Global Day of Prayer

THE Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has said that efforts by the National Secular Society to ban prayer at council meetings were a “load of cobblers”.

Speaking after his appearance in front of 10,000 Christians at the Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) at West Ham Football Club’s stadium on Sunday, the Mayor said: “Pol iticians, no matter what their beliefs, pray and think about the sacred trust they have been given.”

The Mayor was introduced by the Bishop of Barking, the Rt Revd David Hawkins, who chairs the GDOP. Before leaving the stage, Mr Johnson was prayed for by Steven Clifford, the general director of the Evangelical Alliance. The Mayor told the Church Times that he was “grateful for any kind of inter cession, be it divine or human”.

Stephen Timms, the MP for East Ham, made his first public ap pearance after a knife attack last month.

Worship was led by Graham Kendrick, Noel Robinson, Godfrey Birtill, and Lara Martin. Mr Ken drick said: “It’s a great catalyst to unity. It makes our prayer more powerful. It’s a bit like a birthday party. You get family round and refresh the relationship.”

The atmosphere was celebratory, with a 60-strong gospel choir per forming on one side of the stage and dancers waving flags on the other. A colourfully dressed multi-ethnic children’s choir sang.

In a statement before the event, Bishop Hawkins said that large sig nature events made waves in a city or nation: “Thus the idea of bringing really large numbers of people to gether in the common activity of prayer, and with an intent to go from that place in transformation and community engagement.”

Dr Jonathan Oloyede, the GDOP convener for London, said: “We’ve been praying 24 hours throughout the year. That’s an underground thing. We’re now bringing that to the surface. Its a national canopy of prayer.” Mr Oloyede, who is a con vert from Islam, said that the Salva tion Army was planning a year of prayer in 2012.

Lesley Jones, from All Saints’, Peckham, south London, which was recently featured on Pentecost, a BBC programme shown on Pentecost Sunday, said: “It gave me a sense of hope that the nation can turn back to God, and I felt encouraged by the words that revival can happen in this country. I believe that prayer is effective.”

GDOP London, a movement of daily prayer, is urging one million Christians to pray the Lord’s Prayer at noon every day. It is also en couraging all churches and networks to be part of 500 days of prayer for the UK, from 1 August 2010 until 31 December 2011.

Details at: www.gdoplondon.com

Communicating the Gospel

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT XVI
FOR THE 44th WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY

"The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World:
New Media at the Service of the Word"

[Sunday, 16 May 2010]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The theme of this year’s World Communications Day - The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word – is meant to coincide with the Church’s celebration of the Year for Priests. It focuses attention on the important and sensitive pastoral area of digital communications, in which priests can discover new possibilities for carrying out their ministry to and for the Word of God. Church communities have always used the modern media for fostering communication, engagement with society, and, increasingly, for encouraging dialogue at a wider level. Yet the recent, explosive growth and greater social impact of these media make them all the more important for a fruitful priestly ministry.

All priests have as their primary duty the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, and the communication of his saving grace in the sacraments. Gathered and called by the Word, the Church is the sign and instrument of the communion that God creates with all people, and every priest is called to build up this communion, in Christ and with Christ. Such is the lofty dignity and beauty of the mission of the priest, which responds in a special way to the challenge raised by the Apostle Paul: “The Scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame … everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent? (Rom 10:11, 13-15).

Responding adequately to this challenge amid today’s cultural shifts, to which young people are especially sensitive, necessarily involves using new communications technologies. The world of digital communication, with its almost limitless expressive capacity, makes us appreciate all the more Saint Paul’s exclamation: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” (1 Cor 9:16) The increased availability of the new technologies demands greater responsibility on the part of those called to proclaim the Word, but it also requires them to become become more focused, efficient and compelling in their efforts. Priests stand at the threshold of a new era: as new technologies create deeper forms of relationship across greater distances, they are called to respond pastorally by putting the media ever more effectively at the service of the Word.

The spread of multimedia communications and its rich “menu of options” might make us think it sufficient simply to be present on the Web, or to see it only as a space to be filled. Yet priests can rightly be expected to be present in the world of digital communications as faithful witnesses to the Gospel, exercising their proper role as leaders of communities which increasingly express themselves with the different “voices” provided by the digital marketplace. Priests are thus challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites) which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelization and catechesis.

