MINISTER CALLS TO PUSH BACK SECULARISATION
A CABINET minister has today called for faith to be given a greater roll in public life to push back “intolerant secularisation”.
Baroness Warsi, a Muslim, will call for Europe to become "more confident in its Christianity" in a strident defence of faith, backed by Prime Minister David Cameron.
The peer is leading a high-level two-day delegation of seven British ministers to the Vatican, including three of her Cabinet colleagues.
In the first speech to staff and students of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy by an outside minister, she will compare the intolerance of religion with totalitarian regimes.
"In order to encourage social harmony, people need to feel stronger in their religious identities, more confident in their beliefs. In practice this means individuals not diluting their faiths and nations not denying their religious heritages," she will say.
"If you take this thought to its conclusion then the idea you're left with is this: Europe needs to become more confident in its Christianity."
Speaking amid continued fallout over the High Court ruling that prayers cannot be a formal part of local council meetings, she said it was a myth that to protect minorities "we need to erase our religious heritage".
Christian roots "shine through our politics, our public life, our culture, our economics, our language and our architecture", she will argue.
"You cannot and should not extract these Christian foundations from the evolution of our nations any more than you can or should erase the spires from our landscapes."
She will say The Pope was right to warn, in a speech in Westminster Hall during his state visit to the UK last year, against an increasing marginalisation of religion.
"I see it in United Kingdom and I see it in Europe. Spirituality, suppressed. Divinity, downgraded.
"Where, in the words of the Archbishop of Canterbury, faith is looked down on as the hobby of 'oddities, foreigners and minorities'. Where religion is dismissed as an eccentricity because it's infused with tradition.
"Where we undermine people who attribute good works to their belief and require them to deny it as their motivation.
"And where faith is overlooked in the public sphere with not even a word about Christianity in the preface of the European Constitution.
"Our response has to be simple: holding firm in our faiths, holding back intolerant secularisation, reaffirming the religious foundations on which our societies are built and reasserting the fact that, for centuries, Christianity in Europe has been inspiring, motivating, strengthening and improving our societies.
"Politicians need to give faith a seat at the table in public life.
In an article for the Daily Telegraph ahead of the visit, she wrote: "For me, one of the most worrying aspects about this militant secularisation is that at its core and in its instincts it is deeply intolerant.”
GROUPS IN BID TO STOP EXPLOITATION OF RESOURCES
CHRISTIAN anti-poverty groups have joined forces to ensure that poor countries are not being exploited for their natural resources.
ONE, Tearfund and CAFOD are backing legislation being debated by European leaders that would force oil, gas and mining companies to reveal what they are paying the governments of poor countries in return for their natural resources.
In an action fitting for Valentine's Day, campaigners from the three organisations yesterday carried a giant love heart to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills emblazoned with the message "love truth".
The groups, which are part of the Publish What You Pay Coalition, say that the new law would put an end to the secrecy that allows "unscrupulous leaders to siphon off the profits they make from natural resources instead of investing in vital services that will benefit the people of their country".
They argue that the profits from natural resource revenues could help to lift millions of people out of poverty.
Norman Lamb MP, whose appointment follows the resignation of Chris Huhne, will join ministers from around Europe in Brussels next week to discuss the proposed law for the first time.
Tearfund's Unearth the Truth campaign to end corruption in the extractive industry has received the support of more than 20,000 people.
Ben Niblett, head of campaigns at Tearfund, said: “We need to see robust laws in place that will unearth the truth on what companies pay to the governments of countries where they operate.
"Truth and transparency must be at the heart of corporate accountability if poor communities are to benefit from the resources they literally live on top of.”
62 PER CENT OF SINGLE CHRISTIANS HAPPY TO STAY THAT WAY
ALMOST two-thirds of single Christians would prefer to stay that way than marry a non-Christian, a new study has revealed.
The poll found that 62 per cent of those single believers questioned would be happiest alone if they didn’t find a Christian spouse.
More than 1,200 people responded to the survey, which was organised by website Christian Connection.
Founder Jackie Elton said the organisers were surprised by the emphatic results.
She added: “When it comes to matters of faith, the majority of Christians are not prepared to compromise. Sharing their faith with a marriage partner is important for most Christians at every stage in life.”
The same poll was carried out on Christian Connection's Facebook page where more than 1,000 voted who were not necessarily Christian Connection members.
“The results were even more emphatic,” said Jackie, “with an even greater number (66 per cent) saying they would prefer to stay single.”
An analysis of the results surprisingly revealed only minor variations according to age or gender. Young men and women under 25 were a little less firm about staying single and older people in their 60s and beyond were more definite that they only wanted to marry somebody who shared their faith.
Women were marginally more determined to marry somebody who shared their faith.
BELIEVERS ARE HAPPIER IN MARRIAGE
CHRISTIANS are happier in their marriage and more likely to stay together than non-Christians, new research has found.
