THE MAGAZINE OF THE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE
SINGLED OUT? Are evangelical churches family-only affairs?
MALE SUICIDE
GOOD QUESTION
BIG INTERVIEW
Why the Church should wake up to this heartbreaking issue
Do babies go to heaven?
Graham Kendrick on the changing face of worship music.
On the Job
Connect
60 seconds with‌
Culture
GLOBAL
Big Interview
www.eauk.org/idea
JUL/AUG 2013
NEWS COMMENT features
Europe’s leading Christian Resources Exhibitions CRE Midlands
NEC BIRMINGHAM 2013 NEC Birmingham, 3 & 4 October CRE Scotland
LOWLAND HALL 2013
Royal Highland Centre, 27 & 28 November
CRE East
PETERBOROUGH 2014
Peterborough Area, 29 & 30 January CRE International
SANDOWN 2014
Sandown Park, Esher 13 – 16 May
For continually updated information visit:
CREonline.co.uk Tel 01793 418218
Christian Resources Exhibitions is part of Bible Society (Charity Reg. No 232759)
Christian Resources Exhibitions EQUIPPING AND EMPOWERING YOUR CHURCH
Chine Mbubaegbu: We are servants of a God who is the source of all hope, for all people.
idea-torial “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
CONTENTS FEATURES 16 Cover story
New research shows evangelical churches are failing their single members.
20 Male suicide
A call for the Church to talk about this heartbreaking issue.
18 One people
We visit the vibrant Chinese Church in London.
REGULARS
10 Does child sponsorship actually work? New research suggests that it does.
4-5 Connect
Have you considered leaving a legacy to the Alliance?
Jeremiah 29:11 I have just returned from the Guildhall in London, where I joined hundreds of others in celebrating with Archbishop Desmond Tutu as he collected his £1.1 million Templeton Prize. The former Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town was awarded the prestigious prize for his lifelong work in advancing reconciliation which has helped to liberate people around the world. Judges noted that Archbishop Tutu’s “steadfastness to core Christian principles such as love and forgiveness has broken chains of hurt, pain and all too common instincts for revenge, and instead, has advanced the spiritual liberation of people around the world”. He has shone a light of hope into some of the world’s darkest places.
9 On the job
Out and about with Salvo the clown.
6 Good question
Do babies go to heaven?
13-15 Nations
News from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
33 In your words
idea readers respond…
34 Last word
General director Steve Clifford writes…
28 Graham Kendrick has released his 37th album. We speak to him about the changing face of worship music.
Once again while putting together this magazine, I have been struck afresh by the realisation that we are people of hope. The hope offered looks different in different contexts, but it is hope all the same. We are servants of a God who is the source of all hope, for all people – whether married, single, divorced or widowed (page 16). We can speak messages of hope into dark places such as suicide and mental illness, explored on page 20. We can bring hope to the lives of children living in poverty around the world by supporting charities working in those areas (page 10). The Chinese Church in London offers hope to many Chinese people in the diaspora (page 18). Salvo the clown offers glimpses of hope in the humdrum and the everyday of Southend’s busy shopping area (page nine). And because of our knowledge of an eternal hope – even after we die – we are set free from the sting of death and free to prepare for it (page four).
30 The Odd Life of Timothy Green: what really constitutes unconditional love?
Registered office Evangelical Alliance has moved:
176 Copenhagen Street, London N1 0ST tel: 020 7520 3830
(Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm)
Chine Mbubaegbu Head of Media
We’re on Twitter! Follow us @idea_mag JUL/AUG 2013
Twitter: @ChineMbubaegbu
fax: 020 7520 3850 info@eauk.org www.eauk.org Evangelical Alliance leadership team Steve Clifford, Helen Calder, Fred Drummond, Elfed Godding, Krish Kandiah, Dave Landrum, Peter Lynas
Email address changes to members@eauk.org Northern Ireland Office 440 Shore Road, Newtownabbey BT37 9RU tel: 028 9029 2266 nireland@eauk.org
Scotland Office International Christian College, 110 St James Road, Glasgow, G4 0PS tel: 0141 548 1555 scotland@eauk.org
Wales Office 20 High Street, Cardiff CF10 1PT tel: 029 2022 9822 wales@eauk.org
IDEA MAGAZINE / 3
News from the Alliance
CONNECT
Why I’m leaving a legacy to the Alliance “ If you believe in something that an organisation is doing and are blessed with having some finance, it’s good to give to their work.” That’s according to Charles Gibbs, who has made steps to leave a gift in his will to the Evangelical Alliance.
Charles emphasises how easy it is to leave a legacy. “It’s not difficult. You just put it in your will and that’s that.”
Charles is not the only one who is thinking ahead and making provision for when they are no longer on this earth, but playing their part in building God’s kingdom even after they are gone.
He also spoke of a real sense of the grace of giving in leaving a legacy. “Everything is provided by God,” Charles said. “All that we have is given to us and we keep a little bit for ourselves, but we should give away the rest. I would only leave legacies to Christian organisations.
Alliance members are more prepared for their deaths than most, 83 per cent surveyed in our Why Christians Give report in 2010 have made a will – 43 per cent of whom have included a charity in that will. When it comes to the average Christian, however, many of us are unprepared. A survey by Premier found that seven out of 10 people have not yet made a will. Considering that 600,000 churchgoers die every year, it is sobering to think that we who are called to be good stewards are not being adequately prepared.
“It’s a very easy way of doing it because you have the money there and when you die, you are then able to support organisations.” “My hope for the Alliance is that it would do things that have a practical nature to help Christians and churches in this country. For over 160 years, the Alliance has been a voice and an advocate – by leaving a gift in your will you can help us to continue to do that. Helen Calder, executive director: finance & services at the Alliance, said: “In recent years legacies have made a significant difference to the Alliance’s ability to deliver its strategy and programme. “We are immensely grateful to those who have included legacies to the Evangelical Alliance in their wills. We would always encourage people to ensure their family is provided for first and that they remember their local church as well as other charities that they have supported.”
6 steps to making a will Remember, making a will is a job for a professional and you are strongly advised to visit a solicitor. There are six simple steps:
1 List your main assets (house, car,
bank accounts, savings etc) and liabilities (mortgage, credit and store cards, loans etc).
2 Decide on your preferred executors
– the people who carry out the instructions in your will. They can be joined by an experienced probate professional like a solicitor or bank to cope with the more technical work.
3 Decide who should get what – and how it should be divided and protected.
4 Decide on the type of gift you want to leave to charity – a residuary (once all other gifts and debts have been cleared) or a pecuniary (a fixed sum).
5 Use a solicitor to discuss the best
ways to ensure what you want to happen and then draw up your will and get it witnessed. Make sure you get a quote first.
6 If you already have a will and would
simply like to make an amendment to it, you can ask for a codicil – your solicitor will help you with this.
eauk.org/legacy
Please use this tear-off slip to let us know your intentions – if you have or are intending to leave a gift in your will to us. Responding to this does not constitute a change in your will, please consult your legal advisor for the best way to do that.
Yes, I want to pledge a gift in my will to the Evangelical Alliance Please tick all that apply:
Yes, I’ve pledged a gift in my will to the Alliance Yes, I would like to pledge £
or
% of my estate to the Alliance
Please contact me to discuss how I can include the Alliance in my will BLOCK CAPITALS Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms (other):
First name:
Surname:
Address: Postcode: Telephone: Mobile:
Email:
Please return your legacy pledge slip to the Evangelical Alliance in the pre-paid envelope supplied or post to Evangelical Alliance, 176 Copenhagen Street, N1 0ST
Andrew Green: It is possible to go with the flow and see a good church news story printed without criticism, spin or a bad pun. Twitter: @tandrewgreen
in the media
Never on a Sunday by Andrew Green, Alliance press officer
Would you risk a clichéd headline to promote your church service?, asks the Alliance’s press officer Andrew Green. Getting a local paper to cover a church story is a perennial problem. It’s not helped by a media tendency to prefer conflict over harmony, infighting over co-operation and sometimes plain gossip over hard truth. Whatever sells the paper, as the saying goes. But don’t be put off. It is possible to go with the flow and see a good church news story printed without criticism, spin or a bad pun. (Though don’t be too hard on the journalist if the story appears under clichéd headlines – as did this one about sexed-up Sunday sermons.) Alliance member City Life Church in Portsmouth approached the press because they were hosting a weekend of talks about pornography. “I knew this event would turn heads,” admitted City Life’s pastor, Dan Harman. It did just that. Press-wise, his event
was covered by The Sun, The Portsmouth News and International Business Times. He also did a lengthy interview with a Spanish radio station.
straight with no verbal pointing of fingers at do-gooding church types. Isn’t this just the kind of reporting that evangelical churches need right now?
“I sent a press release to all the nationals except The Sun. Because of their page three policy I didn’t think they’d promote something that was saying ‘porn is not good’.”
Did the press stories themselves make a difference to anyone’s life? A friend of the pastor, who wasn’t a Christian and hadn’t seen him for years, phoned him after seeing the article. After a frank discussion the friend said reading it had helped him see the negative effect his casual use of pornography was having on his relationship with his partner.
Here lies a useful lesson – should we be surprised that the media can seem contradictory, or should we accept it and just try and work with its news agendas? The church talk was planned some time ago but coincided with timely headlines blaming easily accessible online porn as an influence on the child murderer, Stuart Hazell. Talking to the press about ‘Porn Sunday’ might have seemed risky, but it paid off. All three pieces of coverage were reported
Best of the web
eauk.org
1) Tutu: Unity at all costs
4) Foster care
Archbishop Desmond Tutu told the Alliance that the Church must be united at all costs, despite its different theologies, belief systems and denominations. eauk.org/tutu-unity-at-all-costs
The Alliance’s Home for Good campaign backed Foster Care Fortnight’s ‘Get in the frame’ initiative in which people from all walks of life are encouraged to consider fostering. homeforgood.org.uk
2) Woolwich murder Following the brutal killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in south-east London in May, Andy Clasper’s Friday Night Theology called us to be people of reconciliation. eauk.org/fnt
3) Tony Campolo At a Bible Society event, Tony Campolo urged the Church to wake up to corporate evil and global corruption and back the EXPOSED2013 campaign. eauk.org/campolo-on-corruption
5) Pentecost celebrations grow A round-up of how churches across the country celebrated the Church’s birthday. eauk.org/pentecost-celebrations
Why I’m a member
As a retired chartered accountant who has worked both in industry and for Christian organisations, I have always believed in the principle that “we can achieve much more together than we can on our own”. The Evangelical Alliance, with its wealth of experience and gifted staff, speaks to the nation with an authority and unity that we local Christians are often unable to achieve. Being a member of the Alliance enables me to be involved in the Great ‘Co-mission’ and know that my vision and values are being represented by people I can trust and who have a similar biblical perspective to my own. Raymond Bodkin
JUL/AUG 2013
IDEA MAGAZINE / 5
GOOD QUESTION
Steve Holmes: Is there a form of faith appropriate for a newborn?
