New Life Dec 08 issue 178

WE’RE

Bring ing h o

DECEMBER 2008

Issue 178

40p

GOOD NEWS STORIES

HOW I WENT THROUGH A LIVING HELL

BOYZONE’S SHANE LYNCH ON DABBLING WITH THE OCCULT – P3

WIN  CHILDREN’S GOODIES Page 3

 NIGEL BENN CAMPAIGN T-SHIRTS Page 11

www.newlife.co.uk

pe bac k to B

B AC K

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ritain

COMEDIAN WITH A SERIOUS MESSAGE Page 4

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR READERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND ADVERTISERS

Sister ‘would VOLUNTEERS SET TO REACH OUT TO REVELLERS forgive killer’ AN aid worker who was shot dead in Afghanistan would not hold a grudge against her killers.

Speaking after the death of Gayle Williams, her sister Karen said she believed Gayle would have forgiven the murderers.  Full story - Page 2

JuMPING aT The ChaNCe THIS minister took a leap of faith when he swapped his West End dancing costumes for a dog collar!

The Rev Darren Middleton said he would be injecting some of his energy into services.  Read how he decided to jump at the chance of changing roles on Page 5

Carol service changed me!

A PROFESSIONAL singer has told how her life changed when she walked into a Christmas carol service.

Cheshire-born Gerie Barber – now in the Canary Islands – said something stirred inside her after she heard the service above a pub.  Full story - Page 4

Looking out for you... a Street Pastor waits to offer help to revellers

you’re IN safe haNds HUNDREDS of volunteers will give up their free time this Christmas to make sure revellers are safe.

Street Pastors will work du r i ng t he fest ive season throughout the UK. Founder the Rev Les Isaacs says it’s the most important time of the year.  Exclusive interview – P6&7

2 – New Life Newspaper – Issue 178

People have a prayer in credit crisis

Musical youth raise cash with festive CD

PEOPLE facing cash problems during the current credit crisis are being offered a prayer.

The Church of England has issued the special prayer to help the country during the “disturbing days” of the financial turbulence.

Church leaders have urged people affected by the credit crunch not to keep their debt burden to themselves, but to confess them to family, friends or financial advisors.

TURBULENCE The prayer initiative has received backing from the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams.

He said: “At this time of international financial turbulence, it is important that the church should be offering the opportunity for prayer and reflection.”

Church leaders believe that as many as seven million people are in danger becoming overwhelmed by debt.

The prayer includes the lines: “Lord God, we live in disturbing days... meet us in our fear and hear our prayer... and fi x our hearts where true joys are to be found.”

They’re on their knees at No.10!

STAFF at No.10 Downing Street can now seek God in a special prayer room.

A Cabinet Office spokesman confirmed the room’s main purpose was to give staff “a place to pray”.

The “reflection room’ was set up as a “place of worship”, although it is open to all members of staff.

Send me more...

Singing their hearts out... the pupils record the CD.

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Pic: courtesy of Ipswich Evening Star

PU PILS from 42 schools have joi ned together to help end poverty – by recording a charity CD for Christmas.

During three weekends last month, 1,800 youngsters sung their hearts out practising and recording the music for their CD. The ch i ld ren from schools across the east of E ng la nd – i nc lud i ng Felixstowe, Framlington, Woodbr idge, Deben ha m and Ipswich – were brought together as part of a project by local churches.

T h e a i m i s to r a i s e awareness of poverty and justice around the world a nd to ra ise money for charity Tearfund, which helps children in the poorest countries across the globe.

The project’s A ndrew Thomas said: “The money from One Christmas is go-

ing to help projects focused at helping children in some of the poorest countries in the world.

“The aim is to raise a further £30,000 with this project. The One Christmas CD will have 20 tracks and features many Christmas songs old and new, with six new songs specially written for the project.

“A DVD will contain music videos of several of the songs on the CD, featuring the children performing the songs.”

Organisers decided to produce the CD to provide a creative focus for schools leading up to Christmas.

They have raised more than £60,000 in the past few years with a number of different projects.

The CD was launched on November 29 and the DVD was due to be ava i lable from December 7.

Family forgives aid worker’s murderers NEW LIFE SUBSCRIBE

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She would have done, sister says

THE sister of aid worker Gayle Williams who was murdered in Afghanistan has said her family has forgiven her killers.

And Karen added that she believed the 34-year-old charity worker would not hold a grudge against the people who shot her.

Miss Williams was described by her sister as a woman who was “passionate” about helping Afghanistan’s people.

Karen told a news conference in Kabul: “If Gayle could talk to us now her view would not have changed. Her faith in the Afghan people would remain the same.

“I know Gayle would forgive those responsible for this act, and she would tell us not to hold a grudge against them. We also forgive them, just as Gayle would have done.”

Miss Williams was walking to work in the Afghan capital of Kabul when she was shot six times at close range.

Witnesses reported that two men passed her while she was on her way to the offices of Christian charity Serve, and one of the men jumped off the bike and fired the gun.

Sources in the country believe that the Taliban were behind the killing because Miss Williams was spreading the Christian message.

Miss Williams was based in Kandahar as a volunteer for Serve – a UK registered charity that focuses on education and training for people with disabilities – but returned to

Murdered... Gayle Williams (above) and her sister Karen Kabul when the situation there became too dangerous.

Sister Karen said: “Gayle was a much-loved sister who gave her life serving the Afghan people she loved. She was working to help little children with disabilities – some blind, some deaf, some with no limbs – including victims of the many landmines from the many wars in Afghanistan.”

Gayle’s mother Pat Williams, 69, said that she was angry that her daughter’s life had been wasted. But she added that she could not bring herself to hate her daughter’s killers.

“They are misguided people,” she said. “They had probably been told all the wrong things.

So many Afghans have been shocked by what happened to Gayle.”

Hamper project to reach poor and elderly ELDERLY and underprivileged people will be handed luxury hampers to help them have a happy Christmas.

The project, named Operation Rudolph, is the brainchild of members at Nottingham

Christian Centre and is backed by businesses, churches and the city council.

Food, tickets to local events and a Christmas card will be included in the hamper being distributed to homes around

the East Midlands city.

Meanwh ile, the poorest fa m i l ies i n the v i l lage of Wat h - U p on - D e a r n e , n e a r Rotherham, will receive hamers from charity Shake The Nations One By One.

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Issue 178 – New Life Newspaper – 3

THE BATTLE’S ON FOR THE CHRISTMAS ...AND NEW LIFE FEATURES THREE OF THOSE VYING FOR THE TOP

OCCuLT TOOk ME TO A LIvINg HELL IT looks like being one of the toughest battles for Christmas no1 for years – and involves some of pop’s biggest names.

Boyzone, Take That, the inevitable X Factor winner, Peter Kay as Geraldine, Status Quo, Leona Lewis and Bob the Builder are just some of the big names who want to reach the top this year.

Music insiders believe Sir Cliff Richard will also release a festive single as he bids be at the top at Christmas for the third time.

Christian singer Tara Mathew will also enter the fray with a song that focuses on the Christian message. We can reveal Radio 2 chiefs are considering including her song on their playlist.

In this special news focus, we talk to three of those who are vying to be crowned the festive chart topper – Boyzone’s Shane Lynch, Sir Cliff and Tara Mathew – about faith, Christmas and their music.

Boyzone heart-throb Shane Lynch has opened his heart about the years of hell at the hands of terrifying demons.

During the late 1990s when Boyzone were at the height of their fame, Shane says that he was frequently visited by grotesque evil spirits who tortured his mind and left him paralysed.

In his sensational autobiography he tells how:  He had his first experience with the occult at just fourteen.  A supernatural force once caused the bed he was sitting on to float.  Mediums and psychics struggled to help him and believed he was possessed by an evil spirit.

In Shane Ly nch: The Chancer, the 31-year-old hit-maker reveals: “A lot of the time I felt as if I’d fallen into hell. There was nothing but blackness. I knew I was in deep trouble.

“I’d once been an ordinary rational human being but, bit by bit, I was changed into a thoroughly nasty piece of work, a hopeless, evil man.

“I was almost like a werewolf, tearing people apart, only, I was using my tongue.

I was attacking them at every opportunity. I was in a filthy pit and I couldn’t crawl out.

“I wanted everyone else to feel the pain I was feeling because I’d fallen into such a dark and hopeless place. I’d become a horrible, horrible man. Anger churned around inside me almost all of the time and I was weighed down under the influence of the dark things I’d been messing with.”

Shane, now a committed Christian, had his first supernatural experience when he was on holiday with his family in a picturesque Irish town called Terryglass.

From darkness to light...

Boyzone’s Shane Lynch back on the stage with the band that’s hoping to take the Christmas No.1 slot

by Steve Legg He says: “I was 14 years old and we created this homemade Ouija board. We put a coin down on it and my si ste rs spoke to wh at they assumed was some sort of spirit, asking it questions.

“I remember one thing; it was a couple of words that the movement of the coin spelt out on the board – ‘k i l l Sha ne’. I frea ked out.”

Over the years and duri ng h is Boyzone success, Shane would continue to dabble in the occult. He began experiencing visitations that left him terrified.

It wasn’t until he met a singer called Ben Ofoedu that he finally found peace.

