Churches Together plan climate prayer day in October

The Environmental Issues Network of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) is calling on Christians to pray for the earth on 4 October. The initiative is timed in advance of the United Nations summit on climate change in December. The CTBI wants churches to organise prayer events throughout the country. The Bishop of London says he will be praying ‘that God’s will be done during the decisive Copenhagen conference’ and the Bishop of Liverpool hopes Christians will ‘pray for the earthing of heaven on this day of prayer’. The prayer day is endorsed by the Methodist Church and several Christian aid agencies. The Society of Friends is sending a statement to world leaders before the UN summit.

Source: The Church Times (28/8)

MPs answer why Christians should vote for their party

Three parliamentarians from the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties put the moral case for their parties in a new book. The three politicians respond to the question ‘Why should a Christian vote for your party?’ in ‘Votewise Now!’, published by The Jubilee Centre – a Christian social reform organisation. The rest of the book offers other advice to constituents who want to vote in line with their consciences. As the next General Election looms, ‘Votewise Now!’ summarises the moral issues at stake, proposes a Christian view on each and helps readers to analyse the promises of the parties. There is also an accompanying group discussion guide and a video on the global economic crisis.

Source: christiantoday.com (26/8)

Methodists urged to care for bankrupt pensioners

As the recession bites into the budgets of the elderly, Methodist leaders are encouraging their members to look out for older citizens who may be covering up their financial problems. Pensioner bankruptcy is on the increase, but older people are often reluctant to ask for help. Methodists therefore aim to help both churched and unchurched OAPs in their neighbourhoods who are in debt. The Insolvency Service says bankruptcy among over 65s has risen by more than 200 per cent in the last five years. Many pensioners have been hit by a ‘triple whammy’ of mounting debt, decreased investment returns and lower annuities.

Source: Methodist Recorder (27/8)

http://www.methodistrecorder.co.uk/

Visiting the Shetland Islands

What a delight it has been to join the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference on their visit to the Shetland islands - through the pen and camera of Vice-President Dr. Richard Vautrey! These are places that I shall never visit now and so I have followed thier trip with great interest on
http://methodist-presandvp.blogspot.com .If you have missed all those posts, do go and take a look. Thank you so much, Richard.

Gospel Outreach to Reading Rock Festival

The first of 80,000 rock fans booked for the Reading Rock Festival this year began pitching their tents on the festival site by the banks of the Thames in rather dismal conditions as a light drizzle fell from leaden skies, but those I encountered in Waitrose or waiting for the bus were in high spirits , expecting to be well rewarded by the bands whom they had paid £200 to hear this year. One 16-year old waiting for the bus told me that she had pitched her tent and was now going home (in Emmer Green) for the night because her GCSE results are due in the morning. She said her tent would be all right because she had left a friend on guard.

A special, temporary pedestrian bridge has been put in place across the Thames to give access to the festival site from the Caversham and Mapledurham side of the river, and local businesses, restaurants and pubs that have been preparing for this event, are now fully stocked and are displaying welcoming notices, especially along Caversham Road, the route from the station. Many elderly residents avoid the whole area for the duration of the Rock Festival, and many take their car into Henley to do their grocery shopping, but I enjoy seeing this great gathering of young people.

We, in Churches Together in Caversham, have also been preparing as our congregations donated gifts of biscuits, bottled water, etc., and have been offering to help hand out copies of the
United Christian Broadcasters booklet ‘The Word for Today’ (their normal daily Bible reading notes), to serve tea, coffee and gifts and offer ‘spiritual refreshments to all rock fans who come to the New Testament Church of God which is situated opposite Waitrose in the centre of Caversham. A new upright banner with the Churches Together logo and photos of the 12 churches in Caversham on it will stand outside and a huge banner across the top of the building says ‘YOU HAVE ARRIVED - Now take a break for nourishment and spiritual refreshment'. A similar ‘YOU HAVE ARRIVED’ banner is being placed at the site with instructions how to reach the church. The Caversham Baptist Church is also opening up their premises in the same way as part of the same Gospel Outreach.

Tonight we held a prayer meeting and discussed final details, which included printing tomorrow leaflets to go in the booklets informing that, if they would like to know the name and address of a church in their home area, they should come to the church and volunteers will consult the Internet for them. So we are also now prepared for teams of volunteers to hand out the booklets, serve teas and coffees and offer prayer and spiritual help on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Perhaps you will add your prayers to ours and be on the lookout for any young people returning from the Festival who decide to try your local church.

National sponsored walk for people with learning disabilities.

"Prospects" is a Readin based, national Christian charity supporting people with learning difficulties. It has launched a series of sponsored walks around the UK. Cocering 1,000 miles, the aim is to highlight the needs of 1.5 million people with learning disabilities in our churches and in society.

Tony Phelps-Jones, Prospects' Director of Mission and Ministry, is walking the whole 1,000 miles. He is being joined on parts of the route by people supporting the project and by people with learning disabilities walking according
to their ablity.

The Reading leg will be on October 7t, with the finish in St. Albans on the 8th. Co-ordinator of the Reading leg is on 0118 951 6979. More information is on www.prospects.org.uk/walkwithme.

Church must be ready to help rising unemployed

Unemployment will continue to soar as the workplace feels the full effects of the recession, charities have warned. Church groups supporting the jobless urged Christians to become involved. Revd Paul Nicholson of Zacchaeus 2000 Trust expressed it bluntly: ‘Church people should get off their bums, get out there and befriend these people’. He said there are now 7.5 million people in the UK in poverty. Andy Dalton, outreach worker at Holme United Reformed Church, on the edge of Bradford, said things have become really tough on their large, deprived housing estate. People need ‘a lot of handholding’, he said. Bill Nicholls, a former Youth Trainer in Wolverhampton said the situation is worse than the 1980s. He said, ‘The church has a key role’ and is ‘a powerhouse of talent’, but he was afraid it ‘has lost its vision’ to help.

Source: Church Times (21/8)