Christian Family

Christian evangelism and missionary work is most often associated with outreach in impoverished nations around the world – but growing secularism in Europe is forcing some organisations to focus on the continent where much of the church underwent its early development.

The rising trend of secularism has been well documented in recent times – in a 2005 Eurobarometer Poll, 52 per cent of European citizens who responded to the survey said they believe in God. In some nations, like Sweden, that number was as low as 23 percent.

As immigrants continue to settle in Europe and change the demographic and social landscape of the continent, new evangelism opportunities are unfolding and some organisations, such as the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus are looking to develop new strategies to get Europeans believing in God again.

The organisation was founded in Italy in 1857 by St Daniel Comboni and is a congregation of priests and lay missionaries working for evangelisation, education, and advocacy around the world,

At a conference in Pesaro, Italy, last week around 50 Combonian missionaries who have worked for many years in places such as Africa and in Latin America, questioned themselves on their place today in society and in the European churches, aiming to define common lines for a renewed mission project and a more effective presence in Europe, the Vatican News shared.

“If on other continents we are facing a scandalous poverty, linked to phenomena such as hunger, various kinds of social and economic injustice, diseases that reap a heavy toll of victims, shortages of educational opportunities for the young generations and so forth, in Europe there are other forms of poverty that are perhaps even more serious: poverty of values, poverty of the sense of life, an incapacity for sharing, the quest for power and pleasure and the insatiable possession of material goods,” explained Father Alberto Pelucchi, Vicar General of the Comboni Institute.

He expressed hope that new openings for evangelism in Europe might increasingly take shape.

Mary Bertolini, the Communications Director at Comboni Missionaries, told The Christian, in Christian Family, Post that the conference provided a venue for discussion of the need not only to step up evangelisation in Europe, but to give it a whole new approach.

“I don’t think the Comboni Missionaries have a set plan as to what that approach should be other than that it needs to take into consideration the modern, industrialised, technological, spiritually poverty-stricken Westerners of the 21st century. The Catholic Church is aware of this need to evangelise differently and the Comboni Missionaries are working towards finding a way to do that,” Bertolini said.

Fr Brian Quigley, a pastor working with the organisation, added: “The new immigrants coming into and making Europe their home will be an active part of the new face of evangelisation there.

“The Comboni Missionaries in Italy, and on a smaller scale in London, are currently in active ministry to immigrants.”

• Email
• Print
• Read it later
• 
  

Stewardship is inviting Christian, in Christian Family,s to do their bit in changing the world this Lent.

The charity is asking Christian, in Christian Family,s to take up the 40acts challenge and create a movement of generosity.

The challenge is to “do Lent generously” this year by taking part in 40 acts of generosity over 40 days, some of which might focus on community engagement, the environment, or stepping out from personal comfort zones.

Ideas can be big and small, from inviting a neighbour to church or sending a thank you note, to helping someone to learn a new skill or picking up litter around the neighbourhood.

Debbie Wright, Stewardship’s Head of Content explains: “Lent marks a pivotal point in the history of the church, when Jesus prepared to give himself up as a sacrifice for all mankind.

“Traditionally we mark Lent by giving something up, but what if it could be more than that? What if Lent was a preparation for a lifetime of big-heartedness?

“What if you could give up chocolate and give the money to your favourite charity? What if you could turn the TV off and spend more time helping your neighbour as well?”

The 40-day challenge will be aided by 40 biblical reflections from contributors including Nicky Gumbel of Holy Trinity Brompton, Rob Parsons of Care for the Family, and Andy Frost of Share Jesus International.

Find out more at www.40acts.org.uk

• Email
• Print
• Read it later
• 
  

Christians in Syria are “hungry and helpless” in the midst of fierce fighting between government forces and rebels.

The city of Homs continues to experience the worst of the fighting in spite of a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly on Thursday demanding an immediate halt to the violence.

The resolution also calls upon President Bashar al-Assad to resign and condemns human rights violations.

Barnabas Fund warned that around 100,000 Christians in Homs and the surrounding area were “trapped” by the fighting.