The How's the Family? report from the Evangelical Alliance also found that Christians were highly likely to accept outside help and advice to keep their marriages healthy.
The typical lifestyle choices of Christians who went on to happy and lengthy marriages were found to be marrying young – at 25 on average compared to over 30 in the general population, being less likely to have lived together as a couple, and being willing to participate in activities that support and maintain their relationship.
The report is the latest in the 21st Century Evangelicals series from the Evangelical Alliance.
It found that Christian evangelicals were far less likely to live in single-parent households – four per cent compared with 12 per cent nationally.
They were also more likely to be married – two-thirds compared with 49 per cent of the overall population – whilst the number of those divorced was half the UK average.
Over half of the married evangelicals surveyed had taken part in formal marriage preparation, while 29 per cent had sought help in their marriage, with the top three reasons being communication difficulties, infidelity, and sexual problems.
Steve Clifford, general director of the Evangelical Alliance, called upon the church to demonstrate a model of marriage that was "healthy and sustainable".
“Families aren’t always easy to live with but Christians do seem to have a high level of commitment to making them work," he said.
LENT APP LAUNCHED
Christian Aid has launched a free android app designed to help people remember everything they've got to be thankful for this Lent.
The Count Your Blessings app provides daily reflections and practical suggestions for giving to people in need.
The former Bishop of Durham, Tom Wright, said Lent was the perfect time for Christians to reflect on what they have to be grateful for and stand in solidarity with the poor.
“As economic and political troubles increase around the world, many of us forget just how much we ourselves have to be thankful for,” he said.
“Count your blessings is a great way of using the discipline of Lent to remind ourselves of just how fortunate we are – and of the very practical ways in which we can share our blessings with those in greatest need.”
The app was made for free by Alex Connell, the husband of a Christian Aid staff member, after he found out that budget constraints had put the project on hold.

CHRISTIAN STREET PREACHER CLEARED OF HATE CRIME
A CHRISTIAN street preacher has been cleared of hate crime charges over comments he made about homosexuality.
Mike Overd was arrested last year under the Public Order Act for saying that gay men could be forgiven by God for their sin.
The charge was brought against him following a complaint by civil partners Craig Nichol and Craig Manning, who were walking by arm in arm as Mr Overd preached on Taunton High Street.
They felt that the preacher had singled them out as "sinners" and complained to police, who arrested Mr Overd and charged him with a hate crime.
Mr Overd said he had been intimidated by the whole experience and expressed his disappointment with police for arresting him rather than protecting him.
He was acquitted after the Magistrates concluded that he had not intended to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
Mr Overd said his case "should never have been brought" before the court. "Christians like me are being harassed," he said.
“Thankfully the magistrates saw the truth of what happened and is happening on a wider scale in our country.
“Something is wrong when Nick Lansley of Tescos can insult Christians by reading out an abusive poem on You Tube about homosexual acts on Christ; Abu Qatada can preach about Jihad and death to the Jews; but the Police arrest me, a Christian preacher who cares deeply for Jesus Christ and the people of Taunton.
"Something has to change and I hope my case will encourage others not to be scared to speak up for Christ.”
Andrea Minichiello Williams, director of the Christian Legal Centre, which defended Mr Overd, said the case was an important victory for free speech. "We are determined to fight for the freedom to speak and preach the Gospel," she said.
WHITNEY SANG OF JESUS IN LAST PERFORMANCE
POP star Whitney Houston's final performance was singing the tune Yes, Jesus Loves Me, it has emerged.
Whitney, who spoke publicly of her Christian faith over the past few years, took part in an impromptu performance at Kelly Price & Friends Unplugged: For the Love OF R&B bash at Tru Hollywood.
A video has surfaced showing Whitney singing as she was in town ahead of the Grammys awards.
COUNCIL PRAYER BAN SLAMMED
BISHOPS and MPs have criticised the High Court’s landmark ban on prayers during council meetings.
The High Court ruled that it was “unlawful” to say prayers during the formal business at council meetings, following a judicial review initiated by the National Secular Society (NSS).
The NSS pressed for the ban after receiving a complaint from Clive Bone, an atheist and former member of Bideford Town Council in Devon, who said he had found it “uncomfortable” to sit through prayers.
Mr Bone said he was “delighted” by the ruling and the message it sends that “local government is for a certain type of person”.
The Bishop of Exeter, the Rt Rev Michael Langrish, criticised the ruling: “At the House of Lords we began with prayers this morning. Prayers were said by a considerable amount of peers. I don’t think you will find anyone in the House of Lords who will seriously suggest we should end that practice.”
Responding to the ruling, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said that public authorities “should have the right to say prayers before meetings if they wish”.
The decision has been met with disappointment along local Christians. The Rev Claire Rose-Casemore, who leads St Mary’s Church, Bideford, where the local council has its annual service, said it was a “sign of the times”.
“I am sorry for the Christians on the town council. They will be praying personal prayers but it is a shame that they can't do it corporately,” she said.
