New Life May 2011 issue 207

NEW LIFE

MAY 2011 Issue 207 • 40p

I desperately prayed in a toilet cubicle SEE PAGE 2

GOOD NEWS STORIES

SEE PAGE 3

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BUFFY STAR TELLS HOW SHE SLAYED HER DEMONS...

A GOOLL THIS FORD NE W JUS S T

40p

MUM WON FIGHT WITH CANCER £15k boost

for projects to aid poor

SPECIAL DELIVERY... Shane and Susan Comiskey with their new baby Anna

OH BABY! OUR PRAYER IS ANSWERED 22-year wait finally over...

A CHRISTIAN couple who prayed for a baby for 22 years have seen their faith rewarded with a miracle child.

Pastors Shane and Susan Comiskey were overjoyed with the arrival of daughter, Anna Margaret, at Liverpool Women’s Hospital last October.

Delighted mum Susan, 42, said: “We never gave up ● Continued on Page 3

SOME of Kenya’s poorest people are set to benefit when a church builds its new hall.

Members of All Saints’ Church in the Wellington area of Telford, Shropshire, have promised to give projects in the East African country ten per cent of the funds donated to build the hall.

The church held a 48-hour prayer cha i n last month fol lowed by a pledge to raise £175,000 needed for the project.

But by the end of the day, £178,721 had been pledged – so the church decided to donate £15,496 to projects in Kenya.

The tithe will help fund a replacement water pump for a dispensary and primary school in Churo; a new rural maternity unit in Kajiado will be fitted out and there is extra cash for two further projects. The church received 141 pledges from couples, families and individuals.

The Vicar of Wellington, the Rev Mark Ireland, said: “I am profoundly moved by the incredible response over the whole weekend. God loves to answer believing prayer.

“The whole congregation got behind the project, with a tremendous sense of God’s presence in the 48 hours of continuous prayer in the hall. The remarkable way we reached the target set in prayer over a single weekend is a clear sign of God’s favour and blessing on the project.

“Our vision is to make our extended hall truly a place where church and community meet, and where God meets with his people.

“I am particularly excited that the first beneficiaries of this project will be a rural dispensary and school in Churo, one of the poorest communities in rural Kenya, who will now have running water again through the tithe we have given on all the gifts received.”

I met my unborn sister in heaven!

A BOY told his stunned parents h e ’d s e e n t h e unborn sister he’d never been told about in heaven during his fight for life on an operating table. ● Full story – Centre Pages

2

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• Issue 207

Brits say they NeWspaperMaN Got oN KNees iN toilet CUBiCle are Christians MOST Brits still identify themselves as Christians, a survey has found.

In a poll of more tha n 2,000 adults, 56 per cent of people said they were Christian. Thirty-five per cent of the population said they had no faith, while eight per cent said they were of another faith.

T h e p ol l w a s c on d uc te d b y ComRes, on behalf of Premier Media Group, to coincide with the latest government census.

Peter Kerridge, chief executive of Premier Christian Media, said: “Over half of the UK consider themselves to be a Christian – whether practising as such, or by having a close affiliation with Christian values and beliefs.”

Finance expert in call to banks

BA N K S a nd con s u me rs shou ld follow biblical principles to avert bigger financial crises than the credit crunch, a Christian financial organisation has said.

Aidan Vaughan, of the Association of Christian Financial Advisers (ACFA), attacked the more aggressive activities of investment bankers, known as derivatives, and said more regulation should be enforced to avoid future crises.

And he called on the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, to stand up to the banks, saying that the biblical principle of spending less than you earn was being ignored.

Still making waves A MERCY ship that offers free health care in some of the world’s poorest countries marks a special birthday this year.

The first Operation Mobilisation ship, Logos, set sail for London from Rotterdam in 1971.

Give your neighbours a

prayer stopped life GoiNG doWN tHe paN CHAIN REACTION... Mike Mellor, who had drink problems until he prayed in a toilet cubicle and now leads a church, with his wife Gwen

KNEELING down in a toilet to pray seemed appropriate for Mike Mellor.

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Plenty of people had told the hard-drinking newspaperman he lived his life in the gutter.

The self-confessed alcoholic had been tw ice ban ned for drink driving and his addiction to alcohol had cost him his relationship with his wife, family and friends.

But Mike was about to have the biggest scoop of his newspaper career – an exclusive encounter with Jesus.

He explains: “I had been arguing for weeks with a guy in the office who was a Christian.

He often spoke to colleagues about his faith and Jesus. I told him he could never know there is no God, and he could never know there is a God. “So I said there was no point in even thinking about these things. It was best just to forget the whole subject and get on with your life.”

One afternoon, on a rare sober day, Mike found himself alone with his Christian colleague. Suddenly, the young man challenged him in a way no one had ever done before.

“He said, ‘Why don’t you ask God to forgive your sin,

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and ask Christ to enter your life and take control?’ explains Mike.

“To be honest, I didn’t have a clue what he meant, but there was something stirring deep within.

“I left the room and entered a cubicle in the lavatory, got on my k nees a nd prayed – something very eloquent like ‘Help, God!’ … I think! It was enough, however, to transform my life.

“I left the toilet. It was time to go home. I got into the car, but as I drove, I broke down in tears of joy. I knew that God was real.

“I knew that Christ died for my sins and had forgiven me.

I knew that if I crashed the car and died now, I would go to heaven.”

When he arrived home, Mike threw the front door open and shouted to his wife, Gwen, that he had become a Christian.

“She put her head in her ha nds a nd sighed, ‘Oh no!

Whatever is he up to now’,” laughs Mike.

“Many believed I had become a religious maniac. But Gwen saw a difference and it pleased her. For a start, she was delighted that I could stand up unaided and talk sense. I came home from work on time and played with the kids. She

knew I’d changed.” This new Mike was a complete contrast from his previous life. After leaving school at 17, he got his first newspaper job while also playing with bands around Bournemouth.

He enjoyed a drink after work or a gig, but somehow he went from a happy teenager to a heavy drinker and then an alcoholic.

Mike turned to alcohol as his marriage to Gwen broke down. He and Gwen who was also a singer, would row as he spent more and more time on the road. Three months after his conversion, Gwen also gave her life to Christ.

M i ke, w ho now le ad s a church in Ferndown, Dorset, has some advice for others reading his story: “Perhaps you don’t have a drink problem, but we all have a sin problem – that is, we seek to live life our way and deny God the rule of our lives, which is his by right.

“We all, without Christ are addicted to sin and selfishness – it’s just the degree to which we are addicted varies.

“When the love and power of Jesus entered my life that day, there was no competition.

“What can compete w ith the joy of knowing and being loved by the One who lovingly made us?”

Church coalition in bid to end sexual violence THE Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams is supporting a new church coalition working to end sexual violence against women.