The cost of food and fuel has soared, while supplies are low. The charity said it was often too dangerous for people to go out in search of food.

Syria is home to around two million Christians, many of them Iraqi Christian refugees forced to flee their homeland because of attacks by militant Islamists.

Barnabas Fund said that more than 200 Christians had been killed in the conflict so far and that the Christian community had been beset by a series of kidnappings.

“The rebels make high ransom demands for the return of the captives, but in two known cases the victims’ bodies were found after the money had been paid,” the charity said.

“Some families are now becoming so desperate that they tell the kidnappers to kill their loved one immediately rather than subjecting them to torture.”

Barnabas Fund is working with Christian partners in Syria to deliver urgent supplies to families in need.

The charity’s director, Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, has just returned from a visit to the Middle East where he met Syrian pastors and church leaders.

“Our brothers and sisters in Syria are in a desperate state, facing the daily struggle of trying to get enough food to feed their families while war rages all around them,” he said.

“And they are also understandably anxious about how this conflict is going to end and what that will mean for their future in the country.

“Please keep them in your prayers and give whatever you can to help alleviate their distress.”

• Email
• Print
• Read it later
• 
  

The Church of England’s governing body has heard that more work needs to be done on draft legislation to allow women bishops.

General Synod is considering legislation making provision for those who cannot in conscience accept a woman bishop, including an amendment that would grant greater authority to clergy providing alternative oversight.

The Manchester motion is based on an amendment put forward by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York in 2010 and proposes ‘co-ordinate’ jurisdiction in dioceses where a parish has requested male oversight.

This would make the intervening male bishop less subject to the authority of the female diocesan bishop than under the ‘delegated’ jurisdiction being proposed in the draft legislation as it stands.

The Rt Rev Nigel Stock, the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, told Synod that the committee on the draft Code of Practice, which he chaired, had sought to enable “consistency” and “avoid confusion” in the application of the scheme.

Canon Chris Sugden, of orthodox group Anglican Mainstream, questioned whether the Code of Practice would be able to achieve this.

He said: “They produced a code for two bishops to work together, neither of whom believes in principle in what they are called to do – one to receive delegation from a person they might not regard in episcopal orders, the other to give delegation to which they in principle object.

“This disagreement needs to be addressed and this gap reached across. Is the code of practice strong enough to bridge this principled disagreement?”

Bishop Stock responded by admitting that he was “not sure how far the Code can address it”.

“There could be more done about how we work constructively together but we can only produce a Code that reflects the Measure [on women bishops],” he said.

The bishop admitted that the committee had not looked for examples of good practice in parts of the Anglican Communion where women are already being consecrated as bishops.

“Nowhere else [has] a Measure quite like the one we are presenting and we only had the time to work on the Measure we were presented with,” he told Synod.

“When we get to the stage of how we implement this, that is clearly [going to be] very fruitful. Some in the group did have some knowledge from their own personal experience of good practice and clearly we do have much to learn about that.”

When asked by one Synod member about what would happen if a bishop decided not to follow the guidelines as a matter of conscience, Bishop Stock iterated that they could face disciplinary action.

“If [the Code of Practice] is working then it should not be a question of it being enforced. No one wants to get to that position,” he said.

“Everyone would wish to try and act according to the Code once it is in place but [disciplinary action] is ultimately what could happen.

“People could say ‘well, one small parish isn’t going to do that’. Possibly not, but one test case is all you need and I don’t think anybody wants to get there, or should want to.

“A bishop following his conscience, it’s a matter of law not conscience. You might have some difficulty with that one … you could end up in the high court.”

After this week’s debate, the legislation will go to vote in the General Synod in York in July. If it is approved, the implementation of the Code of Practice will have to be formalised. It is expected that the Church of England’s first female bishop will not be consecrated before 2014.

Bishop Stock said he hoped there would be opportunity in the future for further “creative discussion” on the legislation.

“What I fear is a church where we set up a situation where we don’t sit in the same room and talk to each other,” he said.

• Email
• Print
• Read it later
• 
  

Raising a child with special needs is more challenging but Sarah Palin says she would not trade her son Trig for a more convenient life.