Using new communication technologies, priests can introduce people to the life of the Church and help our contemporaries to discover the face of Christ. They will best achieve this aim if they learn, from the time of their formation, how to use these technologies in a competent and appropriate way, shaped by sound theological insights and reflecting a strong priestly spirituality grounded in constant dialogue with the Lord. Yet priests present in the world of digital communications should be less notable for their media savvy than for their priestly heart, their closeness to Christ. This will not only enliven their pastoral outreach, but also will give a “soul” to the fabric of communications that makes up the “Web”.

God’s loving care for all people in Christ must be expressed in the digital world not simply as an artifact from the past, or a learned theory, but as something concrete, present and engaging. Our pastoral presence in that world must thus serve to show our contemporaries, especially the many people in our day who experience uncertainty and confusion, “that God is near; that in Christ we all belong to one another” (Benedict XVI, Address to the Roman Curia, 21 December 2009).

Who better than a priest, as a man of God, can develop and put into practice, by his competence in current digital technology, a pastoral outreach capable of making God concretely present in today’s world and presenting the religious wisdom of the past as a treasure which can inspire our efforts to live in the present with dignity while building a better future? Consecrated men and women working in the media have a special responsibility for opening the door to new forms of encounter, maintaining the quality of human interaction, and showing concern for individuals and their genuine spiritual needs. They can thus help the men and women of our digital age to sense the Lord’s presence, to grow in expectation and hope, and to draw near to the Word of God which offers salvation and fosters an integral human development. In this way the Word can traverse the many crossroads created by the intersection of all the different “highways” that form “cyberspace”, and show that God has his rightful place in every age, including our own. Thanks to the new communications media, the Lord can walk the streets of our cities and, stopping before the threshold of our homes and our hearts, say once more: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20).

In my Message last year, I encouraged leaders in the world of communications to promote a culture of respect for the dignity and value of the human person. This is one of the ways in which the Church is called to exercise a “diaconia of culture” on today’s “digital continent”. With the Gospels in our hands and in our hearts, we must reaffirm the need to continue preparing ways that lead to the Word of God, while being at the same time constantly attentive to those who continue to seek; indeed, we should encourage their seeking as a first step of evangelization. A pastoral presence in the world of digital communications, precisely because it brings us into contact with the followers of other religions, non-believers and people of every culture, requires sensitivity to those who do not believe, the disheartened and those who have a deep, unarticulated desire for enduring truth and the absolute. Just as the prophet Isaiah envisioned a house of prayer for all peoples (cf. Is 56:7), can we not see the web as also offering a space – like the “Court of the Gentiles” of the Temple of Jerusalem – for those who have not yet come to know God?

The development of the new technologies and the larger digital world represents a great resource for humanity as a whole and for every individual, and it can act as a stimulus to encounter and dialogue. But this development likewise represents a great opportunity for believers. No door can or should be closed to those who, in the name of the risen Christ, are committed to drawing near to others. To priests in particular the new media offer ever new and far-reaching pastoral possibilities, encouraging them to embody the universality of the Church’s mission, to build a vast and real fellowship, and to testify in today’s world to the new life which comes from hearing the Gospel of Jesus, the eternal Son who came among us for our salvation. At the same time, priests must always bear in mind that the ultimate fruitfulness of their ministry comes from Christ himself, encountered and listened to in prayer; proclaimed in preaching and lived witness; and known, loved and celebrated in the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation.

To my dear brother priests, then, I renew the invitation to make astute use of the unique possibilities offered by modern communications. May the Lord make all of you enthusiastic heralds of the Gospel in the new “agorà” which the current media are opening up.

With this confidence, I invoke upon you the protection of the Mother of God and of the Holy Curè of Ars and, with affection, I impart to each of you my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 24 January 2010, Feast of Saint Francis de Sales.

BENEDICTUS XVI

The battle for faith

A “triumphalistic, self-righteous atheism” inspired by the work of Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris is winning a following among American young people, leading to “atheist clubs” in high schools, according to Cardinal Francis George of Chicago.

