Sorted London taxi drives Christian message
UK-based Christian men’s magazine Sorted is to operate its very own Sorted Taxi, a fully liveried London taxi branded with the magazine’s graphics. This taxi will traverse the streets of London for a full year from June 18, 2013. According to a Sorted press release, the taxi’s dedicated driver will act as a special Sorted ambassador, distributing free copies of the magazine and explaining exactly what it stands for. ‘We believe this is a tremendous opportunity and exciting and innovative way to reach thousands of people with the Christian message in the most exciting city on earth,’ says Sorted publisher and editor, Steve Legg. He added: ‘Many people are reluctant to seek out a church or a typical Christian magazine, but we are confident that people will enjoy the variety, relevance and quality of Sorted whatever their belief system. I know they’ll love it.’
Praise: God for this initiative and pray that many will be exposed to the Christian message. (Mt.10:7)
More: http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2013/s13070106.htm
'The Bible' mini-series earns Emmy nomination
The Bible' mini-series has been nominated for an Emmy Award in the ‘Outstanding Mini-series or Movie’ category, it was announced last week. History Channel's biblical miniseries will be competing with five other programs for the category's top spot, including FX Network's ‘American Horror Story: Asylum,’ HBO's ‘Behind the Candelabra,’ HBO's ‘Phil Spector,’ USA's ‘Political Animals’ and Sundance Channel's ‘Top of the Lake.’ The show, which was produced by husband and wife team Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, has also been nominated for ‘Outstanding Sound Editing for a Mini-series, Movie or a Special’ and ‘Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Mini-series or a Movie’ for its premiere episode, ‘Beginnings.’ ‘What a blessing this is. Mark and I have poured our hearts and souls into this series,' Downey said in an email to The Christian Post. ‘We have worked so hard for four years now, It has been a labour of love that deepened not just our faith but our marriage and our friendship.’ (See also Prayer Alert 13-2013 & 15-2013)
Praise: God for this further opportunity of spreading your message
'The Bible' mini-series earns Emmy nomination
The Bible' mini-series has been nominated for an Emmy Award in the ‘Outstanding Mini-series or Movie’ category, it was announced last week. History Channel's biblical miniseries will be competing with five other programs for the category's top spot, including FX Network's ‘American Horror Story: Asylum,’ HBO's ‘Behind the Candelabra,’ HBO's ‘Phil Spector,’ USA's ‘Political Animals’ and Sundance Channel's ‘Top of the Lake.’ The show, which was produced by husband and wife team Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, has also been nominated for ‘Outstanding Sound Editing for a Mini-series, Movie or a Special’ and ‘Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Mini-series or a Movie’ for its premiere episode, ‘Beginnings.’ ‘What a blessing this is. Mark and I have poured our hearts and souls into this series,' Downey said in an email to The Christian Post. ‘We have worked so hard for four years now, It has been a labour of love that deepened not just our faith but our marriage and our friendship.’ (See also Prayer Alert 13-2013 & 15-2013)
Praise: God for this further opportunity of spreading your message
BBC religious output drops 20% in one year
The BBC’s religious output has fallen by 20 per cent in one year, according to its latest annual report. One secularist group welcomed the figures, claiming audiences see religion as unimportant. But a recent BBC Trust report highlighted a lack of knowledge about religion amongst some BBC staff. Across the broadcaster’s TV and Radio stations religious programmes amounted to 1,126 hours in the 2012-13 period, down from 1,393 in 2011-12. Religious output on BBC One decreased by just three per cent, whereas overall radio content fell by a fifth from 1,211 to 975 hours. On digital channel BBC Four, the number of hours devoted to religious programmes dropped from 53 hours to five. Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society said: ‘It is good that the BBC is taking notice of its audiences at last - who according to its own research don’t regard religion as an important genre and hardly ever watch it.’
Pray: that the fall of religious content in the BBC will be reversed and the secular influence will also be greatly reduced. (Is.40:23)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/bbc-religious-output-drops-20-in-one-year/
New plans to block online pornography automatically
David Cameron has announced new plans to automatically block access to online pornography after warning that explicit images available on internet websites are ‘corroding childhood.’ In a major speech Mr Cameron said that internet users who wish to access pornography will be required to ‘opt-in’ under the new regime, unless they choose to have the filters removed. Harmful online content will be blocked automatically for all new customers, whereas existing users will be contacted by their internet providers and presented ‘with an unavoidable decision about whether or not to install family friendly content filters’. The UK’s biggest internet service providers have all agreed to offer the filters, which would apply to both home and public Wi-Fi networks ‘wherever children are likely to be present,’ including railway stations and cafés.
