NEW LIFE
JULY 2012
Issue 221
40p
GOOD NEWS STORIES
Rower’s prize that is better than gold OLYMPICS SPORTS FOCUS – BACK PAGE
OLYMPICS SPECIAL ON PAGE 2
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How Jesus made waves for champ
Prayer push COP TOLD: YOUR FAITH HEALED YOU for Olympic Torch Relay TWO new prayers have been released to accompany the Olympic Torch Relay. They are being used by many churches as the Torch makes its tour of the nation. The Relay ends on July 27, when the Torch is used to start the Games as part of the opening ceremony. The Bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev Tim Thornton, and Cornwall Methodist District chairman, the Rev Steve Wild, were the first to use one of the new prayers at a special event marking the arrival of the Torch at Land’s End. One of the prayers includes the lines: “May your light, O God, shine i n the hea rts of a l l who gather to celebrate the energy, skill and dedication of others. Send your Holy Spirit to light up our lives and set our hearts on fire with love for you.” The relay prayers are an initiative of More Than Gold, an ecumenical initiative set up by all the main Christian denominations. More Than Gold has released a free guide, Praying During the 70Day Prayer Relay, to inspire Christians and churches to contribute to a ‘cascade’ of prayer and praise as the Flame travels around the nation Bishop Tom said: “These specially composed prayers are the ideal way to celebrate the Torch Relay as we prepare as a nation for the 2012 Games. I encourage people to pray them over before the Games.”
1m giveaway of free drinks
THE Salvation Army hopes to dish out ONE MILLION free drinks of water during the Olympics. The Army’s vibrant red mobile canteens and water stations will be dotted across London as believers share God’s love with spectators. A spokesman said: “We want the churches to hit new heights in showing Christian hospitality.”
BACK ON COP... Tim Carson
back on the beat
by Becky Barlow A POLICEMAN who severely injured his back and had to take 30 tablets per day believes God miraculously healed him. Tim Carson was told his prolapsed disc would never recover but after going to church and receiving prayer, a Harley Street specialist told him: “Your faith has healed you.” Tim, 42, is now back on the frontline as a normal policeman after a five-and-a-half year stint off duty. He said: “I am completely pain free and have stopped all my medication. Even though I had been taking very strong painkillers for over five years, I suffered no side-effects while withdrawing from them. “I have been totally healed by the power of prayer and by laying my circumstances in the hands ● Continued on Page 3
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Issue 221
OLYMPICS NEWS FOCUS Volunteers win praise BR I T I SH pa ra ly mpi a n A n ne Wafula Strike paid tribute to Christian volunteers who will be evangelising during the Olympics. Wheelchair racer Strike, who is in the running squad for Team GB at the Paralympics, said: “I am full of admiration for everyone who is giving up their time, energy and dedication to volunteer to support others during the 2012 Paralympic and Olympic Games in London. “Each one will be rewarded spiritually and they deserve a gold medal of their own.”
Helping out
MEMBERS of a Chelmsford church will be hosting athletes’ families during the Olympics, many of whom are extremely stretched financially. S e ve ra l pe ople f r om L i fe Church will act as guides for relatives of the athletes who will have travelled to London from around the world to see their family members compete.
Torch prayer
BELIEVERS are being urged to pray for Britain during the Olympics. As the Olympic Torch makes its way across the nation, churches are holding prayer meetings and asking God to impact the nation during the event.
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RUNDERFUL... Eric Liddell, whose life inspired Chariots of Fire
New digital version of film classic released A NEW digital version of Olympic film Chariots of Fire is being released in cinemas this month. The 1981 hit movie tells the inspiring story of Eric Liddell and the Olympic team of 1924 that brought Britain one of its great-
est sporting victories. Liddell was driven by his Christian faith and famously refused to race in his strongest event – the 100m – because it was held on a Sunday. He went on to win the 400m. After his Olympic triumph, he
abandoned the world of athletics to become a missionary in China but died when he was just 43. The original Chariots of Fire movie won four academy awards and will be back in cinemas on July 13 as part of London 2012
celebrat ion s. K r ish Ka nd ia h, mission director at the Evangelical Alliance, said the film was a ‘brilliant opportunity to show that the good news of Jesus gives a reason to live beyond earthly success.’