Do babies go to heaven? In the latest in our series putting tough questions to theologians, Steve Holmes answers this difficult and emotive one. The answer is yes, but it is worth thinking about why. There are few events more tragic in life than the loss of a child, whatever the circumstances might be. For Christian parents, questions about the eternal fate of the child are bound to arise, and any doubts can only intensify the grief. Why might there be doubts? The Bible teaches clearly that all human beings are fallen, implicated somehow in Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:22). In the Middle Ages, people began to believe that the only cure for this was baptism, and so an unbaptised child could not enter heaven. (Instead, she was left in ‘limbo,’ from a Latin word meaning ‘edge’.) Although widely believed, this was never the official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, and now the Church has distanced itself from this sort of idea, instead saying that unbaptised children should be entrusted to the mercy of God. For evangelicals, of course, the question is not baptism, but faith: we believe we are saved only through faith in Jesus Christ and his atoning death. But a young baby cannot apparently have faith, so how can he be
saved? We have always believed not only that a baby can be saved, but that all those who die in infancy will be saved, but we have not always agreed on how that might happen. Some Calvinists, who stress God’s sovereign election, have believed that all who die young are among the elect, and so they are saved by God’s grace, even though they never have the opportunity to come to faith. This opens the way, however, to wondering whether others – adults – who die without ever coming to faith might also be saved because God has graciously chosen to save them. Other evangelicals have proposed that there is a moment when a child comes to an ‘age of responsibility’, understanding enough about good and evil that she can be held responsible for her choices. Before that time, although somehow damaged by Adam’s sin, she bears no guilt of her own, and will be saved by Jesus’s death and resurrection if she dies. After becoming responsible, she carries the guilt of her own sin, and must repent and come to Jesus in faith to be saved. It is difficult to find any suggestion of this ‘age of
responsibility’ in scripture, however. Perhaps we should instead think about what we mean by ‘faith’. As an adult (well, student...) convert, I can point to a time and place where I first came to faith and I can remember what I came to believe then that I had not believed before. I hope, however, that none of my three children will be able to tell that story. I hope that they will continue to grow up in the Church, gradually deepening in their understanding of and trust in what God has done in Jesus and at each stage having a faith appropriate
God who gave up His Son to save will not allow our children to be lost. to their age and development. My four-yearold’s simple belief that Jesus is her friend would not be appropriate for my 12-yearold. Equally, her understanding of the call of God through Jesus on her life, appropriate though it is for her now, needs to grow and develop further as she grows to maturity. Could we, I wonder, trace this right back? Is there a form of faith appropriate for a newborn, or even for a child in the womb? I can’t imagine what this would be like, but God is hardly limited by my imagination! Indeed, we know that John the Baptist was able to recognise and respond to Jesus before he was born (Luke 1:41-44). Was John unusual in that? Was it a part of his unique calling as the one who would prepare the way for Jesus? Or is that something normal for babies, who are saved by a faith appropriate to their age? All this is speculation; what we do know is that God loves so much that He gave His only Son, that God sent His son to save, not to condemn (John 3:16-17); that as in Adam all die, so in Christ are all made alive (1Corinthians 15:22); that God’s gift in Christ is immeasurably greater than our sin (Romans 5:15-19). Knowing all this, we can trust that God who gave up His Son to save will not allow our children to be lost. Steve Holmes is senior lecturer in theology at the University of St Andrews, an Alliance Board member and chair of the Alliance’s Theology and Public Policy Advisory Committee (TAPPAC).
IDEA MAGAZINE / 6
I will not be an MP forever. I will be here until He wants me to.
60 seconds with...
Asiya Nasir MP Asiya Nasir is the only Christian MP in Pakistan. Dr Dave Landrum, director of advocacy at the Alliance, met her to talk about what’s going on in her country. How did you get into politics? My great, great grandfather settled in the province of Balochistan before independence. I was educated there, a teacher there, and wanted to be a professor, but God had His own plan. I never thought of becoming a politician, though my father was in the House and twice contested elections there. It was not a decent thing for women in Pakistan. In the 2002 elections he asked me to replace him. It wasn’t an easy decision for me; I had three children. But my husband supported me. I thought that somebody had to enter politics, if we wanted to bring change to the system, change in the rule of politicians. The party I joined was a Muslim Islamic party, right wing. Many of my community criticised me for joining that party. It was seen as anti-Christian or anti-minority, but I was really surprised when I met my party leader as he really warmly welcomed me. Was it difficult being a Christian in this context? I knew I was in Christ, and knew my foundation was really strong. I felt I needed to identify myself with Christ, and felt I should never hide myself from people. Whenever I was in the company of my JUL/AUG 2013
party colleagues – most of whom were rigid Muslims with long beards – they urged me to tell them about my religion. If I did not tell them it would be too unfair to my religion, my Christ. I told them. And slowly and gradually people became interested in it. Many of my ministers asked me and my husband to get some Bibles for them. Many Christians go into politics, but break under the pressure as they do not have the foundations of a personal relationship with Christ. But, for you it was the opposite? Yes, because in all difficult situations I realised He was the only anchor for me. I cannot find shelter anywhere else except him. I know eventually everything will perish, but one will remain. His name will remain, so we have to glorify His name. I will not be an MP forever. I will be here until He wants me to be here – no one can denounce me or remove me. Shahbaz Bhatti was a Pakistani politician and a Christian who was killed for his outspoken criticism of the country’s blasphemy laws. Do you fear for your life? No, I don’t fear. I have no fears. I do not fear death because I know He has given us everlasting life, life after death, so why
should I fear? Each one of us has to die some day, with the tablet in the hospital or with a bullet. So why not die for His name? Someone once asked me how many bodyguards I have. I said only one – my Lord Jesus. I don’t have any bodyguards because I have never received any threats. Jesus says you are not called for this, you are called to be bold, courageous and truthful, honest, so I am only afraid of that threat, not of anything else. But I have never ever received any threat. Pakistan seems to need more secular government and civil society whereas the UK may need less. Any comment on the difference between the two countries? We need balance, not religious extremism. There is debate in Pakistan about how we can segregate state and religion. Many think religion does not affect affairs of state, but I say no, you cannot segregate them for a long time. To some extent religion needs to be involved in the affairs of state. My party always appreciates me because I don’t have secular ideas. The debate in Pakistan is whether we are going to be a secular state not theocratic. I say no, it should not be theocratic but also not a secular state. We need a pluralistic culture, need freedom. I believe in freedom of religion and don’t want to impose religion on me or others, everyone should be free. I don’t want to go and preach my religion but not practise, I want to practise first and want others to learn from my life. If they are impressed with my life they will convert or learn from my religion. Even in Pakistan we have a lot of diversity, religions should not want to impose. My party is religious but does not believe in imposing on others, they have never asked me to convert or put on a veil. Is the gospel spreading in Pakistan? The Christian Church is very fast growing in Pakistan. Pentecostals are growing more. Churches are full. There are not enough places to put people. People are trying to set up new churches. People are bringing their friends, giving room for prayer in houses. IDEA MAGAZINE / 7
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“ I sensed God calling me to spread happiness and encouragement.”
ON THE JOB
Just clowning around One particular clown, in full outfit and huge comedy shoes, is a familiar fixture in Southend, Essex. Amid laughing children and balloon animals on a sunny bank holiday Monday he speaks with Lucy Cooper about bringing a smile to the seaside town... “Hello there young man,” he addresses a pretty little girl in pink. He waves a bag around quickly: “You are slow at picking a balloon aren’t you.” The old-school jokes evidently still work as the sixyear-old has not stopped giggling for breath. “Now to serious matters, would you like a girl or a boy face on your balloon dog?” Having been a busker on the high street since 1998 and having spent over 45 years in entertainment, Salvo the Clown chats and jokes with old and new friends, and anyone who cares to stop by to say hello. When not in his spot outside Mcdonalds, he can be found at fêtes, events or parties entertaining children aged two to 102. I had imagined a clown to be audaciously overbearing but found an unassuming and gentle man, waiting for children to approach him or ask grown-ups if they could have a balloon. Salvo is such an institution here that children who enjoyed him in their childhood are now bringing their own children to see him appear on mild Saturdays or school holidays. “I know I am making a difference when I see a child leaving happy. All I really want to do is bring a little colour and happiness into other people’s lives,” Salvo tells me. The circus he was doing manual work for in the 60s suddenly needed an extra clown, and as he says himself “the rest is history”. In 1974 his circus provided tents for Christian meetings hosted by Dick Saunders. Salvo recalls: “There was something inside of me which made me go forward and give my life to the Lord when he asked people to respond. In the same year, a motorbike accident left me unable to continue clowning with the circus due to the heavy lifting involved. “Gwyn Jordan played a huge part in my journey to faith and later on in 1995, as a result of performing at his child’s birthday party, I regained confidence and restarted as a full-time clown. I sensed God calling me to spread happiness and encouragement through my children’s entertainment.” Born with significant hearing loss and struggling with dyslexia and the effects of an unhappy childhood, Salvo has overcome life’s difficulties to make a positive difference to the lives of others. “It is great when people comment: ‘You are great with the children. Other entertainers don’t have the time of day.’ It is only time. I would like to continue till I am promoted to glory – in fact I’d like to do a Tommy Cooper (die doing the job I love).” It is clear, with snide comments from passers-by, that not everyone likes clowns but Salvo doesn’t let negativity affect him by focusing JUL/AUG 2013
all his attention on interacting with the children showing interest. He explains: “Some people are afraid, maybe because their parents dragged them up to see a clown in their past. It is the reason I have such a simple face – so that I’m more approachable and they can see the real me behind the make-up.” A member of Clowns International, Salvo annually rededicates his life to his vocation at a special clowns’ church service in London. He set up the first Clown’s Directory in 1991 to support and encourage clowns everywhere. “The logo sums up my vision – clowns from around the world holding hands, helping each other. The gold indicates how precious I feel each clown is. A world without clowns is purely unthinkable.” Local authorities, lost children and frantic parents benefit from Salvo’s presence and all can be assured that the clown will contact police and stand with the child until they are reunited with their guardian. Salvo, whose name originated when he appeared alongside a Salvation Army Officer, doesn’t push his faith on anyone, but will share openly if the opportunity arises. “Pushing too hard could lose me my place in a community in which I have had the pleasure of living since 1974. I do sometimes get a chance to talk about Jesus but I hope that people see a difference in me anyway and I prefer to lead by example and action rather than words.” Salvo is not trying to change the world but to make a positive impression on the people he meets. And he does. “Mummy, look at those huge shoes!” annualclownsdirectory.com IDEA MAGAZINE / 9
GLOBAL
Research: Global analysis of 10,000 adults helped by child sponsorship
Does child sponsorship work?