He says: “Ben threw me a lifeline. He said to me, ‘You have to try telling those evil spirits to go away in the name of Jesus.’

“I didn’t know how to react. For years I’d been existing in some kind of black hole under the influence of demons. All of a sudden there was Ben telling me to use the name of Jesus – a name that I was deeply against.

“But one night after that conversation with Ben I found myself experiencing a terrible visitation.

“I was effing and blinding like I did, just willing it to end, and in sheer desperation I thought I’ve got to try this. I’ve got to try telling it to leave in the name of Jesus. So I did it. The moment those words were out of my mouth the visitation stopped.  The Chancer by Shane Lynch and Steve Legg is published by Canaan Press.

Wilson, from Tara’s label Media Ministries, said: “It has always been my aim to get a Christian song in the secular charts.

Tara has a fantastic voice and could have been a great success in the classical world, but decided to go into ministry.”

He added that Tara was excited by the prospect of being among other Christians who are battling for No.1.

The 30-year-old’s single is released on December 1.

SIR Cliff Richard is as essential to a British Christmas as turkey and all the trimmings.

And rumours have it that he could be releasing a new song to take his third Christmas No.1.

A nd as a nother Christmas beckons Cliff declared: “I always enjoy th is hol iday a nd let’s always remember that Jesus Christ remains as relevant today as he was 2,000 years ago – that’s a fact.”

A CHRISTMAS campaign has been launched urging people to be wise in the wake of the financial crisis.

Reclaim Christmas, launched by environmental charity Operation Noah, was kicked off by Christopher Jamison, known for his TV appearances on BBC 2’s The Monastery show.

The campaign took to the streets of Birmingham, Exeter and other cities in the last week of November.

Christians were encouraged to walk to St Philip’s Cathedral brandishing slogans such as Pray Now Buy Later and Spend Like There Is A Tomorrow.

On one of the busiest shopping days of the year, November 29, Birmingham Cathedral was set to host the Big Green Give-Away, offering an extra present to those passing through the Cathedral grounds.

The Rt Revd Dav id Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham, said: “Despite the credit crunch and environmental concerns, many people will continue to celebrate Christmas with a consumption binge.

“We are asking people to stop before they shop and think of other ways of celebrating Christmas this year.”

Win a sack of kids’ goodies

Singer’s hoping to be surprise hit I’ll be loving the Christmas holiday ONE of the music world’s best kept secrets is hoping to be the surprise artiste who reaches the top of the charts th is Christmas.

Tara Mathew has released the single Christmas P resent, wh ich proudly carries the Christian message.

And we can reveal BBC bosses are considering including her on Radio 2’s playlist and her video on the Top of the Pops 2 Christmas special. Kevin

Pray before shopping, charity says

He has never believed his acceptance of the Lord would be a hindrance to his career declaring: “I’ve never believed I would be better off as a non-Christian.”

As Cliff tucks into his fest ive fa re i n December his big Christmas hit Saviour’s Day will almost certainly be playing from his sound system.

He said: “I love that song along with the Wings song – Mull of Kintyre.”

TAKE a look at our front page and the illustration on the top of this page and you’ll see our friend Bob N the Robin.

The cheeky little chap has also landed on another page in New Life.

So we’re asking our young readers (those under 10) to see if they can find where he’s flown off to.

We’ve got a packed goodie bag of books and a Grow Your Own Garden sack from gift company Send A Cow to give away.

Just write to us and tell us on which page Bob N the Robin has gone to. Send answers on a sealed envelope to Where’s Bob N, New Life, New Life Publishing, PO Box 777, Nottingham, NG11 6ZZ. Include your age too!

Only one entry per person.

Multiple entries will be disqualified. Usual rules apply. Closing date January 6, 2009.

NEW LIFE A D EPA R T M EN T s to r e o f te n criticised for its unusual Christmas window displays has chosen the original message this year.

Fenwick’s of Newcastle-uponTyne includes the words “God is Love” on its window.

People from around the North East flock to the store to see its Christmas window, but in recent years it attracted criticism for using bizarre themes – including aliens!

NEWSFLASH

4 – New Life Newspaper – Issue 178

WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP

Aid package is sent to Congo AFRICA – A Christian charity has rushed out £50,000 in emergency aid to help thousands of innocent people displaced by the recent fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The SCIAF organisation is working through global agencies network Caritas, which operates in partnership with local organisations in some of the worst affected areas.

The funds raised will go towards providing blankets, soap and cooking equipment to 100,000 families who have lost their homes and possessions.

Up to 250,000 people are believed to have been displaced by fighting between the CNDP forces of Laurent Nkunda and the Congolese government. SCIAF is calling on the UK Government to press for an enhanced UN presence in the region.

World logs on to see church IRELAND – A church in Belfast has broadcast its healing services on the Internet – and people from all over the world have logged on to witness the phenomenon.

The Elim Christian Centre has had feedback from across the globe from people who have been healed.

The church reported that 24,000 people logged on within a threemonth period.

Pastor Brian Madden can’t believe the resounding success of Internet ministry.

He told New Life: “We would never have reached this many people through normal church activities. It’s been a real tool to reach people and see them healed.”

Worshipping’s mall over city!

ITALY – Shoppers at a large out-oftown shopping mall near Rome are being enticed by a special offer on Sundays – church!

Church elders hit on the plan to minister to people who prefer aisles in supermarkets to those in churches.

Services have also been held in inflatable “bouncy” chapels at beaches in Sardinia.

Charity’s prayer for its workers INDIA – Missions charity Youth With A Mission (YWAM) is calling on its 17,000 workers worldwide to join in prayer and fasting for the church in India.

YWAM is working to provide refugees in the country with basic necessities and praying for God to intervene in the crisis.

Churches get set for a special day KOREA – Churches in Korea are putting together plans to take part in the 2009 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a major calendar highlight for churches worldwide, and traditionally takes place January 18–25.

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Comedian with serious message all set for tour

Boxing clever...

Mark Ritchie is about to embark on a Chrismas tour

COMEDIAN Mark Ritchie will give a serious message while he cracks jokes during a UK and Ireland tour this month.

Mark, who hails from Scotland, is focusing on Christmas during his December shows.

And he hopes that the message he shares with his cracking one-liners will help people understand more about Christianity.

hilarious Mark said: “The Christmas tour will feature carols and fun – two things people love at Christmas.

“I’ll tell hilarious accounts of what happened to me at Christmas, and there’ll be lots of fun, but

at the same time I’ll talk about the real meaning of Christmas.

“We want to get the message out there in a contemporary way about what Christmas is really about. I’ll take people on a journey, where I’ll end up telling them the story about God’s gift, Jesus Christ.”

Mark will appear in Dublin on December 5; Nottingham December 7 and 8; Londonderry December 10; Belfast December 11 and 12; Leeds December 13; Croydon December 14; Solihull December 21 and Chesterfield December 22.

For more details about the tour, visit www.73rdtrust, www.taleof3journeys.com or telephone 0115 947 4038.

siNGer chaNGed after christmas service Forces to be

carols left me smiley...

by Ian White in the Canary Islands

“Of course, if the Prayerline saves lives or marriages, that’s brilliant – but it’s not just for those in dire straits.

“It’s for everyday situations too, when we’re concerned about work, the kids, our mates, our family, our next posting.”

The Prayerline is manned by trained volunteers and will be available seven days a week until midnight each day on 0845 2637223.

Thou shalt not steal my blog content but there was something different about that carol service that was to change my life.”

Bonkers eventually went bust, but Gerie continued on the singing circuit, often bringing in scriptural songs into her act. She’s now also a worship leader at her church.

The former trampoline coach joked: “You Raise Me Up is a poignant chorus to sing, as the Lord raised me from my ground-floor pub to the first-floor church. I’m looking forward to the next level!”

MAN ALIVE! WE’RE LOOKING FOR MORE GUYS A SOUTH Yorkshire church has launched a recruitment drive to attract more men to its congregation.

Research shows three per cent of families start attending church if

their child shows an interest – but 93 per cent of families will attend church if the dad gets involved.

Now Herringthorpe United Reformed Church has become the first

MEMBERS of the armed forces will receive spiritual help “before a crisis breaks” in their lives after a telephone prayer project was launched.

The Forces’ Prayerline – set up by Christian radio and TV organisation UCB – took its first calls last month.

Colonel Paul Eaton, who led the planning committee, said: “The Forces welfare services are brilliant when there’s a crisis – as I discovered when a young RAF airman of mine tragically committed suicide.

“Through prayer we may be able to reach people, bringing hope to those in despair, encouragement to those who are dispirited, and comfort to those who are suffering.

CoNCErNED

pROFEssIONAL singer Gerie Barber discovered Christ was for (eternal) life and not just for Christmas when she entered a new life in the new millennium.

Landlady Gerie walked into a traditional carol service at a first-floor church above her pub – and “just knew something had happened” that would change her and husband Ray for ever.

The couple relocated to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands in March 2000 to open a show bar named Bonkers.

But within 12 months, Gerie said that friends and family thought she and her hubby had gone “bonkers” as they started talking about their newfound faith.