“To have worship and prayer as part of an organisation, whether on local councils or in schools or any organisation, is a good thing.
“But it's a sign of the times. We will continue to pray for the council and all the good work that they do. Christian councillors will still be doing it personally, so prayer will continue. It just won’t be in the same manner.”
The former Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, was quoted by The Telegraph as saying that there was a “huge constitutional implication” to the ruling
• Meanwhile, House of Commons Speaker John Bercow was forced to act yesterday to head off a threat to the Commons’ daily prayer session.
He insisted that parliamentary privilege means MPs’ prayers will not be affected by a controversial court ruling to outlaw them in a town hall.
But the current system of daily prayers faces a growing threat from some MPs – including atheists who take part in a ‘sit-down protest’ at each session they attend.
While most MPs stand to pray, the rebels remain seated and refuse to join in when prayers are conducted by Commons chaplain, the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin.
The prayer sessions are held in private, with the proceedings never publicly revealed.
MAN WRITES BOOK ABOUT JESUS
A HAMPSHIRE man has written a book about Jesus. Former teacher Philip Oakeshott is behind The Man that Peter Knew – Historical Jesus according to Mark.
He said: “I worked on the book for about 15 years. It explores the life of Christ as seen by Mark. There’s no big market for this sort of book but it’s something that I wanted to do and enjoyed doing.
It can be ordered through Amazon,” said 81-year-old Philip, adding that he’s already thinking about his next book which will be based on Greek theatre and the Gospel of John.
Philip is a Quaker and he taught for 35years and is a former head of Thornden School at Chandler’s Ford.
CHURCHES TO CELEBRATE JUBILEE
THE outreach organisation Hope is offering a range of free resources for churches to use in their communities as they celebrate the Diamond Jubilee with a Big Jubilee Lunch on June 3.
The Queen has given official backing to the event, inviting the nation to join the Big Jubilee Lunch. Six million people are expected to eat together with neighbours and friends.
HOPE is working with the Eden Project's Big Lunch to encourage churches to stage a Big Jubilee Lunch on Sunday June 3 with their communities.
Register your Big Jubilee Lunch at www.thebiglunch.com and visit www.hopetogether.org.uk for free resources.

HOSPITAL CHAPLAINS DEFENDED
BISHOPS in the Church of England have warned that the standard of care available to patients in NHS hospitals would be “poorer” without chaplains.
Secularists are campaigning for the removal of hospital chaplains on the grounds that they promote unequal care and cost too much.
In a report last year, the National Secular Society complained about the £29M spent on hospital chaplains and argued that if the Church wants
chaplains to visit hospitals then they should fund it themselves.
Addressing General Synod yesterday, the Bishop of Carlisle the Rt Rev James Newcome rejected the charge that hospital chaplains are a waste of NHS
money.
“They have a vital role to play in the delivery of healthcare in this country. Our chaplains provide both spiritual and religious care, ministering to patients, staff and relatives in hospitals and hospices throughout the land,” he said.
“Some critics, such as the NSS, have argued that chaplaincy is an expensive and unnecessary luxury. They are wrong on both counts.
“The cost of chaplaincy is a minute in proportion to the overall NHS budget and the role of chaplains is widely recognised by other healthcare professionals as making a very valuable contribution to the process of healing.”
The Bishop of Bristol, Rt Rev Mike Hill said that the true value of chaplains “might only be appreciated if they were no longer present”.
He said: “Every effort ought to be made, and is being made, to resist secularist calls for chaplains to be excluded from the NHS.
“Our hospitals would be poorer places without them and patients would be denied comprehensive care if their services were removed.”
LINGERIE MODEL QUITS BECAUSE OF FAITH
LINGERIE model Kylie Bisutti has quit her job at leading underwear firm Victoria's Secret because it clashed with her Christian faith.
Bisutti won a TV model search in 2009 which was carried out in front of millions of Americans by the lingerie firm.
But the 21-year-old has told Good Morning America this week that she turned down the opportunity of continuing her career with the company because of her faith.
She said: "Victoria's Secret was my absolutely biggest goal in life, and it was all I ever wanted career-wise. I actually loved it while I was there, it was so much fun and I had a blast.
"But the more I was modeling lingerie, and lingerie isn't clothing, I just started becoming more uncomfortable with it because of my faith. I'm Christian, and reading the Bible more, I was becoming more convicted about it.
"I just became so convicted of honoring the Lord and my body and wanting to be a role model for other women out there who look up to me."
Bisutti added that a conversation with her eight-year-old cousin helped motivate her to make this decision. "I was doing my makeup in the mirror one day and she was watching me," Bisutti explained. "She looked at me and was like, 'You know, I think I want to stop eating so I can look like you.'
"It just broke my heart because she looks up to me and I didn't want to be that type of person that she thought she had to do that to be beautiful," she said. "Thousands of girls that think that being beautiful is an outer issue and really it's a heart issue."
