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Rise in prayer and religious service attendance to be met with a step up in our witness
According to research launched by Tearfund, and conducted by Savanta ComRes, many in the UK are turning to prayer during the crisis. A third of UK adults (33 per cent) have prayed since the beginning of the pandemic. Of those surveyed, 30 per cent of 18-34 year olds pray regularly, compared to 25…
John Coleby
Church in lockdown will continue until at least July
Many of the changes only apply to England and separate regulations stipulate the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each of the devolved administrations has reiterated that the ongoing message remains to stay at home and only minor amendments have been made to the regulations, for…
Danny Webster
Seizing this opportunity to witness in the community
Over the past five years my time has been split between Scotland and Northern Ireland, and this travelling back and forth combined with the coronavirus crisis has given me much food for thought about what a blessing local community is in our lives. Many of us, and within my generation especially,…
Chris Ringland
CSW calls for renewed prayers for freedom and justice on captive Christian’s birthday
Earlier this year, Rebecca Sharibu delivered a petition, signed by more than 12,000 people, to the Nigerian High Commission in London, which called on the Nigerian Government to take action to free her daughter, Leah, from the terrorist group that is holding her captive. Leah was one of 110 girls…
Kiri Kankhwende
Christian charity Cornerstone challenges Ofsted's discrimination rating
After receiving inspection results of ‘good’ in 2015 the charity’s fostering work was marked as ‘requires improvement’ in 2019 mainly due to its policy of only recruiting evangelical carers. The policy is in line with the Equality Act 2010, and allows the charity to provide a service to a…
Danny Webster
Scottish Government supporting communities funding
With more details here and here, this is a summary of what has been made available: £350m fund to support welfare and wellbeing £95m to local authorities: £50m in Barnett consequentials from the UK Government’s hardship fund directly to local authorities; £45m added to the Scottish Welfare Fund…
Kieran Turner
Scottish Government responds to Evangelical Alliance joint letter
We were delighted by the positive response from the Government. Aileen Campbell, cabinet secretary for communities and local government (directly responsible for faith and belief), wrote back to us, thanking Scotland’s faith communities for how they have provided support for the most vulnerable and…
Chris Ringland
Thy Kingdom Come 2020: a time for prayer and action
The Book of Acts (1:6-11) begins with this: “[The disciples] gathered round Him and asked Him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when…
John Coleby
Crossteach: resourcing schools, parents and churches
Most young people are now being taught at home. Schools are providing resources and online activities. Parents are often trying to supplement this with additional activities and resources. For Christian parents, they are also faced with the reality that any church-run groups are also not meeting in…
Wayne Harris
What today's lockdown easing in Scotland means for your church
In order to enter the first phase, the following conditions had to be met: The virus has not yet been fully contained, and there is a continued risk of overwhelming the NHS capacity without lockdown restrictions continuing;The R infection number has been below 1 for at least 2 weeks prior and the…
Chris Ringland
Pentecost and the constant mission of the church
So, what can the account of Pentecost in Acts tell us about the nature of the church? Many preachers will go instinctively to Acts chapter 2, verses 42-47. There we get a description of the first Christian community which incorporates worship, teaching, prayer, generosity, hospitality, signs and…
John Coleby
Helping people heal from trauma caused by coronavirus
We’ve all lost our normal daily lives, which is a significant loss. We all face uncertainty about the future – and more changes. This takes its toll: we are tired with all the extra daily decisions, frustrated with the complications we face, angry about things we can’t do. We may look for someone…
Hilary Warner
The church is open and here to serve
Anxiety, pain and anger are all heightened emotions for us in this time of crisis. Daily death tolls relentlessly remind us of our own mortality and fragility. Our freedoms have been curtailed, our relationships cut off, our future is uncertain. Lockdown has robbed us of any pretence that we are in…
Gavin Calver
Stories of hope: Ps&Gs Church Edinburgh
As the weeks have progressed throughout lockdown, many of us have experienced every possible range of emotion. Some have found it manageable, even easy; while the reality is that for many this period has been challenging, isolating and lonely. As Christians, who would normally gather weekly at…
Christine Uhlig
Changing church report: Responding to the coronavirus crisis
We found that 59% of the UK churches surveyed are reporting a marked increase in people interested in finding out more about the Christian faith. The research also shows that 70% of church leaders have reported more people who would not normally attend church, now attending during the lockdown.…