Gerie, 52, originally from Widnes, Cheshire, explained: “We did a lot of work to get our bar ready for Christmas, while the church upstairs was also On song... Ray and Gerie Barber being refurbished.Ray came down one day and said they were hoping Church members had befriended to have the church ready for a carol the couple ever since they arrived service that night but that it was in on the island and had been praying a real mess. I went up to help them for them. and much to my amazement it was Early in 2001, Gerie and Ray atready for the night. tended an Alpha course and became “We took up the invitation to Christians, and it was then Gerie attend the carol service and I was realised it was the Holy Spirit she’d immediately struck by the welcome felt at that Christmas carol servwhich was sheer love at the door. ice. She added: “I’d been taken to “You get that warm, fuzzy feel- church as a child, but I never had a ing about Christmas and carols personal relationship with Jesus. anyway, but there was something “People get romantic about else – something stirred in me.”

Christmas and Jesus in a manger,

offered help ‘before crisis’

church in Rotherham to partner with Christian Vision for Men, a national organisation that aims to “introduce every man in the UK to Jesus Christ”.

TEN cyberspace commandments are to be posted online to give bloggers a moral edge in a virtual age.

Based loosely on the real Ten Commandments from the Old Testament, they were drawn up after an event that looked at the ethics of today’s most popular form of public comment.

The commandments are intended to help bloggers consider the social impact of blogging, and include not stealing another person’s content.

Godblogs, a gathering held by the Evangelical Alliance, was designed to give Christian bloggers an opportunity to network face to face, and think through a Christian approach to blogging. The group reflected on how to honour God with their blogs and in their relationships online.

The “commandments” include, “You shall not misuse your screen name by using your anonymity to sin”, and “You shall not covet your neighbour’s blog ranking”.

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Issue 178 – New Life Newspaper – 5

WEST END DANCER GOES FROM PERFORMING TO PULPIT It’s pew-er genius for jobs boost!

leap of faith!

FORMER West End dancer Darren Middleton has gone from performing to preaching – after taking a leap of faith and switching career.

The Rev Middleton – who has appeared in big shows such as Cats and The Lion King – said he would inject some of his energy into services at Christchurch Methodist Church in Fairwater, Cardiff.

The 35-year-old said he hoped to use his talents to spread the Word in a different way.

Rev Middleton added: “We want to give the church a fresh expression. I want to bring people into an atmosphere where they can encounter God.”

New Bible gets the green light!

incredible He explained that despite being a Christian since he was young, it was not until eight years ago that he felt God’s presence during a trip along the M62 motorway.

“Things were not going too well for me and I was welling up and had to pull over. But I felt God in an incredible way – he asked me to follow him. It was my Road to Damascus moment.”

RB Share 2 Final alternate size:Layout 1

PEOPLE with learning disabilities will get a jobs boost thanks to a new project that will see historic church pews being recycled.

The groundbreaking Take-a-Pew scheme is a partnership between the Diocese of Hereford, Herefordshire County Council and not-for-profit company EnviroAbility.

Homeowners will be given the chance to order an old pew that will be cut to their requirements.

“The result will be a unique and functional piece of furniture that incorporates an element of local h istor y,” sa id Ma rt i n Neicho of EnviroAbility, who will administer the scheme.

Thousands of pews are becoming available because they are being replaced with stackable seating to create more flexible space for use by local communities.

In flight entertainer... the Rev Darren Middleton starred in West End hits such as Cats (left) before becoming a vicar. Pic courtesy Andrew Davies/Media Wales 10/11/08

09:59

Page 1

A BI BL E desig ned to encou rage Christians to see God’s vision for creation and their calling to care for the earth has been welcomed.

The Green Bible, produced by HarperCollins publishers, h ighlights in green, soy-based ink, more than 1,000 references, verses and passages related to the earth.

James Catford, The Bible Society’s chief executive, said, “It highlights unmistakeably that, when it comes to caring for the environment, God got there first.”

A BANK THAT SHARES ITS SUCCESS We are owned by The Salvation Army and over the last 12 years we have donated over £15 million to help them further their community work throughout the UK and overseas We are very competitive compared with High Streets Banks and care about you as an individual.

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6 – New Life Newspaper – Issue 178

NEW LIFE www.newlife.co.uk

WORKING TOGeTheR TO BRING you The GOOd NeWS THROUGHOUT 2008, a campaign by Christians will be spreading hope through community projects and social action schemes.

From cleaning up a longneglected park, to organising community events, to spreading the Gospel via a wide selection of media, Hope08 will involve Christians demonstrating the love of God in the UK. Churches will be joining together in a way that hasn’t been done before. Anglicans, Methodists, Pentecostals, Baptists and others will put aside their differences to work together for the greater good of the country.

And the ‘hope’ is that people who are not yet believers will gain a deeper understanding of the love that was preached by Jesus – and experience that love for themselves.

tune in In 2008, New Life will be working with Christian media organisation United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) to spread the Word. UCB broadcast to virtually all major UK cities on dAB digital radio and you can also listen via digital satellite and online. UCB radio is perfect for anyone who has an interest in news, features, music and interviews from a faith perspective.

explore ChristiAnity We’re also working with Alpha, the course that allows people to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten thought-provoking weekly sessions. The courses are free and are usually run in the evening, and include a meal or refreshments.

To find a course near you, see www.alpha.org

Find A ChurCh We’re also working with Find a Church, who run a brilliant website listing the details of more than 42,000 UK Christian churches. Simply tap in your postcode for help to find a great church in your area.

the BiBle MAtters

The Gideons are well known for their work distributing Bibles to schools, hospitals, hotels etc. If you want Jesus to make himself real in your life, and don’t have a Bible, The Gideons will be happy to provide you with a Testament completely free of charge.

The ABC of how you can become a Christian...

A Admit that you have done wrong that Jesus died so that you can be forgiven, and ask God to forgive you B Believe The Bible says, ‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).

‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16); ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us’ (1 John 1:9).

C Commit yourself to living God’s way

Jesus said, ‘Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12).

Log on to www.lookingforgod.com for more help.

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Issue 178 – New Life Newspaper – 7

STREET PASTORS WILL BE IN MANY TOWNS THIS CHRISTMAS. WE TALK TO THE MAN BEHIND THE SCHEME

unsung heroes of britain’s streets EXCLUSIVE

How Pastors lend a hand

by Sharon Gaisie

T

hE bright decorations, carol singing and long shopping hours are reminders that the Christmas season is upon us.

It’s one of the busiest times of the year for the police, fire crews and other public service staff who will be working while others are relaxing.

But there is a group of volunteers who will step up their efforts and sacrifice leftover turkey and TV repeats to make sure the public enjoys the festivities safely.

Street Pastors is a voluntary, Christian organisation made up of small teams around the country who patrol the streets to help anyone who’s out late at night and into the early hours.

And they plan to be a visible presence even more over the holiday season.

Founder Les Isaac explained in an exclusive interview with New Life the importance of patrols being seen over the Christmas and New Year holiday.

“It’s very important that our presence is seen at this time of year,” he said. “We’ll have more teams and people and increase the frequency. People usually volunteer one night a month but we’ll ask people to do two.”

As Christmas party revellers take over city and town centre streets, Les said he believed it was important for Street Pastors to be looking out for the most vulnerable.

He added: “People tend to let their guard down a great deal at this time of year and what was intended to be an enjoyable evening could end up with someone being injured, a young woman getting her drink spiked, or people having too much to drink and it could be a very painful morning after.

“So we try to give people that extra reassurance that there are people around who can call an ambulance, phone the police or stay with them until a friend or relative comes to help them.”

I

t’ll be six years in January since the organisation was set up as a response to growing anti-social behaviour and violent gang-related crime.

“We felt we needed to come up with an initiative that was going to engage these areas of society, and our values were to care, listen and help people. So when we started we thought, ‘Let’s go to some boroughs in London, and let’s go to Birmingham and Manchester.’

“But within a very short space of time, we were getting enquiries from all over the country, and we were amazed.”

Les and his team never anticipated it becoming what it is today. There are 80 teams around the country from Cornwall through to Wrexham in North Wales, right up to Aberdeen; and there are more than 50 teams in the pipeline.

What started out to be an urban project has now evolved to suit any area in the coun-

STrEET Pastors in Plymouth has been running since May this year with an army of 48 volunteers.

They patrol an area with the fourth highest crime rate in the city and where the fear of crime is higher than crime itself. They are made up of 27 churches with 41 volunteers in training.

The teams have diffused and prevented potentially dangerous situations, including many alcohol-related ones.

Co-ordinator Stuart Clarke recalled: “Along with my team I went into a park, and we met a lady in her 50s or 60s who was leaning heavily on a bench.

“We asked her if she was OK, and after a delay she told us she wasn’t. It was around 2.30 in the morning, and she was drunk to the point where she knew she was, but was paralysed.

She also had a broken arm. We gave her some water to help hydrate her and sat with her.

“Half an hour later, she was able to stand up and we walked her home. A younger lady opened the door and started shouting at us because she thought it was our fault her mum was in that state.

“We explained who we were and then she leapt up and hugged us all, thanking us for what we’d done.”

On patrol... Street Pastors like these in Swindon carry packs to help weary revellers. They even contain flip-flops as many partygoers, particularly women, take off their shoes to dance and then lose them. Inset, the Rev Les Isaac

try. Les admitted it had been an overwhelming journey.