The cardinal, who is President of the US Catholic Bishops’ Conference, says that unbelief among young people is more than a question of stopping going to church: it is part of a fashionable “new atheism” which is every bit as intolerant as Christian fundamentalism. He told John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter:

“In Chicago, we now have atheist clubs in high schools. We didn’t have those five years ago. Kids I would have confirmed in the eighth grade, by the time they’re sophomores in high school say they’re atheists. They don’t just stop going to church, they make a statement. I think that’s new. That’s perhaps a bit more like Europe.”

The Cardinal agreed with Allen’s suggestion that that the atheism of Dawkins and Harris was “highly evangelical”:

“Yes it is, sure. Everybody has said that, and it’s true. It’s the mirror image of a kind of fundamentalism, because it’s very restrictive in its use of reason. It’s also very triumphalistic and self-righteous.”

The Cardinal’s comments will be hard to dismiss as scaremongering. YouTube is crawling with videos by articulate, friendly American teenagers and university students proclaiming their uncompromising atheism; indeed, atheism is one of the fastest-growing movements in the 18-25 age group, casting doubt on old assumptions that the religious impulse is somehow hard-wired into the American psyche.

Yet, as Cardinal George says, there is something strongly akin to religious fundamentalism in the evangelical commitment it arouses in its adherents. He, and the whole of the American Church, must be praying that the certainty of unbelief wears off as the “new atheists” have children and face the prospect of mortality. But, as statistics from Europe indicate, this not a foregone conclusion: atheism, like any other belief system, can be passed from one generation to the next. (Damian Thompson)

M & S Image

The Church of England needs to shed its middle class

"Marks and Spencer"-only image in order to attract the

Asda and Aldi generation of worshippers,

a senior bishop has warned.

Skip related content

RELATED PHOTOS / VIDEOS

The Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Reading, spoke of his sense of frustration at the view that

the Church

of England was the "Marks and Spencer" option only,

for the highly

educated or "suited and booted".

Jesus would just as likely have shopped at Asda and

Aldi as at

Marks and Spencer, he said.

He said: "Even today I meet people who think you

have to be highly

educated or suited and booted to be a person who

goes to church.

That's so frustrating. How did it come to this, that

we have become

known as just the Marks and Spencer option when

in our heart of

hearts we know that Jesus would just as likely be in

the queue at

Asda or Aldi?

"Jesus got us started with church simply. Like this

- sitting us down

in groups on the grass and telling simple stories.

Not simplistic.

But certainly not complicated. All his first disciples

were down-to-earth

people who wanted to know what life was all about."

The bishop's remarks come as the Church of

England launched

its Back to Church Sunday campaign to attract

lapsed worshippers

and others into the pews this Sunday, September 27.

The campaign comes after provisional figures

published earlier this

year showed average Sunday attendance in the

Church of England

fell to 978,000 in 2007 down from just over one million

in 2002.

About 1.7 million people attend Church of England

services each month,

according to the 2007 figures.

The Back to Church Sunday campaign includes

a rap-style radio

advertisement. Other bishops supporting the

campaign include

the Bishop of Sheffield, the Rt Rev Steven Croft,

who has posted at

YouTube invitation inviting people to "come as

they are" to church on

Sunday. The Bishop of Doncaster, the Rt Rev

Cyril Ashton and a team

of fellow motor cyclists have already toured

South Yorkshire to promote

the campaign.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan

Williams, backing the

campaign, said: "The Church's responsibility

to welcome all comers isn't,

of course, restricted to one Sunday in the year.

But this Sunday in

particular prompts us to do a better job of saying

to people that we are

ruly glad to see newcomers and they always have

a right to be part of the

family. I pray that this year's Back to Church Sunday

will assure the whole

population of this country that they are loved and

valued by God -

and by those who worship God."

On the move

Churches Together in Scarborough are holding another 'On the move' mission in the town centre this week.

In 1997, we stumbled on doing free barbecues – with groups of churches of all denominations, to bring the love of Jesus to the streets! It worked so wonderfully that this is what we have been doing ever since.

This is what happens. People in the main street see a worship band (guitars, other instruments, maybe half a dozen singers); soon, they see another one; then another – creating a carnival atmosphere. Team members go up to passers-by and say ‘Can I invite you to a free barbecue?’