In an article to be published in Newsweek, the former Governor of Alaska admits to being “frightened” and turning to God when she was first told that her baby would be born with Down syndrome.

“When I discovered early in my pregnancy that my baby would be born with an extra chromosome, it frightened me so much that I dared not discuss my pregnancy for many months,” she said.

“All I could seem to muster was a calling out to God to prepare my heart for what was ahead … My prayers were answered beyond my shallow understanding of what true joy could be.”

In the article, the mother-of-five sympathises with Rick Santorum who left the campaign trail to be by the bedside of his three-year-old daughter Bella, who has Trisomy 18, when she was recently hospitalised with pneumonia.

Palin said that parents of children with special needs have to deal with “extra fears and challenges” but was adamant that their children are a “blessing”.

“Certainly some days are much more difficult than if I had a ‘normal’ child,” she says.

“Many everyday activities like doctor’s appointments and social gatherings and travel accommodations and even mealtimes and a solid night of sleep are that much more difficult.”

Palin opens up about her family, also here at MyBabyisMyLife.com,’s fears about people who may be cruel towards Trig because of his condition, but says nothing makes her prouder than when someone smiles at the three-year-old.

“At the end of the day I wouldn’t trade the relative difficulties for any convenience or absence of fear,” she says.

“God knew what he was doing when he blessed us with Trig.

“We went from fear of the unknown to proudly displaying a bumper sticker sent to us that reads: ‘My kid has more chromosomes than your kid!’”

• Email
• Print
• Read it later
• 
  

Britt Nicole is set to release her third studio album, Gold, out on March 27 via Sparrow Records.

Following on from her highly successful sophomore album, The Lost Get Found, Gold sees collaborations with producers Chris Stevens (TobyMac, Mandisa) and Dan Muckala (Brandon Heath, MercyMe).

The first single to be released to radio from the album is “All This Time”, which was penned by Britt, David Garcia and Ben Glover.

This anthemic tune tells the story of Britt’s salvation and her faith that Jesus is always with her.

“‘All This Time’ is the story of how I met Jesus,” says Britt. “It’s a reminder that whatever we face in life, we don’t have to face it alone, because Jesus promised to never leave us or forsake us.”

It’s going to be a busy few weeks for Britt. Starting February 16, she’ll be hitting the road with fellow songstress Mandisa for the “Girls Night Live” tour, sponsored by charity Food for the Hungry.

Britt Nicole burst onto the Christian music scene with her debut release, Say It, four years ago and followed up with her breakthrough sophomore release, The Lost Get Found, which debuted at No1 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums Charts and produced two No 1 radio singles (“The Lost Get Found” and “Walk On The Water”).

• Email
• Print
• Read it later
• 
  

The Bishop of Durham has launched a new initiative aimed at tackling youth unemployment in Darlington.

The Rt Rev Justin Welby has agreed to be patron of the Darlington Foundation, which seeks to boost the employment prospects of young people in the area by improving links between schools, colleges, universities and employers.

The foundation will run throughout this year with the hope of creating 100 new jobs and 100 new apprenticeships, as well as creating internships and supporting young people in self-employment.

The initiative has the support of the Darlington Partnership, The Northern Echo and Darlington Borough Council.

Bishop Welby said: “This is something I feel passionately about. It is of huge importance and has the potential to transform a very, very large number of lives.”

He said businesses and organisations needed to acknowledge the depth of the economic crisis but also work to retain skills for when the economy improves.

He said: “An effective business deals with the crisis but also makes sure that it can emerge from it.

“We have to recognise that there is a crisis with youth unemployment and recession but we need to plan to flourish in the future. I am very privileged to be patron of this incredible initiative.”

• Email
• Print
• Read it later
• 
  

The latest Christian, in Christian Family, film to become a box office hit, Courageous, has soared to the top of the US DVD charts.

It reached No 4 in the US box office when it released in cinemas last September and beat Ides of March, Abduction and Moneyball to claim the No 1 spot on the DVD charts when it released in the format last week.

