Two churches threatened by noise complaints

Two London churches have voiced fears for their future after noise abatement orders were served on them. Immanuel International Christian Centre in Walthamstow and All Nations Church in Kennington have both had to cut their sound levels after neighbours’ complaints. In the case of Immanuel Church, the order was served even after they cut their services from two to one and reduced their sung worship to only 40 minutes. Pastor Dunni Odetoyinbo told The Evening Standard that his congregation had fallen from 100 to 30. Pastor Victor Jibuike, meanwhile, said he believes complaints against his church are nothing to do with noise but have been prompted by opposition to their plans to turn a disused school into a community centre.

Sources: Church of England Newspaper (16/10); Christian Legal Centre

London gets taste of Pentecost

An estimated 10,000 people took part in the Pentecost Festival in central London last weekend. Live music, dance, comedy, theatre, political and scientific debates and art shows featured at locations including Leicester Square and the Victoria Embankment. Director Andy Frost said the festival made ‘a significant impression’ on the city. It succeeded in showing ‘the vibrancy, diversity, life and relevance of the Church’, he believed. ‘Many people who have no Christian faith were inspired, challenged and received prayer.’

Sources: Methodist Recorder (4/6); Baptist Times (4/6)
http://www.methodistrecorder.co.uk/mrhlines.htm

London Diocese’s Comic Turn For Christmas

The Anglican Diocese of London has produced Beano-style comics to retell the birth of Christ to schoolchildren. The church produced the comics to make the nativity story ‘fresh and relevant’ amid concerns that many children just do not know it. The comics can be downloaded along with collective worship and lesson plans from www.londonchristmas.org.uk/children. Packs of the materials have been delivered to the 479 parishes and 130 schools in the diocese.

Source: The Times (1/12)

Methodist Church thanks Richard Dawkins for getting God onto London buses

· Dawkins thanked for encouraging a ‘continued interest in God’

The British Methodist Church has welcomed news that Professor Richard Dawkins is to fund an advertising campaign on London buses despite its slogan ‘There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life’.

Revd Jenny Ellis, Spirituality and Discipleship Officer, said; ‘We are grateful to Richard for his continued interest in God and for encouraging people to think about these issues. This campaign will be a good thing if it gets people to engage with the deepest questions of life.’

Responding to Dawkins’ comment that ‘thinking is anathema to religion’, Jenny said; ‘As Christians, we respond to Jesus’ call to love God with our minds as well as our hearts, souls and strength. Christianity is for people who aren’t afraid to think about life and meaning. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism believed that no one should be saved from the trouble of thinking, because that is the path to understanding God.’


Source: Methodist News Service 21/10/08

CHURCH SUPPORTS AXED FINANCIAL WORKERS

As financial districts in London and New York reeled from the collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers and the rescue of Merrill Lynch and AIG, local church leaders opened their doors to give pastoral support. Revd Marcus Nodder, Senior Pastor at St Peter’s Barge, a floating church in Canary Wharf, said the congregation was echoing the prayer of Psalm 46, asking that shocked workers would find God to be ‘their refuge and strength’. Docklands chaplain Revd Fiona Stewart-Darling said many would be affected by the crisis ‘and it’s the Church’s job to be there for people’. In New York, Trinity Church, Wall Street is offering daily services and quiet spaces alongside career workshops for those who have lost their jobs.

Source: Church Times (19/9)

Chinese ridicule London's part in Olympic Closing Ceremony

Chinese press and bloggers have been less than favourable about London's contribution to Beijing's Olympic closing ceremony – criticising contributions from the London Mayor Boris Johnson and David Beckham.

As the torch was put out in the "Bird's Nest" stadium, one blogger described Mr Johnson as "arrogant, rude and disrespectful" when he accepted the Olympic flag. There were mixed opinions too about the eight-minute cameo performance featuring a London bus, Beckham, the singer Leona Lewis, Led Zeppelin's guitarist Jimmy Page, dancers and singers.

The Titan Sports Daily contrasted the "neatness" of the Chinese performers with the "outrageous outfits" worn by the Britons. Unlike the Chinese custom which tends not to reveal their weakness to the outsiders, "the British seem to like to laugh about their stupidity in a funny way", it said.