Nearby, there are chairs and tables, a queue for food and a worship band – a relaxed party, but with a strong sense of the presence of God. With the help of the Holy Spirit, guests open up and we serve them by praying for their needs. Some give their lives to Christ. Many are touched and impacted.

The local church is mobilised, with something like 100-200 Christians taking part – anyone can cook, sing or invite! Typically, 100+ non-Christians are there at any one time, but over 2 hours, an average of 600 come, and about 2,000 come over three or four days. The Holy Spirit is free to move. And he does!

The Host Apostolate

(I met the founder yesterday and thought I should do my bit to make this apostolate known)

The Host Apostolate is an Association of Lay Faithful led by Married Couples who, working from their own home bases, wish to lead and encourage others to a life of prayer, especially Adoration of Jesus Present in the Host, Evangelisation and Formation in the pursuit of a life of Holiness, faithful to the Gospel and teaching of the Church. Welcome to The Host Apostolate.

Adoration: Our aim is frequently to spend time in the loving Presence of Jesus and learning how to love Him. This may be in His Presence in the monstrance, in the tabernacle, or at daily Mass. This is a certain way to build a relationship which leads us to adore Him, witness to His Presence, serve Him, and deepen our prayer life. Evangelisation: If we love Jesus, we will want to tell every one about Him and His Church. This GOOD NEWS of the GOSPEL, we hope to spread in every possible place and on every occasion, - by the witness of our lives and in the' market place' Tabor is the name we give to this aspect of the Apostolate. (See The Rule for further information). Formation: This aspect applies especially to married couples who wish to form a base house, but also to those who are members or not -- engaged couples, single people, priests, or indeed any one who desires to grow in Holiness and Service. This will be by means of spiritual friendship, teaching and Poustinia (spending time alone with God in Solitude). Any formation will also be responsive to needs as they present themselves. We will be available particularly to any one who feels called to a special Mission in the Church.

(for further information visit www.thehostapostolate.org)

Bus Advert Battle

Atheists and Christian groups battle on bus advertising

printweek.com, 05 February 2009

Bus advertising has become the medium of choice for theological debate after a spate of religious groups launched campaigns to hit back at the Richard Dawkins-backed Atheist Bus Campaign.

CBS Outdoor has received three new campaigns from The Christian Party, the Trinitarian Bible Society and one from the Russian Orthodox Church, sponsored by Russian Hour TV. 

The adverts are a reaction to the Humanist Society’s bus posters, which feature the caption “There’s Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying and Get On With Your Life”. The organisers of the campaign sought £5,500 to run the adverts, but managed to raise more than five times that.

In a direct retort to the campaign, the Reverend George Hargreaves of The Christian Party booked a two-week campaign to run on 50 bendy buses in Central London, East London and the West End from next week. The adverts will carry the strapline “There definitely is a God. So join The Christian Party and enjoy your life”. 

Elsewhere, The Trinitarian Bible Society has booked 100 bus sides carrying a line from Psalm 53.1 “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God”. The campaign will run for two weeks from the 9 February. 

Russian Hour TV has booked 25 Superside bus adverts to run in the London area, with the strapline “There IS a God, BELIEVE. Don’t worry and enjoy your life”.

Street Angels

We have them in Scarborough too.

Walking the streets with the flip-flop angels

Street Pastors began as a pilot project in Brixton five years ago. There are now 100 projects in the UK. Julia McGuinness joined a new team in Chester

Helping hand: on the streets of Swindon

IT IS JUST after ten p.m. on a sub-zero January night in Chester city-centre. Three people sit praying in a church hall. They are dressed for the outdoors, in distinctive navy jackets that have an identical logo. The three finish praying and prepare to leave, but they are not going home. One speaks into a small, portable radio: “Street Pastors to CCTV: going on patrol.” He listens into the earpiece for a response from the control room. On hearing it, he gives a nod, and they head out. There are now more than 2000 Street Pastors in the UK, involved in 100 projects, from Aberdeen to Plymouth and from inner cities to coastal towns. They comprise Christians of all denominations. Tonight, I am with Gordon, an Anglican; Alistair, a Methodist; and Carol, from the Queen’s Community Church in Chester, whose premises we have just left. The scheme was launched in the London borough of Lambeth in 2003 as a Christian res ponse to urban problems. It is an initiative of the charity Ascension Trust, under its director, the Revd Les Isaac. His vision, he says, is to “get the church back on the streets to engage with people”.