Bisutti said that while she's leaving Victoria's Secret, she's not done with modelling completely. "I'm definitely going to pursue modeling," she added. "I just want to be more wholesome about it and the jobs that I am going to choose are always going to be honoring the Lord."
AGENCY SAYS INDIA AID IS VITAL
CHRISTIAN Aid has spoken of the vital role that British aid is playing in India after the country’s finance minister reportedly said it was not needed.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Pranab Mukherjee said India does not require the aid sent by Britain’s Department for International Development (Dfid) and that the amount is a “peanut in our total development exercises [expenditure]”.
The comments were reportedly made during question time in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament.
According to the newspaper, more than £1bn of British taxpayers’ money has been sent to India by Dfid in the last five years and a further £600 million will be spent on aid to India by 2015.
Christian Aid’s senior political adviser Sol Oyuela defended the British government’s continued aid commitment to India, saying that the challenges in the booming country were still “enormous”.
“India alone is home to a third of the world’s poor,” she said.
“Inequalities in society that predate the economic boom mean that there are still a large number who suffer social exclusion, and are therefore unable to access these entitlements.
“India is not unique in failing to solve all its social problems overnight. The challenges are enormous, with child malnutrition running at about 50 per cent in states the size of Britain.
“UK aid to India is targeted at the three poorest states there, focusing the work in areas where poverty is very high.”
BISHOPS ARE 'KEY VOICE' FOR THE POOR
HOUSE of Lords bishops are a “key voice” for social justice and the poor, the Church of England’s governing body heard yesterday. The Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens told General Synod that aside from the Lords spiritual, the voices speaking up for the poor before Parliament were “few and far between”.
He said there was a “great opportunity” for bishops to speak up on the “scandal” of widening inequalities in society after the Lords spiritual helped to defeat the Government’s plans to introduce a £26,000 cap on benefits.
The bishop said: “Members of Synod may have noticed in recent weeks members of Lords spiritual being heavily involved in some of the fundamental reform agendas going through Parliament – health and social care, legal aid, welfare reform.

MARRIAGE CELEBRATED AT GATHERING
ABOUT 1,000 Christians gathered in Westminster to celebrate marriage and reaffirm their support for couples considering a lifelong commitment to one another.
Talk Marriage marked the start of Marriage Week on Tuesday and was organised jointly by the Evangelical Alliance and Bruderhof, a community of Christians with family at its heart.
Street Pastors founder Les Isaac spoke of the damage that separation and divorce can have on children, as he told of the young men he had met in prison who were “angry” because they did not have a father.
Isaac, who experienced the separation of his own parents at the age of seven, said marriage had the power to transform society. “Marriage does matter to God,” he said.
“It is not just about a piece of paper. The piece of paper gives it legal legitimacy but marriage is deeper than that. Marriage is a transformative act. It transforms people.
“It changes the way people look at each other and treat each other, and it changes their role in society.”
In a world that increasingly views sex as a natural part of being a couple whether married or not, Mr Isaac said God was able to give people the courage
and the strength to love someone and wait until after marriage before
having sex.
Contrary to the popular belief that marriage is a romance killer, he said that he had grown closer to his wife through marriage.
“When you enter into what you know God is entering you into, it builds you up and gives you hope.”
COMPROMISE REACHED FOR WOMEN BISHOPS
THE archbishops of Canterbury and York have avoided humiliation in the Church of England's law-making body, the General Synod, by putting off a split over the ordination of women bishops.
The synod voted against measures that would have given traditionalists the legal right to ignore the leadership of women bishops. The proposal by the Manchester diocesan synod would have accepted that parishes opposed to female diocesan bishops could be ministered by male bishops.
But the synod also rejected an attempt by the Southwark diocese in London to ensure bishops press on with legislation to introduce women bishops.
In spite of four days of debate, the synod agreed that its bishops could instead tinker with legislation that would allow the ordination of women as bishops, before returning it to the synod for final approval in July. If that legislation is passed, women bishops could be ordained in 2014.
It is still possible that either side could block the legislation this summer, setting back the process of ordaining women as bishops by at least five years.
The synod accepted a call from Dr Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, who asked the synod to "leave the door open" for some "bits of fine tuning".
The archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, who supported the Manchester motion, called for the synod to hold together. "The only way we can do this is by inviting the bishops to look at it. Whether it's doable I don't know, but give us another chance to see whether we can do it."
BIG READ LOOKS AT MARK’S GOSPEL
CHRISTIANS across Britain are preparing to take fresh look at Mark’s Gospel as they get involved in the 2012 Big Read.
The Big Read started in North East England in 2010, bringing together Christians from different churches to study Luke for Lent – a book written by the former Bishop of Durham, Tom Wright.
In 2011, the Big Read went digital and national, making full use of the social media that many of use every day.
More thanr 24,000 people engaged on the Project website over Lent, others chatted on social media, 5,000 accessed the book via YouVersion’s smartphone app, and nearly 20,000 copies were sold.
