Hawaii: Church ministry to volcano families
Puna Baptist Church put on a family fun day for families affected by the volcano. One church member wrote on facebook, ‘Puna Baptist Church held a Family Fun Day for the people of Puna. It was a day to just forget about the volcano and have some family fun. It certainly lived up to its name! We had close to 500 people. I was at the registration desk and loved seeing the children’s eyes light up as I told them about all of the things they could do! We were so busy! What a blessing to everyone! I love my church!’ Free hygiene kits were offered by the church and a doctor and a counsellor were also on site. The church members have also been providing a clothes washing service which they've asked members to pray for. Their website reads,’Pray for the Laundry Voucher Ministry to be an effective opportunity to share Jesus with the Puna community’.
Gather North Festival
Northumberland became known as the cradle of Christianity when people like Aidan and Cuthbert brought the gospel into Britain; what happened here impacted the rest of the country. In 2018, we look to God to restore our inheritance, working through the church to bring Godly change to our region.
We have been stirred by the story of Gideon, where God's people were forced into shelters and strongholds by their enemy; good people working hard year after year to plant a harvest which was ruined or stolen before it could be brought in. Eventually a small number of people - 300 - took responsibility for their nation and confronted the enemy using Godly tactics. The result was a change in the situation which released God's people to fulfill their destiny, own the land again and reap bountiful harvests. Gather: Festival North takes this story and applies its principles to today's church in Northumberland.
Acting on behalf of all Christian churches, Gather: interleaves prayer and worship to defeat the work of the enemy; to release the Church into fruitful and effective harvest; to call the Church out of its strongholds and into our communities. We also look to equip God’s people to take the fight back into their communities, with prophetic input and healing prayer.
The festival runs from 3rd-5th August; for further info and to purchase tickets see: www.gatherfestival.co.uk
We seek your prayers to equip the ‘300’ of Gather: and protect them as they fight for the future of our county - and our nation.
Jane Holloway from the World Prayer Centre will be speaking at Gather North Festival.
Salvation Army praised over Glasgow fire response
The Salvation Army has been praised for its support for members of the emergency services who responded to a fire at the Glasgow School of Art, in a building which had been undergoing a multi-million-pound restoration project. Volunteers prepared hot rolls and Irn Bru drinks for police officers and firefighters who were called to the landmark Mackintosh Building on the night of 15 June. The fire service’s chief officer, Alasdair Hay, praised the ‘warm-hearted’ response of both the Salvation Army and emergency crews. The Salvation Army rarely receives the recognition it deserves as it works with children and families, the homeless, the elderly, and those in poverty. It influences social policy and is involved in removing modern slavery and domestic abuse.
Church growth
In Algeria, friends asked for prayer after their church in Aïn Turk was closed by the local authorities. After seven months, the authorities finally reopened the church. In Turkey, Pastor Ramazan Arkan leads two congregations in Antalya, just 12 miles from where Paul and Barnabas planted a church in New Testament times. His growing church is reaching out to many young seekers in this city of two million people. Iran is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a Christian, yet thousands of underground Iranian believers are practising their faith in secret. For those with no-one to talk to about Jesus, SAT-7’s satellite Christian broadcasting has become not just a television channel, but also a virtual pastor, church, community and friend.