The Silent No More coalition involves the Anglican Communion, Lambeth Palace, Tearfund,

Christian Aid and Restored. Its formation coincides with the launch of the Silent No More report documenting the role of the Church in response to sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Liberia.

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Issue 207 • NEW LIFE 3

STAR BATTLED WITH EATING DISORDER Our prayer NEW LIFE

BUFFY ACTOR ROBIA SLAYS HER DEMONS

by James Hastings

BUFFY the Vampire Slayer star Robia LaMorte has swapped the world of demons for a divine encounter with God.

Robia, 32, played a spellbound science teacher who was murdered by a deadly spirit in the cult TV show.

She said: “I had a great career and went to all the parties and took everything that life offered.

Inside, I was str uggli ng w ith an eating disorder and I chainsmoked because I just couldn’t face life.

“When I discovered Jesus, my life changed and over a period of time I came to know God’s love and plan for me.”

Robia was only 16 when she appeared in Debbie Gibson’s video, Shake Your Love, before being spotted by pop star Prince.

SEEKING

A VICAR is using his talent for the written word to raise money for charity.

The Rev Phil Hughes, crown vicar of Holywell, Northumberland, will give all of the profits from his book to the Cardiomyopathy Association and The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital Coronary Care Unit.

He has dedicated the book – If God Had Granted Me a Son: The Life and Works of Richard Crashaw, An Appreciation – to his brother, David, who died last year, aged 47.

Mr Hughes, 51, said: “David spent so much time at the hospital. I want to help those who are suffering.”

● Continued from Page 1 believing that God would answer our prayers one day.

“Anna truly is our miracle baby and we’re excited to see what God is going to do with her life. I hope our story will be an inspiration to other people who are still waiting for their miracle.

“This has taught me that there’s always hope. God is faithful and he knows what he’s doing with your life – you can trust him.”

The birth of the 8lb 4oz tot was even more rema rkable, com i ng just a year after Susan survived a 12-month battle with thyroid cancer, which doctors said could make her even less fertile.

Susan added: “When the doctors said ‘cancer’ I was very upset. It was going to be another roadblock; another year would go by where we couldn’t try for a baby.”

The cancer treatment finished in 2009 and the couple, who accepted they might have a long wait for a child, got on with their lives, busy building a church in Liverpool.

That was until January 2010, when Susan started feeling sick, and feared her cancer had returned. But there was a big surprise in store.

After another visit to the doctor and a pregnancy test, there were tears of joy and surprise at a positive result.

StroNGEr

Her first acting job was as Jason Priestley’s girlfriend in the original Beverley Hills 90210.

But it was her appearance as science teacher, Jenny Calendar in Buffy, that most people remember her for.

“I wasn’t a Christian then,” she explains.

“I have always believed in God and started seeking after him.

I lived in Southern California where the New Age was ver y fashionable.

“I thought I was encountering God but it was really New Age which draws from a range of occult and pagan traditions.”

Then a Christian friend, who had also been involved with the New Age, asked Robia why she was reading so many books about God when she could read the book God wrote – the Bible.

“I thought being a Christian was the same as being bland because you had to give up all the good things in life.”

One day while driving along a busy highway, Robia decided to pray, asking God to give her a sign.

“I said, ‘OK God, you know I believe in you, but I don’t get the whole Jesus/born again Chris-

Write way to raise money

for a baby answered!

SINGER’S WORRIES... US chart-topper Rebecca St James

FANGS A LOT!..

Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Robia LaMorte.

Inset, Robia in a scene from the show with actor Anthony Head tian thing. If Jesus really is the way, then you need to show me.”

As she prayed, a group of motorcyclists surrounded her car.

At first Robia was afraid that they were Hell’s Angels, and then she read what was on their jackets.

“They all had crosses on the back of their helmets. Above the cross were the words ‘We Ride For Jesus’.

“I couldn’t help but laugh. My prayer was barely out of my mouth and I am surrounded

by Jesus bikers.” Robia knows the occult themes explored in Buffy can be attractive for all the wrong reasons.

“Even if your intentions are good there is no such thing as harmless witchcraft.

“You are opening a door for the enemy to bring all sorts of problems into your life,” she cautions.

“There is a protection that comes from being in God’s will. It is like being under an umbrella.

When you practice witchcraft, you are wilfully stepping out from God’s protection.”

Susan said: “I was 20 when we got married, and we wanted a family straight away so started trying, all the time thinking, ‘It’ll just happen.’

But it didn’t, and after five years we realised we had to start looking into why.”

Doctors said the couple had unexplained infertility – a frustrating label that acknowledges a problem is there, but offers no solutions.

Rather than opt for expensive IVF treatments, they kept hoping, praying, trying, but knew that with each passing year the chances of getting pregnant got slimmer.

Susan admitted that the experience put their faith to the test.

“As a Christian you do ask yourself the question, ‘Have I done something wrong? What is God trying to say through this? It was a journey of faith.

“We had to revisit questions at various points, but it was a case of we do believe in God; we believe God is good and we don’t believe we’re being punished. Our faith became stronger and our hope actually grew over the long wait.”

The couple, who are an Aussie and Kiwi combination, have worked as missionaries all over the world.

In 2007, they moved to West Derby, Liverpool, where they founded the Victory Family Centre.

My fears for new stars Dad’s plea over MULTIPLE Grammy award singer Rebecca St James has said that she feels sorry for young female pop stars.

Rebecca, who has enjoyed 19 top ten singles, worries that many star struck performers are simply being struck down.

And she says the search for the next Pop Idol or The X-Factor stars may lead to more boy and girl band burnouts.

“There is so much pressure on young performers today,” says Nashville-based Rebecca, 33.

She speaks frankly about the pressure she felt in her own career and her relationship with Jesus.

Rebecca added: “I was desperately lonely. I was disillusioned and burnt out from touring. The devil makes you want to feel you’ve been abandoned but you don’t listen to him, he’s a liar.”

“I’m now a committed Christian and love God.”

hit-and-run son

A FATHER has asked the world to pray for his comatose son using the iPhone app ‘A Note to God’ that the teenager invented.

Allen Wright, 18, is in a critical condition with devastating head injuries after a hit-and-run driver struck him near his Californian home in Fair Oaks, Sacramento.

H is sma rt phone appl icat ion allows anonymous users to send prayers into cyberspace and lets them read the prayers of others and offer support.

“Allen needs his idea to work for him,” said his father Tod. “We believe in the power of prayer.”

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4 NEW LIFE • Issue 207

BUSINESS OWNER TO HELP EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

haitians are set for a little silver lining Churches in rush to help after disaster

CHURCHES are stepping in to aid the survivors of the Japanese tsunami.

The Anglican Church in Japan, Nippon Sei Ko Kai (NSKK), said its priority was to care for all people affected by the disaster.