This year the Big Read will focus on Tom Wright’s new book Lent for Everyone: Mark.
Big Bible Project Manager Dr Bex Lewis said: “Many people give up a range of foods for Lent, but The Big Bible Project encourages you to ‘feast’ upon the Bible. Free house group materials are structured around menus and include ideas for (conversation) starters and a main course, where you get into the ‘meat’ of the Bible.”
The project encourages small groups to meet to study the Bible, but also engage globally in “Bigger Bible conversations” via social media. This year it will involve daily social media challenges – to get people talking about the material and really engaging with it.
Professor Tom Wright, formerly the Bishop of Durham, now research professor at the University of St Andrews, will be participating in a webinar on February 21 from 1pm–2pm, to launch #BigRead12.
More information on The Big Read 2012 can be found at http://bigbible.org.uk.
SOAP STAR CLEANS UP AND LAUNCHES ALBUM
A FORMER Neighbours actor who battled with drug and sex addiction has seen his success with his debut album.
Mark Stevens, who played Nick Page alongside Kylie Minogue in the 80s, was just 16 when he landed the part in the hit Aussie soap.
But his early taste of fame led him to a “rock ‘n’ roll” lifestyle that saw him hoooked to drugs.
Since then, Mark (picutred) has successfully won his fight with addiction after he found Jesus. He is now a worship leader at Hillsong Church in Australia and is a regular visitor to Abundant Life Church in Bradford.

He said: “I want to bring the message of Jesus through music. I live to bring glory to Jesus Christ!”
Last year, he launched his debut album To Be With You, which is selling well in the Christian charts.
Mark added: “The inspiration behind this album is the question, ‘Why am I on this earth?’. This question is one that constantly resounds in so many lives and I explore this through my writing on the album.”

BISHOP: CHRISTIANS SHOULDN'T BE PUNISHED
CHRISTIANS should not be punished for open displays of their faith, a Church of England bishop has said.
The Rt Rev Donald Allister, the Bishop of Peterborough, made the comments as he backed a motion supporting the right of Christians to live out their faith publicly.
As reported earlier this week by the News of the Word, more than 100 members of the Church of England General Synod have given their backing to the motion, as well as three bishops.
The comments come as a quartet of religious liberty cases involving Christians are set to appear before the European Court of Human Rights.
Two of the cases involve Christians who wanted to wear a cross at work. The Government has decided not to support the Christians, instead backing previous rulings from British courts.
The Bishop of Peterborough said that while wearing a cross “isn’t a compulsory part of Christianity”, it is important for believers to “be public about their faith as well as private”.
He commented: “I hope the General Synod will affirm that because it’s saying to those judges – not all, but to those few –, it is not quite as simple as you think.”
The bishop added: “Christianity isn’t to be privatised and shut away behind closed doors for consenting adults – it’s public.”
The motion calls on the Church of England national assembly to declare that Christians should manifest their faith “in public life as well as in private, giving expression to our beliefs in the written and spoken word, and in practical acts of service to the local community and to the nation”.
GROUP LOBBIES CHURCH LEADERS OVER OCCUPY CAMP
A GROUP of clergy, academics, and church-related figures have written to the Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, asking them to make clear their opposition to a forcible eviction of Occupy supporters from outside the Cathedral.
The move comes as the Occupy camp, which has been in place for five months, faces an eviction order that may be implemented as soon as next week, depending on the outcome of a petition to the Court of Appeal.
The high-profile Occupy London encampment is part of a global initiative opposing corporate corruption and economic injustice which has drawn together a large movement of people, including Christians and other religious groups.
The letter to St Paul’s has an initial fifteen signatories, and has been organised by Church Peace and the Christian thinktank Ekklesia.
It declares: “We are very much concerned for the impact on the Church as well as the camp of a forcible eviction. The Name of Christ will not be honoured by such an action, and the stance of the Cathedral will be seen as being at least in part responsible.
“We do not believe that the Church should ever be in a position where it is identified with oppression. Its mission and ministry is, rather, about freeing people.
“We therefore hope that the Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral will make a public statement saying that they do not support a forced eviction of the Occupy camp.”
Priest and journalist the Rev George Pitcher and Oxford biblical scholar Professor Chris Rowland are among those who have joined the appeal to St Paul’s. More will be joining it over the next few days.
Christians have also pledged to form a 'circle of prayer' to oppose eviction.
ORGANISATION RAISES FOOD AWARENESS
CHRISTIAN Ecology Link (CEL) is asking supporters to think and act on food sourcing in their local church communities and further afield.
CEL has launched a new colour leaflet on the LOAF programme principles in time for Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras), or Pancake Day, on February 12, 2012.
The key LOAF principles are that food should where possible be Locally produced, Organically grown, Animal-friendly, and Fairly traded.
There is an action letter that can be downloaded from the website, urging church leaders to adopt the LOAF principles at community facilities.
