The world's newest country

Here's a couple of updates on the world's newest country - South Sudan.

There's this very helpful video from the BBC which is a great overview of the whole independence movement.

There's a letter from the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan detailing their framework and guidance for the new country.

And here's a report from the Barnabas Fund about the fighting around the border between North and South.

The Scariest Verses in the Bible?

For Mike McKinley (and many others), it would be Matthew 7:21-23:

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

So Mike's written a new book, Am I Really a Christian? to help people investigate Christianity. He says,

Let's be honest, churches all over are full of (and empty of!) people who wear the label "Christian" but don't know Jesus and aren't known by him. I wrote "Am I Really a Chrisitan?" in order to help those people see their ongoing need for Jesus and his salvation.

There is also a new website, www.amireallyachristian.com, with answers to common questions like What is the gospel, What is a nominal christian and I'm a good person, is that enough?. There's also a US-only church finder.

You can preorder the book now. It's due out mid-July.

Talking about Death

Here's a post we did a couple of months ago with 7 tips on talking about death. We thought we should bring it up again to help you as you chat with friends, family and colleagues who saw the Terry Pratchett documentary on euthanasia.

So here's seven things to say on the subject cast in a more positive frame:

1. It's bad news for doctors. Their hippocratic oath commits them to "do no harm." Their job in any circumstance is clear and easy. Their role is to preserve life, not destroy it. To involve them with "another option" is simply unfair to them. Ask back - why do you think that every single one of the medical Royal Colleges voted unanimously to reject the proposals last time they came round? Because doctors will be the ones asked to perform the injection - and they just don't want to be involved.
   
   
2. It's unfair to the weak and vulnerable: many of whom already carry a vast burden of guilt that they are a burden to others. Giving them this option will inevitably encourage some to take it.
   
   
3. It encourages greed from relatives. Anyone who has had a relative die, and been involved in family arguments about the will knows how tortuous these things can be. People appear out of the woodwork when there is the possibility of a cash handout. Family relationships are strained. Legalised suicide will move this process back a step when someone is alive, leading to people being encouraged to take the option.
   
   
4. It denies the real possibility of medical advance: It is curious that this has become more of an issue when almost daily there are reports of breakthroughs in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's or heart disease or cancer. How dreadful to pull the plug on dear Uncle Eric, and then discover two months later that his "incurable disease" has suddenly become less than terminal...
   
   
5. It assumes that we can make good choices. Who draws the line? Who decides what quality of life is? Who decides what My friend Gerald who lives a life of struggle with Cerebral Palsy would no doubt not have been born today, but loves his life, and has a rich life in his mind. As Christians, we would want to say that only the Lord has the wisdom to make such decisions, because no one else can see the totallity of the circumstances.
   
   
6. Emotive cases make bad laws. Of course the pro lobby holds up cases where it seems the compassionate thing is to allow them to die. Our hearts bleed for them. But a law would be applied to everyone - including the growing millions of aged people where the issues are so much less clear.
   
   
7. Check out the track record of Holland, Oregon and Switzerland. These are all places where assisted suicide is legal, and they are often held up as fine examples. Despite the hype, just googling on this will throw up ghastly horror stories, like the Oregon woman diagnosed with terminal cancer who was denied treatment but was offered the funding to pay for suicide.
   
   

Full post here

Christianity Explored website review

www.christianityexplored.org has now had over 50,000 visitors since its launch last month. A great initial response which we're all very excited about and thankful to God for.

We're about to have a fun review/planning meeting about the site and would love your feedback on the site.

• What do you like?
• What do you hate?
• What do you want more of?
• What do you want less of?
• What have we done well?
• What could be done better?

Do post a comment below as we read them all and want this great site to keep getting better and be more useful as time goes on.

Why Christianity Explored is good for the whole church!

Christianity Explored is an evangelistic Bible Study course with a difference. Fine-tuned by Rico Tice, minister for evangelism at All Souls Church in London, it uses Mark’s Gospel to explain the Christian gospel. It encourages the church to do evangelism as the church, and not merely as isolated individuals.

The materials for Christianity Explored come in an attractive package of DVDs with clear and well-produced study materials. Rico himself is a gifted communicator with a warm, gracious and infectious enthusiasm for the gospel and the church.

There are many reasons why Christianity Explored is such a helpful tool for our churches.

1. The church can use it together. Guests are welcomed by a fellowship of Christians who get to know and love them in a context of open-hearted friendship. We often began with a simple meal. This was the church being itself—God’s evangelistic community. The transforming work of Christ in our members’ lives and in their fellowship with each other can become evident to our guests. The gospel can be “seen” as well as “heard.”
2. The whole body is needed. Christians who are gifted in helping to explain the faith can serve together with those whose greatest gift is a welcoming and caring heart, or cheerfully serving meals. Everyone can have a vital part. The power of a transformed community is visible. That is a profound New Testament principle!
3. Genuine relationships are built. Guests become free to ask whatever they want to. If our members could not answer a question, they promised to find it for the next meeting. There was no pretence of easy (and sometimes wrong!) answers to tough questions!
4. Christ speaks in Mark’s Gospel. Christ “walks off the pages,” revealing his identity, enabling people to understand why he came, why they need him, and how to become Christians.

This kind of fellowship in evangelism stimulates our own people to search the Scriptures better themselves. It binds them together in real fellowship as they pray together, are nervous together, and as together they see God work. As the Lord draws people to himself through his Word, expectation is increased that, on an ongoing basis, the Lord will bring more people to himself. That in turn leads to greater expectation in prayer as we ask him to do just that. At least this was certainly our experience.

Christianity Explored is no more than a tool; but it is a fine tool. And since there is nothing in the world more important than exploring Christianity, it provides a most helpful way of doing just that.

I’m Glad You Asked: Why Does God allow suffering?

A question on lots of people’s lips at the moment is why God allows all the suffering and pain in the world.

What has been your response in the light of the earthquakes and tsunamis that have struck our planet over the last few months?

All responses welcome.

I’m Glad You Asked: (Let’s be honest, sometimes we’re not!)

Some questions that people ask are tough. And that’s why we’re putting together a resource that gives short answers to the 11 most commonly-asked questions we face.

So, if you were asked ‘How do you know that God exists?’ what would you say? Who or what would you call on as evidence? What stories, illustrations, sound bites have you found helpful?

Promoting an Evangelical Future for Anglicanism

Do you know anyone setting off into ministry in the Anglican church?

This is the conference for them.

More information, including speakers, programme, cost, etc, can be found over at the Ugley Vicar's blog.

The aim of the Conference is to identify and encourage the next generation of Anglican Evangelical clergy leaders who will take on the strategic challenges for the Church of England of the mid twenty-first century.