Pray: for any measures put in place to protect our children to be robust and effective. (Col.3:23)
Christians prepare for day of prayer before London arms fair
Christian communities throughout the country will take part in a Day of Prayer on Sunday 8 September, two days before the scheduled opening of one of the world's largest arms fairs, Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEi) at London's ExCel Centre. The day will enable Christians to reflect on the death, destruction and waste created by the arms trade and to pray for a less militarised and more peaceful and creative society. On the following evening, a multi-faith vigil near the ExCel Centre will provide a quiet and contemplative interlude before the arms fair opens its doors the next morning. The Day of Prayer is one event in a week of activities organised by Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) as part of Stop the Arms Fair Coalition. CAAT calls for an end to arms sales to repressive regimes and an end to government support for the arms industry.
Pray: for the effectiveness of our prayers as we reflect on the increased influence of arms sales across the world. (Col.4:2))
More: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/18663
Sentamu attacks 'scandal' of low wages
The Archbishop of York has challenged politicians to put their money where their mouths are and make the living wage a reality. Dr John Sentamu has just taken up his new appointment as chair of the Living Wage Commission, which will spend the next 12 months looking at how the living wage can be implemented. Writing in The Observer at the weekend, he said it was a ‘national scandal’ that five million people in Britain are not being paid enough to live on. ‘Millions of people across the country will get up today, leave their families and travel to work to carry out jobs that we all depend on,’ he wrote. ‘They will care for people, serve us food, clean the spaces that we all use and share. They will do more than a fair day's work, but they won't get a fair day's pay.’
Pray: that a living wage for a fair day's work will become the norm and not something that leaves people with less than enough. (Dan.9:17)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/sentamu.attacks.scandal.of.low.wages/33295.htm
France: Headscarf war
Ten years ago religious symbols were banned from state schools, this included girls' headscarves. A French protest group called Mamans Toutes Égales has blocked school coaches, boycotted outings and staged street demonstrations in protest of mothers in headscarves being barred from school trips, saying it’s an attack on freedom and democracy in state schools. ‘They seem to want to wipe Muslim women off the landscape,’ said an activist. A Paris suburb suffered two nights of rioting and car-burning at the weekend after a police identity check on a French woman wearing a full-face Muslim veil raised questions about the law banning the niqab from public places. Tension has been rising for months over the broader issue of Muslim headscarves, including the simple hijab. The current Socialist government is considering tightening laws on standard headscarves, despite France having some of the hardest-hitting legislation on veils in Europe. The French Republic is built on a strict separation of church and state.
Pray: against further violent clashes and for positive dialogue that leads to equality for all private beliefs rather than stigmatism any religion. (Ro.12:17-18)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/22/frances-headscarf-war-attack-on-freedom
France: Headscarf war
Ten years ago religious symbols were banned from state schools, this included girls' headscarves. A French protest group called Mamans Toutes Égales has blocked school coaches, boycotted outings and staged street demonstrations in protest of mothers in headscarves being barred from school trips, saying it’s an attack on freedom and democracy in state schools. ‘They seem to want to wipe Muslim women off the landscape,’ said an activist. A Paris suburb suffered two nights of rioting and car-burning at the weekend after a police identity check on a French woman wearing a full-face Muslim veil raised questions about the law banning the niqab from public places. Tension has been rising for months over the broader issue of Muslim headscarves, including the simple hijab. The current Socialist government is considering tightening laws on standard headscarves, despite France having some of the hardest-hitting legislation on veils in Europe. The French Republic is built on a strict separation of church and state.
Pray: against further violent clashes and for positive dialogue that leads to equality for all private beliefs rather than stigmatism any religion. (Ro.12:17-18)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/22/frances-headscarf-war-attack-on-freedom
A network of prayer and unity in Brussels
Pray4brussels seeks to mobilise prayer and to coordinate it in and for the city of Brussels. Brussels is becoming more and more a metropolis and an international crossroads: NATO, the EU and many international institutions have their headquarters here. It is a very strategic city, but also has a high degree of spiritual need. International teams come regularly to Brussels to pray, and we welcome them with open arms. However, we also want to create a platform among the many churches in Brussels to pray together and strengthen each other in this task. We want to make a conscious effort to join and work together with all other existing prayer initiatives.
Pray: that the significance of Brussels will be recognised and therefore the importance and strategic need for focused prayer will be taken up. (1Tim.2:1)
More: http://www.pray4belgium.be/index.php?page=pray4brussels-en