“It’s been humbling seeing what’s happened. I knew we had a mammoth task on our hands. We soon realised that the suburbs and coastal areas have got their problems.

The rural areas and the villages do too, and we’re not talking cows and sheep!

“We looked at the whole initiative and thought it should be able to be contextualised to suit all parts of the country. The ethos of caring, listening and helping can be used anywhere.

“We didn’t expect it to grow this big, but it did and I’m excited.”

Street Pastors is a Christian organisation



“Without us soliciting it, a lot of people say: ‘Would you pray for us?’ So it’s not about us wanting to do these things but people asking us to.”

Knife crime has been high on the media agenda this year and Street Pastors has been heavily involved in being part of the solution to this tragic problem.

When the teams are not on duty, they advise worried mothers and grandparents who call in fearful of what their teenagers are getting up to.

In the London area alone, more than 20 teenagers have lost their lives after being stabbed this year, and according to the Metropolitan Police this is one of the highest

People tend to let their guard down at this time of year... what was to be an enjoyable night could end with someone being injured

that regularly meets more than the physical and emotional needs of individuals. They don’t preach but have found people often want to experience something of Christianity, especially during the festive season.

“People get a bit religious around Christmas and Easter and like to sing a carol or two. So we find we’re out there and they say, ‘Street pastor, come and let’s sing a hymn or Christmas carol.’



figures in recent years.

The increased media focus on this has raised the sense of urgency and Les knows he and his teams have to do more.

“I recognise that we have a unique challenge within this generation. The solution is not short term. It will take a while to get out of this one. There are children who have been broken spiritually, emotionally and mentally. They are morally bankrupt and

have a senseless mind, and don’t care if they die or not. They’re self-destructive as well.

In their path of self-destruction they spoil other people.”

The repercussions of violent crime are complex, and the pain felt by a victim’s friends and relatives is deep. Les is not immune to this. Someone close to him was recently stabbed to death.

L

es explained: “A good friend of mine was murdered by a 20-year-old man who he took on as an apprentice and gave a skill. He was such a lovely man who I’ve known since I was young.”

This is the very thing the organisation seeks to prevent. One street pastor, Sharon Constance, from the Hackney team in East London, didn’t realise the impact her words would have on a homeless man.

She recalled: “I spoke to a young man outside the town hall. He was very angry, lived on the streets, and had done for a long time. I challenged him that he had a brain and was denying the use of it.

“A year later I was walking out of a bank one lunchtime and someone grabbed my shoulder – you can just imagine my reaction, I was scared. It was this same guy and he told me he couldn’t sleep the night I spoke to him and he had been challenged. He said he was no longer on the streets and had gone back

to college. I was on cloud ten!

“As I carried on walking back to my office, the young man came up to me and said: ‘Mum, let me walk you back to work.’”

Sharon tried to decline politely but he was insistent.

“We started walking and talking and when we got back to my workplace he told me he overheard a conversation between five boys outside the bank. They were deciding which one was going to mug me because they saw the large sum of money I took out for my rent.”

Sharon’s experience is proof the teams are helping to prevent crimes. “On the nights we’re out we’re a calming influence.”

Les believes a real key to some of the problems lies in communities. They need to take up a sense of responsibility and in a way, everyone can be a street pastor.

“If someone has a problem in their community, they need to face it. People need to be neighbours. For example, if someone lives next door to a young, single mother, they can find ways to support her like babysitting. If we don’t do this, we’re asking for trouble.”

At the same time Les doesn’t think we should be too alarmed by what we hear in the news. “We need not despair because relatively speaking, there are more people who are morally conscious and won’t do foolish things.”

WHY GIVING REAL HOPE IS MY GIFT TO PROSTITUTES...

A BrAVE Suffolk woman hopes to give prostitutes in Ipswich something to believe in this Christmas.

Alison Fenning, 39, is also praying she will one day have the opportunity to hold a Christmas service and preach the Gospel in brothels.

She said: “Last year, we held a Christmas party for the girls in Ipswich and they all came.

“We gave them presents and they had a great time. This year I hope to go to one of their homes and give the Christmas story in a way where they can engage. I’ll certainly be doing something for them.”

Alison, who grew up in a Christian home but turned to sex, drugs and booze in her late teens, decided to dedicate her life to God after visiting Africa.

She said she realised she could fulfil her childhood dreams, and was determined not to let anything stop her.

In 2004, she started ministering on the streets of Ipswich, giving gifts such as chocolates and nail varnish, as well as prayer cards to the town’s prostitutes.

Shortly afterwards in 2006, five young street workers were brutally raped and murdered by Stephen Wright.

Alison Fenning (inset) wants to reach out to prostitutes in Ipswich

struggling It was then Alison understood why God had commissioned her to the streets.

She recalled: “I was always very drawn to people who are broken and struggling with life but who love God. That was my experience. I still read my Bible when I was a clubber and on drugs, and still knew that God was real.

“When the murders happened, it blew our minds.

“We had worked with these girls on the

Assurance in an uncertain world

streets and ministered to them, now we saw them on the news. It was tragic but our work intensified. We were already doing outreach one day a week but increased it to two and three times.”

Alison now has regular contact with about 15 prostitutes, visiting them regularly at their homes and telling them about Jesus.

She has seen some of them become Christians, and says most have a belief in God.

£7.99 +P&P

Whether in the shadow of dementia, or simply in the uncertainty of our current times, Christians look for a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

In unpacking the myths and fears of living with dementia, this book restates the rock solid truth of the Christian faith – truth that applies to all of our circumstances, all of the time.

Reviewers have said, ‘A rare gem of a book;’ ‘a powerful, poignant must-read’, ‘practical and yet spiritually challenging,’ ‘a labour of love’ and ‘engrossing’.

25 million people are affected, in one way or another, by dementia in the UK. Dementia shakes lives and faith unlike any other condition.

Give hope and certainty to someone for Christmas. Order from Pilgrim Homes’ website, www.pilgrimhomes.org.uk, or purchase at your local Christian book store, or from Amazon or Tesco.

LOG ON NOW: www.newlife.co.uk

6 – New Life Newspaper – Issue 178

NEW LIFE www.newlife.co.uk

WORKING TOGeTheR TO BRING you The GOOd NeWS THROUGHOUT 2008, a campaign by Christians will be spreading hope through community projects and social action schemes.

From cleaning up a longneglected park, to organising community events, to spreading the Gospel via a wide selection of media, Hope08 will involve Christians demonstrating the love of God in the UK. Churches will be joining together in a way that hasn’t been done before. Anglicans, Methodists, Pentecostals, Baptists and others will put aside their differences to work together for the greater good of the country.

And the ‘hope’ is that people who are not yet believers will gain a deeper understanding of the love that was preached by Jesus – and experience that love for themselves.

tune in In 2008, New Life will be working with Christian media organisation United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) to spread the Word. UCB broadcast to virtually all major UK cities on dAB digital radio and you can also listen via digital satellite and online. UCB radio is perfect for anyone who has an interest in news, features, music and interviews from a faith perspective.

explore ChristiAnity We’re also working with Alpha, the course that allows people to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten thought-provoking weekly sessions. The courses are free and are usually run in the evening, and include a meal or refreshments.

To find a course near you, see www.alpha.org

Find A ChurCh We’re also working with Find a Church, who run a brilliant website listing the details of more than 42,000 UK Christian churches. Simply tap in your postcode for help to find a great church in your area.

the BiBle MAtters

The Gideons are well known for their work distributing Bibles to schools, hospitals, hotels etc. If you want Jesus to make himself real in your life, and don’t have a Bible, The Gideons will be happy to provide you with a Testament completely free of charge.

The ABC of how you can become a Christian...

A Admit that you have done wrong that Jesus died so that you can be forgiven, and ask God to forgive you B Believe The Bible says, ‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).

‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16); ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us’ (1 John 1:9).

C Commit yourself to living God’s way

Jesus said, ‘Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12).

Log on to www.lookingforgod.com for more help.

FREE

FOR EVERY READER DAILY INSPIRATIONAL BOOK call 0845 6040401 or log on to www.ucb.co.uk

Issue 178 – New Life Newspaper – 7

STREET PASTORS WILL BE IN MANY TOWNS THIS CHRISTMAS. WE TALK TO THE MAN BEHIND THE SCHEME

unsung heroes of britain’s streets EXCLUSIVE

How Pastors lend a hand

by Sharon Gaisie

T

hE bright decorations, carol singing and long shopping hours are reminders that the Christmas season is upon us.

It’s one of the busiest times of the year for the police, fire crews and other public service staff who will be working while others are relaxing.

But there is a group of volunteers who will step up their efforts and sacrifice leftover turkey and TV repeats to make sure the public enjoys the festivities safely.

Street Pastors is a voluntary, Christian organisation made up of small teams around the country who patrol the streets to help anyone who’s out late at night and into the early hours.

And they plan to be a visible presence even more over the holiday season.

Founder Les Isaac explained in an exclusive interview with New Life the importance of patrols being seen over the Christmas and New Year holiday.

“It’s very important that our presence is seen at this time of year,” he said. “We’ll have more teams and people and increase the frequency. People usually volunteer one night a month but we’ll ask people to do two.”

