Pentecost Festival embraces London
This year’s Pentecost Festival looks set to be the biggest yet. Organisers are anticipating that as many as 30,000 will be reached in the 10-day Central London event which started last Friday. Now in its fourth year, this is the first time the finale, hosted by Holy Trinity Brompton, Hillsong and Jesus House, will take place at the 17,000 capacity O2 arena. The festival sees more than 100 arts-based events with performances from X-Factor finalist Beverley Trotman and US group Spoken Groove, comedy from Andy Kind, John Maloney and Paul Tonkinson, and theatre which addresses issues of injustice. There will be science debates, seminars on faith and fashion and a political evening looking at the impact of the message of Pentecost hosted by Baptist minister the Revd Steve Chalke. Andy Frost, festival director, said 'Once again it will show people that the church is not just about Sunday mornings. 'It's engaging with what's happening culturally. It's representing God's heartbeat.'
Pray: for those leading this event and for its success in reaching out to those who have not received the Gospel message. (Ps.107:22)
More: http://www.baptisttimes.co.uk/news3.htm
Universities are now breeding grounds for terror
England's universities have become breeding grounds for extremism and terrorist recruitment, according to a government report. Officials have identified 40 English universities where ‘there may be particular risk of radicalisation or recruitment on campus’. A soon to be published report, prepared by Home Office officials, – seen by the Daily Mail – will point to a string of examples of students going on to commit terrorist acts against this country or overseas. It warns of hard-line Islamic groups specifically targeting universities which have large numbers of Muslim students in order to peddle a message of hate. It says the universities are not doing enough to respond to this threat to national security. Fewer than half of universities are engaged with the police. Universities UK replied saying that universities ‘are places where ideas and beliefs can be tested without fear of control’, and that they act as a safeguard against ideologies that threaten Britain’s open society. Pray: that, if these finding prove to be true, measures will be taken to curtail such activity. (Isa.1:16) More: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1394625/40-UK-universities-breeding-grounds-terror.html
Inter-faith peace pilgrimage planned for Southall
An inter-faith reconciliation walk will take place this Saturday 11 June 2011 in what is being called by the organisers the ‘holy city’ of Southall, West London. The 26th Annual Multi-Faith Pilgrimage for Peace is being sponsored by Westminster Interfaith, an agency of the Catholic Diocese of Westminster, which works in cooperation with a range of other religious and civic bodies. Many religions will be represented in the pilgrimage, which will pass by or enter different places of worship in Southall, including Christian churches, Islamic mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples, and Sikh gurdwaras. This year's pilgrimage commemorates the first such event, which was organised by Brother Daniel Faivre, a committed inter-faith worker, in 1986. Jon Dal Din, director of Westminster Interfaith comments: ‘The aim of Westminster Interfaith is to increase understanding, co-operation and respect between Christians and people of different faiths, and in particular to promote greater awareness through dialogue, prayer and action.
Pray: that people of many faiths will support the pilgrimage in large numbers promoting understanding, co-operation and respect for one another. (Ps.84:5)
More: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/14896
Political correctness is restricting Christians
The newly installed Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland lamented the lack of tolerance shown towards Christianity in society. Dr Ivan Patterson told his Church’s annual assembly in Belfast that Christians may encounter challenges for living out their faith. ‘Jesus speaks about going extra miles; welcoming strangers; loving enemies; forgiving those who do us harm,’ he said. ‘In our society Christians have had their wings clipped in our politically correct world. It would seem that any philosophy is tolerated except that centred on Jesus Christ.’ He pointed to the example of Christian doctor Richard Scott, who is being investigated by the General Medical Council after suggesting to a patient that he consider turning to Jesus as part of the healing process. (See Prayer Alert 21-2011) Dr Patterson was installed as Moderator during the opening session of the week-long General Assembly, which is being attended by 1,200 Church members. Pray: that the message from Dr Patterson will be heard and widely accepted by all. (Ti.1:9)
