NEW LIFE
AUGUST 2012
Issue 222
How rising star is shining
40p
GOOD NEWS STORIES
SEE PAGE 3
OLYMPICS SPECIAL ON PAGE 2
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PARALYMPIC DREAM AFTER A NIGHTMARE START IN LIFE
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MASSIVE CHURCH GROWTH
CHALLENGE... Mark Ritchie
PACKED... A church in Birmingham during Sunday worship
by Matthew Murray IT’S OFFICIAL! The Church in Britain is booming. Researchers in Durham have revealed that a staggering 5,000 new churches have been formed in the last 30 years – that’s more than three a week. They also claim that: ● HALF A MILLION Christians attend black majority churches in Britain, up from almost none in the 1950s ● More than a MILLION of the nation’s believers are from black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities
experts
Preacher’s ‘cross’ country challenge A PREACHER will carry a cross for 700 miles in 70 days to highlight the importance of Christianity in Britain. Scotsman Mark Ritchie plans to stop at 30 venues on his tour and hold evangelistic services where he hopes to reach 7,000 people.
challenge Mark, who lives near Nottingham, will begin the venture in Brighton, heading north to Edinburgh, then jumping west to Wrexham before finishing the courageous challenge in Hull. The trek comes a year after
w idespread riots rocked the UK. It was during this dark t i me t h at Ma rk dec ided that he needed to do something to promote the gospel throughout the country. Mark, who regularly puts on stand-up comedy gospel shows across the nation, will start the trek on August 26, finishing on October 27. He said: “At each stop I will communicate the message of the cross – a message that Jesus takes away the sins of the world. The gospel is a message of joy, hope and destiny. It also cannot be ignored.”
The adult membership in the Anglican Diocese of London has grown by 70 PER CENT since 1990. The findings, by experts at theological college Cranmer H all, par t of D urham University, have been published in a new study entitled, ‘Church Grow th In Britain From 1980 To The Present’. The statistics contradict ● Continued on Page 3
BOOMING BRILLIANT
I’M FLUSHED WITH SUCCESS AFTER I STARTED PRAYING!
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Issue 222
by James Hastings
Dora’s long life secrets
WENDY Craig has a favourite place to pray – in the loo. The legendary British actress found she could not go on stage unless she recited The Lord’s Prayer to calm her first night nerves. Even though she was no longer a practising Christian, Wendy still called on God whenever she felt stressed. “Funnily enough, those gabbled prayers did give me comfort and confidence, even if that was the extent of my faith at the time,” she recalled. Millions of viewers have grown up watching Wendy in hit shows such as The Royal and the multiaward-winning Butterflies, where she played the scatter-brained Ria. An acclaimed Shakespearian actress, it was Wendy’s pursuit of fame that quietly tore her away from the faith passed on to her as a child, growing up in her native County Durham. “I am convinced I would have had a better life’s journey if I had maintained some form of prayer life. Never stop praying, even when you don’t feel like it or feel it doesn’t do any good. Keep praying.” What sparked her
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A WOMAN who recently celebrated her 100th birthday says the secret to a long life is reading the Bible every day. Devout believer Dora Wilson, of Bobbers Mill near Nottingham, celebrated the milestone in June. She was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a hamper at her church, Oasis Christian Centre, in nearby Sawley. The church then threw her a birthday bash after its evening service. Dora, who has three sons, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, said: “I don’t feel any different. I can’t believe I’m a hundred.” She said that reading God’s Word and taking plenty of exercise have helped her reach her century. Her son Philip added: “She’s very active and does all her own cooking, cleaning and shopping.”
PRAYING.. Wendy Craig return to faith in God was the death of her beloved dog, Tallis. “I used to walk him through the fields for hours at a time,” the 78-year-old said. “I wasn’t going to church or praying, but on those walks God had been reminding me of a peace I could not find elsewhere, the same peace I knew as a child. God used the death of my dog to draw me back to himself. “When Tallis died, I grieved terribly. I lost him and the connection with God’s creation. “Nothing else in my life could fill that hole. One day I just stood up and cried out, ‘I’ve got to get back.’ “I went down to our village church, sat at the back then wondered what to do next. I knelt down, saying, ‘Father God, I’m really sorry I left you.’”
Dora WIlson celebrates her 100th birthday
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SCULPTOR SAYS GOD SAVED COUPLE
MY MARRIAGE WAS ALMOST AT AN END by Becky Barlow
A SCULPTOR whose wife had filed for divorce believes God saved his marriage – and launched his art career. Brad ley Luca s’s w i fe P i l i de m a nded sepa rat ion a fte r her husband’s drink problem spiralled out of control. But everything changed when the ex-soldier asked for prayer from a Christian pal. Father-of-three Bradley said: “I made a commitment and gave my life to Jesus. Everything felt much clearer. I started to see my friend once a week and we’d pray and talk about God. “He didn’t judge me – he was just there for me. I felt accepted and part of something. It was amazing, life changing and I felt safe. “Then my w i fe sta rted to notice the change in my life. I started going to church and taking our girls along. Pili started coming too and God saved our marriage.” After his conversion, Bradley, 32, started sculpting art pieces with a spiritual twist and the masterpieces have been displayed by the Royal Society of British Artists in various galleries throughout the UK. He told
Bradley Lucas with wife Pili and daughters Jessie, Monica and Faye. Inset, one of Bradley’s sculptures New Life: “During the time when I was praying for our marriage, I was on my knees and I got the image for my first sculpture, the praying man. It was so simple and I realised that I could make it. I gave it a go and I was amazed at what I produced.” Bradley, of Bexhill, Sussex, was encouraged by his father-inlaw Guy Portelli, who is an estab-
lished sculptor, to enter his piece in a show. It is now viewed by thousands and Bradley is busy producing more sculptures. “I laughed at first and was tota l ly shocked when it got through,” Bradley added. “I don’t even have an art GCSE! “Before I was a Christian, I had no artistic talent or ambition – it was just a job. I’d clean and
weld the metal, but that was it. “I was amazed to be selected as it is fairly unusual for an openly Christian sculpture to be accepted into a major exhibition. I have found that the art world seems to frown upon spiritual art work and the fact that I have never been to any form of art college or university has also been frowned upon in some circles.”