As Christmas party revellers take over city and town centre streets, Les said he believed it was important for Street Pastors to be looking out for the most vulnerable.

He added: “People tend to let their guard down a great deal at this time of year and what was intended to be an enjoyable evening could end up with someone being injured, a young woman getting her drink spiked, or people having too much to drink and it could be a very painful morning after.

“So we try to give people that extra reassurance that there are people around who can call an ambulance, phone the police or stay with them until a friend or relative comes to help them.”

I

t’ll be six years in January since the organisation was set up as a response to growing anti-social behaviour and violent gang-related crime.

“We felt we needed to come up with an initiative that was going to engage these areas of society, and our values were to care, listen and help people. So when we started we thought, ‘Let’s go to some boroughs in London, and let’s go to Birmingham and Manchester.’

“But within a very short space of time, we were getting enquiries from all over the country, and we were amazed.”

Les and his team never anticipated it becoming what it is today. There are 80 teams around the country from Cornwall through to Wrexham in North Wales, right up to Aberdeen; and there are more than 50 teams in the pipeline.

What started out to be an urban project has now evolved to suit any area in the coun-

STrEET Pastors in Plymouth has been running since May this year with an army of 48 volunteers.

They patrol an area with the fourth highest crime rate in the city and where the fear of crime is higher than crime itself. They are made up of 27 churches with 41 volunteers in training.

The teams have diffused and prevented potentially dangerous situations, including many alcohol-related ones.

Co-ordinator Stuart Clarke recalled: “Along with my team I went into a park, and we met a lady in her 50s or 60s who was leaning heavily on a bench.

“We asked her if she was OK, and after a delay she told us she wasn’t. It was around 2.30 in the morning, and she was drunk to the point where she knew she was, but was paralysed.

She also had a broken arm. We gave her some water to help hydrate her and sat with her.

“Half an hour later, she was able to stand up and we walked her home. A younger lady opened the door and started shouting at us because she thought it was our fault her mum was in that state.

“We explained who we were and then she leapt up and hugged us all, thanking us for what we’d done.”

On patrol... Street Pastors like these in Swindon carry packs to help weary revellers. They even contain flip-flops as many partygoers, particularly women, take off their shoes to dance and then lose them. Inset, the Rev Les Isaac

try. Les admitted it had been an overwhelming journey.

“It’s been humbling seeing what’s happened. I knew we had a mammoth task on our hands. We soon realised that the suburbs and coastal areas have got their problems.

The rural areas and the villages do too, and we’re not talking cows and sheep!

“We looked at the whole initiative and thought it should be able to be contextualised to suit all parts of the country. The ethos of caring, listening and helping can be used anywhere.

“We didn’t expect it to grow this big, but it did and I’m excited.”

Street Pastors is a Christian organisation



“Without us soliciting it, a lot of people say: ‘Would you pray for us?’ So it’s not about us wanting to do these things but people asking us to.”

Knife crime has been high on the media agenda this year and Street Pastors has been heavily involved in being part of the solution to this tragic problem.

When the teams are not on duty, they advise worried mothers and grandparents who call in fearful of what their teenagers are getting up to.

In the London area alone, more than 20 teenagers have lost their lives after being stabbed this year, and according to the Metropolitan Police this is one of the highest

People tend to let their guard down at this time of year... what was to be an enjoyable night could end with someone being injured

that regularly meets more than the physical and emotional needs of individuals. They don’t preach but have found people often want to experience something of Christianity, especially during the festive season.

“People get a bit religious around Christmas and Easter and like to sing a carol or two. So we find we’re out there and they say, ‘Street pastor, come and let’s sing a hymn or Christmas carol.’



figures in recent years.

The increased media focus on this has raised the sense of urgency and Les knows he and his teams have to do more.

“I recognise that we have a unique challenge within this generation. The solution is not short term. It will take a while to get out of this one. There are children who have been broken spiritually, emotionally and mentally. They are morally bankrupt and

have a senseless mind, and don’t care if they die or not. They’re self-destructive as well.

In their path of self-destruction they spoil other people.”

The repercussions of violent crime are complex, and the pain felt by a victim’s friends and relatives is deep. Les is not immune to this. Someone close to him was recently stabbed to death.

L

es explained: “A good friend of mine was murdered by a 20-year-old man who he took on as an apprentice and gave a skill. He was such a lovely man who I’ve known since I was young.”

This is the very thing the organisation seeks to prevent. One street pastor, Sharon Constance, from the Hackney team in East London, didn’t realise the impact her words would have on a homeless man.

She recalled: “I spoke to a young man outside the town hall. He was very angry, lived on the streets, and had done for a long time. I challenged him that he had a brain and was denying the use of it.

“A year later I was walking out of a bank one lunchtime and someone grabbed my shoulder – you can just imagine my reaction, I was scared. It was this same guy and he told me he couldn’t sleep the night I spoke to him and he had been challenged. He said he was no longer on the streets and had gone back

to college. I was on cloud ten!

“As I carried on walking back to my office, the young man came up to me and said: ‘Mum, let me walk you back to work.’”

Sharon tried to decline politely but he was insistent.

“We started walking and talking and when we got back to my workplace he told me he overheard a conversation between five boys outside the bank. They were deciding which one was going to mug me because they saw the large sum of money I took out for my rent.”

Sharon’s experience is proof the teams are helping to prevent crimes. “On the nights we’re out we’re a calming influence.”

Les believes a real key to some of the problems lies in communities. They need to take up a sense of responsibility and in a way, everyone can be a street pastor.

“If someone has a problem in their community, they need to face it. People need to be neighbours. For example, if someone lives next door to a young, single mother, they can find ways to support her like babysitting. If we don’t do this, we’re asking for trouble.”

At the same time Les doesn’t think we should be too alarmed by what we hear in the news. “We need not despair because relatively speaking, there are more people who are morally conscious and won’t do foolish things.”

WHY GIVING REAL HOPE IS MY GIFT TO PROSTITUTES...

A BrAVE Suffolk woman hopes to give prostitutes in Ipswich something to believe in this Christmas.

Alison Fenning, 39, is also praying she will one day have the opportunity to hold a Christmas service and preach the Gospel in brothels.

She said: “Last year, we held a Christmas party for the girls in Ipswich and they all came.

“We gave them presents and they had a great time. This year I hope to go to one of their homes and give the Christmas story in a way where they can engage. I’ll certainly be doing something for them.”

Alison, who grew up in a Christian home but turned to sex, drugs and booze in her late teens, decided to dedicate her life to God after visiting Africa.

She said she realised she could fulfil her childhood dreams, and was determined not to let anything stop her.

In 2004, she started ministering on the streets of Ipswich, giving gifts such as chocolates and nail varnish, as well as prayer cards to the town’s prostitutes.

Shortly afterwards in 2006, five young street workers were brutally raped and murdered by Stephen Wright.

Alison Fenning (inset) wants to reach out to prostitutes in Ipswich

struggling It was then Alison understood why God had commissioned her to the streets.

She recalled: “I was always very drawn to people who are broken and struggling with life but who love God. That was my experience. I still read my Bible when I was a clubber and on drugs, and still knew that God was real.

“When the murders happened, it blew our minds.

“We had worked with these girls on the

Assurance in an uncertain world

streets and ministered to them, now we saw them on the news. It was tragic but our work intensified. We were already doing outreach one day a week but increased it to two and three times.”

Alison now has regular contact with about 15 prostitutes, visiting them regularly at their homes and telling them about Jesus.

She has seen some of them become Christians, and says most have a belief in God.

£7.99 +P&P

Whether in the shadow of dementia, or simply in the uncertainty of our current times, Christians look for a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

In unpacking the myths and fears of living with dementia, this book restates the rock solid truth of the Christian faith – truth that applies to all of our circumstances, all of the time.

Reviewers have said, ‘A rare gem of a book;’ ‘a powerful, poignant must-read’, ‘practical and yet spiritually challenging,’ ‘a labour of love’ and ‘engrossing’.

25 million people are affected, in one way or another, by dementia in the UK. Dementia shakes lives and faith unlike any other condition.

Give hope and certainty to someone for Christmas. Order from Pilgrim Homes’ website, www.pilgrimhomes.org.uk, or purchase at your local Christian book store, or from Amazon or Tesco.

8 – New Life Newspaper – Issue 178

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GET READY FOR DARWIN DAY! February 12th 2009 is the bicentenary of Charles Darwin’s birth.

For resources to help you use this opportunity to challenge evolution and encourage debate, contact: Creation Resources Trust, PO Box 3237, Yeovil, BA22 7WD. 01935 850569. www.crt.org.uk or www. darwinday.org.uk (Reg. charity 1016666).

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Read the actual experiences of someone who has had several out-of-body experiences and seen things that are kept secret from most.

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For information, phone: Daytime: 0161 339 4819 Evening: 0161 338 5392 Children and young people’s work – what is your church doing?  Building friendships  Opening new doors  Fun & achievement  Exciting programme  Learning new skills REACH, TEACH, AND KEEP BOYS & GIRLS FOR JESUS

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Place your advert here call 0115 921 7280

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Issue 178 – New Life Newspaper – 9

Creator of WOMAN HEALED OF CIRCULATION DISORDER movie’s no COMMENT WALL-E...

