News

• News (all stories) for October 2018

  Growing numbers of young people train as priests Free Bible Sunday resources Give some ‘mustard seeds’ this Harvest Safe houses for persecuted Bangladeshi Christians Christian Aid appeal for Kerala flood victims Crime in the Countryside First graduation for ground-breaking college in Ethiopia Spiritual seekers find warm welcome from Christians at festival Churches renew their energy….!... (2713 words)

• Growing numbers of young people train as priests

  Growing numbers of young people are seeking ordination to the priesthood, as the Church of England makes progress towards achieving a key target of recruiting more candidates for ordained ministry. The number of people aged under 32 years old recommended for training for ordination this year rose by nearly a third, or 32%, to 169,... (390 words)

• Free Bible Sunday resources

  The end of this month, 28th October, is Bible Sunday.  If you are looking for resources for either yourself and other adults, or youth, or children, you will find them free at the Bible Society’s website:  https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/get-involved/bible-sunday. The notes are adaptable, so you can easily pick and mix the resources that best suit your context. (62 words)

• Give some ‘mustard seeds’ this Harvest

  Did you know that half the population of this country is financially vulnerable? In fact, England has one of the lowest levels of financial capability in the developed world, according to the Just Finance Foundation. A good reason why the Mustard Seed Appeal has returned for another year. The Mustard Seed Appeal was born out... (201 words)

• Safe houses for persecuted Bangladeshi Christians

  Barnabas Fund has been building new houses for Christians among the Santal people of Gaibandah District in Bangladesh, who have been victims of violent persecution. One such is Dijen Tado, who was shot in the chest when he and his family fled a riot back in 2016. Helped by local Muslims, the police had set... (244 words)

• Christian Aid appeal for Kerala flood victims

  Christian Aid has launched an emergency appeal for those impacted by Kerala’s recent deadly floods, having already responded with life-saving assistance for around 20,000 people who have lost their homes. The appeal will help the charity target some of the southern Indian state’s poorest and most vulnerable villages. Households will receive assistance with safe drinking... (188 words)

• Crime in the Countryside

  Following the publication of the NFU Mutual Rural Crime Report 2018, the Bishop of St Albans, Alan Smith, the Church of England’s lead bishop on rural affairs, said: ‘This is no surprise for those of us who are in touch with rural areas and highlights the scale of crime in the countryside.  One important aspect... (142 words)

• First graduation for ground-breaking college in Ethiopia

  Teaching staff and graduates recently celebrated as St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College in Gambella, Ethiopia, saw its first intake of students receive their certificates.  It is the first ever Anglican theological training college in Ethiopia. For these students, the road to graduation robes has been especially challenging: two of the seven graduates are refugees and... (264 words)

• Spiritual seekers find warm welcome from Christians at festival

  Earlier this year a team including workers from Church Mission Society, Church Army and Eden People set up a Christian stand at the Mind, Body, Spirit Festival at the Olympia Exhibition Centre in London. Under the banner Dekhomai, which means “welcoming place”, the team of Christians engaged in conversation with spiritual seekers. They used Ruach... (281 words)

• Churches renew their energy….!

  More than 5,500 churches and 15 cathedrals, including Salisbury, Southwark, Liverpool and St Albans, have converted to using 100% renewable energy.  The Church of England has said that the issue was “one of the great moral challenges of our time”. With an average annual church electricity bill of around £1,000, it is estimated British churches... (99 words)

• Remembering the war horses

  The eight million horses, donkeys and mules which are thought to have died in service during World War One have recently been commemorated in an open-air War Horse Remembrance Service in Coverdale, North Yorkshire. The event was jointly hosted by four churches in Coverdale.  The churches invited local racing stables, pony clubs and hunts, with... (102 words)

• Tim Peake speculates on intelligent design

  The astronaut Tim Peake, on a recent visit to Peterborough Cathedral, has said that although he is not religious, his time in space made him consider the possibility that the universe is not an accident, but the result of intelligent design. Tim Peake spoke about his journey back to Earth in 2016.  According to The... (191 words)

• Sad slide for charities

  Many British charities are experiencing a decline in donations, thought to be linked to recent scandals involving charities. The Charity Commission for England and Wales has recently published its Trust in Charities 2018 report, which finds that charities now have an average score of 5.5 out of 10 on trust. Previously, charities were rated consistently... (83 words)

• 50th anniversary celebrations for the Methodists and UMC

  The Methodist Church in Great Britain and The United Methodist Church (UMC) have been celebrating the 50th anniversary of their partnership with a series of services, workshops and discussions. The formal link between these two Churches is known as the Concordat. Doug Swanney, Connexional Secretary of the Methodist Church in Britain said: ‘Marking this 50th... (103 words)

• Gaming with Scripture Union

  The free down-loadable Scripture Union app game Guardians of Ancora is being played in 180 countries around the world in four languages, up to 1,000 children a week inviting a friend to play it also. (33 words)

• How do you read your Bible?

  89% of American people reading a Bible use a print version.  However, over half (57%) search for content on the internet, and a third (35%) listen to teaching on a podcast. Does that tie in with how you do it? (37 words)

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