Courageous tells the story of four law enforcement officers who have the confidence to face the worst crimes on the streets, yet face a struggle in the home that none of them feel prepared for: fatherhood.

The film is by Sherwood Pictures, the same church-based studio that produced the hit flick Fireproof.

It is being released straight to DVD in the UK by Authentic Media on 27 February. Churches are being encouraged to use the film as a resource and host movie screening nights.

To help them, Authentic Media has produced movie kits, which include the DVD and a special licence giving churches permission to screen the movie on their premises for a year.

The movie kits start at £79.99 and are on sale now ahead of the DVD’s general release next month.

Michael Catt, executive producer of the film and Sherwood Baptist Church senior pastor said: “Courageous is that rare movie combining an entertaining, engaging story with a vital, inspiring message.

“You’ll be on the edge of your seat watching ‘Courageous’, then rise up when it’s over, resolving to make a difference in your life and the lives of those you care about.”

• Email
• Print
• Read it later
• 
  

The Roman Catholic Church and Oriental Orthodox Churches in the UK have welcomed an “unprecedented” move towards unity this week.

They have launched a new book entitled “Joint Statements” outlining areas of theological agreement between the two denominations.

The book was developed by the Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Regional Forum (COORF) and presented by the body’s co-chairs Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK, and the Catholic Archbishop of Southwark Kevin McDonald.

Bishop Angaelos said that the areas of common faith and witness outweighed the issues that had separated them for the last 1,600 years.

“It is very well for us to stand at our pulpits and preach love, but if our faithful do not see our Churches working together they see this as being quite hypocritical,” he said.

“If we, as Church leaders, as priests and pastors and shepherds in the Church cannot actually portray this, if we cannot have this relationship and the wider relationship in this room and indeed between our Churches in this land that we live in, then we will find it very difficult to stand and preach love and forgiveness and acceptance, that is why I am very happy to be part of this launch.”

Archbishop McDonald stated: “Even though in the past there were differences, they no longer justify the continued separation, and it is a call to the Churches to come together and move towards a closer communion.

“It is a good time for us to recognise that there is an international dimension to ecumenism and we all have a stake in it, we are all part of it.”

• Email
• Print
• Read it later
• 
  

Iconic Scottish actor Robert Carlyle is doing his bit for impoverished communities this Lent by giving up coffee.

The Trainspotting star will be donating the money he would have normally spent on his daily cuppa to SCIAF’s 2012 Wee Box, Big Change campaign.

The campaign is Scotland’s largest annual international development campaign and runs through Lent.

Singing sensation Susan Boyle will launch the campaign for a second year running on Ash Wednesday, on 22 February.

The campaign invites people to give up some of their favourites, like chocolate, coffee or cakes over the 40 days of Lent and donate the money they save to SCIAF’s work in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Carlyle called on fellow Scots to join the campaign and make a real difference in reducing global poverty.

He said: “SCIAF helps some of the poorest people in the world to work their way out of poverty. They give a hand up, not a hand out, providing practical help such as seeds, tools and training so that people can feed themselves and their families, not just today but in the future.

“This Lent, I’m giving up coffee and putting the money I save into my WEE BOX. Please join me. Give up something for Lent and put what you would have spent into your SCIAF Wee Box. Together we will change the lives of some of the poorest people in the world.”

Other stars backing the campaign are Kaye Adams, the Proclaimers, Darren Fletcher, Ally McCoist and Michelle Mone.

SCIAF’s Head of Education and Communications Philippa Bonella said: “SCIAF is totally star-struck by the fabulous support the Wee Box, Big Change campaign is receiving from superstars like Robert and Susan.

“We are extremely grateful to them and the many other famous Scots for their support and we sincerely hope it will encourage more and more people to back the campaign.

“Every penny raised will be spent wisely to maximise the practical support we can provide to people living in extreme poverty overseas.”

Last year the campaign raised over £900,000 to help SCIAF provide vulnerable people affected by conflict, hunger, poverty, and disease with practical support including seeds, tools and livestock to poor farmers, skills training and small loans to help people generate an income, and healthcare and trauma counselling to those affected by war.

• Email
• Print
• Read it later
•