Movie magic... WALL-E and its creator Andrew Stanton

warming to winter now A WOMAN who suffered since a child with a condition that left her hands so numb they turned white in cold weather is looking forward to this winter.

DISNEY Pixar’s big Christmas DVD release WALL-E is likely to prove a favourite stocking filler for children this Yuletide.

A nd the gen ius beh i nd the studio’s latest animated classic, Andrew Stanton, has revealed that his Christian faith forms the central theme of the movie.

He said: “Jesus’ greatest commandment is to love one another, and to me, that’s the ultimate purpose of living.”

WALL-E was released for the festive season on DVD last month, and the female robot in this wonderful film is named Eve. Said Anthony: “The last thing I want to do is go to a movie and feel like I’m being preached to or being told how to be. I think it’s more honest to be truthful with the values of your characters, working off of your own values.

“That was the case with WA L L-E . S o t h at w a s t he perfect goal: for the loneliest robot on earth to learn the greatest commandment, to learn to love.”

Man’s ‘blind’ run for cash A MAN ran a treadmill marathon to raise cash for children in Zambia – blindfolded!

Martyn Godden, a member of High Town Methodist Church in Luton, decided to run five miles of the marathon without sight so he could pray and meditate.

Despite fa l l i ng off t he t r ead m i l l mome nts a f te r put t i ng on t he bl i nd fold, the 66-year-old reached his target.

He added he had prayed “for the people who have not seen or heard the Gospel”.

Feeling better... Gloria Dandridge is prayed over by the Rev Melvin Banks. Pic: Mark Bassett

Hundreds flock for healing HUNDREDS of people flocked to see a minister who prays for the sick – which he says often leads to healing.

People suffering from a range of problems, including depression, arthritis and anxiety turned up to see the Rev Melvin Banks at Word Fountain Christian Ministries in Cowley, Oxfordshire, last

month. The meeting attracted 300 people.

G lor i a D a n d r id ge , 70, from Cowley, has cancer and claimed to have experienced some relief after being prayed over.

She said: “I’ve had so much treatment I’ve lost feeling in my fingertips. But this made me feel so much better.”

Crossword clues ACROSS 1. Man’s felt hat (7) 5. It was (4) 8. Radical (7) 9. Wool fat (7) 10. Spendthrift (7) 12. Loud, rushing noise (6) 15. Encroach (5) 18. Instructed (6) 20. Yorkshire town (7) 23. Rotate (7) 25. Thin coating of metal (7) 26. Pace (4) 27. Nightgown (7) ©krazydad.com 2005

Solutions on the right

NO matter where you are, there will be someone who says that Christmas is too commercialised.

It’s a bit of a boring cliché – but it is absolutely right.

As the credit crunch continues to bite, this Christmas could be the first for decades that isn’t overloaded with gifts that only serve to “keep up with the Joneses” or houses ridiculously adorned with tasteless lights that take more energy to run than a small city.

This attitude could be classed as being a “Scrooge”, but there is nothing mean about the real message of Christmas.

You may know the main points of the Christmas story, but this is what it is really about: God sent his Son into this world to let us know that he loves us by allowing his Son to take the punishment our sins deserve. That isn’t mean.

And he wanted us to see that Jesus understood our hardship with his birth in a mangy stable.

All we ask is that you put aside preconceptions and allow Jesus into your life this Christmas.

Show you care

CHRISTMAS is a time when many people feel lonely. They may be used to their own company the rest of the year, but as everyone else appears to be around family, it does hit home if you’re alone.

So, if you do know someone in that position, just remember to do what Jesus said... love your neighbour. It doesn’t have to be the person right next door, but someone you know. Invite them for tea and show them you care.

Just think what it would be like if you were in their shoes.

BIBLE QUOTE OF THE MONTH “And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” 1 John 5:11 Editor: Peter Wreford Accounts: Helen Wreford Circulation: Simon Schembri Advertising: Barry Wilson

Editorial office: New Life Publishing Co, PO Box 777, Nottingham NG11 6ZZ, UK Email: editor@newlife.co.uk Telephone: 0115 921 7285 Website: www.newlife.co.uk

PUZZLE CORNER Sudoku

Frances Tilley has been a Raynaud’s Syndrome sufferer since she was eight. The circulatory disorder, which normally affects older people, caused her great discomfort over the years.

But after being healed at a prayer meeting, Mrs Tilley said she no longer feared the onset of winter months because her finge rs no longe r turn white.

She explained: “My hands would turn purple and fingers and toes would turn white when Ready for winter... cold . The on ly Frances Tilley a n s we r w a s to dip my hands in warm water. I used to commiserate with a school friend with the same problem, as we put our hands in warm water after the outdoor games lesson!”

Two years ago, Mrs Tilley, from Bournemouth, attended a meeting in Nottingham where Pastor Steven George, a minister from India, was giving a talk.

She said: “I warmed to him, and after the sermon people were coming out to the front to be healed. He was telling people things about themselves that turned out to be true.”

Although he’d never met Mrs Tilley before and didn’t know about her condition, Pastor George told her: “Your hands will never go numb again!”

It was only during a cold day last spring while she was bird watching that Mrs Tilley realised her hands were no longer numb.

She added: “The freezing wind was whipping across the fields. When we reached the car, I looked at my hands.

Instead of being white and purple, they were red to the fingertips! I could feel my fingers! I no longer dread winter.”

Real message

DOWN 1. Empty (6) 2. Morning (4) 3. Unfasten (7) 4. Valleys (5) 5. A tenth part (5) 6. Removing faults (8) 7. Erodes (5) 11. Agreement (4) 13. Cloudy (8) 14. Sharpen (4) 16. Dividing into two equal parts (7) 17. Silhouette (5) 19. From that place (6) 21. Scrimp (5) 22. Inert elemental gas (5) 24. Ultimate (4)

We welcome your letters and comments regarding any of the issues raised within these pages. Write to the Editor at the above address.

Back copies: previous issues are available while stocks last, at cover price plus £1.00 handling charge, inc. p&p, per order.

New Life newspaper is printed on 100% recycled paper PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

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10 – New Life Newspaper – Issue 178

WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? WANT TO EXPLORE CHRISTIANITY, BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE TO TURN? KEEP THIS PAGE TO HELP YOU FIND A NEW DIRECTION IN LIFE...

Log on to

ALTRINCHAM The Upper Room Christian Fellowship, The Downs.

Sunday services 10.45am and 6.30pm.

Enquiries: 0161 282 6676.

(CA09) ARMTHORPE Armthorpe New Life Church (Nr Doncaster), Community Centre, Church Lane. Family Service 11am, Children’s Sunday Club 11.30am, Outreach meeting 6-7pm.

Warm welcome to all. Enquiries Tel: 01226 752 296.

(AT90) ASHFORD Ashford Christian Fellowship Worship Centre, 23 Tufton Street.

Sundays: 9.30-11am (inc. children’s facilities) & 11.30-1pm (no children’s facilities). Last Sunday each month: Healing & Miracles service: 6.30pm.

Enquiries: 01233 334007.

(CF57)

Bedford

New Life Community Church Main Hall

(ER53)

Great Barford Word of Life Church

meet Sunday 10.30 at the Village Hall, Fishers Close.

Enquiries: Pastor John Best

01234 871475

Rainham School Girl’s (between Highfield Road & Derwent Way), Rainham

Gillingham

Meet every Sunday 10.30am A warm welcome awaits you

For information on other meetings phone Allan Smith 01634 264410

BIRMINGHAM Bromford Bridge Church Centre (AoG), Bromford Drive.

Sundays 10.45am and 6pm. Minister Ivor Davies. Tel: 0121 748 7081 Mobile 07745 100 942.

(AG30) CANTERBURY Trinity Community Church. Meetings Sundays 10.45am at St Stephen’s Junior School, Hales Place, Canterbury. Tel: 01227 459 785.

(CA06) CHAT T E R I S F e n L i f e Christian Church. Sunday 10.30am and 6.30pm.

King Edward Centre, Railway Lane, CHATTERIS. 01480 385001. www.fenlife.org.uk (EQ51)

New Life Community Church Fuller Drive

CREWE

Where God Changes Lives!

Sundays 10.30 - 12

01270 664 225 www.newlifecentre.co.uk (EI26)R

CROYDON God turns up Sunday 11am.

His presence has been awesome.

Come and be changed, uplifted, challenged and inspired. We are a multi-racial, family loving Church.

See you Sunday.

Croydon Community Church, Endeavour Hall, 273 Norbury Crescent, Norbury SW16.

(CH20)

Dartford - Emmanuel Church East Hill Join us at 10:30am on Sundays. For further details: 01322 272649 or www.epcdartford.com (CL38) DUNDEE Bethany Church, 4 Taylor’s Lane, Dundee. Sundays 3pm. Home groups Tuesdays 7.30pm. Thursdays Prayer and Bible Study 7.30pm. For info call 01382 611 848.

(EQ93)

(CF42)

Holmwood Abundant Life Christian Centre, Tibshelf Road. Sunday Services 10.30am and 6.30pm. For midweek programme call Pastor Paul Haywood on 01246 856 587 (CA71) HUDDERSFIELD Huddersfield Elim Church (across from the Bus Sation) welcomes you. Sundays 10.30am at Greenhead College and 6.30pm at church in Merton Street, Springwood – Tel: 01484 428 046. Holme Valley Elim Church, Village Hall, Moor Lane, Honley, Huddersfield Sundays 11.00am and 6.00pm. Tel: 01484 323 978.