CEL hope supporters will take the opportunity to join in sending a letter to their church leaders asking that their community LOAF during Lent, and then carry on LOAFing throughout the following year, Inspire reports.
Green Christians are being encouraged to order free copies of the new LOAF leaflet to distribute during Fair Trade Fortnight, which runs from February 27–-March 11 2012, by sending an e-mail to jill-publications@christian-ecology.org.uk
CEL members and friends are being asked to submit LOAF-themed recipes which will be uploaded to the new website.
CEL's Secretary, Barbara Echlin said, "Start the LOAF ball rolling in your own church by serving pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and make them with local free range eggs, organic milk and Fair Trade sugar."
Guidance for LOAF campaigners includes the suggestion to send the campaign letter to local church leaders and regional church administrators; and asking cathedrals, conference centres, educational venues and large churches with a refectory or cafe to take part.
CENTRE TO HOST MAJOR MEN'S CONFERENCE
SCARBOROUGH Christian Centreis to host a conference as part of a groundbreaking initiative to reach men with the Christian message – and form a band of brothers to counter the exodus of men from the British church.
The national charities New Wine and Christian Vision for Men have formed a partnership to stage events with the aim of attracting men back to Christianity. The partnership was struck on the back of alarming statistics showing a vast exodus of men from church in the last 15 years.
Experts in the field of evangelism and male spirituality are leading seminars and talks at venues throughout the UK.
The Rev Carl Beech, CVM director, said: “Our movement exists to see millions of men in this country encounter the message of Jesus. Over the last 20 years 38 per cent of believing men left the church. The decline is pretty terminal and in 30 years time there could be zero men left in church communities in the UK.
POLITICAL PARTY MAKES PLEDGE OVER MAY ELECTIONS
A MEETING of the Executive of the Christian Peoples Alliance (CPA) party has pledged to turn the May elections into a referendum on Conservative and Liberal Democrat plans for gay marriage.
The Christian Democrats say the stance of all mainstream churches in Britain supporting marriage as the permanent union of a man and woman does not have the support of any of the English parties represented in Westminster, but that it would carry the unequivocal backing of the Christian Peoples Alliance.
The Policy Committee of the Christian Peoples Alliance has passed a resolution rejecting gay marriage and instead stated that "marriage in its true definition must be protected for its own sake and for the good of society."
The party also said that it would use coming election campaigns to ask "Christian voters and others of goodwill to consider carefully the far-reaching consequences for religious freedom if marriage is redefined."
GROUP’S HEAD DEMANDS CofE DEFEND MARRIAGE
THE head of Christian Concern has called upon the Church of England's governing body to defend traditional marriage.
The Government is due to begin a consultation on redefining marriage from solely a union between one man and one woman to also including same-sex couples.
Andrea Minichiello Williams today challenged the Church of England's General Synod to take a stand for traditional marriage "before it is too late".
Williams, a Synod member, urged the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to authorise an emergency debate on the issue, noting that same-sex marriage was contrary to the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer.
She submitted a Private Members Motion to the Synod asking that it "affirm the public doctrine of marriage, between a man and a woman, as set out in the Book of Common Prayer as the only basis for engagement with public policy on marriage and family life".
Addressing Synod, she said: “In Matthew 19 Jesus tells us categorically that marriage was ordained by God from the beginning of our creation as the union of one man and one woman and this relationship is a direct reflection of the relationship between Christ and the church – the bridegroom and the bride.”
RACIST ABUSE TARGETED AT ARCHBISHOP
THE police have been called in after racist abuse was sent to the Archbishop of York following comments he made opposing gay marriage.
Dr John Sentamu said in the Daily Telegraph that marriage must remain between a man and a woman.
The archbishop's office said he had received a "small number of abusive and threatening emails of a racist nature" and had reported them to police.
North Yorkshire Police said the abuse was being treated as a hate crime. A spokeswoman for Dr Sentamu said: "A large quantity of correspondence was received in response to the archbishop's interview with the Daily Telegraph, which touched on a wide range of issues.
"Amongst many positive emails that he has received, there have been a small number of abusive and threatening emails of a racist nature which North Yorkshire Police are investigating as hate crimes."
Dr Sentamu told the Daily Telegraph that he supported civil partnerships for same-sex couples, but said it was not the role of government to define what marriage was.
He said: "It [marriage] is set in tradition and history and you can't just change it overnight, no matter how powerful you are."

CAMPAIGN FOR CHRISTIANS AT WORK TO LAUNCH
A NEW crusade backing Christians who wear crosses and show their faith in public is to be launched this week, it emerged yesterday.
More than 100 members of the Church of England's General Synod, including three bishops, support the drive against the “over-zealous” use of human rights and equality laws by judges, politicians and bosses.
The Rev Stephen Trott, who is a rector in Boughton, Northampton, said Christians should be free to show their faith without fear of persecution, reports the Daily Express.
His motion, which is to be debated by the Synod this week, highlights the case of Gary McFarlane, a Christian relationship counsellor sacked for refusing to give sex therapy sessions to gay couples.