The Street Pastors scheme is one way of getting alongside those out and about after dark. Mark Thomas is co-ordinator of the project in Bridgend and minister of Hope Baptist church in Bridgend town centre. He says: “We knew it was time to act when there were more young people outside our building at night than inside during the day.” Street Pastors follow Jesus’s example of care by “being physically where people are at”. It is also vital that they listen, Mr Isaac says: “The church can be far too busy preaching at people, but not hearing their cry and what they’re going through.” Listening and offering comfort may be accompanied by practical help. This can involve simply finding someone a taxi home, or directing them towards more long-term support, such as a drug rehab centre. Street Pastors may point the spiritually desolate towards church. But “We go out with a holistic approach to people’s needs. We don’t want to beat them up with a four-by-four Bible. We have a genuine concern for their well-being.” THE FIRST step in setting up a Street Pastors scheme is to establish an interdenominational alliance of at least four churches, in order to register with the Ascension Trust. Street Pastors must be over 18 (some are in their 70s); have a Christian faith; and have belonged to a congre gation for more than a year. They also need to attend a 12-session induction course. The Ascension Trust training-package pro vides material for three core sessions. These in clude clarifying the Street Pastors’ responsibilities and role-playing possible scenarios. The area project co-ordinator approaches agencies such as the police and drug and alcohol services to deliver the other course components. Mr Isaac stresses the importance of detailed preparation: “Good management, quality con trol, and risk assessment are important. Chris tians can act too much ad hoc, and call that being led by the Spirit; but we have been given minds, and need to use them to equip people properly.” The basic training costs £300, and funding typically comes from individuals, churches, or agencies. Chester City Council has helped fund Chester Street Pastors. In Lincoln, the City Council and Community Safety Partnership jointly funded the Street Pastors’ set-up costs, including their jackets and radio-link equip ment. Street Pastor teams have also made successful bids for other external funding streams, includ ing the Faiths in Action grants programme, the Awards for All lottery grants scheme, and the Sainsbury’s Local Heroes Award. The first Friday-night patrol in Chester took place last September. Tonight’s team has been out only a few times, but its members already seem familiar with the ways this historic city changes as its night-time economy takes over. Quiet couples making their way home con trast with gaggles of girls tripping around on high heels, bare-shouldered and in flimsy dresses, and groups of lads letting out occasional whoops amid stage-loud conversation. Lively music emerges from club doorways that are silently inconspicuous by day. We stop by two girls and a young lad who are giv ing out tickets entitling the recipient to a com­plimentary vodka. They say they are cold and bored. The lad comes off-duty at 10.45 p.m., but he is not sure how to tell the time. Alistair shows him where the hands need to be on the nearby clock-face before he can take a break. This conversation is later noted in the activity log. IN THE first 15 weeks of Friday patrols, the Chester Street Pastors have had 496 conver sations, including 19 of a specifically spiritual nature, and two requests for prayer. They have administered first aid seven times, and been involved in 11 acts of “significant reassurance”of individuals at risk, either from others or to themselves. This has often meant staying with them while calling for further assistance or support. Tonight is a good opportunity to build rela tion ships with security staff; so the team sets off on a low-key pastoral visit to pub and club en trances, and the taxi rank. At each stop, mutual smiles of recognition precede a brief chat. Burly door-staff stamp their feet, complaining about the low temperature and sparse clientele. Mike, at the Watergate Bar, asks for a Street Pastors’ card: the previous week he had seen a distressed young woman, alone, who seemed the worse the wear for alcohol, and he was unable to respond; an approach from him could have been misinterpreted. Shards of broken bottles litter the walkway outside another club — a parting shot from two youths who were ejected and “got a bit gobby”. Carol takes a dustpan and brush from Gordon’s rucksack to sweep up, adding one more to the total of 204 bottles the Street Pastors have re moved from the city streets.