(EB18) ISLE OF WIGHT Abundant Life Christian Centre, TibsNew Hope Christian Fellowhip Services for Christmas time Sunday 21st December - Carol Service.10.30am, Nine Acres School, South View, Newport.

Sunday 21st December - Car ols @ Cafe Church.4pm at Hope House, Fort Street, Sandown.

Christmas Day 25th - Family Service 10am at Hope House, Fort Street, Sandown.

Sunday 28th December - Communion 10.30am Nine Acres School, South View, Newport.

For details contact 01983 4 0 8 3 8 8 / 4 0 8 2 6 6

LEICESTER Apostolic Church New Life Centre, Sanvey Lane, Aylestone, Leicester LE2 8NF. Main services: Sunday 10.30am worship, Bible ministry and Communion. Tuesday 8pm Bible study and prayer. Pastor Richard Forman telephone 0116 275 2582 everyone welcome.

(CW05)

GATEWAY CHURCH LEYTON

Welcomes you Sundays 10.30am at Barclay School Canterbury Rd, London E10 www.gatewaychurch.org.uk Sharing Hope & Life

(FN61)

City Church

(AS88)

LONG EATON Oasis Christian Centre, Derby Road. 10am & 6pm.

Come and enjoy the dynamic worship and a warm welcome. God centred, Purpose driven, People empowering.

Enquiries: Church Office 0115 9460463

Liverpool invites you to our services: 10.30am & 6.00pm Sunday (plus many other activities)

“A great place to be”

City Church, Jubilee Drive, Liverpool L7 3BA

Tel: 0151 2649995 www.liverpoolcitychurch.org

(CA66)

whitehaven

For church with vision, purpose and values... and a great welcome! Come and connect with God’s purpose for your life!

(EL62)

The

Mustard Seed Church

nlc

new life church

24-26 Irish Street, Whitehaven, Cumbria

A satellite of Kensington Temple Pentecostal Church at Twickenham Road, Isleworth

Sharing a message of forgiveness, power and hope!

Meet Sundays 11am at Isleworth Town Primary School,

Sundays @ 10.30am & 6.00pm

TW7 6AB (opp West Middlesex Hospital)

For more information contact: Tel: (01946) 66556 Email: info@nlc-online.org.uk

www.always.org.uk/mustard

Tel: 020 8570 4265

(es70)

maidstone Welcome to Mangravet Church which meets at Grove Road (near Police HQ), Sundays 10.30am.

Enquiries: 01622 664 940.

(DP53) MAIDSTONE Grove Green Chr istian Fellowshi p w w w. grovegreenchristianfellowship.org meetings Invicta Grammar School, Huntsman Lane, Sundays at 10am.

All are welcome.

(AY48) MORECAMBE New Life Sunday s er v i c e s at 10. 3 0 a m. To k n ow Jesus and make him known in our community. Pastor Roy Chamberlain Tel 01524 409070 (CK45) READING Assemblies of God Christian Centre (Mount Zion). Sundays 11am and 6.30pm. Tuesdays and Thursdays 7.30pm. Enquiries Tel: 01252 872 754.

(AC01) RETFORD Retford New Life Church Centre, 26-32 Bridgegate, Retford, Notts. Morning Meetings 9.30am & 11.30am. Children’s Church 9.30am & 11.30am. Sunday Evenings 6.30pm.

Everyone welcome. Contact 01777 711377.

(CA36) Ripon Worship and Rejoice with us at the New Life Assembly of God, Water Skellgate. 10.30am Sundays. Info or Prayer. Phone 01765 604379. (EY00) RUSHDEN Full Gospel Church. High Street South, Rushden. A family Church that loves God, each other and those in the community. Sundays 10.45am & 6pm. Enquiries telephone: 01933 418 002.

(DC19)

leicester Narborough Road Christian Fellowship. Meet at Manor House, Neighbourhood Centre, Haddenham Road. Services: Sunday 10.30am. Tel: 0116 2891 395 or 0116 2897 804. All welcome.

(AB25)

(EY24)

0208 689 5187

Edenthorpe, near Doncaster Edenthorpe Pentecostal church, Edenthorpe Community Centre, Cedric Road. Sundays 10.30am & 6.00pm. Children’s Good News club Wednesday 4.30pm to 5.45pm.

4U Children school year 6-9 Fridays 7.15pm. Warm welcome to all.

Enquiries 01302 882738.

(ER50) ELY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP A loving, growing, ­p raying family church. Sunday celebration 10.30am.

Enquiries phone: 01353 662 228. Email: info@elychristianfellowship.org.uk. Web www.elychristianfellowship.org.uk. Also Christian Bookshop 01353 667 004.

(DU35)

Saffron walden, New Life Church. Shire Hill. Sundays 10.30am & 6.30pm. For details call Pastor R Ellalasingham on 01799 506045 email: mail@nlpc.co.uk (FR19) SALISBURY Assemblies of God Church.

Meetings are held at St Osmunds School, Camelite Way on Sundays at 10.45am. Enquiries 01722 416 679 www.theendlesslife.info (CR03) SHANKLIN Isle of Wight, Living Waters Fellowship, 29, Victoria Avenue.

Sundays 2.30pm (Service). Wednesday Home Group 10.30am (Bible Study).

Thursdays 10.30am (Prayer) 7.30pm Monthly also Saturdays 7.30pm Monthly (Intercessory Praise & Worship).

Enquiries & Newsletter (01983) 863683, livingwaters.iw@btinternet.com or livingwaters.iw@gmail.com. (CA52) SHEFFIELD Central Elim, Lee Croft, Campo Lane. Sunday services 11.00am. ­Visitors welcome. Enquiries Tel: 0114 272 2911.

(EA95) Stoke on trent Apostolic Praise Centre,Carron St. Fenton. Invite you to join them on Sundays. 10.30am.

Thursday 7.30pm. For further details contact Graeme 079 79 370 566

(FR14)

(CK49)

CAROL SERVICE

There is always a church near you.

WHITTINGTON NEW LIFE CHURCH

OASIS CENTRE, HIGH STREET 4.00pm Sunday 21st December

welcomes you 11am Sundays Broadstone Hall Road South Community Centre Heaton Chapel, Stockport www.ccc-stockport.org.uk (DH80)

ALL WELCOME God’s love can change lives!

Interested?

Contact Jeff on 01246 205860 WAKEFIELD The King’s Church.

Real People, Real Life, Real Answers.

For more information contact Jonathan on: 07914137512 or www.christ4u. co.uk (FF63)

Advertise in

New Life

from as little as £8. tel: 0115 921 7280

i

helpful INFORMATION www.newlife.co.uk

CHURCHES

Courses

TELEPHONE Assemblies of God: 0115 921 7272 Baptist Church: 01235 517700 Church of England (Anglican): 0207 898 1000 Elim: 01242 519904 Methodist Church: 0207 486 5502 United Reformed (URC): 020 7916 2020

www.alpha.org (0845 644 7544) www.authenticwalk.com www.biblehelp.co.uk www.growinginchrist.com

WEBSITES www.findachurch.co.uk www.achurchnearyou.com www.aog.org.uk www.baptist.org.uk www.cofe.anglican.org www.elim.org.uk www.urc.org.uk

information www.lookingforgod.com www.newchristian.org.uk www.ucb.co.uk www.faithstart.com Help on becoming a Christian: Write to Christian Enquiry Agency (NL), FREEPOST WC2947, South Croydon, CR2 8UZ. Email: www.rejesus.co.uk In need of prayer: Call UCB Prayerline on 0845 456 7729

whatever you are looking for, log on to

www.newlife.co.uk

LOG ON NOW: www.newlife.co.uk

Issue 178 – New Life Newspaper – 11

Bishop’s book is Super! My life has a new base Teen star says faith ‘Spurred’ him on...

THE bishop of Sherwood, Tony Porter, has released a football-themed version of the Jesus story.

Super Jack has already been read

by Nottingham Forest manager Colin Calderwood and backed by the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu. bishop Tony, former chaplain of Man City, said: “Until I discovered Christianity as a 20-year-old, it never crossed my m i nd that rel ig ion a nd sport cou ld work

alongside each other, but they can.

I first got involved in football when I moved to work in Manchester; and a youth coach at United called Joe brown asked me to speak to some of his players.

“There were a lot of barriers that needed to be broken down at the time, but it just developed from Joe’s initial approach.”

Super Jack is available from the Minster Shop in Southwell, priced £2.50.

A bASEbALL player revealed how he turned his back on alcohol and partying to live a life dedicated to Christ.

Miguel Tejada, who plays for the Houston Astros, has become popular among supporters for his impressive average. but beside his sports career, 34-year-old Miguel has other priorities, notably his faith in God. but his beliefs weren’t always so strong. He said: “I was like many

Americans in that I believed in God, I believed in Jesus, but I didn’t have a personal relationship with him. I lived my life to please myself. I just did things that I thought were best for me, but it just left an empty feeling.”

However, things changed after his mum gave him a bible.