Mr Trott said: “There is a growing number of cases reported about the ways in which our freedom of expression as Christians is being limited.
This creates a climate of opposition and people feel more reluctant to talk about their faith. If the motion is passed I hope we will then have a statement on record of the view of the Church.”
Mr McFarlane and BA check-in clerk Nadia Eweida are among four Christians fighting a case in the European Court of Human Rights over religious discrimination.
CHURCHES DEMAND END OF CHEAP BOOZE
CHURCHES and charities have written to the Prime Minister urging the Government to move ahead with plans to ban cheap alcohol sales.
They want the introduction of a minimum price on alcohol units to form part of the Government’s alcohol strategy due to be published this month.
The letter outlines concerns over the toll that Britain’s binge drinking crisis is having on people’s mental and physical wellbeing, public services like the NHS and police, and the more than one million children estimated to be affected by parental problem drinking.
Christian Today reports that the letter stated: “There are various factors involved in problem drinking, but numerous studies have shown that price is the key determinant. Unless you include strong action on per unit pricing, other measures such as a ban on below-cost sales, a special tax on strong beers or a voluntary code for advertising are likely to be inadequate.
“We recognise that there may be complex legal issues involving competition law. But current levels of ill health and public disorder associated with problem drinking mean that these issues must be addressed.”
The letter has been signed by representatives of the Church of England, the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Evangelical Alliance, the United Reformed Church, Quakers, and charities Street Angels and Action for Children.
A YouGov poll commissioned by the Methodist Church last November found that 61 per cent of UK adults felt that excessive drinking was a problem in their neighbourhood.
“We have seen the effects of cheap, strong drink on our streets, in our hospitals and police stations,” the letter continues. “It is in local communities that the damage caused by alcohol misuse is felt most deeply, particularly disadvantaged communities, which continue to suffer disproportionately from alcohol-related harms.”
The letter was sent ahead of a debate in the House of Lords on Thursday on how to reduce the harm being done by alcohol consumption. The chief executive of the British Liver Trust warned earlier in the week that the number of people dying in Britain from alcohol related causes was the “equivalent of a passenger filled jumbo jet crashing every 17 days”.
Writing in the Guardian, Andrew Langford called for “strong, coherent action now”. He said: “As peers turn their attention to alcohol tomorrow, we urge them to appeal to the government that alcohol harm is at crisis point in this country.
“Until we take strong coherent action at a national, local and health service level, we will not stem the tide of damage to our health and wellbeing from alcohol misuse.”
FREE APP FOR LENT
CHRISTIAN Aid has launched a free android app designed to help people remember everything they've got to be thankful for this Lent. The Count Your Blessings app provides daily reflections and practical suggestions for giving to people in need.
The former Bishop of Durham, Tom Wright, said Lent was the perfect time for Christians to reflect on what they have to be grateful for and stand in solidarity with the poor.
“As economic and political troubles increase around the world, many of us forget just how much we ourselves have to be thankful for,” he said.
“Count your blessings is a great way of using the discipline of Lent to remind ourselves of just how fortunate we are – and of the very practical ways in which we can share our blessings with those in greatest need.”
The app was made for free by Alex Connell, the husband of a Christian Aid staff member, after he found out that budget constraints had put the project on hold.
“In the past I had helped out making videos and serving as a barman at a charity quiz night but as I’ve been a software developer for 14 years I thought this was the perfect project to get involved with," he said.
“What I liked about this app is the unique approach of making people think about who it is they’re helping with donations, telling them how Christian Aid will support them and making us realise how lucky we are to live the way we do. It’s good to know code I’ve written might help improve or even save lives.”
Lent starts on February 22 this year and a children's version has also been made available for use at home or with Sunday schools throughout the season.
Anne Phipps of Christian Aid said: “The new Count Your Blessings app is a brilliant way to help people reflect on the good things in their lives and give to those living in poverty.
“Thousands of people count their blessings with Christian Aid each Lent using our printed version, but we wanted to open up the experience to whole new group of people who are more likely to check their phone than grab a pen.”
VICAR URGES CONGREGATION TO TWEET AS HE PREACHES
A VICAR from North Somerset is inviting members of his church congregation to "tweet" him whilst he preaches.
St Paul's Church in Weston-super-Mare is using a large television screen to display comments made on Twitter while services are under way.
The Rev Andrew Alden said he wanted to engage with young adults and young people within the church.
He is making his sermons more interactive by dealing with questions and points raised while he talks.
"The Hebrews had the written word, the Romans built roads, the reformers had the printing press," he said. "I feel social media is God's gift to the church today to get the message out to as wide an audience as possible.
"My wife would describe herself as a Twitter widow, and she certainly feels I look at it too much, but it is a way of keeping up with what the young world is doing."
INTEREST IN CHURCHES GROWS
CHURCHES across the Sheffield region are reporting a surge in interest over Christmas.