The rucksack also contains pairs of flip-flops to hand out to girls who have abandoned their high-heeled shoes after a few drinks. Flip-flops not only protect their feet, but also save A&E from one more patient. Adele, on the door at McDonald’s, calls Street Pastors the “flip-flop angels”. She had never heard of them before last September. “At first, I was very sceptical. I thought they’d be ignorant of what they were about, and could be in great danger.” She changed her mind as she got to know them. A few weeks before, she had listened to a Street Pastor calling in on the security radio-link as he dealt with a girl who was feeling suicidal. “What would have happened to her otherwise? She’d have broken her heart crying, and maybe got frozen out there.” No Street Pastor has ever been injured while on duty since the scheme started. But Adele still fears for their safety, and warns them if she senses any hostility brewing. She breaks off to issue a sharp rebuke to a young couple talking loudly near by, whose conversation is peppered with ex pletives. “Don’t use words like that. You’ll offend the Street Pastors.” GORDON hears radio-link talk of trouble further along the street. Outside Wetherspoon’s, at least eight police are in action: a stag party has just been thrown out. One reveller is in handcuffs; a couple more are on the verge of being arrested. The Street Pastors wait close by, ready to engage with anyone in distress; but the matter is dealt with and the group disperses. Police Sergeant Paul Bluck, who helps train the Chester Street Pastors, says that while they need to be aware of police procedures and resources, the Pastors’ ministry may be more about prevention than cure. “When groups congregate as the nightclubs close, Street Pastors may spot the signs of a situation flaring up into a fight, and can use their communication skills to defuse tensions and draw people apart.” In Lincoln, a Street Pastors scheme began in autumn 2007. Chief Inspector Daryl Pearce, who is in charge of community safety, agrees that they are a positive presence on the streets. “The police are often busy responding to incidents, and mov ing on to the next job; so people are left at the scene — perhaps the partner of someone we’ve arrested, who’s now alone and needing support in getting home. Street Pastors have filled that gap. They provide a resource in listening and talking with people.” Mr Pearce says that violent crime in Lincoln is falling. While it is hard to isolate the Street-Pastor factor on Friday and Saturday nights, he says: “They’ve really grown into their role. I can’t imagine what it would be like without them.” As well as contacts on the street, the Street Pastor initiatives have opened up other avenues of community involvement. Joy Liddle, co-ordinator of the Lincoln Street Pastors, is part of Lincoln’s Community Safety Partnership of agencies. She was also invited to join Pub Watch. In Bridgend, which has had Street Pastors since December 2007, Mark Thomas was last year named Community Safety Volunteer of the Year. He is also chaplain to the local St John’s Ambulance branch. St John’s Ambulance and Bridgend Street Pastors work together particularly at Christmas, on Bank Holidays, and on Rugby International week ends. On these occasions, St John’s Am bulance sets up a triage treatment-centre in Hope Baptist Church. Some Street Pastors stay there; others go out looking for people in need of the treatment centre’s services. AS INITIATIVES develop from the common starting point of the Ascension Trust, they may develop different elements that reflect their own community’s needs. The high incidence of death among the young in Bridgend prompted Mr Thomas to call in Assist for extra training on suicide intervention. And after four such deaths in close succession last summer in Bettws, near by, the Street Pastors were asked to visit boys’ and girls’ clubs in the village to talk with the young people. Ms Liddle, who is co-ordinating the Lincoln project, has supplemented the basic training. “Having witnessed several incidents of domestic violence, we invited Women’s Aid to give us a training evening on the issue.” Charting the long-term impact of Street Pastors is not easy. But, like many Street Pastors, Ms Liddle has had some particularly fruitful encounters, from someone who was helped on to an Alpha course, to a pub manager who asked for prayer and is now hoping to become involved with a church. “We meet needs where they are, and get thank-you emails and offers of money; but you never know where things might go.” As the Street Pastors’ initiative grows from the original team of 18 who started out in Brixton in 2003, the challenge is to train more volunteers to expand the initiative. Many established urban pro jects typically have teams of 40 to 50 vol unteers. Gabrielle Heavisides is the first member of the congregation at Chester Cathedral to undertake Street Pastor training. She says that the scheme needs more Anglican support in Chester, particularly from the centrally situated cathedral. Ms Heavisides currently works as a student counsellor, but says that be coming a Street Pastor offers a new challenge. “It’s a way of working hands on with young people who are vulnerable and at risk. I’ve always worked in a protected environment. If I’m in a city late at night, near rowdy people, I don’t show my best side. This is a chance to get out of my com fort zone and ‘just do it’.” In Lambeth, the co-ordinator, Kennedy Roberts, says that recruitment is currently his biggest challenge. He is especially hoping to recruit more men to a 40-strong team where the women outnumber the men by two to one — a ratio, he says, that is broadly reflective of church mem bership generally. This year, Lambeth Street Pastors intend to expand the initiative in the borough by starting up teams in Kennington, Streatham, and Clap ham. Such new Street Pastor initiatives are among the 40 or so already in the pipeline for 2009 across the UK. New developments also include a School Pastors’ scheme being piloted in Lambeth and Purley. This year the first National Street Pastors conference will be held in November at the Em manuel Centre, Westminster. The Archbishop of York, Dr Sentamu, is to be among the speakers. It is a sign that the movement is becoming estab lished, and reflects Mr Isaac’s determination to stay the course: “Christians are good at short-term mission. We take two years to plan one, two weeks to do it, two years to recover, and then another two years to talk about whether we should do it again. Street Pastors is about being a visible, consistent, and relevant presence out there.” BACK AT BASE in Chester, Gordon keeps listen ing to the radio-link as we drink hot soup. Various clubs are signing off early. He decides that the team should do one last patrol around the night-spots. Very little is happening; so it is not worth staying out much longer. The trio handing out complimentary vodka tickets still have stashes left. As we stop to talk, a man standing near by asks, in slightly slurred speech, whether we are out “spreading the word”. Gordon explains that Street Pastors simply want to help anyone in need. The man starts remin iscing about Sunday school, before ambling uncertainly off.