finding faith really made waves for me Champ dives in to spread gospel
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The swimmer is the only woman to have won both the 100m and 200m breaststroke events after she picked up gold medals at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. But as a youngster, the Games weren’t even on the agenda for upcoming athletes as South Africa had been banned from competing for its refusal to condemn apartheid. The nation regained its Olympic status in 1992 and Penny stepped on the scene four years later to create history and send South Africa into celebration. But despite worldwide fame and success, she felt a strange emptiness and only found fulfilment when she became a Christian soon afterwards. She said: “I was looking for my identity through my sport. Suddenly I had achieved what every athlete aspires to, and I still wasn’t fulfilled. But the Olympics changed my life. I recommitted my life to Jesus and started taking my relationship with him seriously. That Andrew Kisumba
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GROWING up in South Africa, Penny Heyns had never heard of the Olympics, but a few years later she was to go down in the annals of Games history.
MAKING A SPLASH... Penny Heyns
decision impacted everything.” In the summer of 1999, Penny broke six world records at the Pan Pacific Games and on retiring in 2002, she is recognised as one of the greatest swimmers that South Africa has ever produced. Now 37, she is a member of the International Swimming Federation and a TV presenter and was voted 52nd in a recent list of the top 100 South Africans. But her main ambition is to reach people with the gospel. “I want to be an instrument in seeing others come to know Jesus,” she said.
Songwriter’s tune is hot stuff as it becomes a YouTube hit A CHRISTIAN songwriter has penned a tune that is being adopted by many as an anthem for the Olympics. Andrew Kisumba’s track ‘Free t he Fla me’ has bee n played almost 200,000 times on YouTube and is available on iTunes. The song was chosen
by BBC Radio Cornwall to kick off the announcement of the torch relay in Land’s End. Andrew, who attends Huddersfield Christian Fellowship, said: “I hope the song will enable people who don’t have a sporty bone in their body to be able to get involved.”
‘OPEN YOUR HEART TO THE REAL CHAMP’ MEDAL-WINNING WEIGHTLIFTER WRITES FOR NEW LIFE - DON’T MISS HIS COLUMN ON PAGE 11
ATHLETES KEEP FAITH DURING OLYMPICS
I’VE A PRIZE THAT’S BIGGER THAN GOLD HERE WE ROW... Debbie Flood gets ready for the London 2012 Olympics
ON TRACK... Lolo Jones
Hurdler makes marriage vow! PRETTY Lolo Jones has told how being a virgin is harder than training for the Olympics. The 29-year-old picked up a silver medal in Beijing in 2008 and is set to be one of America’s top hurdlers at this month’s Games in London. But the outspoken athlete is just as well known for her strong Christian faith and her stance against sex before marriage. “It’s just a gift I want to give my husband,” she said.
judged
ROWING CHAMPION: GOD WAS WITH ME DURING MY OLYMPICS VICTORIES ROWER Debbie Flood is going for gold this month – but the champion athlete says she has already scooped the ultimate prize. The 32-year-old is a committed Christian who says God was with her as she picked up silver medals in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. Highly recognised as one of Britain’s best medal hopes in this month’s Olympic Games, Debbie has won previous golds in the women’s quad at the World Championships in Eton, Munich and
Karapiro. But although rowing has led to a highly successful career in athletics, the Yorkshire girl knows where her talent comes from. “God has given me this ability to row, and I’m in the rowing world as an ambassador and as a witness for Christ,” she said. “My faith is really important to me. I look back on my life and see that I have been put in these places, which appear to be random. “But as I see it I have found something that I am really good at and God has put me here as a witness for him. He has got my life in his hands and this is where he is taking me. Everyone
“But please understand, this journey has been hard. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life… harder than training for the Olympics and harder than graduating from college. “I’ve been tempted, I’ve had plenty of opportunities. You get judged a lot and a lot of guys won’t return your calls after they find out.” The devout believer also revealed that she listens to ‘a lot of Christian music’ to stay calm during training seasons.
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in my team knows that I am a Christian but they see that I am just a normal person. I get on with my rowing, I train hard, I’m not strange because I’m a Christian but I believe in God and he’s a big part of my life.” Debbie grew up in a Christian family but says she made a personal commitment to follow Jesus when she was 17. She added: “I was in the youth group at Guiseley Baptist Church in Yorkshire when I heard the pastor say I had to make a personal commitment, so I went home and did just that. Ever since that day, I have grown in my faith. It gives me a bigger perspective on life.”
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