#RedWednesday, an initiative spearheaded by the advocacy charity ‘Aid to the Church in Need’, is highlighting a lack of religious freedom in countries around the world. The Houses of Parliament, the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in St John's Wood, the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Stevenage, and Bolton Town Hall, are among dozens of buildings including churches, synagogues and mosques across the UK who lit up their buildings red on Wednesday to mark a show of solidarity with anyone persecuted for their faith. Lord Alton of Liverpool said, ‘In this month of remembrance we are right to stand in solidarity with those who suffer. Our Houses of Parliament represent the struggle for liberty and freedom. In bathing them in red we commemorate those who enjoy none of those privileges and it is an earnest of our determination that they should.’
Trypraying 2017
23 Nov 2016
Several places are considering using trypraying co-operatively next year in the run up to, or from, Easter. In our sights is the goal of 1000 churches across the UK making use of it and 10 city-wide projects where scores of churches work together. We are happy to talk with you if this is something you would like to consider. You could host a meeting in the next three months to get the idea talked about. We might even be able to send along a speaker to help. Please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested.
If you are within reach of High Wycombe or Birmingham on 28/29th November then you might wish to come to one of these two ‘interest meetings’ to see how it all works.
• Monday 28th November 7.30 (refreshments) for 8.00 p.m. at St Peter's Loudwater, Buckinghamshire, HP10 9QL.
• Tuesday 29th November 2.30 p.m. Riverside House, 21 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham. B13 8AR.
Please email us if you are interested and we’ll get you counted in for refreshments – or just come.
Meanwhile, here’s a conversation which took place in Costa yesterday with someone who "doesn’t do church.”
I had previously given her copy of the trypraying booklet. I felt I should take a risk and ask how she got on with it. She said she had given it away to a friend - who had then given it to someone else. "Your booklet is travelling!" she joked. I explained the content of the booklet again, especially Day 5 (forgiveness) and Day 6 (responding to Christ) because, on offer, is the possibility of a relationship with a loving God. I asked if she had prayed the prayers on those days and she was non-commital but she then volunteered, “I'll tell you what I am going to do. I’m going to go through the booklet again and pray and the next time I see you I’ll tell you how I got on .”
Encouraging.
Take risks.
Source: Trypraying
‘Golden age’ for Aleppo church
18 Nov 2016
Many Christians have fled from Aleppo to Lebanon. In Kristina’s church, only 10% of the original congregation are left, but the church is full as displaced people take their place - especially Muslims. She says, ‘Muslims were surprised to see churches offering support and programmes for all Syrians, not just Christians.’ Many have dropped their hostility towards Christians and are re-thinking their faith. A growing number of Muslim children are attending children’s activities, where the Bible is opened daily. Gradually Muslim families have joined church activities. Kristina speaks of a ‘golden age’ for the Middle East Church. ‘Muslims are coming to us. The only thing we have to do is tell them the good news; they are waiting for it’, she says.
Northern Ireland and redefinition of marriage
18 Nov 2016
Arlene Foster, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, has said that her Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) will continue to use its veto to stop same-sex marriage. She said that her party felt ‘strongly’ that they should protect the definition of marriage, and referred to the huge outcry against the ruling in the Ashers Bakery case. Recently, 51 Unionists voted against redefining marriage - so opposition is not confined to the DUP.
Canada: ‘With glowing hearts we see you rise’
18 Nov 2016
Mike Jacobs, husband of Cindy Jacobs, was woken at 5 am by the Lord reminding him of a prophetic word that was released in the early 1980s from their UK prayer network: ‘A revival will start in Western Canada, sweeping from the west to east, and then go down into the USA, and into Mexico, Central America, and South America.’ Mr Jacobs said, ‘God was saying to me in the morning, “Have I not said there is going to be a revival?” So He is stirring this word once again, and we are going to start seeing this revival.’ For the rest of this encouraging word for North America, click the ‘More’ button.
Prison Service not working
18 Nov 2016
On 3 November, Justice Secretary Liz Truss unveiled a White Paper detailing £1.3bn investment in new prisons over the next five years along with plans for 2,100 extra officers, drug tests and more autonomy for governors. On 7 November 200 inmates created a ‘riot’ at HMP Bedford. This followed the death of a prisoner in HMP Pentonville, the third in England this year. Violence in jails is rising. The number of assaults rose by 1/3rd to 23,775 in the year to June 2016. This week the Government took emergency court action when 10,000 prison officers in England and Wales stopped work over working conditions in jails, where drugs are rife, mobile phones are smuggled in to organise illegal prison activity, and there is understaffing. It is illegal for the profession to strike, but the Prison Officers Association says ‘protest action’ is needed to keep staff and inmates safe. The service is ‘in meltdown’.
Christians denied UK visit - ‘too poor’
18 Nov 2016
The Church of Scotland has condemned Home Office red tape that twice denied visas for an invited delegation of Pakistani Christians because they are too poor. The Presbytery of Glasgow vouched for the two delegates from the Church of Pakistan, invited as part of a twinning project between the two Christian communities. The Home Office refused entry to the two clergy despite the Church of Scotland assuring the Government that it is paying for the visit. The Presbytery will now raise the issue at the Home Office via Members of Parliament. The officer dealing with the case wrote to the church visitors, ‘It is acknowledged that the Church of Scotland will bear the costs of your visit. I am not satisfied you are genuinely seeking entry for a limited period - not exceeding six months. Unless financial circumstances change, future applications are likely to be refused.’
BBC: reduction in Christian programming?
18 Nov 2016
The BBC will increase its multi-faith coverage in response to a report submitted to Lord Hall by BBC religion and ethics department head Aaqil Ahmed, who said that there is an imbalance in the network's religious output. So Lord Hall will speak with religious leaders next year to change its current programming of faith-based shows. Ahmed said BBC’s coverage does not reflect the faith of Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus; ‘It’s too Christian’. Increased coverage of other faiths could include Friday prayers from a mosque along the lines of Songs of Praise. In 2011 a BBC survey found an overwhelming feeling that the BBC was in fact anti-Christian, and Christianity was consistently misrepresented. In 2012, the Director-General admitted that Christianity was treated ‘less sensitively’ than other religions. Since that time there have been numerous similar complaints of clear bias against Christianity, some coming from employees at the BBC themselves. A petition complaining about the downgrading of Christian programming can be signed at