FES World Assembly begins
Hundreds of delegates from 154 countries will meet in Krakow, Poland, not to discuss politics or finances, but to discuss Jesus. Three or four student and leader delegates from each of 150 student movements in the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) meet every four years as part of the week-long World Assembly. IFES was founded in 1947 as a way to gather student ministries together into one world mission. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is just one of the dozens of student movements involved in IFES and represented at the World Assembly this week. ‘Everybody goes home with new ideas and strategies for ministry and evangelism on their campuses,’ explains Grahm Bob Grahmann, director of the IFES ‘So the end result of this World Assembly will be more, and better, and deeper, and more effective evangelism to students in universities around the world.’
Pray: that this conference would be led by God’s Spirit to be more effective in evangelising university students. (Jn.17:23)
‘UK clothes stores exploit women’ says charity
Thousands of women producing clothes for UK brands are working 14 hours a day for poverty pay in Bangladesh.This accusation comes from the charity War on Want in new research launched as the People newspaper publishes allegations that Bangladeshi workers earn under 6p an hour for night shifts. The charity’s researchers interviewed 1,000 female employees from 41 factories supplying western retailers, many of them British. Leading retailers – including Zara, Gap, Marks & Spencer, Monsoon Accessorize, New Look, Primark, River Island and Tesco - have pledged to observe a code of conduct with the Ethical Trading Initiative which says that suppliers’ workers earn a living wage, do not work over 48 hours a week or face abuse.The report, Stitched Up, is supported by the National Federation of Women’s Institutes. A new poll shows members of the WI, Britain’s largest voluntary women’s group; want retailers and the British government to ensure a fair wage for overseas garment workers.
Pray: for all retailers to follow the ethical code generously to ensure a fair wage for all workers. (Mal.3:5)
More: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/15139
Archbishop fears impact of welfare cuts on families
The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England has warned that vulnerable families may be hit worst by the Government’s welfare cuts. The Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, outlined his concerns in a letter to the Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith that has been seen by The Times. According to the newspaper, the Catholic leader spoke of the risk to thousands of poor families, who face being forced out of their homes as a result of cuts being made to housing benefit. He said that the loss of £93 a week for 50,000 families was a ‘significant sum for those struggling financially’. He warned that if media reports of 40,000 families being made homeless were correct ‘it would surely be a perverse result of policies aimed at reducing dependency of the ‘benefits culture’, since emergency support would immediately need to be put in place’.
Pray: for Government and Local authorities to be sensitive to the needs of the most vulnerable as they plan financial cuts. (Lk.11:41)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/archbishop.fears.impact.of.welfare.cuts.on.families/28317.htm
GMC and Medical Defence Union endorse 'tactful' offers of prayer by GPs
GMC and Medical Defence Union endorse 'tactful' offers of prayer by GPs
The GP magazine Pulse reports in an exclusive this week on new guidance from the Medical Defence Union saying that GPs can pray with their patients as long as they ensure patients are ‘receptive' to the offer. The guidance quotes a letter from Jane O'Brien, GMC Assistant Director for Standards and Fitness to Practise, published in the Daily Telegraph in 2009 suggesting that a ‘tactful' offer to pray could be appropriate. The development is highly significant in that it follows a statement by the GMC’s Chief Executive Niall Dickson who in a recent Radio Four interview confirmed the appropriateness of sensitive faith discussions with patients. Faith discussions are not normally part of the consultation, but there are occasions when they were appropriate. The World Health Organisation’s definition of health includes physical, mental, social and spiritual dimensions and part of practising whole-person medicine means addressing all issues that have a bearing on a person’s health.
Pray: that the GMC allows Christian doctors to practise medicine that addresses the needs of the whole person and to share their faith sensitively when it is appropriate to do so. (Ja.5:16)
More: http://pjsaunders.blogspot.com/2011/07/gmc-and-medical-defence-union-endorse.html