“In most of the areas affected by the disaster there are no Anglican churches. However it is the NSKK’s desire to stand with all people there and to do whatever we can to support them,” said A rchbishop Nathan iel Makoto Uematsu.

The Church’s plans to distribute aid throughout the affected reg ions have been ha mpered by government restrictions on access to those areas hit by the tsunami.

In the meantime, the Church is assessing the extent of the damage and cost of rebuilding churches and parishioners’ homes.

“The relief and rescue phase will soon end, but the restoration phase will go on for a long time,” the A rchbishop sa id. “As the NSKK, particularly as Tohoku Diocese, we believe that it is during this second phase when God will most use us to do his work.”

He added: “I would like you to continue to pray for the ongoing relief and restoration work.”

THE owner of a Christian jewellery firm is to travel to Haiti to help give hope to those left paralysed by last year’s devastating earthquake.

Norma Murrain, of The Silver Fish Company, will be teaching victims of the quake new skills to help them in their rehabilitation as part of The Haiti Hospital Appeal.

And she hopes that those who take part will later be able to sell their jewellery in street markets to give them the chance to earn a living.

Norma is now appealing for help to raise cash to cover the £1,500 cost of the trip and to buy tools to give to those who take part.

She explained: “I want to raise £3,000 in total. Some jewellery businesses may have tools they no longer use and can donate instead, which I would really appreciate.

“The people I will be helping have been left paralysed by the earthquake, but they can use their upper bodies.

“I won’t be using gold or silver as it can’t be easily bought in Haiti and it is unaffordable to those who may want to buy the items. But I will be helping them make jewellery with the resources that are available there, such as coconut shells, nutmeg shells and seeds.”

Norma added that as well as offeri ng rehabi l itation it cou ld give those left devastated by the magnitude 7.0 quake in January 2010 the means of making a living in the future.

“I’ve been told by The Haiti Hospital Appeal that the Caribbean country is still in a very bad way after the earthquake,” she said. “The people affected need to find hope.

Jordan baptism for Chile miners OVER two-thirds of the Chilean miners whose rescue made headlines after they spent 69 days trapped underground made a trip to Israel and were baptised in the River Jordan.

The 25 men, dressed in white robes, underwent the ceremony at the Yardenit Baptismal Site near the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus Christ himself is thought to have been baptised.

It was just one of the highlights of their week-long trip to Israel, which they described as a ‘pilgrimage of thanksgiving’.

One of the miners, Richard Villarroel Godoy, also baptised his fourmonth-old son who was born just days after he was released from the mine.

Meanwhile, Jose Henriquez, who became known as ‘pastor’ to the trapped men, has told a UK congregation: “The only reason I am here is because there is a living God who is alive.

“We had one desperate prayer cry and one purpose together. We all were praying, ‘Lord open up a door of escape.

There’s no other way unless you do it,’” he said.

A REAL JEWEL...

Norma Murrain

I want to help them by sharing the gospel and also my skills so they feel positive and can see a future.

“I believe I’ve been given a gift from God and I think it is a privilege to be able to share that and the love of Jesus with those people.”

As wel l as jewel ler y, Nor ma – whose business is based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter – will be showing the recovering patients how to knit bags using recycled carrier bags.

She said: “I will be showing them a range of techniques in the hope that they will be able to use one or more to help them earn a living.

“Hopefully, they will be able to sell their jewellery so that they can make the $100 a month they need to live.”

Norma will be taking part in the rehabilitation scheme as part of The Haiti Hospital Appeal in October this year.

The appeal was set up in 2006 to help establish a quality form of health care in conjunction with the

Haitian government and authorities to create a health system and empower Haitian medics.

Since the massive earthquake that h it Port-au-Prince in 2010, the appeal has played a key role in rehabilitating the nation, caring for the injured and taking relief to affected families.

Norma added: “The Haiti Hospital Appeal has Christianity at its heart and that is why I decided to join with them to be a part of this rehabilitation effort.

“I hope to be able to raise the funds and spread hope to those left struggling because of that terrible incident. I am looking forward to it, but I’ll need prayer for the vaccinations as I’m not keen on needles!”

If you would like to donate, please contact Norma at The Silver Fish Company on 0121 554 4575 or send a cheque payable to The Silver Fish Company and mark “Haiti Appeal” on the back. Send it to The Silver Fish Jewellery Company, 48 Vyse Street, Birmingham, B18 6HF.

BAPTISM SERVICE... the 25 rescued Chilean miners make their way into the Jordan

WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP

Ancient faith books theory JORDAN – A recent discovery in Jordan may have unearthed one of the earliest Christian scriptures.

It is one of 70 books made of lead that were found in a cave in Jordan, where they are thought to have lain for 2,000 years. They could be a major discovery in Christian history, say experts.

Ziad al-Saad, of Jordan’s Department of Antiquities, said: “We are looking at a very significant discovery, maybe the most important in the history of archaeology.”

Jordan claims the books were smuggled to Israel after the find between 2005 and 2007. But an Israeli Bedouin claims they have been in his family for 100 years.

David Elkington, head of a British team trying to get the books into a museum in Jordan, said: “It’s a breathtaking thought that we have held these objects which may have been handled by the early saints of the Church.”

Musical treat on way to UK

AUSTRALIA – An Australian band that puts biblical Psalms to music is set to visit the UK this month.

Sons of Korah, who have impacted tens of thousands of people with the spirituality of the Psalms, take audiences on a journey through a range of emotions.

The concerts have been arranged

by The Bible Society as part of Biblefresh, a multi-agency campaign celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.

The Rev Rob Cotton, Biblefresh Network Manager, said: “Don’t miss out on the chance to experience the Bible in a fresh and memorable way.”

For more information go to www. biblesociety.org.uk

Noah’s set to tread boards

USA – Theatre audiences in the US are being treated to a show with a difference.

Si nce 1995, some 2.5 m i l l ion people have seen Noah The Musical at Sight and Sound Theatres.

Chief creative officer Josh Enck said: “We’re known for our mission statement, and that’s to present the gospel of Jesus Christ through the medium of live theatre and to make these Bible stories come to life.

“We tie ever yth i ng i nto what we believe is the gospel message behind it. For Noah, it’s about the ark of safety. It’s about finding your salvation in Christ. He is the Ark of Safety.”

Families plea for quake aid

CHILE – Since a massive earthquake h it Ch i le i n Febr ua r y 2010, the number of families asking for help from The Bible Society in Chile has tripled. Today, some 800 families are asking for Bible-based counselling and practical support to help them overcome drug and alcohol dependencies.

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Issue 207 •

NEW LIFE NEW LIFE

5

king used speech to urge Hopes over youth night nation to pray for victory WHEN King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 to marry an American divorcee, the throne fell to his younger brother, Albert Frederick Arthur George, probably the most reluctant king ever to be crowned.