by Chine Mbubaegbu
Child sponsorship has been criticised over the years, with some bemoaning its approach as wasteful spending and the cause of family rifts within the cultures that they are in fact intending to help. But a wide-ranging new study based on the work of Alliance member Compassion has found that child sponsorship does indeed work. The independent study – published in the Journal of Political Economy – was carried out by academics at the University of San Francisco and found that children who took part in Compassion’s holistic child development through sponsorship programme stayed in school longer. The research looked at sponsorship in six developing countries – Guatemala, India, Kenya, Bolivia, the Philippines and Uganda, and involved interviews with more than 10,000 adults – comparing those who had been sponsored to those who had not. It found that the children were more likely to become leaders in their communities and churches than their peers who did not participate in the programme. Despite around $3.2 billion going into child sponsorship – and more than nine million children around the world enrolled in some sort of child sponsorship programme, little extensive research has been done into just how effective it is. The results showed “large and statistically significant positive impacts from child sponsorship on years of completed schooling, primary, secondary and tertiary school competition, and on the probability and quality of adult employment”. World Vision UK is another Alliance member that runs child sponsorship programmes. Sharon McCleod, the organisation’s sponsor ambassador, said: “Child sponsorship is a great way to link people in the UK with families thousands of miles away, where children are often exposed to violence, abuse and exploitation including child marriage. “In some places, parents are struggling to provide even the most basic things for their children like education, food and clean water. IDEA MAGAZINE / 10
“The generosity of sponsors in the UK turns this situation around, helps to save lives, and benefits entire communities.
monitored over the long-term, so we don’t do it because we need to find sustainable ways to help people.”
“What’s more, our sponsors get the chance to write to and receive letters from their sponsored children, send cards at Christmas and birthdays and learn about life in a community they may never have heard of otherwise.”
But Compassion thinks differently. Especially when they see lives transformed. Like that of Ntale David in Uganda – now a veterinary specialist, but who lived in poverty as a child.
Ian Hamilton, CEO of Compassion UK, told the Alliance: “The results are really encouraging because the research was so extensive. We are aware of the criticisms of child sponsorship, but this study validates our own findings. That’s not to say that other models are not valid.” Alliance member Tearfund explained the reasons why they have stopped their child sponsorship programme in favour of other methods. Andrew McCracken, Tearfund’s UK director, said: “We used to offer child sponsorship but we stopped because it’s actually a very difficult way to serve the world’s poorest and most vulnerable children. We celebrate anything that gets people thinking about the scandal of poverty, but we believe that it’s not the best way to achieve our vision of building a network of 100,000 local churches to lift 50 million people out of poverty. “Child sponsorship makes it difficult to guarantee that children can be tracked and
“Life was not good at all,” said David, 33. “We used to sleep on the ground with no mattresses.” David’s parents couldn’t read or write and were what he calls “peasant farmers” in the Ugandan town of Nakatete. “Sometimes we used to eat once a day, sometimes twice and, when lucky, thrice a day.” He entered Compassion’s child sponsorship programme when he was nine and it was at their child development centre in Nakatete that h e learned more about herding goats, sheep, pigs, and cows. He also learned about gardening, carpentry, personal hygiene, nutrition and became a Christian. “If it wasn’t for Compassion, life would be bad,” he said. Compassion UK’s Ian Hamilton said that child sponsorship doesn’t just transform the life of the child, but also has a big impact on the adult sponsor. “The benefit for the sponsor is that they are connected to an individual child as opposed to some nebulous giving where they hope that it’s having an effect.”
“I am who I am
right now because God used my sponsor so much. She is the way that I saw God in my life,”
GINSELY, formerly sponsored child from the Dominican Republic, now working as a dentist.
{ www.compassionuk.org { SPONSOR A CHILD TODAY
Poverty is complex. It’s about more than just a lack of food and shelter; it strips away dignity and crushes the spirit. This is why Compassion’s approach to fighting poverty is long-term and complete. Through our church-based projects and with the support of loving sponsors, Compassion addresses the needs of the whole child including their spiritual growth, education, relational development, and health.
When you become a Compassion child sponsor for just £21 a month, you play a pivotal role in changing the story of a child for eternity.
COMPASSION UK CHRISTIAN CHILD DEVELOPMENT 43 High Street, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 8BB | Registered Charity No. 1077216 Registered in England No. 3719092
21st century evangelicals
Inside church What do we look for when choosing a church? How do our churches do discipline? Why do people move church? And what happens when churches discipline? Our latest 21st Century Evangelicals report has some fascinating statistics… No church is perfect. But it seems that evangelical Christians are unlikely to stick to just one church throughout their lifetime. Life in the church? – the latest in our quarterly 21st Century Evangelicals research reports finds that we move for a variety of different reasons – most notably (58 per cent) after moving home. But a number of us leave church for negative reasons. One in five changed their place of worship because of problems or frustrations or because they felt another church offered better spiritual development. Nearly one in 10 (nine per cent) left because of conflict between themselves and the leadership of their previous church. Differences that led to people moving church included theological disagreement, such as doctrine about the Holy Spirit or women in leadership; or issues with leadership style or forms of worship. When it came to church discipline, 79 per cent of the respondents said it was only appropriate to have a formal church disciplinary procedure including a public statement of the outcome if there had been a case of adultery involving the church leadership. But the survey also had some positive results. There are two factors in church life that are clearly important to evangelicals. A church first needs sound theology and doctrine, with good Bible teaching that leads to personal spiritual growth. And it also needs to be friendly, welcoming, caring and inclusive, so that there is a sense of belonging and community. What the research also revealed was that church life is vitally important to evangelicals. It was our most popular research yet, with 1,860 respondents taking part. And we are positive about our own churches, with more than 70 per cent of respondents believing that attendance would increase in the next 20 years. Around 47 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that their church was currently growing in numbers. Steve Clifford, general director of the Alliance, said: “Involvement in church life is an essential part of evangelical Christianity, so it is no surprise that this survey has been the most popular one in the series. “In general, the picture is a positive one, with most people feeling a strong sense of loyalty and optimism about the church they belong to.
IDEA MAGAZINE / 12
“For evangelicals, the priority in church life will always be Bible-based learning that deepens our walk with Jesus, alongside outreach to those who have not yet responded to the gospel. Building and sustaining Christian communities that warmly welcome, serve and include people of all backgrounds and personalities is also recognised as vital. “Churches are never perfect and we must remember to pray for our leaders and fellow church family, particularly when they face frustrations and disappointments. But we should be encouraged and full of hope for the future of the Church in the UK, thanking God for church growth and praying for more.” Visit our website to read more about this survey. And why not consider lending your voice by becoming a member of our research panel? eauk.org/snapshot
We have moved away from the richness and blessings of right relationship.
NORTHERN IRELAND
A relationships revolution
by Evangelical Alliance Northern Ireland
Relationships are what life is all about. At the centre of the universe is a relationship – God in Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And we are made in the image of God, to be in relationship with Him, each other and the earth. It’s essential that we get relationships right. Jesus instructed us on how to do this. The Sermon on the Mount is nothing less than a radical relationships manifesto. Jesus turned culture, behaviour and religion on their heads – he turned them right side up. We need to hear this message of transformed relationships here in Northern Ireland – our recent past tells the stories of what happens when relationships break down, when repentance, forgiveness and restoration are forgotten. We have moved away from the richness of right relationship, into a relational poverty where STIs are on the rise, human trafficking is a growing local issue and pornography use has reached epidemic levels. Relationships have been cheapened to dangerously disposable levels. From the norm of casual sex to the rise of cohabitation, personal convenience is increasingly being chosen over commitment. We need a relationships revolution. Evangelical Alliance Northern Ireland seeks to present Christ credibly as the source of spiritual and social transformation. We are wholeheartedly pursuing the transformation of relationships in Northern Ireland to model the example Jesus gave us. We have been working on a series of Relationship Revolution booklets and were excited to see the first three in the series launched in May. #RR1 sets out a broad vision for right relationships; their importance, their contribution to the wellbeing of all in society and some of the threats they face today. #RR2 focuses in on marriage as one
Photo credit: Image by Creationswap
of the fundamental building blocks to any society. We explore how this institution has been the bedrock of relationships for centuries and how it is now being threatened. #RR3 tackles the poison of pornography, how it has becoming increasingly part of mainstream culture while remaining an elephant in the pew. We’re delighted with how these booklets have turned out and the positive reception they have received. They have been used to initiate discussions with government and at the ‘Porn Scars’ conference held in May. They’re designed to be easily read and used
as conversation starters within and between government, churches and families. They are available from the EANI website and you can pick up a copy at conferences throughout the summer and beyond. Keep an eye out for more titles to come on issues like casual sex, cohabitation, human trafficking and community relations. We dare to see Northern Ireland as a world leader – a place where through God’s grace broken things can be made whole and where relationships grow healthier, stronger and deeper. Join us. eauk.org/northern-ireland/relationships
Fire-fighting for Christ In August Northern Ireland welcomes thousands of competitors for the World Police and Fire Games (WPFG). Second only to the Olympics in size, this is not just a spectacular opportunity for sport, but also for the Church in Northern Ireland. Paul Meneely spoke with Robert Blair of Firefighters For Christ (FFC) who is helping to co-ordinate the evangelical outreach among this summer’s competitors and spectators. Robert said: “FFC have been present at many WPFG and this summer we
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are working with the Christian Police Association (CPA) to co-ordinate events with churches, host breakfasts and barbecues, deliver multi-language tracts and John’s gospels, host devotions at Belfast’s Dock cafe, and offer a chaplaincy service with Chaplains in Sport for competitors. “FFC’s vision is to encourage firefighters to live their lives for Jesus Christ and reach firefighters worldwide with the good news of the gospel. We’re excited about the opportunities the
WPFG presents us with and ask for your prayerful support during the event.” As Robert says, the WPFG presents the Northern Irish Church with a unique opportunity to demonstrate the love and work of Christ to thousands of people. For more information on how you and your church can help out please check the website below. Whatever way you do engage with the WPFG let us know so we can share some of your stories. firefighters.org
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Fred Drummond: “This was a mixed blessing.”
SCOTLAND
Family business Mapping our community provision Evangelical Alliance Scotland is starting to compile a database of community projects being run by churches in Scotland. We hope this will eventually become a map of services that will cover every constituency in Scotland and help us to engage with politicians, showing them some of the amazing work that is being bone by churches in Scotland. We would love to hear what you are doing whether it’s a food bank, pre-school, money advice service, elderly visiting or any other project. Please send details of your project to n.slevin@eauk.org or contact the Scotland office.