It is time to call it a night, and we go back to base. It is 1.30 a.m. Alistair is off to unwind by going shopping at Tesco. Gordon and Carol are going home. By 2 a.m., I am safe and warm in bed, thinking about Adele, who is still outside McDonald’s.

Jesus on pebbles

Mystery artist scatters 'Jesus' 

pebbles in town 

ahead of Christmas

A mystery artist has scattered 300 pebbles painted

 with the image of Jesus in a town

in attempt to put "meaning back into Christmas"

 

By Richard Savill 

The Jesus pebbles have been left around Newquay, Cornwall by a local artist 

who wishes to remain anonymous Photo: APEX

The pebbles, featuring Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, have been placed on bollards, in phone boxes, at cash points, and on window ledges.

Each pebble has been painstakingly painted by a local artist who wishes to remain anonymous.

He said he thought of the idea a few months ago and merely wanted to bring joy and the real message of Christmas to people.

Since September the artist has spent nearly 90 hours painting about 300 pebbles, which he scatters around the Cornish resort of Newquay on certain days.

He leaves the pebbles on top of a little pile of hay, to resemble the stable surroundings.

The pebbles first started appearing across the town on Nov 29.

"It is just to spread the real meaning of Christmas and touch people's hearts," said the artist.

"I actually started off painting them as gifts for people and thought how lovely.

"I thought I would go about it mysteriously."

The artist said Christmas was now "very commercialized."

"People just rush around buying this, that and the other, forgetting about the real message of Christmas, and Christ to me (as a Christian) is the real meaning.

"Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ. And there is nothing else in history that has ever been as big as that to me."

Bel Wilkins, 24, a shop worker, found one of the pebbles when she was at work.

She said: "We just kept it because we thought it was really sweet and we realised, from chatting to other people, that they have got them as well."

Emma Rogers, 19, who works in a coffee shop in the town, said "One was left on the counter for us. I think it's lovely."

A Call to the Nation

"Help your church to grow" - a 2005 report reprinted in 2008

I was recommended to read this by a flyer, with a personal note attached over the initials JW, which possibly points to Rev Jonathan Willans, Anglican President of 'The Christian Party':

"Knowing your views, I think you will be very encouraged by this. It featured on BBC2 Newsnight and has gone to 17000 churches for discussion. You will find it an invaluable tool at this time of crisis".

I don't know how he came by my name and address - possibly my views from this blog. Anyway maybe others would like to take a look and make comment here.