Shy, gauche, and afflicted with a crippling stammer that made public speaking almost impossible, ‘Bertie’ (as he was known by his family) always lived in the shadow of his older brother.

He therefore dreaded the onerous public duty forced upon him by his brother’s philandering.

The story of how ‘Bertie’ (who was crowned King George VI) overcame his vocal impediment to broadcast to a country threatened

by Nazi invasion was made into an award-winning film, The King’s Speech. However, the King did not just speak to inspire the nation – he called his subjects to prayer.

With its beleaguered army trapped on the French coast, people responded to the King in their

POWER OF PRAYERS... Colin Firth as King George V1 in the award-winning movie, The King’s Speech

thousands, and on Sunday May 26, 1940 flocked to the churches to intercede for their country.

What followed became known as the ‘miracle of Dunkirk’, with Hitler unaccountably stopping his armies short of the coast when he had the Allied forces at his mercy.

There was also the remarkable fact that the English Channel became as calm as a millpond, something that allowed 350,000 troops to be ferried by small craft to waiting ships, which took them back to England.

Six more days of prayer took place, each followed by a remarkable turn in the war effort.

After the nation prayed on September 8, 1940, a heavily equipped German Air Force lost control of the skies, causing Air Chief Marshall Dowding to say: ‘I will say with absolute conviction that I can trace the intervention of God… humanly speaking victory was impossible!’

i’m speaking up for faith after miracle WHEN Mark Hatch watched the recent blockbuster The King’s Speech, he knew just how the tongue-tied king felt.

Because Mark also suffered from a debilitating speech problem.

But that was before he was healed by the power of Jesus Christ.

Speaking of the moment he was healed he said: “I went to church as a person who couldn’t speak and was totally miserable, and came home with a great big smile on my face, laughing and speaking.

It was incredible.”

Now pastor of the Church of Jesus the King Christian Fellowship in Totnes, Devon, Mark can deliver a sermon without difficulty.

But it was once so different. From the age of four, Mark dreaded having to open his mouth to speak.

At school he was unable to take part in lessons and remained stubbornly silent.

He said: “It was far worse than a stammer. As I was going through school it was extremely hard – children don’t mean to be but they’re cruel. If I tried to take part in class they would laugh.

“I can’t state how bad the speech was – I couldn’t an-

MIRACLE... Mark Hatch swer the phone or go into a shop or ask for something – it was really affecting my life in a very serious way.”

Unable to cope, Mark turned to alcohol in his teenage years then something happened that made him question everything.

He explained: “I was in a car crash and my two best friends died next to me, but I survived. I’d been brought up with an understanding of God through Sunday school so I would pray.

“I’d go out and get drunk and end up at my friends’ graves wondering why my friends had died. I hated my life.

“But I felt that God was calling me and there was a reason I had survived. The car I’d been in had crashed head on into a coach so I shouldn’t have lived.”

But Mark turned his back

on God and carried on drinking. His problem got so bad that it was destroying his marriage. Desperate, he decided to go to church.

He said: “I walked through the doors and an elderly lady came and asked if there was anything she could do for me.

She heard my speech problem and explained to me about Jesus. I managed to get some words out and she asked me if I wanted to know Jesus. Then she prayed with me.

“At that moment of asking Jesus into my heart, something changed. It was incredible, I felt this heaviness lift from my head then I spoke.

I can’t remember what I said but it was normal speech. I just broke down crying. It was awesome. God’s love became real to me. It was a complete miracle.”

Mark became pastor of the church in 2005 and leads the ministries to the homeless and has even been out to Africa leading missions.

He said: “The church runs a drop in centre for the needy and homeless and because of my background with drink I’ve been able to minister hope to these people – to show them the difference that Jesus Christ can make in a person’s life. It doesn’t matter how weak you feel, it’s God’s strength that makes a change.”

scheme to help school pupils launched PUPILS will be able to find a listening ear and support after the launch of a new project.

School Pastors is the brainchild of the same charity that set up the UK-wide Street Pastors scheme. Street Pastors are now seen in towns and cities across the country helping revellers

stay out of danger after a night on the tiles.

The School Pastors scheme was luanched at Archbishop Tenison School in South London.

CRB-checked volunteers are on hand to give support from noon–5pm in the school to befriend and support pupils.

A SCOTTISH church hopes that Friday nights will never be the same again after the launch of their new youth project.

Pastor Fraser Donaldson, of Greenock Elim Church, said: “The aim behind the night is to create an opportunity for Christian young people to interact with other.

“It will also to create an environment where Christian youth can feel comfortable inviting their unchurched friends.

“The youth work will be church for young people by young people, and we have a team of local young Christians from across denominations and churches in place, who are committed to the vision and practical effort required for a new sustainable youth work in Greenock.”

Action plan on poverty

THOUSANDS of people will live on just £1 per day for a week in May to help highlight global poverty.

From May 2–6, they will have to plan their breakfasts, lunches and dinners around a budget of just £1 a day. The amount may seem paltry but it is the same as 1.4 billion people who live below the poverty line must survive on.

The ‘Live Below the Line’ initiative is being organised by the educational and campaigning organisation, the Global Poverty Project.

It is hoped that participants will raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for poverty alleviation projects by asking their friends and family to sponsor them.

Signs, Works of God, Healings, Wonders, Miracles!

The Bible way to rapidly evangelise Great Britain today.

Evangelist Melvin Banks, Christ-honouring, God-exciting revivals.

Many young people flock there.

One Million Souls in 2011 Between 2008 and 2011, he has worked with a new Christian denomination in the UK. During this time they have expanded from 299 to 449 local churches.

The fastest growing group of churches in Great Britain

It works! It’s God’s way for this time!

For Ministers and Church Leaders I would like a crusade with Melvin Banks I want a revival and to experience this miracle ministry in my fellowship I want Melvin Banks to come to my church this year.

Please send details

Contact Melvin - UK’s successful, fruitful evangelist. Pastors adore him!

No fee charged - he is on a retainer from Jesus Christ!

Ring the Office on 01249 655712 to book this mighty soul winner.

This is a serious, prayerful, earnest request Church name: ��������������������������������� Minister / Elder’s name: ������������������������ Address: ������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������� Postcode: ���������� Telephone: ��������������� Post this form to: Crusade Office, 44 Monks Way, Pewsham, Chippenham, Wilts, SN15 3TT, England or telephone: 01249

655712

Both large and small churches welcome to apply.

For Non-Ministers only I would like to receive regular (6 weekly) round the year news and reports from this exciting revival in Great Britain and to help as I can.

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Name: ��������������������������������������� Address: ������������������������������������� �������������������� Postcode: ���������������

6

NEW LIFE • Issue 207 NEW LIFE

NEW LIFE www.newlife.co.uk

WORKING TOGeTheR TO BRING you The GOOd NeWS

tune in New Life works in partnership with UCB (United Christian Broadcasters) who are now broadcasting nationally on dAB radio.