Fred Drummond, national director, Evangelical Alliance Scotland, reflects on a significant week in May at this year’s Church of Scotland General Assembly… It is more than 20 years ago that I was ordained as a minister of the Church of Scotland. I still remember the day so well. The sense of the solemnity and the presence of the Holy Spirit during the service has always remained a special memory. The time since has brought many frustrations, joys and tears. At its best the Church of Scotland can be an instrument of great good in Jesus’s name. It can also be blind, slow and intransigent. This week was my first trip to the assembly (similar to a general synod) for five years. Allow me to share two snapshots with you. On Monday, after a communion service, we spent the day discussing a report by a special theological commission set up to look at the implication of moving towards the ordination of those in civil partnerships. The commission laid out two positions: a traditional view, favoured by evangelicals, and a revisionist view looking to move the church to a place where the central position would be to accept the ordination of those in civil partnerships but with limited provision for those who could not become involved in such ordinations. The assembly was asked to vote on one IDEA MAGAZINE / 14
of these options. As you can imagine, views were strongly held on both sides, as well as many being undecided. The procedure was at times very tedious. However, as the issues came to the fore, there was a great sense of grace and respect. While people disagreed strongly, the debate never became personal or vitriolic. Near the end of the debate a third option was proposed. Essentially it turns the revisionist option the other way round. It asked the church to endorse its traditional view of ordination but allow congregations to depart from this position if they wished. If agreed this would go for discussion to local groups (presbyteries) before becoming law at next year’s assembly. This option was the one approved by the assembly. For evangelicals this was a mixed blessing, some felt that this was the best that could be achieved and the endorsing of the traditional position was positive. For others the fact that it will now allow ordination of those in civil partnerships is a step too far. The next year will be interesting and requires much prayer. The following day discussed world mission and social work in Scotland. This showed the width of the contacts
Advocacy update We have been busy over the last few months meeting MSPs to discuss a number of political developments. The bill to redefine marriage is preparing to go the Scottish parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee and Rhoda Grant’s proposed bill on the criminalisation of the purchase of sex was also introduced in May. Additionally we’ve been continuing discussions with other key partner organisations about developing an organisation to represent the Christian voluntary sector in Scotland. New blog/Facebook page: Hot on the heels of our new Facebook page facebook.com/EAScotland we’ve now launched our new Scotland blog at evangelicalalliancescotland. blogspot.co.uk. This is an opportunity to discuss some of the key issues that are affecting our church and wider Scottish society. eauk.org/scotland the church has across the world. Reports discussed Syria, Africa, Cuba and other areas, praying for churches in all these areas with moving speeches from invited delegates from all these places. Discussion also took place about work being done with the marginalised within Scotland. Countless positive projects and thousands helped in communities across Scotland and around the world. Coming away from the assembly, I am still struck by the mixed cocktail of good and blindness that is the Church of Scotland assembly.
There’s fresh air blowing through Wales.
WALES
An outpouring in Wales Gethin Russell-Jones looks at exciting news coming out of the nation. Finding the correct word is virtually impossible. In living memory Christians have resorted to blessing, refreshing, renewal and of course revival to describe a sustained and unusual period of intense communal Christian experience characterised by rapid growth. Where hundreds if not thousands of people are affected. Where a dormant and largely hidden Church seemingly erupts into the public domain. Such periods are often evidenced by mass conversions, healings, the return of backslidden believers and rapid church growth. These phenomena may not happen simultaneously but when they do we are lost for words. In recent months a town in the county borough of Torfaen, an area famed for heavy industry and radical politics, has witnessed powerful and strange occurrences. Since 10 April Victory Church in Cwmbran has seen more than 200 people become Christians, baptised nearly 80 new believers, received news of multiple healings and is gathering in excess of 500 people every evening for worship and prayer. Dubbed the Welsh Outpouring, it all began on 10 April during a midweek prayer meeting in this independent Pentecostal church. A man who had been wheelchairbound for 10 years received prayer, began to move muscles long since wasted and ran around the hall. This was not the norm for this church. But it is now. At every meeting first-hand accounts are read out about transformed lives. A sceptic might conclude that this is an isolated example and not representative of mainstream evangelical Christianity. Allow me to puncture that comfortable myth. Nestling in the Berwyn range of hills in north Wales lies Coleg y Bala (The Bala College). With an historic pedigree stretching back to the foundation of the British and Foreign Bible Society, it now serves as the Presbyterian Church of Wales’ youth centre. In the last 12 months there have been numerous reports of many Welsh and English-speaking teenagers becoming Christians at various events and conferences. Coleg y Bala has also had a profound influence on a now annual event called Llanw (Fill). The nearest equivalent JUL/AUG 2013
in England would be Spring Harvest. Although this gathers tens of thousands, Llanw also aspires to model contemporary Christian through the medium of Welsh. Such an event would have been unthinkable 20 years ago. In fact it was the received wisdom until recent times that the game was up for Welsh-speaking Christianity. The last taffy should turn the lights out. And all the surveys and statistics indicated that Europe’s oldest surviving language would soon cease to witness to Christ in this ancient tongue. There are many who still hold to this view. But there’s fresh air blowing through Wales.
“It’s beginning to feel like a new day for the gospel in Wales.” In addition to Llanw and Coleg y Bala, Capel Gomer in Swansea is the first Welsh language church plant in generations. Furthermore the church planting network, Waleswide (Cymrugyfan in Welsh) is facilitating a number of new church plants in the nation through the medium of both Welsh and English. It’s beginning to feel like
a new day for the gospel in Wales. Less than 20 miles from Cwmbran is the old steel town of Ebbw Vale. Famed for its heavy industry and hard men it has also bred legendary preachers, long since forgotten. But here again there are spiritual stirrings. Church on the Rise is a Baptist church in the Beaufort district of the town. A few years ago the church was stirred by a sense that God was asking them a question: “Are you thirsty for me?” This resulted in a weekly pattern of prayer and fasting that is still continuing. Another major consequence was the establishment of a CAP (Christians Against Poverty) Centre in the church, reaching out to dozens of financially-distressed families in the area. Four families have now become debt free through this programme and the church has doubled in size. Twelve months ago, its Sunday gatherings numbered 35. Today there are more than 70 and the church is looking to relocate to larger premises. Fresh air from heaven is blowing across Wales. All the examples cited are different to each other and yet they all point to the timeless power of the gospel to change lives and communities. Twitter: @EAWales IDEA MAGAZINE / 15
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Are evangelical churches bad for singletons? by Chine Mbubaegbu
Think of a good church and you picture a loving community of believers who worship God together, break bread together and are family together. A good church looks out for the needs of all of its members and looks outwardly to bring transformation to its towns and communities and the people who live in them. But Church, we have a problem. Because for a significant proportion of single Christians in this country, church is not a welcoming place, but rather it is a place where they feel isolated and ignored. For them, Church is not inclusive and open-armed, but exclusive and a home for happy families. While this may not be the intention, this is the perception among many single Christians, according to a recent survey by dating site Christian Connection.
given little teaching on relationships and singleness compared to other types of church whose members have similar expectations. “In other words, members of evangelical churches say that they receive the expectations of behaviour on marriage and sex, but without being equipped or supported in either their singleness or dating.”
Single profile One mistake that churches can often make is seeing ‘singles’ as young people who are yet to marry. Some singletons are much older, some are single parents raising families, some are widows and widowers,
Elton calls “excruciating” – moments in church; where the congregation might be told to get into groups to pray for each other’s marriages, paying no mind to the recent divorcee. Or when the language of the family creeps into sermons and reference is made to ‘your wife’ or ‘your husband’ or ‘your children’ in a way which therefore renders the single person as other, or outside the norm. “There are single Christians who find it very difficult to attend church regularly,” says Jackie, who started Christian Connection 13 years ago. “They feel that this is just not about them.”
“For a significant proportion of single Christians in this country, church is a place where they feel isolated and ignored.” The study of almost 3,000 people found that nearly four in 10 single Christians felt “inadequate or ignored” within their churches. And 37 per cent felt they were not treated as family members, but as outsiders – a member of the audience looking in on a scene in which only family members get the parts. And evangelical churches are the worst culprits, the survey found. The single Christian in an evangelical church was more likely to disagree that singleness was a positive choice for them; and also felt less part of their churches than those from other denominations.
some are divorcees. Their needs are not the same, nor can all of their problems be solved by throwing a singles event where they can meet prospective partners. With between 30 and 40 per cent of the UK’s population identifying as single, the term encompasses a varied and significant proportion of society – one which many churches seem to be ignoring, according to the study.
Researcher Dr David Pullinger wrote: “They are much less happy than members of all other churches in being single and enjoy the benefits of singleness less than those members of other types of church.
David Pullinger suggests reasons why single people are not being catered well enough for in churches. “There’s this feeling that you can’t be an evangelical minister unless you have got four children,” he jokes. “It’s deep-rooted and dates back to the protestant church’s split from the Roman church. The focus on the family was a reaction against the idea that you were more holy if you were a celibate monk.”
“Looking at the comparison suggests a reason. They feel expected to marry someone of the Christian faith, avoid sex and yet are
The elevation of the family within church life can lead to some difficult – and what Christian Connection founder Jackie
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Jackie is trying to encourage church leaders to engage in the conversation and to listen to the voices of single people. But she says it has proven difficult over the years. “When we first set up Christian Connection, we couldn’t get church leaders to take it seriously even though we got national press coverage. “A lot of the leaders I have spoken to are really focused on the family even in urban areas. Some just don’t have any awareness of the number of single people they have.”
Difficult process Neither Jackie nor David feel that there is a simple solution to the problem. They recognise the complexities but feel the conversations should be happening nonetheless. The problem is two-fold: how do churches reach out to single people in their areas and how do they cater for the specific needs of singletons within their congregations?