While numbers in congregations have been generally dropping slightly over the year, in line with other Anglican dioceses, more than 20 of the 30 local churches that took part in a diocese study reported increases at the end of last year, according to figures released this week.
Although last year’s figures were low due to snow, there are rises when compared to the last three or four years.
St Mary’s Church in Handsworth saw the annual Christmas Eve crib service attended by 139 people – double last year’s attendance.
Christ Church, Hillsborough and Wadsley Bridge reported 182 people at their Carols by Candlelight service compared to 56 in 2007, with a rises in attendance continuing into January.
So many people attended St. Mary’s in Walkley that they ran out of Christingles at their Christmas Eve service.
A spokesman for the diocese said: “These stories are only the tip of the iceberg as many more churches saw increases year upon year.
“It is also encouraging to hear the number of churches who took the carols out to the community by singing in local pubs and around the parish.

NEW BISHOP STARTS JOB BY VISITING PRISON
A NEW bishop has called on the Church to "reach out and change society" – and has started his period in office with a visit to a prison.
The Rt Rev John Wraw, who was ordained earlier this week as Bishop of Bradwell, said he felt it was important to talk to prisoners and staff and hold services there.
Mr Wraw was ordained on Wednesday by the Archbishop of Canterbury at St Paul's Cathedral.
He said he would swap the pomp and ceremony for the unsympathetic wings of the Category B prison in Essex.
"I will be speaking to both the staff and inmates in the prison which will be very interesting," he said. "People do change when they are in prison and not everybody ends up back there again and again. I think it's very important to have a religious service there."
Mr Wraw officially took up his post last Sunday after an installation service at Chelmsford Cathedral and said he "is really looking forward" to getting to grips with the Essex public.
The 52-year-old has just moved to his new home in Horndon-on-the-Hill with his wife Gillian, and his four grown-up children have all been to visit.
WOMAN READ BIBLE TO ATTACKER AFTER THROAT IS SLASHED
A WOMAN who had her throat slashed by an intruder spent at least an hour reading her Bible to her attacker, police have said.
Lindsay Wood was attacked on Wednesday evening in her home in the US city of Shelby, North Carolina.
Shelby Police captain Rick Stafford said: “She even invited him to her church. He kept saying he was sorry, and then walked away.”
Mrs Wood and her son returned home from church around 8:30pm, and as her son moved their dustbin, the intruder sneaked past the boy. Police said Mrs Wood's son then saw the man run toward the back of the house as his mother unlocked the rear door at the same time.
Her son told police he heard his mother talking to the man but couldn’t understand their conversation. He said the man had a “deep voice,” according to a police report.
Moments later, the man pulled out a knife. He swung the blade and sliced into the right side of Mrs Wood's neck. After the attack, Mrs Wood started speaking to the man about Bible verses and church, Stafford said. She didn’t call 911 until 10:24pm after the attacker left.
Mrs Wood was taken to Cleveland Regional Medical Center for surgery and is now recovering in hospital.
HEALING GROUP'S LEAFLETS BANNED
A CHRISTIAN group has been banned from claiming it can heal people after complaints to the advertising watchdog.
Healing on the Streets - Bath (HOTS) stages regular sessions outside the city’s abbey and says "scores of people" have been "physically healed" as a result of its work.
But atheist Hayley Stevens, from Wiltshire, took offence to the group’s adverts and claimed it could give terminally-ill people false hope.
She complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to say the claims by HOTS could "not be substantiated" and were "irresponsible".
The ASA upheld her complaint, stating that testimonials found on the group’s website were 'insufficient as evidence for claims of healing'.
But Christians have reacted furiously to the decision, saying the ASA is trying to ban the "basic Christian belief that God can heal illness".
The watchdog has now told HOTS not to make claims which stated or implied that, by receiving prayer from their volunteers, people could be healed of medical conditions.
In a statement, the group said: 'It seems very odd to us that the ASA wants to prevent us from stating on our website the basic Christian belief that God can heal illness.
"The ASA has even demanded that we sign a document agreeing not to say this, which is unacceptable to us – as it no doubt would be for anyone ordered not to make certain statements about their conventional religious or philosophical beliefs."
It also criticised Ms Stevens, describing her as being from a group "generally opposed to Christianity".
They added: "The response to what we do has been overwhelmingly positive, and we find it difficult to understand the ASA’s attempt to restrict communication about this."
WOMAN 'COULD PLAY PART OF JESUS'
TV bosses have not ruled out casting a woman in the lead role of Jesus Christ Superstar after launching a search for a new musical star.
Impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber will lead the hunt for someone to fill the role in his new ITV show, after four series at the BBC.
Auditions will take place in London, Dublin, Belfast, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff, with the most promising new talent performing on stage in front of Lloyd Webber and a panel of judges. The winner will have a lead role in an arena tour of the rock opera, which will open at London's O2 Arena.
A source close to Lloyd Webber said plans to cast a woman in the role first performed by Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan were "being discussed".