For great Christian music, discussion, chat, regular news bulletins and lots of fun, UCB is great, contemporary radio for the whole family.

Listen on dAB radio across the UK or online at www.ucbmedia.co.uk

explore ChristiAnity We’re also working with Alpha, the course that allows people to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten thoughtprovoking 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 that Jesus died so that you can B Believe be forgiven, and ask God to forgive you Admit that you have done wrong

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

LOG ON NOW: www.newlife.co.uk

Issue 207 •

NEW LIFE NEW LIFE

BOY’S ASTONISHING EXPERIENCE AS MUM AND DAD PRAYED AT BEDSIDE

7

I met my sister in heaven When four-year-old Colton Burpo started to talk about meeting Jesus after a near-death experience, he demonstrated the reality of life after death. But when he talked about meeting the sister he never knew he had, his parents really started to take notice. Becky Barlow reports

A

BOY who almost died from a ruptured appendix says he went to heaven and met the dead sister he never knew existed.

The extraordinary claims by Colton Burpo came after he was misdiagnosed with flu while his family were on a trip to Colorado when he was four. By the time they returned home he was seriously ill and had to undergo emergency surgery twice.

While he was in the operating theatre his Christian parents, Todd and Sonja, prayed, believing God would heal their son.

Their cries were clearly heard in heaven, as Colton made a sudden recovery. However, that wasn’t all.

He then told his astonished parents that he had met the sister his mother had miscarried a year before his own birth.

What made this even more remarkable was his parents had never spoken to Colton about her.

The Burpos have now written a book, Heaven Is For Real, about the experience and Colton, now aged 11, continues to share his stories of heaven.

In an extract from the book, Colton’s dad Todd recalls what happened when his son started to speak about what he had seen: Dad, Jesus had the angels sing to me because I was so scared. They made me feel better.”

Jesus? I glanced at Sonja again and saw that her mouth had dropped open. I turned back to Colton. “You mean Jesus was there?” My little boy nodded as though reporting nothing more remarkable than seeing a ladybug in the front yard.

“Yeah, Jesus was there.”

“Well, where was Jesus?”

Colton looked me right in the eye. “I was sitting in Jesus’ lap.”

NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE...

Colton Burpo as he is today, who said he had seen his sister in heaven. Top left, Colton with dad Todd, mum Sonja and older sister Cassie. Below, the book Heaven Is For Real and Colton with dad Todd when he was younger

❛

angels If Colton really had a supernatural encounter, I certainly didn’t want to ask him leading questions.

We had taught Colton about our faith all his life. But if he had really seen Jesus and the angels, I wanted to become the student, not the teacher!

“You were in heaven?” I managed to ask.

“Well, yeah, Dad,” he said, as if the fact should have been perfectly obvious.

I was also struck by how quickly Colton answered my questions. He spoke with the simple conviction of an eyewitness, not the carefulness of someone remembering the “right” answers learned in Sunday school or from a book.

“Mummy, I have two sisters,” Colton said.

I put down my pen. Sonja didn’t. She kept on working.

Colton repeated himself. “Mummy, I have two sisters.”

Sonja looked up from her paperwork and shook her head slightly. “No, you have your sister, Cassie, and... do you mean your cousin, Traci?”

“No.” Colton clipped off the word adamantly. “I have two sisters. You had a baby die in your tummy, didn’t you?”

At that moment, time stopped in the Burpo household, and Sonja’s eyes grew wide.

Just a few seconds before, Colton had been trying

Parents stunned as son described sibling he didn’t know existed after emergency op ordeal unsuccessfully to get his mom to listen to him. Now, even from the kitchen table, I could see that he had her undivided attention.

“Who told you I had a baby die in my tummy?”

Sonja said, her tone serious.

“She did, Mummy. She said she died in your tummy.”

Then Colton turned and started to walk away.

He had said what he had to say and was ready to move on.

But after the bomb he’d just dropped, Sonja was just getting started.

B

efore our son could get around the couch, Sonja’s voice rang out in an all-hands-on-deck red alert. “Colton Todd Burpo, you get back here right now!”

Colton spun around and caught my eye. His face

said, “What did I just do?” I knew what my wife had to be feeling. Losing that baby was the most painful event of her life. We had explained it to Cassie; she was older. But we hadn’t told Colton, judging the topic a bit beyond a four-year-old’s capacity to understand.

From the table, I watched quietly as emotions rioted across Sonja’s face.

nervously A bit nervously, Colton slunk back around the couch and faced his mom again, this time much more warily. “It’s OK, Mummy,” he said. “She’s OK. God adopted her.”

Sonja slid off the couch and knelt down in front of Colton so that she could look him in the eyes. “Don’t you mean Jesus adopted her?” she said.

“No, Mummy. His Dad did!”

Sonja turned and looked at me. In that moment,

she later told me, she was trying to stay calm, but she was overwhelmed. “Our baby… was – is – a girl!” she thought. Sonja focused on Colton, and I could hear the effort it took to steady her voice. “So what did she look like?”

“She looked a lot like Cassie,” Colton said. “She is just a little bit smaller, and she has dark hair.”

As I watched, a blend of pain and joy played across my wife’s face. Cassie and Colton have my blond hair.

She had even jokingly complained to me before, “I carry these kids for nine months, and they both come out looking like you!”

N

ow there was a child who looked like her. A daughter. I saw the first hint of moisture glint in my wife’s eyes. Now Colton went on without prompting: “In heaven, this little girl ran up to me,

and she wouldn’t stop hugging me,” he said in a tone that clearly indicated he didn’t enjoy all this hugging from a girl.

“Maybe she was just happy that someone from her family was there,” Sonja offered. “Girls hug.

When we’re happy, we hug.” Colton didn’t seem convinced.

Sonja’s eyes lit up and she asked, “What was her name? What was the little girl’s name?”

tears Colton seemed to forget about all the yucky girl hugs for a moment. “She doesn’t have a name. You guys didn’t name her.”

How did he know that?

“You’re right, Colton,” Sonja said. “We didn’t even know she was a she.”

Then Colton said something that still rings in my

ears: “Yeah, she said she just can’t wait for you and Daddy to get to heaven.”

From the kitchen table, I could see that Sonja was barely holding it together. She gave Colton a kiss and told him he could go play. And when he left the room, tears spilled over her cheeks.

“Our baby is OK,” she whispered. “Our baby is OK.” This has taught me that I am heard. We all are. I’ve been a Christian since childhood and a pastor for half my life so I believed that before, but now I knew it.

How? When I was angry at God because I couldn’t go to my son, hold him and comfort him, God’s Son was holding my boy in his lap.

