Church of Scotland to be celebrated in the heart of the Scottish capital
The life of the Church of Scotland is to be celebrated with a special outdoor event in Princes Street Gardens in May. Roll Away The Stone will showcase the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens, in front of the iconic castle. The Church's work will be brought to life in a variety of ways, including through worship, entertainment, stalls, music, drama, storytelling, puppets, juggling, drumming and crafts. Co-organiser Rev Dr George Whyte, Deputy Principal Clerk of the Church of Scotland, said up to 4,000 visitors are expected to take part in the free festival on May 22, during the Church's General Assembly week. Dr Whyte said ‘We are there to publicly celebrate the life of the Church of Scotland. It’s for those who know nothing about the Church and those who are deeply involved. We are encouraging anyone in the broader church family within a reasonable travelling distance to come to Edinburgh on the day.’ Pray: for spiritual protection for those staging this event and for its success in reaching out to people. (Ps.145:7)
Christians at BBC urge Churches to speak out against World Service cuts
Christian trade union leaders in the National Union of Journalists (NUJ)and the media and entertainment union BECTU, working at the BBC, are calling on church leaders to intervene against the deep cuts imposed by the government on the BBC World Service, as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. Analysis by the NUJ on the impact of the cuts was handed to the Archbishop of York, the Rt Rev Dr John Sentamu, during his visit to the BBC on Sunday. He pledged to raise the issue in the House of Lords. David Campanale is the NUJ Father of Chapel in the BBC World News TV and a director of the Christian aid agency Tearfund. He said the World Service plays a vital role in truth-telling around the world. He is looking to the churches to speak out against the cuts, which the unions say will deeply damage an internationally respected and successful broadcaster. (See also Prayer Alert 04-2011) Pray: that Christians will speak out boldly and defend the reputation of the World Service. (1Tim.3:7)
Churches call Government to act on gambling rise
The Government must take urgent action in response to a report showing a rise in the number of problem gamblers, say a group of churches. The churches want local councils to have the power to limit the number of gambling premises in their areas. Paul Morrison, of the Methodist Church, said: ‘The government must stop putting industry profit before prevention. Localism should mean that local councils have the power to regulate what happens in their communities and ensure it is to the benefit of all.’ Gareth Wallace, of the Salvation Army, said: ‘When we campaigned against many of the original proposals to liberalise gambling, we were very concerned that problem gambling would increase. There are now nearly half a million problem gamblers in this country. This is far too many and the Government must now commit to halt its plans to raise the stakes of gaming machines and no longer permit arcades and bingo halls to increase in number.’ Pray: for the Government to have wisdom and realise the problems that gambling excesses cause. (Dt.32:29) More: http://www.eauk.org/media/churches-call-government-to-act-on-problem-gambling-rise.cfm
Italy/EU: Protect migrants' human rights
Amnesty International is urging the authorities in Italy and the European Union to protect the human rights of thousands of migrants from Tunisia arriving on the Italian mainland and the island of Lampedusa. More than 4,000 people have arrived in Italy in recent days following political unrest in their country. There have previously been many reports of asylum-seekers rights being abused in Italy following their arrival from countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Nicola Duckworth, Amnesty International’s Europe Programme Director, said: ‘While we recognise the challenges of dealing with very large and mixed migration flows, the relevant authorities must ensure that previous instances of asylum-seekers rights being abused are not repeated. No one should be forcibly expelled to a place where they face serious human rights abuses, or without adequate consideration of their circumstances and needs for protection. Any decision to detain a person should be considered individually.’ Pray: for all those displaced by the unrest in Tunisia and across the Middle East. (Ps.12:7)