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David says that church leaders need to think strategically about how they attract single people to their churches. “They need to go where single people go. Churches have few contact points with where single people go in general. They have more contact with families – youth groups and mums and toddlers groups, for example. “It is a big challenge to the Church to find out all the huge variety of things that single people – many of whom don’t want to be labelled ‘single’ – go to. But I do feel there’s a sense of urgency in this. If we don’t reach out to single people, the Church is going to decline.” JUL/AUG 2013
When it comes to catering to the needs of those single people already in church, the research showed that evangelicals were more likely to hold their church leader responsible for making sure this happened. The study found evangelical single people wanted more equipping and support related to singleness – but not necessarily in sermons. Jackie recognised however the difficulties in teaching on singleness. “There really is almost nothing about singleness as we know it, or dating, in the Bible. One could say the same about marriage. Much of what is said about any of this is derived from people’s
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interpretation of the Christian lifestyle and have been transformed into irrefutable truths. “The reality is we need to dig deep into our Christian understanding to approach these matters rather than simply follow things as rules and models when they were never intended in that context. “We have to talk about singleness a bit more than we do and this needs to be done in the context of what it means to be a genuinely inclusive church. It is too easy and too comfortable to fill the pews with families.” christianconnection.co.uk
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ONE PEOPLE
China is here Chine Mbubaegbu spends a Sunday morning at the diverse, bustling and passionate Chinese Church in London. As I walk towards the entrance of the Chinese Church in London (CCiL) – which is tucked away in a leafy suburban corner of Hammersmith – I wonder whether I’ve got the right place. The church building – a former synagogue – stands steady and unassuming. But as I walk through the doors, I’m hit with the hustle and bustle of activity. This is a busy church. I’m given the grand tour by Siew Huat Ong (Osh), the church’s senior pastor, and as we wind our way through the corridors of the church building – members warmly greeting him as they pass him – we see activity behind every door. Bible studies, children’s work, young people’s groups. And all these taking place while the Cantonese service is going on in the main church hall. Every Sunday, three services take place – in Cantonese, Mandarin and English – at the church’s centre in Hammersmith; while services also take place at the church’s other centres in Soho, Croydon, Colindale and Hounslow. But there’s a sense of shared vision and family among the 1,200 people across the centres. Every Tuesday, the 15 pastoral staff go through what will be preached on Sunday, following the year-long teaching schedule that is already drawn up. The church was started in 1950 by Pastor Stephen Y T Wang – who moved to the UK after the Communists took over China. At that time, most of the Chinese immigrants were in Liverpool and London – in the docks areas. After a group of friends spent Christmas Eve of 1950 in prayer, CCiL was born, with the first service taking place on 7 January 1951. Around 10 per cent of the UK’s 250,000-plus Chinese people are Christians, which means there is a real need for churches to cater to their specific cultural and language needs. But this itself is complex. Not all Chinese people are from mainland China – some are from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and more than 20 other nations. And their IDEA MAGAZINE / 18
needs are not homogenous. While some Chinese Christians living in this country may speak little English, some – referred to by Pastor Ong as “BBCs” (British-born Chinese) – may be solely English speakers who may never have been to China. Grace Chan is from Hong Kong and became a Christian while a student at Imperial College. “My mother tongue is Cantonese, so I go to that service here. Going to church is not just about the sermon for me, it’s about relationship as well. It’s not just about the language – it’s more than that. I have family, fellowship and support here.” I meet Eric Lui – a 24-year-old Oxbridge graduate who works for Apple. I ask him why he chooses to attend a Chinese church. “I’ve grown up in this church and that’s a big factor,” he says. “It feels like family – both relationally and spiritually. Everyone knows me and they have invested a lot in me.”
“We are more complex than people realise” But he wonders whether the culture makes being truly unified with other churches difficult. CCiL often hold joint initiatives and events with St Paul’s Hammersmith. However, Eric says: “We’re a Chinese church, which has its benefits, but it also has its real barriers. I think the culture aspect is a big factor.” Pastor Ong, who grew up in Malaysia but came to the UK in the mid-1970s to study, feels that the ultimate aim is for an authentically diverse UK Church. Which is why he is a member of the Alliance’s One People Commission – a body made up of some of the UK’s leading ethnic minority church leaders. “The Christian Church is definitely a very diverse church,” Pastor Ong says. “So therefore it should reflect that diversity. Christianity for the longest time has been
pre-conceived as a Western religion, but we have to reflect the fact that the Church is very diverse and not just Caucasian.” But diversity does not mean homogeneity, he says. “London is a diverse, global city. But we can’t lose our identity in that diversity. In the real world, we have to live with the tension of our unique identity and also the diversity.” CCiL is inching towards diversity, with some Iranians, Caucasian people and West Indians as part of the congregation. “We are more complex than people realise,” Pastor Ong says. “One of our first priorities is to look to the future and we think that the future is going to be multicultural, but it will take us some time to get there.” “Our clear priority, however, is to reach the Chinese – especially those from China – and in one sense we don’t have to go to China anymore to do that. Because China is here.” While that remains the primary focus, I’m struck by the church’s passion for holistic mission. While their unique mission and their name suggest a Chinese
Diversity does not mean homogeneity
We help churches buy, build, extend and develop. Need the finance to turn your vision into reality? focus, they are just like any other church – dedicated to meeting the social and spiritual needs of the world around them; locally, nationally and globally. The church’s CareLinks ministry provides practical help to those in need, through supporting Tearfund and Cedar Fund. They also run professional counselling services in Mandarin, Cantonese and English. Their Next Generation initiative serves the needs of children, teenagers, parents and families; while they also have groups specifically for students, the elderly and women. Every March, the church promotes its CareLinks programme with a Sunday dedicated to the importance of social responsibility. A book detailing the past decade of the church’s history, says: “We sincerely hope that our congregations will become more aware and more willing to partake in caring for the community, so that those in poverty, and who are weak or who have great needs would also be able to embrace God’s love.” ccil.org.uk eauk.org/onepeople JUL/AUG 2013
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Male suicide and why the Church needs to talk about it Suicide affects the whole of society, Christians and non-Christians alike. Lucy Cooper looks at why rates of suicide among men are so high and how the Church might tackle the problem, ensuring it doesn’t stigmatise or allow people to continue suffering mental health problems in silence… IDEA MAGAZINE / 20
Tragic news of 27-year-old Matthew Warren’s suicide in April rocked the Christian world on both sides of the Atlantic, generating an immediate outpouring of prayer and support for the high-profile Warren family. The son of California-based pastor Rick Warren took his own life after a lifelong battle with mental illness. Whatever the circumstances, a suicide leaves complicated grief, and countless unanswered questions. Rick and Kay described their son as a kind, gentle, encouraging and compassionate man who had “courage to keep moving in spite of his relentless pain”. Rick told how “Matthew had said,
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Tackling the issue Be a mental health-friendly church – talk about issues and emotions and look out for those who might be struggling or isolated. Share testimony that may still be unresolved, celebrating the journey as well as victories. Know your local counselling/support services and have information accessible without people having to ask. Have a sermon, or meeting, addressing anxiety or depression once a year. Become aware of national organisations that support people through pain and distress, mental illness or bereavement. Mental health selfharm.co.uk mindandsoul.info mind.org.uk mentalhealthmatters-cofe.org Bereavement after suicide cruse.org.uk uk-sobs.org.uk A Special Scar: the Experiences of People Bereaved by Suicide by Alison Wertheimer Helplines Premier Lifeline 0845 345 0707 (BT Local Rate)/020 7316 0808 Samaritans 08457 909090
‘Dad, I know I’m going to heaven. Why can’t I just die and end this pain?’ But he kept going for another decade”. The Warren story has served as a wakeup call to the Church. And so too have recent incidences of Christian depression sufferers speaking out publicly, including the Archbishop of Canterbury’s daughter Katherine Welby. It’s impossible to deny that secure, loved, active Christians, still experience serious depression that won’t just disappear because they have faith or quote a Bible verse. The ever-increasing UK suicide rates make incredibly shocking reading. Figures from the Office of National Statistics show a significant rise in suicide in 2011 JUL/AUG 2013
with a total of 6,045 people having taken their own life – 4,552 of them were men. Suicide is now the biggest killer of young men across the UK. More die each day as a result of suicide than road accidents, HIV/ AIDS, and assaults combined. The highest rate is in 30 to 44-year-old males. CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) stated: “Gender runs through UK suicide statistics like letters in a stick of rock.”
Why men? “Of course, causes of a suicide will vary,” says Carl Beech, director of Christian Vision for Men. “Economic, employment or family worries can all play a part. Blokes often have a particular resistance to expressing their feelings or asking for help – a false impression of what it means to be masculine.” Carl pastored a large church and came across previously hidden problems: “When you lift the lid you realise what is really going on. One guy could not bring himself to tell anyone he had lost his job and for six months he left the house in a suit each day. Another managed to share that he was thinking of taking his life after losing all his savings in one afternoon – all because I happened to call him to arrange to go for a pint.”
What can be done? Options appear non-existent, and hopelessness fills the mind of a suicidal person. For some, the thought passes, it doesn’t stay; and for others, it has to be fought daily. Whether completed or mercifully interrupted, suicide is a taboo that needs to be broken and talking to someone can make all the difference. Evidence suggests that only a third of people who commit suicide had contact with a mental health service. Most struggle with low moods for a while and believe the world will be better off without them. Is stigma preventing them from talking? “Throughout much of Church history there has been an engrained idea that suicide is sinful,” says Rob Waller, consultant psychiatrist and director at Premier’s Mind and Soul, which explores Christianity and mental health. “A small percentage of suicides we can see as a deliberate choice, but the vast majority are as a result of illness. It is not helpful to call it a spiritual problem. Understanding poor mental health as illness, rather than as a
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sign of weak faith, is a big step towards confronting the stigma that the Church has not yet overcome.” Severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia or bipolar are often recognisable; but each year, 26 per cent of us suffer from illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and self-harm – easier to hide but often as stigmatised. Rob explains,“Just as the causes of mental health problems are multi-factorial so are the solutions. Prayer is important, talking can often help, and medication might be required. Don’t be afraid of simply asking the question, starting by
“It’s impossible to deny that secure, loved, active Christians, still experience serious depression.” enquiring gently about their mood. Asking about struggles or suicidal ideas doesn’t make it more likely to happen. In actual fact, it is the opposite.” A person might disclose plans to act. “If there is concern that someone is at immediate risk then dial 999 without attempting to spiritualise. Be practical. Know when to get professional or medical help,” he adds. Carl Beech emphasises that it is critical for churches to find the right environments where men can communicate and be real. “Once a group of guys went alpine mountain cycling and a guy got alongside me on his bike and, as I puffed up the hill, he told me that his brother committed suicide 20 years ago and he had never really talked about it until that trip where he was able to think about it and say goodbye properly. He then cycled ahead up the mountain because he was fitter than me. Why had he shared in that moment? He could cycle alongside me shoulder to shoulder, not have to look me in the eye, and in the context of banter and exerting activity – it was a safe place to talk.” IDEA MAGAZINE / 21
CelebrateBible Sunday 27 October 2013
Luke 4.14-21 This Bible Sunday encounter the Bible’s message of freedom and raise funds for Bible distribution in China Download your FREE resources from biblesunday.org talk outline | all age worship | children’s activities | fundraising ideas IDEA MAGAZINE / 22
Daniel Webster: “It is becoming harder and harder to trust whether politicians mean what they say.” Twitter: @danny_webster
politics
A collapse of political trust by Daniel Webster, parliamentary officer, Evangelical Alliance
This spring, both coalition parties lost many votes and council seats and while Labour made modest gains it was the dramatic rise in support for UKIP that stole the headlines. Opposition to government policy on Europe, immigration and same-sex marriage all played their part in encouraging this new wave of dissent. Recent politics has been founded on a wider antipathy towards politics and the political system rather than any particular policy concerns. Complaints about policies find their root in a belief that the government are detached from the people they claim to represent. It is much easier to find criticism of government policy than hear anyone speaking in support. Such is the rise of political disenchantment that offering criticism of your party’s policy is often as productive a way of ensuring advancement than unswerving loyalty. Ever since the 2010 general election and the establishment of the coalition government between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, fissures have been predicted and seemed inevitable. The coalition agreement setting out the government’s plans was never going to cover all eventualities and cautiously worded clauses such as “bring forward plans for reform of the House of Lords” left plenty of wriggle room to change tack. The topography of coalition politics is a constantly evolving environment with rules and norms developed, refined and abandoned very swiftly. Government ministers appear to have two different voices depending on whether they are speaking for the government or their party.