❜

● Extract taken from Heaven Is For Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story Of His Trip to Heaven and Back

6

NEW LIFE • Issue 207 NEW LIFE

NEW LIFE www.newlife.co.uk

WORKING TOGeTheR TO BRING you The GOOd NeWS

tune in New Life works in partnership with UCB (United Christian Broadcasters) who are now broadcasting nationally on dAB radio.

For great Christian music, discussion, chat, regular news bulletins and lots of fun, UCB is great, contemporary radio for the whole family.

Listen on dAB radio across the UK or online at www.ucbmedia.co.uk

explore ChristiAnity We’re also working with Alpha, the course that allows people to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten thoughtprovoking 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 that Jesus died so that you can B Believe be forgiven, and ask God to forgive you Admit that you have done wrong

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

LOG ON NOW: www.newlife.co.uk

Issue 207 •

NEW LIFE NEW LIFE

BOY’S ASTONISHING EXPERIENCE AS MUM AND DAD PRAYED AT BEDSIDE

7

I met my sister in heaven When four-year-old Colton Burpo started to talk about meeting Jesus after a near-death experience, he demonstrated the reality of life after death. But when he talked about meeting the sister he never knew he had, his parents really started to take notice. Becky Barlow reports

A

BOY who almost died from a ruptured appendix says he went to heaven and met the dead sister he never knew existed.

The extraordinary claims by Colton Burpo came after he was misdiagnosed with flu while his family were on a trip to Colorado when he was four. By the time they returned home he was seriously ill and had to undergo emergency surgery twice.

While he was in the operating theatre his Christian parents, Todd and Sonja, prayed, believing God would heal their son.

Their cries were clearly heard in heaven, as Colton made a sudden recovery. However, that wasn’t all.

He then told his astonished parents that he had met the sister his mother had miscarried a year before his own birth.

What made this even more remarkable was his parents had never spoken to Colton about her.

The Burpos have now written a book, Heaven Is For Real, about the experience and Colton, now aged 11, continues to share his stories of heaven.

In an extract from the book, Colton’s dad Todd recalls what happened when his son started to speak about what he had seen: Dad, Jesus had the angels sing to me because I was so scared. They made me feel better.”

Jesus? I glanced at Sonja again and saw that her mouth had dropped open. I turned back to Colton. “You mean Jesus was there?” My little boy nodded as though reporting nothing more remarkable than seeing a ladybug in the front yard.

“Yeah, Jesus was there.”

“Well, where was Jesus?”

Colton looked me right in the eye. “I was sitting in Jesus’ lap.”

NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE...

Colton Burpo as he is today, who said he had seen his sister in heaven. Top left, Colton with dad Todd, mum Sonja and older sister Cassie. Below, the book Heaven Is For Real and Colton with dad Todd when he was younger

❛

angels If Colton really had a supernatural encounter, I certainly didn’t want to ask him leading questions.

We had taught Colton about our faith all his life. But if he had really seen Jesus and the angels, I wanted to become the student, not the teacher!

“You were in heaven?” I managed to ask.

“Well, yeah, Dad,” he said, as if the fact should have been perfectly obvious.

I was also struck by how quickly Colton answered my questions. He spoke with the simple conviction of an eyewitness, not the carefulness of someone remembering the “right” answers learned in Sunday school or from a book.

“Mummy, I have two sisters,” Colton said.

I put down my pen. Sonja didn’t. She kept on working.

Colton repeated himself. “Mummy, I have two sisters.”

Sonja looked up from her paperwork and shook her head slightly. “No, you have your sister, Cassie, and... do you mean your cousin, Traci?”

“No.” Colton clipped off the word adamantly. “I have two sisters. You had a baby die in your tummy, didn’t you?”

At that moment, time stopped in the Burpo household, and Sonja’s eyes grew wide.

Just a few seconds before, Colton had been trying

Parents stunned as son described sibling he didn’t know existed after emergency op ordeal unsuccessfully to get his mom to listen to him. Now, even from the kitchen table, I could see that he had her undivided attention.

“Who told you I had a baby die in my tummy?”

Sonja said, her tone serious.

“She did, Mummy. She said she died in your tummy.”

Then Colton turned and started to walk away.

He had said what he had to say and was ready to move on.

But after the bomb he’d just dropped, Sonja was just getting started.

B

efore our son could get around the couch, Sonja’s voice rang out in an all-hands-on-deck red alert. “Colton Todd Burpo, you get back here right now!”

Colton spun around and caught my eye. His face

said, “What did I just do?” I knew what my wife had to be feeling. Losing that baby was the most painful event of her life. We had explained it to Cassie; she was older. But we hadn’t told Colton, judging the topic a bit beyond a four-year-old’s capacity to understand.

From the table, I watched quietly as emotions rioted across Sonja’s face.

nervously A bit nervously, Colton slunk back around the couch and faced his mom again, this time much more warily. “It’s OK, Mummy,” he said. “She’s OK. God adopted her.”

Sonja slid off the couch and knelt down in front of Colton so that she could look him in the eyes. “Don’t you mean Jesus adopted her?” she said.

“No, Mummy. His Dad did!”

Sonja turned and looked at me. In that moment,

she later told me, she was trying to stay calm, but she was overwhelmed. “Our baby… was – is – a girl!” she thought. Sonja focused on Colton, and I could hear the effort it took to steady her voice. “So what did she look like?”

“She looked a lot like Cassie,” Colton said. “She is just a little bit smaller, and she has dark hair.”

As I watched, a blend of pain and joy played across my wife’s face. Cassie and Colton have my blond hair.

She had even jokingly complained to me before, “I carry these kids for nine months, and they both come out looking like you!”

N

ow there was a child who looked like her. A daughter. I saw the first hint of moisture glint in my wife’s eyes. Now Colton went on without prompting: “In heaven, this little girl ran up to me,

and she wouldn’t stop hugging me,” he said in a tone that clearly indicated he didn’t enjoy all this hugging from a girl.

“Maybe she was just happy that someone from her family was there,” Sonja offered. “Girls hug.

When we’re happy, we hug.” Colton didn’t seem convinced.

Sonja’s eyes lit up and she asked, “What was her name? What was the little girl’s name?”

tears Colton seemed to forget about all the yucky girl hugs for a moment. “She doesn’t have a name. You guys didn’t name her.”

How did he know that?

“You’re right, Colton,” Sonja said. “We didn’t even know she was a she.”

Then Colton said something that still rings in my

ears: “Yeah, she said she just can’t wait for you and Daddy to get to heaven.”

From the kitchen table, I could see that Sonja was barely holding it together. She gave Colton a kiss and told him he could go play. And when he left the room, tears spilled over her cheeks.

“Our baby is OK,” she whispered. “Our baby is OK.” This has taught me that I am heard. We all are. I’ve been a Christian since childhood and a pastor for half my life so I believed that before, but now I knew it.

How? When I was angry at God because I couldn’t go to my son, hold him and comfort him, God’s Son was holding my boy in his lap.