• Reprinted in 2008
• For all Christians to read and share
• Unique thought provoking document
• Sent to thousands of churches
• Ideas for sermons and church magazines
• Highlights what needs to be done
• Prophetic warnings concerning our nation
• Distributed in partnership with the Christian Party

 

"This report confirms my belief that Christians can no longer sit back. We must mix our prayers with clearly identifiable service in the political arena; being both salt and light.
It is for this purpose that the Christian Party exists."

Revd George Hargreaves, Leader of The Christian Party

"This report is essential reading for those concerned about the growth of their church, giving valuable suggestions and ideas on increasing attendance"

Background to the Church Survey Report

In 2005 the Church Survey Report entitled ‘Help your church grow’ was first published and since then it has been sent to thousands of churches. It reveals why church-going is declining in the UK and Ireland. It highlights the need for Christians of all denominations to stand together and speak with one voice. It is a call to church and nation.

The report is essential reading for those who are concerned about the decline of church- going and the state of Christianity in general in the UK. The results of ‘The Church Survey’ compiled by the Ecumenical Research Committee provides everyone (of whatever denomination) with ideas and suggestions ‘from the grassroots’ on how to reverse this decline and draw people back into the church and properly promote the Christian Faith. Over the past few years moral values have been rejected by many in society and church attendance in mainstream denominations is in freefall. Four out of five churches are either declining or simply static. What is causing this erosion of values? Why are people turning away from the church? More to the point, what can be done about it?

The inter-denominational Ecumenical Research Committee was established under the chairmanship of an Anglican Priest the Revd Jonathan Willans. It examined exactly what people needed from their church and revealed that Christians urgently want the church to take the lead in promoting beliefs and morals and to make a stand against the tide of secularism destroying our nation.

The survey was conducted between September 2003 to September 2004 and provided individuals at ‘the grassroots’ with a unique opportunity to speak for themselves and explain what they needed from their churches, without fear of discrimination or reproach. This document is an indispensable summary and compilation of the main points raised by the 14,000 people who responded. It gives a fascinating insight into what they need churches and their clergy to provide and what they say will make church attendance more helpful and relevant.

It is an invaluable resource for congregations who wish to grow and it is packed with tips and recommendations, all having come from ‘the people in the pews’. This report is ‘the people’s voice’, these are their views and these are the things they believe will strengthen Christianity across the nation.

Why a Christian Party?

Three years ago the results of a nationwide church survey were published. It highlighted the need for Christians to stand up for their beliefs and resist the tide of secularism and immorality that is destroying our country. The report entitled ‘Help your church grow: let the people speak’, revealed that across the UK, people were increasingly alarmed at the moral and spiritual state of the nation and urgently wanted Christian leaders to break their silence, “stand up to be counted” and say “enough is enough.”

The aim of The Christian Party is to do this – with your help. It is a much needed voice for Christian communities across the nation, to ensure that the message of the Bible will be heard and heard where it matters!

Many of those who responded to the survey were in despair at the failure of many ‘mainstream churches’ to provide a robust stand in defence of Christian beliefs and values. The voice of the once mighty church is now a mere whisper. This meant that if the Christian message was to be heard boldly and distinctly another way had to be found – hence The Christian Party.

In the report people commented “with society in its present state church ministers should be playing a leading role in guiding people towards the straight and narrow path…. yet every time a major issue arises, from pornography on TV to the morning after pill, all we hear is silence…. it is little wonder the faithful are losing heart and losing respect for some churches.”

The Christian Party however, will not be silent! Whatever your denomination, whatever your churchmanship, the report clearly shows that the time has come to unite and stand together for the Christian faith and all it represents. God has reserved a faithful remnant in these turbulent times as a light and guide to those who are in darkness and despair. People are lost and confused and do not know where to turn. Now is the time to join together, so that the light of the Gospel may be seen by everyone and the voice of truth be heard by all. Chapter 4 contains chilling prophecies of what will happen if the UK fails to repent and return to the laws of God.

Together The Church Survey Report and The Christian Party call for the church and nation to restore God to his rightful place in our society.

Commenting on The Church Survey Report, the Revd George Hargreaves, Leader of The Christian Party had this to say:

“This report confirms my belief that Christians can no longer sit back. We must mix our prayers with clearly identifiable service in the political arena; being both salt and light. It is for this purpose that The Christian Party exists.”

We sincerely hope and pray that after reading this report, you will be moved to join The Christian Party.