political climate changes. The prevailing narrative of government has become survival and electoral success. This tendency is not restricted to the governing parties, for Labour in opposition the tension between wings of the party has resulted in a policy review that has produced little policy, and a political position defined by whatever does most damage to the coalition. In each of these areas the causes and results can be explained and justified when examined in detail. On a specific level many of them may even make sense, a government of two parties will inevitably involve compromise so why shouldn’t they have a party position as well as a joint one? But it has wider general effect that is perniciously wounding the political system in the UK: it is becoming harder and harder to trust whether politicians mean what they say. Conviction and a belief in something more than winning has lost its place at the political table, held only as a forlorn hope by respected but marginalised political figures. This is why Boris’s authenticity, even if it was optimised by swearing at Ken in a lift, is greeted positively. It is why Nigel Farage and his straight-talking ‘get locked in a pub for saying out loud’ political views are admired and supported. And even for
them the response is that they won’t last. Nigel Farage can do as he chooses because he is outside the political system and thrives on antipathy towards politics. If UKIP had to take governing decisions they would realise their rhetoric was good for political campaigns but not for running the country. So authenticity becomes another political tool used to connect with the electorate and to convince voters politicians are one of them and on their side. And what hope
“Government ministers appear to have two different voices” is there for rebuilding trust in politics? In an environment of myriad agendas and competitive personalities there has to be a hope that a better politics can exist. We can have our own agendas and slogans and campaigns and activities but politics is about people. And if we want to see new life in our political system we cannot leave that to other people. If we want light to come into the darkest of places we may need to be the ones to carry that light.
After the Leveson Inquiry the peculiar sight occurred of the prime minister giving the government’s response and the deputy prime minister giving a dissenting opinion. And then in the wake of UKIP’s rise the Conservative Party published a draft EU referendum bill which was subsequently taken up by James Wharton MP as a private member’s bill, which the party will support, because the coalition government wouldn’t back it. All of this raises the challenge of whether the government actually means anything it says, or if it is on its current course – which ever one that might be – as an act of expediency and may be ditched if the JUL/AUG 2013
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Innovative community transformation by Chine Mbubaegbu
Looking for how you can bring about social and spiritual transformation for your local area? You don’t need to re-invent the wheel. Because up and down the country local churches and are finding innovative ways to be good news in the villages, towns and cities in which they live. We can learn from each other and replicate existing social action projects and adapt them to suit our areas’ specific needs. That’s what the Cinnamon Network is all about. According to its founder Matt Bird: “We’re about strengthening the muscles of the local church for community transformation.”
it as easy as possible for the average local church to serve people in its community on a long term sustainable basis. It encourages local churches across a community to work together and also with civic organisations to deliver multiple church based community projects for social impact.
The Cinnamon Network was born following a gathering of more than 50 Christian leaders after David Cameron announced his Big Society plans. “Rather than come up with a new idea and asking God to bless it, we asked ourselves what God was already doing and sought to join in.”
Matt said: “At a time when household income is generally decreasing and the cost of living is increasing there is growing community need. I believe there’s an unprecedented historic opportunity for the UK Church to step up and step out like never before to help those people most at need in our communities.”
“ There is an unprecedented, historic opportunity for the Church to step up and step out.” “We sensed a divine pattern of local Christians seeing a local need and developing a church-based community project to meet the need. Then other local churches naturally began to replicate what was going on. It looked to us like franchising, not for commercial gain but for community benefit – community franchising.” The Cinnamon Network aims to make IDEA MAGAZINE / 24
faith-biased. We’re unashamed about the fact that it’s Jesus who motivates us, but we make clear that what we do in communities is for people of all faiths and none. They understand that we don’t leave Jesus at the door. We bring him into everything we do.” Be inspired by some great projects affiliated to the Cinnamon Network on the following page. cinnamonnetwork.co.uk
Through government funding, the Cinnamon Network in partnership with Tearfund provides £2,000 micro-grants to any church that wants to start a recognised project. “It is great to be able to partner with government and secure funding to enable local churches to help people most at need in communities,” Matt says. “I think there’s a sea change in the government’s attitude to working with faith communities. We have a seat at the table. “In working with government we emphasis that we are faith-based, but not
Matt Bird
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Lunch
Yeovil 4 Families
Children who are eligible for free school meals are going hungry during the school holidays. It’s an issue that people rarely realise. But for thousands of children living in poverty up and down the country, the holiday hunger pangs are real. Lunch kitchens, run by churches across the country, offer free meals to children, fun activities and provide a place to make new friends during the school holidays. Lillie Jenkins, project director for Lunch, said it all began in 2011 when a documentary called Poor Kids aired. It was so shocking that there was no way the problem could be ignored but what could the Church do to help? “One thing churches are really good at is feeding people,” says Lillie. “Churches can fill that hunger gap.” There are now 15 Lunch kitchens across the country, including in Corby, Luton and Middlesbrough. “On one level you could argue that it’s the government’s responsibility and not the Church’s. But we are told to help the poor and to feed Christ’s sheep. So this is a no-brainer. There are children who are starving and we can’t let that happen.”
Yeovil Community Church is passionate about meeting the needs of the families in its local area. They run a range of projects including youth groups, mums and toddler groups and lots of social action projects. “Because of the programmes we run, families were talking to us about their situations and their problems and looking for someone to help them. So we started a new programme which was training people to share the journey with families who were in crisis or who just needed some support,” says Adam Dyer, who leads the church. “Yeovil 4 Family trains people to support and share the journey with families. They visit the family in their home for an hour a week and listen, love and empower the family to find a path forward. We have seen huge success with the programme, with families staying together, parents getting back in to work, improvements in health, mental health, school attendance, achievement and emotional wellbeing. We are now seeing churches in other areas coming to us to learn how to do the same with the families they are encountering. If God’s involved in community then that community should be better for it. There is a tide of destruction and disconnectedness and division and brokenness in our world. The point of Jesus and the point of the cross are to bring about reconnection and restoration. This is the kingdom of God.”
makelunch.org.uk
Community Money Advice Heather Keates started CMA in 1997 after going through serious debt issues herself. “Back at the end of the last recession in the 80s and 90s, as a family we went through a really difficult time,” she says. “We lost a child and lost a business and lost our home all within three to four months and ended up owing tens of thousands of pounds. We wanted something positive to come out of that. We realised there were a number of people who were struggling with their finances and wanted to offer practical support and advice.” Today, more than 100 churches and other locally-based organisations run high quality, free, face-to-face money advice services. “When you’re in debt, one of the most difficult things to do is to fight your ground,” Heather says. “You’re bombarded on all sides and not in a position to make rational decisions, so having someone who’s prepared to go with you or write letters is invaluable. Anyone who’s struggling with debt is weighed down by a massive burden. It’s our responsibility to share the love of Jesus in everything that we do and part of that love is sharing that burden. We are not called to judge people for being in debt, we’re called to mend the brokenhearted and set the captives free.”
yeovilcommunitychurch.co.uk
communitymoneyadvice.com
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Beyond the youth group by Chine Mbubaegbu
Innovative projects in south London run by Christians are meeting the needs of young people in their area in new ways. While traditional church youth groups continue to provide safe places for teenage Christians and non-Christians, up and down the country innovative projects are springing up which cater to the specific needs of young people in their area. Take two south London projects: Redthread and Future Skills Training – both started up by Christians and both thinking outside the box when it comes to youth provision in their particular areas. Redthread takes a collaborative approach to its mission to combine youthwork, healthcare and education to support adolescents’ holistic wellbeing. The organisation, which was started by a group of Christians in Dulwich in 1995, aims to provide young people with the best possible care and treatment by bring together different agencies: from youth workers to doctors, teachers, nurses, local authorities, counsellors, community and voluntary organisations. “Back then, it had explicitly Christian undertones,” says John Poyton. “It was schools-based and church-based and engaged young people around questions of faith and helping to run Christian unions, for example.” But the organisation today looks rather different. Since 2006, Redthread have had a presence in the trauma centre at King’s College Hospital, intervening when young people – who may be in A&E because they
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have been victims of assault, with knife or gun wounds - are at their most vulnerable. Redthread’s youth workers are placed there in a bid to try and disrupt the cycle of violence, being able to form relationship and talk to the young people in ways that the doctors and nurses are unable to. They are the first youth work organisation situated in a hospital and have since received praise from the government.
“It engages them as a whole human being,” John says. “Body, mind and spirit. That’s Redthread’s Christian ethos. We’re interested in the whole young person. In doing explicit Christian youth work, you’re only focusing on the spirit bit or the soul bit. Here we are able to help with young people’s mental health, their emotional and relational issues, as well as their sexual health as well.”
“It was an amazing opportunity to get to these young people who we hadn’t previously engaged with,” John says. “Some of them were engaging with the police if they were lucky, and otherwise it was the coroner. There are often a lot of things that happen before a kid comes in with a severe injury.
Just down the road in Wandsworth is Future Skills Training (FST) – a charity that works with young people who have been excluded from schools to enable them to re-engage with the learning process.
“The hospital were aware that the clinical team could do an amazing job in saving the young people’s lives and patching them up, but there was a repeat cycle and when they returned, it was with even more severe injuries. Kids were getting closer and closer to coming in dead. “By being placed in the A&E department, we are able to speak to them in a ‘teachable moment’. In that moment, they are more able to think about their life choices.” Redthread also runs its Well Centre, which is a one-stop shop for adolescent healthcare in Streatham. Young people can talk to youth workers, or a GP, a counsellor, play games or just have a chat.