❜

● Extract taken from Heaven Is For Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story Of His Trip to Heaven and Back

Issue 207

LOG ON NOW: www.newlife.co.uk

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Issue 207 • NEW LIFE 9

COMMENT MAYOR HEAPS PRAISE Prayer works!

ON EVENT’S TURNOUT! A MAYor was stunned when more than 350 people turned up to a prayer event she organised for her town.

Cl l r Ca roly n Heaps – t he Mayor of Eastbourne – had written to all the church leaders in her region, inviting them to seek the Lord together. She expected about 20 people to show up.

She told New Life: “We’ve been saying for a while that we need to move outside of the church walls and go to where the people are because that’s what Jesus would do. I wanted to bring all the churches together in Eastbourne to have a prayer day but I wanted to do it somewhere different.

“The town hall seemed good because it’s a public place but not a church. It’s a place where people wou ld n’t necessa ri ly think of coming to pray.

“We thought we’d have around 20 people so we only bought four pints of milk but I stopped counting when we reached 350 people!”

Carolyn, who is also a trained Street Pastor, organised the day of prayer during the week of Christian Unity and is hoping that it will become an annual event.

She said: “During what was a week of Christian Unity, I felt compelled to get all the churches in Eastbourne to come together to pray for our great town

by Becky Barlow and its people. We have many churchgoers in Eastbourne who would wish to bless their town in prayer and see God at work where they live.”

Originally planned to be from 10.30am to 4pm the event was so successful that it was extended to 7pm as a continual stream of people poured through the doors. The day was split into half hour slots to accommodate the crowds.

Carolyn said: “We had a flip chart which we filled with all the different organisations that we could think of and got people to pray into those. There was a real sense of the Spirit of God working.

“We prayed about all sorts of things – from schools, to the homeless, to Street Pastors.

We prayed for all the different churches, for revival, for the emergency services, teachers, people who work in hospitals, street cleaners and many, many more.

“There was a rea l ly community feel. The churches felt that they were working together which is something that is going to be so useful in the times that we live in. We need to stand and be counted.

“It was a great testimony as people kept coming through the day. Some people even came back again later when they were free again!”

DELIGHTED... Mayor of Eastbourne, Cllr Carolyn Heaps

Read it and reap Shop owners reverse Sunday hours THE world’s best selling book is being geared up for the country’s biggest read.

The Big Read is part of the Big Bible project, an online digital community that promotes regular Bible reading.

The Gospel of Matthew will be on Twitter, Facebook and other multimedia.

One of the people backing the project, the Rev Dr Peter Phillips, said: “Researchers found that although three-quarters of the population own at least one Bible, only one-fifth of commit to reading it week by week.”

THE Christian owners of a popular farm shop and restau ra nt have stopped opening on Sundays – despite it being a lucrative day for them.

Eleanor and Robert Todd, of Blacketyside Farm in Fife, decided that Sunday should be treated as a day of rest.

Despite attracting visitors from far and wide, the

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Todds believe that Sunday is a sacred day for worship – not for work behind the tills.

“A s of Ja nua r y 9, we stopped opening on a Sunday,” said Mrs Todd. “We have always been believers, but became Christians last year and decided to follow the Bible’s teach i ngs. I n Exodus, the second book of

the Bible, it says that for six days you work, the seventh day you rest. It is important to us that the Bible’s teachings are followed.”

Mrs Todd said that customers had been very supportive of their bold move a nd that the closu re reminded them of how Britain used to be in their childhood.

IF ever there was proof that prayers are answered, you just need to look at our story on Page 1.

Shane and Susan Comiskey believed for more than two decades that their prayers would be answered and that God would bless them with a child.

And after 22 years and a lot of faith their patience has been rewarded – with the arrival of Anna Margaret.

You may argue that it had nothing to do with God, but with such a long wait and the added complication of Susan’s fight with cancer only a miracle would lead to the couple becoming parents.

And they never gave up faith and their belief that God could bless them with such a miracle.

To paraphrase, Jesus said that if you ask in prayer for something in his name and believed he was the son of God, then you would receive.

And that’s just what the Comiskeys did.

Of course, Jesus never promised that these prayers would be answered instantly. That’s because Christians accept that no matter how much they would like something, things happen in God’s time and not ours.

There’s further proof of prayer being answered on Page 2, where Mike Mellor’s story of crying out to God in a toilet cubicle led to his life being transformed.

You may be like he was back then, and simply don’t believe that God exists or that prayer is worth the bother.

But the day Mike decided he had run out of options and would call out to God, his life changed forever.

So, what should you do next? Well, first believe that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised him from the dead. Then, like Mike, just call out. It was his first step of faith, we pray it will be yours too.

BIBLE QUOTE OF THE MONTH “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

John 16:24 Editor: Peter Wreford Advertising: Barry Wilson

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11

NERURKAR REVEALS STRONG FAITH

GIVING GLORY...

David Luiz

I’m blessed and won’t get Blues...

CHELSEA new boy – £21m central defender David Luiz – has spoken of his admiration for Kaka and h is ow n Ch ristian faith.

Luiz, who is becoming a fans’ favourite at Stamford Bridge, declared: “My family has always been religious. My glory is all his.”

Spea k i ng to Fou rFou rTwo magazine, the Blues man said that without God he didn’t believe he would have left his life of poverty behind.

it’s a runderful life for marathon man!

IN THE RUNNING...

Richard Nerurkar

RICHARD Nerurkar is in it for the long run – being a Christian that is!

The medal-winning marathon man is proud of his firstplace triumphs at the Hamburg Marathon and World Cup Marathon in San Sebastian in 1993.

But h is long dista nce by Matthew Murray running success is nothing compared to the feeling he outreach event in Leeds. At got when he committed his that event, I really felt the life to Jesus Christ. desire to commit myself The Black Country-born veteran, who was awarded to Jesus.

“Prior to that I had been an MBE in 2002, won the Engbrought up to go to church, lish national cross-country championship three times h ad bee n bapt i sed a nd confirmed in the Anglican and twice finished in the Church, but it hadn’t really top 20 in the World Crossmeant anything to me.

Countr y Championsh ips “From t h at poi nt on , during his career.

On the track, Richard I made a persona l commitment to follow Jesus. I finished fifth in the 10,000 started going to a Christian metres in the 1991 World youth fellowship group in C h a m p i o n s h i p s i n To my home area and later was kyo and 17th in the 1992 part of a fellowship group 10,000m Olympic final.

In 1993 he moved up to at university.”

Richard described how the marathon and won his bei ng a Ch r ist ia n has debut marathon in Hamchanged h is life: “When burg in a time of 2:12:57 you become a Christian you a nd went on to w i n h is second marathon, the World begin to develop a different perspective on the world Cup marathon in San Sebasand your own life. tian, in October 1993.