"During the performance, when the London bus pulled over, all the passengers waiting for the bus rushed into the door at the same time, which truly damaged the British image," it added. In the run-up to the Games, Beijing officials had run a campaign to "civilise" the city's inhabitants, teaching them of the importance of queuing in Western culture.

It also complained that Lewis and Page were not A-list celebrities. "Unfortunately, the singer and Jimmy Page are absolutely not famous enough to be known or recognised by millions of the Chinese audiences. As for David Beckham, he was supposed to kick the football towards the red circle in the centre of the 'Bird's Nest'. In the end, just like any of his penalties at a football match, he totally missed it. He kicked the ball to the left and it dropped in the crowd, then was picked up by a lucky Chinese volunteer who would not let go of the ball."

The Daily First praised the use of a red London bus, but questioned whether the performance had anything to do with sport or the Olympic Games. Mr Johnson was also criticised for accepting the Olympic flag with one hand only."

Source: The Independent 17/08/08


I must confess that I myself was very disappointed with the 8 minutes British welcome to the Olympic Games of 2012, though not entirely for the reasons given in this article. I thought that Boris Johnson receiving the Olympic flag with one hand was a sign of his strength, much as the commentators praised Chris Hoy when he managed to carry the British flag in one hand briefly during the opening parade. The London bus was a good symbol to use for London and George Beckham symbolised British sport, while the umbrellas were a sign of British weather. However, I couldn't see that any of the rest had any real meaning as an advert for Britain and I certainly couldn't see the whole 8 minute presentation as a compelling invitation/reason to visit Britain in 2012. It was an opportunity missed as far as I was concerned. What did you think?

Parakeets attack church spire

Hundreds of exotic birds have pecked their way through the spire of a south London church,causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.So these suburban arakeet 'pests' face drastic cull. The rose-ringed parakeets were initially welcomed by parishioners of St John's in Croydon - until they decided to hack away at the soft wood shingles, creating gaping holes. Now the church, built in 1836, faces a £5,000 repair bill.

Parish secretary Bernard Day said: "The birds turned up a couple of years ago. We have tall cypress trees and they seem to find them particularly alluring. "There were just a few to start with, but numbers grew rapidly and before we knew it there were at least 250. At first they were a joy to watch, they really brightened up the place. But a few months ago they started pecking at the spire. They love the shingles and have pulled out at least 100 of them. Maybe they're looking for insects. Who knows? Now we're at a complete loss. We're concerned they're going to start nesting."

The church is already under financial pressure after thieves removed £3,000 worth of lead from the chapel roof and adjoining parish room earlier this year. Mr Day, 95, said: "First the lead, now the birds. We're not really sure how to get rid of them.
Parishioners suggested a hawk to scare them off, but I don't think that's very practical. The structure of the spire doesn't allow for tiles to replace the shingles. In my opinion, the only solution would be to shoot the birds. Unfortunately, we're not allowed to."

John Tayleur, of the British Trust for Ornithologists, suggested using noise and a bird of prey to scare the parakeets. He said he was surprised they were chewing shingles but they often ate mortar for the minerals it contains and because the grit helps them digest food. Parakeets settled in Britain from India in the 1960's, but numbers have boomed in the last 20 years. There are now about 30,000 in Britain, mainly in London.

Source: Daily Telegraph (28/7)

LONDON MAYOR PRAISES STREET PASTORS

Boris Johnson, the new London Mayor, has praised the groups of volunteer Christian ‘street pastors’ who now offer support to late night revellers in 70 areas of the country. Mr Johnson spoke of the ‘extraordinary and inspiring movement’ which he sees playing an important role in reducing street crime. Previously, Conservative Party leader David Cameron lauded the ‘absolutely fantastic job the street pastors are doing’ in complementing the work of police in tackling antisocial behaviour. Backing has also come from police, who are freed up to concentrate on more serious incidents.