DVD focuses on poverty Parenting project backed A DVD series is educating Brits about worldwide poverty. The Jesus Agenda, a nineweek DVD course for churches, reveals that an estimated 950 million people go hungry each day a nd 350,000 women d ie during childbirth every year. The DVD has been released by
Christian charities The Micah Challenge, Christian Aid and Compassion International. Micah Challenge director Joel Edwards said: “The Jesus Agenda aims to raise awareness of God’s heart for the poor and how he wants his followers to seek justice for the oppressed.”
MOR E tha n 500 chu rches i n Britain are backing a project to improve the standard of parenting. The National Parenting Initiative was launched on Father’s Day throughout the UK with churches committing to give training and advice to parents. Chairman of
Puzzle corner. Sudoku
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Across 1. Come into existence (9) 7. Desert plants (5) 9. Entice (5) 10. Paddles (4) 11. Pugilist (5) 14. Brass instrument (5) 15. Wood file (4) 18. Magical incantation (5) 19. Last letter of the Greek alphabet (5) 20. The history of a word (9)
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the Initiative, banker Ken Costa, said: “The material is based on Christianity but the courses are designed for parents of any faith or no faith at all. They are for anyone who wants to improve their skills as parents.” For more information, visit www.thenpi.org.uk
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NEW LIFE
Issue 222 NEW LIFE 9
COMMENT Welcome boom IF some members of the media were to be believed, the future of churches is grim. They continually repor t a drop in congregations and cheerfully sound the death knell. But reports of the death of the Church and the C hristian f ai th ar e gr e atl y exaggerated. A recent study by Durham University shows that in the past 30 years 5,000 churches have opened their doors to worshippers of Jesus Christ. Now, it is true that many of the old churches appear to have been closing at a great rate of knots. But that’s as much to do with the design of those buildings as it is congregations. Many churches that have been built may not be instantly recognised as a traditional church, but that’s the beauty of the Christian faith and the Church. It doesn’t have a mould to break when it comes to places of worship. Christians meet in a variety of venues, and many of the latest buildings are modern and efficient – and not the chilly and drafty places that many may think they are. You see, Christians understand that a church has to be welcoming before those who have no faith are remotely interested in what the message of the Church is. And it appears that all the effort of so many churches, denominations and individuals is really bearing fruit. In the Anglican diocese in London alone, 70 per cent more people are turning to the Christian faith since 1990. Why is that? Because they want to know about the man Jesus and to hear how those inside the building can believe he is the Son of God. And, clearly, the truth about Christ is so compelling they are continuing to attend. We welcome that and hope if you are not already a churchgoer, you’ll be welcomed into one soon.
BIBLE QUOTE OF THE MONTH “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 Editor: Peter Wreford Advertising: Emma Morley
Editorial office: New Life Publishing Co PO Box 777, Nottingham NG11 6ZZ, UK Email: editor@newlife.co.uk Telephone: 0115 824 0777 Website: www.newlife.co.uk
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Toon striker praises God ON TRACK... Anne Wafula Strike
Striking out to show my faith WHEELCHAIR ATHLETE BELIEVES GOD PICKED HER FOR PARALYMPIC DREAM A WOMAN who was struck down with polio as a child hopes to compete in the Paralympics for Britain this month. Determined Anne Wafula Strike has defied the odds throughout her life after she became ill as a toddler in Kenya and her family were told by villagers that God had cursed her. But the wheelchair-bound devout Christian bounced back to qualify as a teacher, get married, have a son and move to Britain. And now the brave 40-year-old is set for her latest challenge –
representing Team Great Britain in the Paralympics as a wheelchair racer. Anne, who lives in Harlow, competed for Kenya in the 2004 Athens Olympics but gained UK citizenship in 2006. She missed out on qualification for Beijing 2008 by just 0.1 seconds and is determined to succeed this time round.
HONOUR She told New Life: “Representing Great Britain at the Olympics will be a fantastic honour and I hope I get the chance to do that. “God has handpicked me to do this and I know that I’ve been
NEWCASTLE goal machine Papiss Cisse says God has taken him to the top. The Senegalese striker became a hit on the Toon last season when he smashed 13 goals in 14 games after signing from German side SC Freiburg. But his main ambition is supporting his 70 family members in his home town in Africa. He said: “I am very religious and I praise God for giving me the talent in football because without it my family may not have survived. I’ve learnt to play football, so I can help now. "I built the family a large house, I support the purchase of food and electricity and especially help out when someone is sick. “Football was the light at the end of a tunnel that has allowed me to support them and give them a good life. "I am thankful to God for all he has given me.” Cisse, 27, is walking in big shoes in the North East after been given the famous No9 shirt worn by Alan Shearer.
PRAISING... Papiss Cisse
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a witness for Christ and have shown that sport can empower people to achieve. I am at a stage now where it doesn’t matter to me if I pick up medals or not. I have lots of achievements and awards. I am determined not to let the wheelchair define me. “My faith in Christ defines who I am and God has given me the grace to achieve all that I have done.” Life hasn’t always been so enjoyable for Anne. Growing up in Africa she faced severe persecution and discrimination because she was disabled. She said: “People lack knowledge and education ● Continued on Page 11
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