“You sta rt to become H i s ot he r m a rat hon s included a fifth place in the aware of how God has cre1996 Olympic Marathon, ated us to live, of the talents and he recorded a personal and gifts he has given us, best time of 2:08:36 in the and also of how we so often fail to live by God’s perfect 1997 London Ma rat hon, whe re he a l so f i n i shed standards.

“Had God not created fifth.

But he knows that none me as I am, I wouldn’t be the person I am – a simple of his success was possible truth, yet in saying this without his faith.

I am ack nowledging the R ic h a r d ad m it s t h at source of all that makes while he went to church and me me. baptised as a boy, life didn’t “The apostle Pau l exstart to make sense until he made his commitment to presses this truth when he wrote, ‘I can do all things Jesus as a teenager. through him who gives me He sa id: “I beca me a Christian at the age of 16. strength.’ In return, whatMy brother had become a ever I do, I want to do it in a way that reflects well on Christian six months earGod – for his glory. lier and was involved in a “This is true of my runChristian youth fellowship n ing just as much as in group. He invited me, my other areas of my life.” sister and my parents to an

POveRTy He continued: “I have all my blessings because he [God] has given them to me. He guides our hearts and without him I wouldn’t have left poverty and got all the good things I have today.”

Although he has never met Real Madrid’s Kaka in person, Luiz says he is a huge admirer of football’s most famous Christian.

He said: “He is a man of the Lord and he is a fantastic player.

I hope I have the chance to play next to him some time, either in Chelsea or Brazil.”

Churches in 2012 training CHURCHES are to be trained in running community festivals as part of their outreach during the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The training events are being co-ordinated by More than Gold, and run by Fusion and Share Jesus International, which offer two alternative models of festival.

helP David Wilson, chief executive of More than Gold, said: “Athletes around the world are in training, the UK public are thinking about which events to attend, and it is time for churches to be making their own plans. This tour gives them the help they need.”

Visit www.morethangold.org.uk

Boxing clever ● Continued from Page 12 it is my duty to share the fruits of this gift,” he says.

Ma n ny’s promoter Bob A r u m su ms it up: “Ma n ny’s stor y has resonated because he’s been able to fight his way out and become the person he is and instead of turning his back on all that growing up, he embraces that.

“Manny gives so much money to charity and is such a caring person.

He does so many good works, most of which is not publicised so you don’t even know about it.”

Be a sport at special events Star of Orient expresses SEVERAL sporting events are being held this year for the Christian community and those interested in finding out more about the gospel.

UK Sports Ministries is holding a range of tournaments and competitions. A full list of the itinerary is available at www.uksportsministries.org

SUPPORT Co-ordinator Mark Blythe said: “If you love Jesus and sport then check out the new website for events and resources to help reach your friends for Christ. Golf, surfing, cricket, football, whatever you are into can be used to witness through, and there are folks doing it already who can support you.”

SOUNDS GOOD... Mark Blythe

concern over Vegas trip ONE of Leyton Orient’s FA Cup heroes turned dow n a trip t o L a s Ve g a s as rewa rd for d raw i n g w it h the mighty Arsenal – on the grounds of his Jose-Paul faith in Christ.

Midfielder Jose-Paul M’poku, 18, told reporters: “I prefer not to go. Las Vegas is a city full of sins and I am a very religious

person.” League One side The Os were promised the holiday i n t he ga mbl i ng mecca by de l ig hted c h a i r m a n Ba r r y Hearn after they held Premier League giants Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup earlier this season.

Jose-Paul, who was born in the overwhelmingly Christian Democratic Republic of Congo, said Hearn had offered to fly the players out to Nevada on his private plane as soon as the match ended.

BE A SPORT...

TAKE PART IN SPECIAL EVENTS

NEW LIFE

SPORT

SEE PAGE 11

FAITH SATISFIES MORE THAN A MARATHON

CHAMP IS KO’d... BY HIS FAITH

SEE PAGE 11

‘PACMAN’ VISITS CHURCHES AROUND GLOBE

BOXING sensation Manny Pacquiao is the champion’s champion who fights his corner – by going to church.

The Filipino-born belter was the first boxer in history to win ten world titles in eight different weight divisions.

Currently the WBC Super Welterweight World Champion and WBO Welterweight World Champion, Manny is also rated the number one pound-for-pound best boxer in the world.

But while he continues to pick up the accolades, the boxer known for his broad smile as much as his fierce punches, has never forgotten his humble roots or his strong Christian faith.

He says: “I don’t want to say I’m the best boxer in the world.

I would say I’m a boxer who can fight a good fight against any

by James Hastings

fighter in the world. All my talent comes from God. “Before, my ultimate dream was just to be champion in the Philippines. But look at me now.

This is because I lifted it all up to the Lord. If you do the same, wonderful things will happen to you too.”

He once told the crowd at a boxing match: “Don’t tell God that you have a big problem. But tell your problem that you have a big God.”

POVERTY Born Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao, Manny, or Pacman as he is better known, grew up in terrible poverty before leaving home at 14 to live on the streets of Manila.

His natural boxing skills quickly saw him rise to worldwide fame, picking up title after title.

Now married with four children, Manny has no hesitation in attributing his incredible success to his deep faith.

“The most important thing is to believe in God,” he explains.

Despite being on the road for fights, training and publicity appearances, Manny makes a point of going to church.

One time, after a trip to San Francisco, he was heading for the airport when he told his driver to pull over as they passed a church.

The driver waited in the car while Manny took part in the service.

He never forgets his talent and success come from God and he makes sure he shares his fame and wealth.

Even strangers who turn up at his home in General Santos City in the south of the Philippines asking for money and food are never turned away.

“God has given me a gift and ● Continued in Page 11

BOXING CLEVER...

Manny Pacquiao prays after a match last year

LocaL LocaL contact contact detaiLs: detaiLs:

Ref blows whistle on old lifestyle

Tim Mander

A FORMER Australian Rugby League referee is a committed Christian who is kicking unbelief into touch.

Tim Mander, 40, controlled the National Rugby League grand finals in 2004 and 2005, and was seen as one of the best officials in the game. But the 2005 International Referee of the Year revealed another passion – Jesus Christ.

He said: “I had rebelled against God and gone my own way. I was suffering the consequences of that now on earth and would have in the future by being separated from God forever. Jesus died for me and paid the penalty that was on my head.

I accepted Jesus as Lord of my life and once my wife saw how my life changed, she soon followed.

“The changes in my life were undeniable. I had this insatiable appetite to read the Bible and things I couldn’t previously believe, now were believable; Jesus healing people, Jesus feeding 5,000.

“Success in sport is only temporary, but God’s rewards are eternal. Plenty of praise and criticism (mostly criticism!) come my way as a referee. It’s reassuring to know that it’s not what people think of me that is most important, but what God thinks of me.”

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