The charity which is based at Alliance member church St Mark’s Battersea was started by Phil Thain, who had previously worked in Camberwell for a company running an entry to employment scheme. “I started FST out of a desire to support at risk young people, which I believe was what God was calling me to do following my work in Camberwell,” Phil says. FST targets young people aged between 11 and 19 who are excluded or at risk of exclusion from mainstream education, young offenders, NEETs (not in education, employment or training), and those socially marginalised. Based in the crypt of the church, FST offers a mix of educational and support services, including mentoring,
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“ Body, mind and spirit. That’s Redthread’s Christian ethos. We’re interested in the whole young person.” an after-school football project, a youth café, personal and social development workshops and tutoring. “We give kids opportunities to do something positive and we also offer role models. Our faith is what makes us different – we’re relational. The education system isn’t interested in relationship, it’s interested in ticking boxes. “FST’s core objective is to develop personal and social skills with the kids so that they are able to re-engage with their
education. When they come to us, they struggle to focus, they always react. But our focus is on developing them so that they can get back into the classroom. We are also diversionary. If they’re here, then they’re not getting into trouble and we are also able to build relationship with them.” And for both Redthread and FST, their work is not about conversion. They do what they do because they are interested in the wellbeing of young people.
with has questions around faith I will do what I can do answer those and support them. But it’s not like we have had lots of kids become Christians or anything. We haven’t. But that’s not what we’re about. “We’re able to speak into their lives. Relationship is something that most of these kids don’t understand.” redthread.org.uk future-skills-training.org.uk
Phil says: “If a young person I’m working
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BIG INTERVIEW
A veteran of worship If you’ve been a Christian in the UK for more than 30 years, you’ll know of Graham Kendrick. And the writer of classics including Shine, Jesus Shine and The Servant King, has just released his 37th album, Worship Duets. Chine Mbubaegbu catches up with him to chat about the changing face of worship music. How did you become a worship leader? By default really – having learned a few guitar chords I served my time strumming along with church youth sing-alongs (though I’m not sure you could call it worship). Then along came waves of spiritual renewal and I was among many who encountered God in a fresh way. There was a hunger for teaching and for experiencing the power and presence of God and I found myself in gatherings in which encounter would overflow in simple songs of adoration. There was a desire to be responsive to the Holy Spirit and the songs became the glue that helped the various elements flow together. What’s been the highlight of your career so far? You’re asking the wrong guy for ‘highlights’. I’m likely to start analysing what a highlight really is and isn’t and from which perspective. If you are looking for a moment that seemed particularly significant, there was a day in 1994 when March For Jesus first went global, and a wave of large public marches rolled through major cities in every time zone. I had this idea of being present as the sun rose up on the first march, then flying across the date line and being present as the sun went down on the last march. The BBC agreed to make a documentary of it and film marches in places like St Petersburg, Seoul, Berlin and so on. So I joined around 10,000 New Zealanders as the sun rose in Christchurch then flew via Auckland to the little island of Western Samoa in the South Pacific to join the last march. I got on the phone and was patched in to the public address system where 70,000 were gathered in Hyde Park at the climax of the London march. I marched with the Samoans, IDEA MAGAZINE / 28
and we concluded the filming on a beach as the sun went down on an amazing day. The programme began with me reading from Psalm 113: ‘From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised’. Do you ever get writers’ block? We’ve heard hanging upside down sometimes helps. Any tips for combating it? Yes, in the sense of finding those fresh, original ideas that can seem to be so elusive. I have not tried the hanging upside down, but it is true that doing something physical like a work-out at the gym can help. Listen to other people’s music, read inspiring writings or poems, listen to great preachers, teachers or communicators, collaborate with other creative people, listen for the stories and experiences of the people around you. If you are a guitarist, try alternative tunings, or adapt your playing to a related instrument such as a mandolin, ukulele or tenor guitar. Put down your instrument and make up a tune unaccompanied [to be free from habitual chords and tempos etc], open the Psalms and sing them spontaneously without trying too hard to compose a song. Has the worship industry changed for the good, or are there things that we need to recapture? There have never been so many resources available to churches and the musical standards have never been so high. However, authentic worship songs originate in communities and individuals where there is an overflow of thanksgiving and praise from lives that are being transformed by the power of the gospel. If writers or publishers get detached from that source, it will soon become hollow. We have seen the success of a certain kind of song genre, based upon the three and a half minute
Graham Kendrick: We should care about what we sing.
REVIEWS The Sea Change by Joanna Rossiter (Penguin)
pop song. Think of motion, emotion and notion in that order – they are great at getting your body engaged, excellent at evoking feelings, but not really designed to carry a great deal of ‘notion’ – the breadth of ideas that the subject of God demands; poetic language, grand themes, rich doctrine and so on. While there are great strengths in this genre it is not so good if it is dominant to the exclusion of other song forms, including hymns and other essentially contentdriven genres, or to the exclusion of other worship texts – creeds, liturgy, composed prayers, and the heritage of previous generations of creative worshippers. The emergence of worship ‘artists’ and associated concerts and recordings has enriched Christian popular culture and sometimes spills over into the general marketplace. We just have to give attention to the context in which songs are used – what works great on an album or in a performance setting or a great stadium celebration does not necessarily work in a local church. What is worship music for? Music is a gift from God that we give back to Him with thanksgiving and praise. In worship we seek to lovingly and accurately, richly and comprehensively describe God’s nature, character and deeds. In the same way that we are jealous over the reputation of someone we know and love, we should care about what we sing and what we expect others to sing about our Creator. Orthodoxy sounds like a dusty old word, but actually it means right glory, in other words representing God as He actually is. What and who we believe God to be has eternal consequences both for His glory, and for the eternal destiny of every human being. Worship is a response, and will grow or shrink in direct proportion to our view of its object. A congregational worship song has the particular function of facilitating the corporate expression of praise, worship and thanksgiving from the hearts of the people, declaring the kind of God we worship, and what He has done for us. There are of course many different kinds of worship songs with differing functions, from simple choruses of adoration, to lament, to retelling the saving acts of God in the past, to anticipating His coming kingdom, to joy and celebration, to imparting doctrinal truths and so on. Whenever we choose a worship song we need to think clearly about how well it fits the purpose and context in which we intend to use it.
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The Sea Change (written by Rossiter, who attends an Alliance member church) spans two generations across two continents. It tells the story of Violet, a young woman evacuated from a village on Salisbury Plain during the Second World War, and her daughter Alice in the aftermath of a tsunami in India 30 years later. The book builds layers of character on a vibrant portrait of landscapes and the characters are barely distinguishable from the places they inhabit. This debut novel paints relationships across the lanes of a village and the oceans between continents, and distance and proximity are used as the currency of relationships. Of particular note is the way characters are built not only by what is said and shown, but also what is unsaid and unknown. It is a beautiful and brilliant book which I thoroughly recommend. Reviewed by Daniel Webster
CS Lewis: A Life by Alister McGrath (Hodder & Stoughton) You may think the world does not need another book on CS Lewis, but maybe it does. Because McGrath’s offering brings something a little different. Employing his easy writing style, the legendary theologian focuses on Lewis’s writings through the lens of religious belief, drawing on newly published correspondences. What made him think the way he did? In this new biography, the texture of faith is added to the portrait of the man, the writer and the prophet. Reviewed by Chine Mbubaegbu
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Sophie Lister: is a researcher and writer for The Damaris Trust. For more articles and study guides see culturewatch.org and toolsfortalks.com Twitter: @SophieLister1
Culture
Growing love “ To truly love someone, we must make room for their beliefs, reactions, experiences and desires.” Jim and Cindy Green (Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner) live in a beautiful house in the idyllic town of Stanleyville. But something’s missing in their lives: they have been desperate for a baby for a very long time. When their doctor tells them that it won’t be possible, they decide that it’s finally time to let go. They spend the evening writing down their dreams for their wishedfor child: personality traits, gifts and talents. Then, they fold up the pieces of paper and bury them in a box in the garden. However, the gesture – which is intended to end their hopes of parenthood – instead becomes the beginning of something extraordinary. In the middle of the night, a storm shakes the house and Jim and Cindy are astonished to find that a little boy has appeared from nowhere and entered their lives. His name is Timothy and he instantly feels like part of the family. His unique outlook on life will challenge not only his new parents, but the whole community in which he lives.
IMPOSSIBLE STANDARDS With Timothy’s arrival, Cindy and Jim must confront the contrast between their expectations of parenthood and the messier reality. At first, they are so determined to IDEA MAGAZINE / 30
give their new son a perfect childhood that they limit his freedoms, trying to shelter him and anticipate his mistakes before he can make them. But it soon becomes clear that they’re parenting out of insecurity, trying to compensate for their own failures and regrets. Their wishes brought Timothy to life, but in order to be the best kind of parents, they must let him be himself. It’s an interesting reflection on our tendency to try and shape other people into our own image. In an era of designer babies – and in a society in which many children struggle to find adoptive homes because of their perceived flaws and scars – it’s clearly a temptation for some parents to want ‘perfect’ children. If we see our children as an extension of ourselves, rather than people in their own right, we risk setting impossible standards for them. Whether or not we’re parents, it’s easy to try and turn the significant people in our lives into personal wish-fulfilment. In doing this, we can end up needing and using them more than loving them. To truly love someone, we must make room for their beliefs, reactions, experiences and desires, and prioritise their good above our own. As the writer Iris Murdoch once said: “Love is the extremely difficult realisation that something other than oneself is real.”
Adopted into the family The Odd Life of Timothy Green raises the question of what really constitutes unconditional love. Timothy himself is clearly able to see what’s really going on with the people around him, but this doesn’t stop
him from loving them. He doesn’t get hung up on people’s differences, but immediately crosses barriers to relate to them and values them just as they are. Following Timothy’s example, Cindy, Jim and the rest of the community begin to learn about this kind of love too. In this respect, as well as others, Timothy’s time with the Greens echoes the story of Jesus, who indiscriminately included the outsiders in his society, accepted the ostracised, and forgave those who had done wrong. His unconditional love for these ‘unloveable’ people set a whole new template for our relationships and demonstrated that God isn’t holding out for us to be perfect children before He loves us. In fact, we’re told that, if we rely on our perfection to gain His acceptance, none of us can ever measure up: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). Instead God “adopts us into His own family” (Ephesians 1:5) because of His perfect love for us; and from there we’re set free to love others in the same way. What kind of transformational impact could this love have on us and on those around us? The film suggests that its power will only grow and grow. The Odd Life of Timothy Green is released on DVD this summer For free resources see www.damaris.org/timothygreen For more on the Alliance’s adoption and fostering campaign, visit homeforgood.org.uk
Leaders’ questions
What is on your summer reading list? Carolyn Skinner, director of Third Space ministries and a baptist minister The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning has been sitting on my shelf for far too long. Manning’s recent death prompted me to finally begin his classic work which focuses on God’s deep love and grace. I also love tennis so will read Open: the autobiography by Andre Agassi, to give fascinating insights into the mind of a sportsman and this will be helpful for my sports chaplaincy.
Krish Kandiah, executive director: churches in mission and England, Evangelical Alliance Paul Collier’s The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can be Done About It has been on my reading list for ages. I was sent Too Much Aid Not Enough Help by Ken Gibson. Both books will help me get a better understanding of how the UK Church can best work with brothers and sisters in the developing world to fight poverty together.