Miguel recalled: “I just made a decision. I said, ‘It’s time to grow up. It’s time to start living for the Lord, to do things the right way.’”

PRISON SENTENCE CHANGED LIFE OF TOP COACH

Hatton trainer: How I was floored in jail WE’VE heard it so many times before – but God certainly does move in mysterious ways sometimes!

And you certainly won’t hear world-renowned boxing trainer Floyd Mayweather Snr – Ricky Hatton’s new coach – arguing with you, either.

Mayweather Snr spent almost four years in prison after being convicted of smuggling cocaine into the United

by Hugh southon States during the 1980s.

He then went on to guide his mercurial son Floyd Mayweather, who retired recently, to the WbC super-featherweight title, before an acrimonious split resulted in them not speaking for several years. but the 55-year-old says his days behind bars were the best thing ever to happen to him – Jesus entered the fight and duly delivered a crushing blow to his demons.

You get a real sense of just how big a victory he secured in God’s n a me whe n H at ton’s new m a n suffered a gun-shot wound to his left leg back in 1979 when his own brother-in-law, Tony Sinclair, shot h i m – even though May weather Snr used his then one-year-old as a HUMAN SHIELD! Boxing clever...

Mayweather Snr was a promisFloyd Mayweather ing boxer himself, but he’s now just Snr, above, who is enjoying working with an entirely now Ricky Hatton’s different hitman after taking over trainer from Hatton’s previous trainer billy “The Preacher” Graham.

Mayweather Snr has no doubt the lucky ones he blessed because the Lord saved him from a life of I behaved and even got out a year further crime and no doubt, a bloody early. He has been touching me and brutal end. continues to do so.

He revealed: “I went to prison for “If I hadn’t gone to prison, I don’t drug crimes, and whenever that key think life would be as good as it is locked the cell door I vowed that I today. Sometimes you need a shock, would do the right things when I and prison changed my life. was released.

“I’m a much more considerate and “I prayed every night when I was honourable person. Everything hapincarcerated, asking for the Lord pens for a reason, and prison turned to make my life better. I was one of my life around for good.”

What a result for church!

FOR M E R schoolboy footba l ler Darren Fraser has swapped goals for souls by becoming a church minister.

Darren, 37, played for Wolves and West brom boys in his younger days. but he recently became one of 22 new deacons to be ordained by the Lichfield Diocese of the Church of England. Fraser, now

minister of St Stephen’s bentilee in bucknall, Lincs, said his background in sports gave him a good conversation opener to engage with young people.

“Once they recognise you’re a normal person and enjoy sport, it’s then that I am able to come alongside them, and develop a relationship,” he said.

Wear your heart on your chest...

Nigel Benn shows off the t-shirt

 Continued from Page 12 give the midfielder every chance to shine next season.

He admitted: “I don’t know if Palace fans w ill ever be able to understand why a genuine Palace supporter left the club, but I was frustrated with the way I was playing under the style of football at the club.

“When I made my debut against Watford, I was ready to com m it my future to Palace, and could see myself playing a hundred games in no time.

“I need to be at a club where I can continue my development. Tottenham have always shown a lot of interest and I believe I will be pushed to improve my game.” bostock’s commited Christian values and strong sense of perspective are certainly a credit to his schoolteacher mum Christine and London cabbie dad, Mick.

It is hoped the young star will continue to practise what he preaches as the inevitable plaudits and cash continue to roll in during the remainder of what is widely expected to be a top-notch career.

“I know people think I left Palace for the money, but there is another side to this. I don’t think about the money and it never played a part in my decision.”

How refreshing it is to find a young football star who is currently more concerned with what God has planned for him than what colour his first bentley should come in!

NEW LIFE Footballers Darren Moore and bruce Dyer shared their Christian testimonies at an event in barnsley recently.

Darren, currently playing for barnsley, and bruce, who was a former favourite at oakwell, also took questions from fans who were amazed at their stories.

Club chaplain Peter amos told New life: “the event was put on by the churches of barnsley, and we had a great night.”

SPORTSFLASH

BENN’S CALL TO MEN TO Dallaglio’s BACK T-SHIRT CAMPAIGN inspiration bOXING legend Nigel benn is telling the men of britain to stand up for their faith.

The “Dark Destroyer” urged Christians to lead people to the “light” of Jesus Christ.

The twice world champion said: “God wants every son of his to be conformed to Christ’s image.

“In Christ, men are called to be men of honour, men of integrity, who stand up for Christ, and his way of doing things, no matter where they are, on the football pitch, in the park, wherever.

God expects every true son – and daughter – to shine the light of Christ to those around him.” benn was speaking during the

launch of the Vessel of Honour tshirt, a product launched by british businessman Paul Vivian.

Paul hopes the t-shirts will be popular among britian’s young people, and hopes their hardhitting message and phrases w i ll show others the Gospel message.  Paul has supplied New Life with Vessel of Honour t-shirts to win. Just write Nigel benn’s n ic k n a me on a postca rd or sealed envelope and send it to benn Competition, New Life, New Life Publishing, PO box 777, Nottingham, NG11 6ZZ by January 11, 2009 and state your size M or L. For details about the t-shirt see www.truthfabric.com.

YOU GET THE BIGGEST NAMES IN SPORT IN

ALL-black legend Inga Tuigamala was a great Christian influence to retired England rugby star Lawrence Dallaglio during their time at Wasps, it has been revealed.

Speaking of the Kiwi in his autobiography, Dallaglio said: “Wonderful talent and a great work ethic weren’t the only things Tuigamala brought to the club. He also came with a deep Christianity and a very correct lifestyle. He didn’t drink and smoke and, at least in the terms of the alcohol, that made him quite different from most rugby players of the time.

“He would take his bible almost everywhere and was very protective of his beliefs. In a lads’ culture, he was a man apart.”

Issue 178 – New Life Newspaper – 12

I thank God for my F1 champions title

Lew better believe it.... champion Lewis Hamilton

MY FAITH SPURS ME ON

FORMULA ONE champ Lewis Hamilton knew exactly who to thank when he sensationally lifted the drivers crown in Brazil last month – God! For the youngster with stardust on his shoulders is a firm believer in Jesus Christ and carries his Bible everywhere.

And after climbing out of the seat of his car he said: “I thank God for this victory and I really mean that.”

Hamilton hasn’t always attracted the most positive publicity in the world, but he has always claimed to have “God

John Bostock during an England U17s game

Bostock – labelled the next Wayne Rooney – is quickly rising through the ranks at Spurs and last month hit a 20-yard stunner to help secure a win for the reserves against Middlesbrough.

But the 16-year-old is taking the weight of expectancy on his young shoulders in his stride – because he is “grounded in his faith”.

Bostock made his first-team debut for Crystal Palace just 18 months ago, and it wasn’t long before the big guns were sitting up and taking notice.

STATUS The South London teenager completed a multimillion pound switch to North London giants Tottenham in the summer – sparking controversy among Eagles’ fans. But Bostock won’t allow his new elevated status go to his head.

Here is a starlet who is more than happy to proclaim that God will always be his greatest-ever

by Hugh Southon team-mate. “It has been stressful because I have been taking my GCSEs. I’m a Christian and if I wasn’t grounded in my faith it would have been a lot harder,” he admitted.

“I could have got big-headed, but the past year has made me stronger. In the Bible it says that you should put a light on the table so it can shine, not hidden under a bushel where it cannot be seen.

“That played a part in my decision to leave Crystal Palace. I can showcase my talent at Spurs. All the pressure I get, I give it to God.” It must have been a difficult decision to quit his boyhood club, where he used to sit with his dad in the Arthur Wait Stand as a toddler.

Bostock has come in for fierce abuse from some of the more partisan Palace followers.

But just as Rooney made the decision to quit Everton for the chance to exhibit his talents with Manchester United, Bostock is now clearly shooting for the stars also.

White Hart Lane fans are already licking their lips in anticipation that new boss Harry Redknapp will  Continued on Page 11

He’s a Savage defender of church service FIREBRAND Derby County midfielder Robbie Savage just may be one of the most misunderstood footballers around.

And if you were to take a vote on which major names from the world of football would be in church on Christmas Eve the former Leicester City, Birmingham and Blackburn Rovers star’s name probably wouldn’t be the first to spring to mind.

But the former Wales international – along with his wife Sarah – will, as he has done for many years, make his way to a nearby church for the traditional Christmas Eve service.

He told New Life: “I’ve been going for a long time now. Christmas always starts in church for me. I’m there every year. I’ve been very blessed in my life with a lovely wife and two lovely boys. Wherever I am on Boxing Day I always try to get to church.”

IN..WIN W FANTASTIC

...But the next ‘Rooney’ says he’ll stay grounded HE may have only just taken his GCSEs in the summer, but Tottenham academy midfielder and England U17 star John Bostock insists God is driving his bid for glory.

on his side”. He believes that his faith has helped him deal with everything that has been thrown at him, and added: “I take my Bible everywhere with me.

“My faith is important to me and I really believe that my talent is God-given. I know I’m truly blessed.

“Since I moved to Switzerland I find that I am enjoying my spiritual life even more.”

Hamilton is favourite to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, being aired on BBC1 on December 14.

NIGEL BENN CAMPAIGN T-SHIRTS PAGE 11

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