingham were filled to capacity. Newly published Government statistics show that rough sleeping has risen in England by 23% in the last year. Figures from the Department of Communities and Local Government state that 2,181 people are sleeping rough on any one night, up from a total of 1,768 in last year's count. The figure is based on street counts carried out by 53 local authorities between October and November of last year, and estimates made in partnership with local homelessness agencies. Housing Justice director Alison Gelder said: ‘This increase is sadly part of a familiar picture of chronic and growing housing need in society.'
Pray: for God to enable the Church to meet this challenge and for the Government to ensure the most vulnerable are adequately supported. (Ps.140:12)
Churches across the UK are said prayers last Sunday for doctors, nurses and others working in healthcare. Healthcare Sunday is held each year by the Christian Medical Fellowship, Christian Nurses and Midwives, and the Healthcare Christian Fellowship. It is an opportunity to show their support for healthcare workers as they live out God's call to care for the sick. Dr Peter Saunders, Chief Executive of Christian Medical Fellowship, said: ‘Many more people pass through our hospitals and GP surgeries than through our churches, and Christian doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers play a key role as Christ's hands and feet with the opportunity to touch people's lives at what can be their greatest time of need. ‘They also face big ethical and moral pressures in a workplace which is often hostile to Christian faith and values. As ordinary Christian disciples facing these challenges and with their own personal, spiritual and emotional needs, they need our prayer and encouragement.’
Pray: for all those who work in healthcare often under severe pressure of work, and for some, of their faith too. (Pr.16:24)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/churches.pray.for.healthcare.workers/30832.htm
Twelve churches in Tower Hamlets have clubbed together to open a rolling night shelter for homeless people in the East London borough. The GrowTH project is offering homeless people a safe and warm place to sleep seven days a week until the end of February. Participating churches are taking it in turns to open their doors to guests from 7.30pm and provide a hot dinner in the evening and breakfast the following morning. Tony Uddin, of Tower Hamlets Community Church, is one of the project organisers. He said the churches were inspired to set up GrowTH because of the gap in service provision for local homeless people in their area. ‘Our volunteers’ generosity means that we can make a real difference this Christmas and throughout the winter,’ he said. ‘It is important for churches to be involved in the local community and our initiative is proof that we can make a real difference and implement the much publicised Big Society ethos.’
Pray: for this and similar initiatives across the country and that the Gospel message will be lived out in practice. (Pr.28:27)
More people in the UK are turning to church-run food-banks to cope with the rising cost of living. The Trussell Trust said 100,000 people had received emergency food from its network of foodbanks in the last six months. New food-banks are being opened by the Christian charity at a rate of three a week to meet the demand. The network has fed almost 110,000 people across the UK since April 2012, compared to just under 129,000 people during the whole of the 2011 to 2012 financial period. Trussell Trust is expecting to feed over 200,000 people by the end of the 2012 to 2013 period. The increase in demand is being put down to rising food and fuel costs, together with static incomes, high unemployment and changes to benefits. With winter just around the corner, the Trussell Trust said it feared more Britons would be so hard up that they cannot afford to eat.