Begun in Brixton in 2003, the movement has spread rapidly to other cities, towns and suburbs. Teams take to the streets on Friday and Saturday nights to help worse-for-wear and vulnerable club-goers. Their services range from having a chat to giving flip flops to revellers stumbling in their high heels and issuing night-bus timetables to help people get home.

Their help could not come at a more opportune time. As the Government prepares to unveil its Youth Alcohol Action Plan to improve education in schools and for parents, the alcohol consumption of a typical teenage drinker has more than doubled. In 1995, it was 5.3 units per week, but last year it was 11.4 units. More teenagers are drinking spirits than before: 63 per cent of 15-year-olds named spirits as a regular drink.

Frank Soodeen, of the pressure group Alcohol Concern, has nothing but praise for the street pastors. "The work they do certainly helps – getting people out of clubs, onto buses and into taxis is really important when they are drunk and putting themselves at risk," he says. "The real problem is when bars and clubs are illegally selling alcohol to people who are too drunk to consume it sensibly."

Many of the street pastors recognise this change in drinking behaviour and the atmosphere on town high streets in recent years. Nick Boddy, a church worker in his fifties and a street pastor of three years standing, says Sutton now seems busier with drinkers on a Friday night than it is with shoppers on a Saturday afternoon.

Free flip-flops are the latest addition to the street pastors' arsenal of goodwill. "We give them to young girls whose feet are hurting," says Mark. "We try to chat to people to reduce their fear of crime here in the suburbs, where people's worries can be as bad as people living in the inner city."

Thermal blankets for those who did not bring coats have proved popular, he says. Pocket night-bus timetables are invaluable for helping disorientated youngsters get home. In the most serious cases, the pastors will bring a sleeping bag from their base at a nearby church for those with no other shelter.

Melissa Wynn, who works for an IT company, says: "We all want to get out of the cosy environment of our churches and homes to where we can make a difference."

Peter Ticher, aged 80, is one of the group's newest recruits. "I'm not scared of going out on the streets," he says. "We hear so much about knife crime, but not one street pastor has ever been injured."

At first, the police and ambulance services were sceptical about the street pastors scheme, says Nick. "They were worried we would cause more work for them, if people targeted us or we got into trouble. But the shopkeepers, clubbers and bar owners are glad we're out there to give advice," he adds.

Source: Sunday Telegraph (1/6)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2059652/Street-pastors-help-young-revellers-on-their-way.html

Churches urge people to vote wisely on May 1st

17 April, 2008

Three Christian denominations are urging voters to take a stand against racist and extreme political parties as election day for local councils in England and Wales draws near.

1 May 2008 is election day for many local councils as well as for the Mayor of London and the Greater London Assembly. A new briefing from the Methodist Church, United Reformed Church and Baptist Union of Great Britain encourages people to use their vote wisely.

Simon Loveitt, Convenor of the Church and Society Committee for the United Reformed Church, says; “Politics is not just for Westminster. Local elections are a chance to have your say about the issues affecting your community. Many are daunted by the information available, but this briefing demystifies local elections and offers a place to start making your voice heard on the issues that matter.”

“It’s very easy to criticise politicians from a distance,” adds Graham Sparkes, Head of Faith and Unity at the Baptist Union of Great Britain, “but as Christians we are called to be fully involved in politics. We need to be engaged in community life, holding politicians to account for their decisions but also taking our democratic responsibilities seriously.”

Local churches are encouraged to issue statements condemning policies and practices that are incompatible with Christian faith and to work with other community groups in taking a stand against extremist parties in their areas.

Rachel Lampard, Methodist Secretary for Parliamentary and Political Affairs, says; “Churches have urged people not to vote for candidates who promote racist policies which are completely incompatible with the Christian call to love one another. Not only should we reject racist and intolerant parties, but we should actively work to counter those who seek to stir up hatred. Using your vote is essential to ensure that extremist parties, such as the BNP, do not get elected.”

Christians in London are invited to attend a hustings event for the London Mayoral candidates which is being organised by the London Churches Group for Social Action and the Evangelical Alliance. The hustings will take place at St-Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square on 23 April from 1800-2000.

The briefing offers links to further resources and is available at www.jointpublicissues.org.uk