Ann Holt, director of external relations, the Bible Society Monoculture – How One Story is changing Everything by FS Michaels, a Canadian social scientist, looking at how the rise of the ‘economic story’ is changing six areas of life. Recently, a Jewish ethicist pleaded with us to challenge the language of the accountants. I think this book will help me understand the subtle and not so subtle ways in which economic monoculture is changing my life and strengthen my resolve to go on subverting it with the only true story.
Elfed Godding, national director, Evangelical Alliance Wales It’s my aim to complete A Glimpse of Heaven by Paula Gooder this summer. I’m also planning to read Proclaim Jubilee by Maria Harris. The relationship between this biblical principle and the gospel’s positive political, moral and economic impact upon the UK and beyond, intrigues me. The fact that Jesus echoed it in his inaugural sermon in Luke 4:18 means it must be important.
Helen Calder, executive director: finance & services, Evangelical Alliance The Midst Of Life by Jennifer Worth (aka Jenny Lee) is the last of four on which the Call the Midwife TV series is based. It mixes funny yet touching stories with the social history of midwifery in the east end of London in the 1950s. How different was this from my 1950s birth in leafy Surrey? The arc across the series is the author’s journey of faith inspired by the Sisters of Nonnatus House. This last book changes focus and asks ‘what is good death’?
Bishop Eric Brown, administrative bishop, New Testament Church of God I’ll be reading The Writings of Maya Angelou. Maya is a fantastic writer and her life story reflects that of ordinary people who have risen from obscurity to make a contribution to the society at large. The other is What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Phillip Yancey, a book extolling the virtue of grace and how God uses broken, unworthy vessels to accomplish His divine purpose.
Steve Clifford, general director, Evangelical Alliance If You Bite and Devour One Another – Galatians 5:15: biblical principles for handling conflict by Alexander Strauch. This book has to be up for worst title of the year but, and it’s a big but, having read the first half it’s a great book covering a really important aspect of church life with clarity, insight and challenge. Church leaders – get it, read it, teach it and put it into practice.
JUL/AUG 2013
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IN YOUR WORDS
In your We love hearing from you, so have your say on any of the issues raised in idea or any comments about the Evangelical Alliance by emailing idea@eauk.org
Conviction of sin Having been a missionary for over 30 years I know something about contextualisation and agree with the sentiments expressed by Laurence Singlehurst in his article The gospel in context (May/June). However, I am concerned that we do not water down the gospel. John the Baptist preached repentance, as did Jesus, Peter and Paul. God now “commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Even if we don’t use the word ‘repent’, we can talk about a u-turn, which is the same thing, and which people understand very well. I doubt whether Mr Singlehurst is correct when he says people “are not aware they have done anything wrong so forgiveness is not a connect point”. People are well aware
Has Jesus ever stirred your heart to consider His great love for the local South Asian community? Do you sense our mutual need to !receive mercy and "nd grace to help us# $Hebrews %:&'( share the good news of Jesus in ways that are understood and received? You are invited to)))
!Let"s Pray Together"
a local expression of a national initiative of prayer for the good news of Jesus to !spread rapidly and be honoured# among British South Asians $* Thessalonians +:&( Saturday #$ July % &:$'am%#pm (concluding with Indian lunch) All Saints Church* Belgrave +' Kerrysdale Avenue* Leicester* LE, -GH The event is free but donations towards the cost are welcome) RSVP: m)raithatha@eauk)org or terri)skinner@btopenworld)com by ,th July Organised by Leicester Churches and Fellowships in partnership with Jewels in His Crown and South Asian Forum
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Letters: Have your say.
IN YOUR WORDS
words of wrongdoing – whether it is a politician lying about a traffic offence for 10 years, or those who sexually abuse children – and will readily admit that they themselves are not all that they should be. Let us make sure we connect with people certainly, but let us beware that we don’t rely on our methods rather than on the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin, righteousness and judgement. David H Fewster, via email
Good works I have recently picked up the March issue of idea from church and was really encouraged by the articles therein. It was so good to read about the movement of the Holy Spirit in Wales and Salford etc and gives me hope for our local church, which is small and in need of vision. The article on Hope regarding the connection between good works and proclamation of the good news was also very liberating. I could go on but I feel I must encourage you by telling you how much the articles helped me to see that “Aslan” is on the move in the UK and beyond, may God richly bless you and your team. Ian Beckett, via email
Child poverty I was shocked that Dr Mark G Reed underestimates how damaging relative poverty, or inequality, actually is (May / June). Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett demonstrated how inequality seriously damages both our physical and mental health, as well as pushing up levels of obesity. Relative poverty makes people sick. Their recent book The Spirit Level shows just how deadly inequality is. A divided society also has worse levels of trust and lower social mobility. Inequality eats away at the social fabric. A large gap between ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ makes things worse in most areas of life. If anyone doubts this, I suggest looking at the facts and research presented by The Equality
Trust on their website. I believe a more equal society would benefit everyone. Graeme Kemp, via email
Very EAPPI Thank you for another excellent magazine, and especially for the piece on EAPPI. Israel-Palestine is a divisive issue many evangelicals try to avoid, it seems like taking sides or getting political. And yet practically every page of idea has something about taking sides, with the poor, the sick, the disadvantaged. The sad truth is that, in the Middle East, we evangelicals have been part of the problem. EAPPI and Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPTs)are an example to us all. David J Carter, director Middle East Evangelical Concern
Not-so-EAPPI I was very surprised to see the article about EAPPI in idea. I went to a lecture by an EAPPI rep locally and it was totally one-sided with not a single positive word about anything Israel is seeking to do eg act in protection of its citizens, with not a single word of criticism of anything done by the other side eg justify or even applaud terrorism. On the basis of what I have seen, the organisation is more interested in delegitimising Israel rather than in seeking to understand both sides and promote a lasting peace. Richard Hill, Shropshire Editor’s reply: We received several letters regarding the EAPPI article. The article attempted to give a balanced view of the human rights situation in Israel by profiling the work of an organisation started by the World Council of Churches and backed by the Church of England. The Evangelical Alliance does not take a position on Israel and we represent Christians with a variety of different views on the issue.
Are you reading this, but haven’t yet signed up to become a member of the Evangelical Alliance? What are you waiting for? Join us! eauk.org/join
JUL/AUG 2013
Heard in tweets
@NickWalsh6: “ Reading the @EAUKnews ‘Life in the Church’ report, absolutely fascinating and some interesting trends.” @NigPat (Joel Edwards): “ Great time at @EAUKnews today. Think I’d be voting for @stevemclifford if he ran for PM.” Follow the Alliance on Twitter: @EAUKnews @idea_mag
Editor Chine Mbubaegbu – idea@eauk.org Consulting editors Steve Morris, Krish Kandiah Contributing writers Andrew Green, Lucy Cooper, Sophie Lister, Daniel Webster Advertising manager Candy O’Donovan – c.odonovan@eauk.org Design Red & Green Marketing Printer Halcyon Print & Design idea is published bimonthly and sent free of charge to members of the Evangelical Alliance. Formed in 1846, the Alliance’s mission is to unite evangelicals to present Christ credibly as good news for spiritual and social transformation. There are around two million evangelical Christians in the UK, according to a 2007 Tearfund survey. idea is published in accordance with the Alliance’s Basis of Faith, although it is impossible in every article to articulate each detail and nuance of belief held by Alliance members. Articles in idea may therefore express views on which there is a divergence of opinion or understanding among evangelicals. Letters and story ideas from members are welcome, and will be considered by the editorial board, which reserves the right to edit letters and stories for length and style. We regret that we are unable to engage in personal correspondence. Unsolicited material will only be returned if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
idea accepts advertisements and inserts to offset printing costs. Advertising in idea does not imply editorial endorsement. The Alliance reserves the right to accept or refuse advertisements at its discretion. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from the editor.
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Steve Clifford: The general director writes... Twitter: @stevemclifford
LAST WORD
“ We need people with skin on their faces.” things wrong, mistakes have been made, sin has been at work. However, I find myself encouraging people not to give up on Christ or his Church and find myself reflecting on the new command – to love each other despite the disappointments, frustration and pain.
Words are not enough A story is told of a late night conversation between a dad and his three-year-old son. The lights have just gone out and the young lad calls out: “Dad, dad, I’m scared of the dark.” Returning to the room, the father explains to his son there is no need to fear because he is not on his own, God is with him. Without hesitation the response comes back: “But dad, I want someone with skin on their face.” This story carries the profound truth which goes at least some way towards explaining the incarnation, and very practically explores the place of the Church in the world. God knows for most of us – both in finding faith and maintaining our faith – that words, even wonderfully true words, are not enough. We need people with skin on their faces. In the upper room with his disciples, just hours before his arrest in the garden, Jesus provides an example of an entirely
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new kind of leadership as he washes his disciples’ feet and instructs them to follow his example. He proceeds in the passage that follows to give his followers a new command: “Love one another as I have loved you – so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” Sadly, as we reflect back on the history of the Church through the centuries, and perhaps our own experience of the Church, our conclusion must be that we have not always done too well with the new command. We have not “loved one another as we ought”, certainly not with the passionate, sacrificial love that we see in the life of Jesus. Ann and I are deeply grateful to God for our church – a community of faith in which we are cared for and loved, a place we can be ourselves in the good times and the times of struggle and pain, a place where we are challenged to be true to our calling and faithful to the saviour to whom we have given our allegiance. As I travel the country, I meet up with people whose experience of church has not been like this, people with deep wounds over things that have been said and done which sometimes go back decades. As we have chatted together, I have come to the conclusion that there is no quick fix to these situations; people have got
In an age of mass communication and social media, it is so easy to find things to disagree and argue about. I am often amazed at how un-Christlike some disagreements become in the Twitter, Facebook and blogging world. It seems that because it is electronic the same rules don’t apply – this is not love speaking, this is about winning an argument, putting someone in their place, even humiliating them. Sadly the same can be said at times about what happens at some church business meetings or through the unhelpful gossip which we are all tempted to engage in. It is interesting to note that the early Church was not without its own struggles. James writes: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19-20). For most of us, the temptation is to speak quickly, to listen badly and to relish our anger. In our churches and among our Christian friends, what does love look like? How can we model an entirely different way of relating, of caring, of disagreeing? As we give ourselves to loving the world around us, our neighbours, our work mates, those we are at school and college with, or through food banks, Street Pastors, Christians Against Poverty (CAP) centres, youth and children’s work (I could go on) let’s also ask the question: how does love express itself in my church? How can we celebrate the fact we are family – brothers and sisters in Christ? How can we reach beyond our congregation to our family down the road in another tradition of church? Maybe they don’t do things like we do things, but they are still family. Perhaps there is a challenge in the ‘new command’. If we want the world to acknowledge our saviour, there are people with ‘skin on their faces’ who need to be loving each other.
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