Pray: that the ability of the Church to provide for the needy will match the demand. (Ps.20:2)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/churches.meeting.growing.demand.for.emergency.food/30821.htm
From Carlisle to Penzance thousands of Christians in the UK joined an estimated 60 million people across the world to stand up for the poor on 10.10.10. The iconic date saw events and gatherings across 70 nations, focusing on ending extreme poverty through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Micah Challenge inspired Christians across the world to pray and promise to play their part in seeing an end to poverty. There were also special church services in Australia, India, the UK and Zambia. In the aftermath of 10.10.10, the Micah Challenge Head Office in London is expecting a deluge of promises to be posted through its doors. One recent promise came from former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair pledged to encourage his Tony Blair Faith Foundation's volunteers and supporters across the world to give at least 2015 hours of community service to help further the United Nation's targets. Pray: that God would answer these prayers according to His will. (2Ch. 6:19)
Autism Sunday takes place on February 13 this year and cathedrals and churches are being asked to get involved in the day. Also known as the International Day of Prayer for Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism Sunday has received the support of Prime Minister David Cameron. He said: ‘I would like to express my support for Autism Sunday. As many as one in a hundred people could be affected by some form of autism and it is important that we recognise and raise awareness of the difficulties and challenges that they can face.’ Autism Sunday was founded in 2002 by Ivan and Charika Corea, whose 15-year-old son has autism. ‘We urge cathedrals and churches of all denominations to celebrate the lives of all children and adults with autism on Sunday 13 February.’ Pray: for those who are autistic and all with learning disabilities and for a positive response by church communities. (1Co.12:22)
Christians must not only serve the hungry and homeless in practical ways, but speak out against the economic injustice behind their poverty, says the head of Church Action on Poverty (CAP). Writing in the September edition of Reform magazine, Niall Cooper praised the work of Christians who are running hundreds of foodbanks and debt counselling centres across the country. However, he echoed the sentiments of Jim Wallis who recently said that Christians were “prophetic interrogators” who should not only “keep pulling bodies out of the river, but send people upstream to see who or what is throwing them in”. Mr Cooper said the “prophetic duty” of Christians demanded more than providing social services and issuing statements. So what can we do to ‘go upstream’ and work for economic justice locally?” he asked. Mr Cooper proposed harnessing the power of the fairtrade movement to achieve economic justice closer to home.
Pray: for God to inspire and encourage us all in His work. (Pr.14.31)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/churches.have.prophetic.duty.to.challenge.poverty/30566.htm
Churches are being invited to pray for their parent and toddler groups on 2 June. The National Day of Prayer for Parent and Toddler Groups is being coordinated by 1277, an alliance of churches and agencies supporting the work of church-based toddler groups. Many churches run parent and toddler groups as a way of reaching out to their local communities. “For many young children and their parents, the parent and toddler group is a highlight as they meet up with friends to play and chat, but for many it is also the only time they will come into contact with a local church community," said Alison Clark, chair of 1277 and children's evangelist with Praise and Play. The day of prayer has been timed to coincide with National Family week and is described as a fantastic opportunity for the church to serve their community and share the gospel at the same time.
Pray: for all parent and toddler groups, for the churches who run them and for the relationship between them. (Ps.90:16)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/churches.encouraged.to.pray.for.parent.and.toddler.groups/32502.htm
The Government has broken its pledge to introduce a minimum unit price for alcohol. The Church of England, the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church, the Salvation Army and Quaker Action on Alcohol & Drugs are deeply disappointed that the Government has abandoned this vital policy. Jeremy Browne, the Minister for Crime Prevention, has said minimum unit pricing will remain 'under consideration'. But his claim that there is not enough 'concrete evidence' to implement it flies in the face of five years of medical research. There were over 1.2 million alcohol-related hospital admissions in 2011-12 in England, and the cost to the NHS was £3.5 billion. The total bill to the taxpayer caused by alcohol misuse, including crime and lost productivity, is currently £21 billion. James North, Policy Advisor for the Methodist Church, said: "The Government's failure to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol will cost lives. As Churches we are deeply concerned at the effect of alcohol misuse on problem drinkers, families and communities.
Pray: for all those affected by alcoholism and that any government policies adopted will have a significant impact on this problem. (Pr.20:1)
More: http://www.methodist.org.uk/news-and-events/news-releases/churches-condemn-u-turn-on-alcohol-pricing
With church investments in the national spotlight, a website launched on 17 October will provide church groups and individual believers with a host of new resources to make ethical and spiritual decisions about their use of money. Your Faith Your Finance website – www.yourfaithyourfinance.org – contains facts, links and case-studies covering issues ranging from banking and shopping to biblical parables about money. The new website provides quotes and explains a range of different views on the subjects in question and includes resources for personal reflection and group discussion. The site was launched at an Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR) debate on church investment. It has been developed jointly by ECCR and Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW). They aim to meet the growing demand from faith groups for help with the complex ethical and practical questions around the use of money.
Pray: that this new website will provide insight in making ethical and spiritual decisions about the use of money. (Ps.37:30)