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Community growing schemes are enabling churches to develop relationships with people who would never come to a Sunday service; because of that, opportunities arise for church members to pray with their neighbours in times of need or struggle. It is a new expression of what church is and can be when relating to the unchurched neighbourhood. Community gardening initiatives vary from gardens whose object is to provide social connection to sustainable food production, supplying foodbanks and other areas of need. Some churches are involved in both. The environmental adviser to the Archbishops’ Council sees the potential for community food-growing alongside therapeutic gardening in initiatives such as the Church Times Green Church Awards, churchyard initiatives, biodiversity projects, and the target to be carbon-neutral by 2030. There is a huge surge of interest from people wanting to grow something.
Praise: God for the various gardening expressions of church in rural and urban communities. (Genesis 1:12)
More: www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/5-june/features/features/yes-we-are-interested-in-growth |
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A priest in St Albans diocese is beating the ban on public worship inside churches while complying with lockdown restrictions. He will hold communion services in his church’s garden of remembrance. Canon Charles Royden has announced that he will be holding services under the ruling that allows an outdoor gathering of a maximum of six people. He is taking telephone bookings for five people to attend at half-hourly intervals in the church grounds on Sunday. He has already filled twelve services, from 9.30 am to 3 pm, and is taking reservations for the following weekend. Service duties will be shared with his colleague, Rev Dr Sam Cappleman. Canon Royden said the new rules say we can now share food and drink and enjoy outdoor picnics and barbeques. So the sharing of the holy sacrament is no longer prohibited. The possibility of catching Covid-19 from this practice is considered to be extremely low.
Praise: God for innovative church services that keep within government and canon law. (Psalm 119:101)
More: www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/12-june/news/uk/vicar-goes-al-fresco-to-beat-eucharist-ban |
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British port cities grew wealthy transporting slaves to the Americas. On 7 June Bristol protesters tore down a statue of a slave trader whose company branded its victims with the company’s initials on their chests. Unfortunately on a weekend that marked the anniversary of D-Day, Sir Winston Churchill’s statue was also defaced as agitators chanted, ‘Churchill is a racist’; and at the Cenotaph, a monument to those who died for free speech and democracy, a protester tried to set fire to the Union Flag. Pray that Black Lives Matter marches are not muddled with wilful criminal damage. The government has been accused of appalling treatment of British Caribbean citizens who came to rebuild Britain after World War II. Sadiq Khan and many others are calling for all statues and street names linked to slavery to be taken down. The first to fall was a statue of slaveholder Robert Milligan at Docklands.
Pray: that as social and economic structures are upset, leaders and society will reorder attitudes and actions in a just and equal manner. (Deuteronomy 26:7)
More: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-52977088 |
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Nurses who have lived away from home since the early days of the pandemic to avoid the risk of infecting their families were interviewed recently. One says she fears that cases will begin to rise because members of the public, unlike medical staff, seem too eager to ‘move on’. Another said that her friend was admitted to her ward and it shocked her to see her friend fighting for breath and so ill. Thankfully she is now improving but the nurse said, ‘We are still admitting patients on to the Covid ward and I don’t see much sign of it stopping. Some people tell us they have not been social distancing – they have been with relatives, or to other houses. I definitely think it is going to get worse before it gets better, because people just think that it is over.’ Pray for God to strengthen and comfort our frontline workers.
Pray: for God to inspire vulnerable communities to obey lockdown directives. (Psalm 119:34)
More: www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52985781 |
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MSP had developed a gastric ulcer and other gastroenterological problems in 2019 and had a temporary stoma bag fitted. He told his parents and doctors that he ‘utterly loathed’ it and that he would rather die. As his condition developed he wrote an ‘advance directive’ in February 2020, refusing a permanent stoma or any medical treatment preventing him from living independently. His temporary stoma was removed on 14 May and he experienced sepsis. The only way to save his life was to fit a stoma bag immediately. He chose to have the bag inserted; he wanted to live. The doctors made an urgent out-of-hours application to Mr Justice Hayden to determine whether that life-saving treatment was or was not in his best interests. Even though he had changed his mind and his parents and doctors requested life, the judge ordered the withdrawal of life support.
Pray: for this case to be reviewed by the Court of Appeal, and for justice and mercy to protect God’s precious gift of life. (Hosea 6:6)
More: us2.campaign-archive.com/?u=bed173cc9adfcad1e0e442a35&id=ea520b2a62&e=354f1ab5aa |
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Many of England’s pupils are set to miss six months of lessons. There is a call for the Government to organise a task force to prevent the potential inequality around children’s education. Pray for practical, workable plans to ensure that children can continue to reach their full potential. English schools and colleges must submit their estimated grades for GCSE and A-levels by 12 June. Pupils will be ranked from highest to lowest in achievement. Exam regulators have issued guidance on how to make the process as fair and accurate as possible. Many pupils are nervous about their estimated grades. Pray for those unsure of achieving the grade 4 or above needed in maths and English. May peace replace panic. Plans for all primary children to return before the summer have been dropped. The education secretary said there was a cautious, phased return to school: ‘if schools had the capacity, they could take more pupils if they chose.’
Pray: for helpful workable future plans to recover lost teaching time, and for peace of mind for parents and teachers. (Proverbs 22:6)
More: www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52992226 |
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Home Office figures show 5,000 attacks on Met Police officers, almost half of which resulted in injury. There is concern that during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that number will rise. A video showing officers being attacked in north London on 10 June is circulating on social media. A member of the public flagged down two police officers, a man and a woman, saying he had been assaulted and directed them to the alleged attacker. As an officer attempted to speak with those involved, one of them became aggressive, and a struggle ensued. A number of others became involved whilst the officer was on the ground, and passers-by filmed the attack – but did not step in to support the overwhelmed policewoman, who was attempting to keep people away. She was injured in the process before more officers arrived to assist and arrest the two men. Both officers suffered injuries that did not require hospital treatment. The Metropolitan Police Federation said, ‘We are not society’s punchbags.’
Pray: for communities to respect peace-keeping police. (1 Peter 2:17)
More: /www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-53002948 |
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During lockdown written answers were given to various bishops’ questions on free school meals, on coal and renewable energy in India, on modern-day slavery and the two-child benefit limit. Parliament met in Westminster and online from 2 June. The Bishop of Chelmsford began each virtual sitting day in the Lords with prayers, spoke in a debate on the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked the Government about reducing poverty by raising universal credit payments. The Bishop of St Albans entered the debate on Hong Kong protests and supported regulations on direct payments to UK farmers; while the Bishop of Winchester asked the Government about the impact of Covid-19 on apprenticeship schemes. Also, 2020’s national parliamentary prayer breakfast will be live-streamed this year on Tuesday 30 June from 8.30am. The Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin will address the theme of ‘Hope and peace in a time of fear and suffering’. See
Pray: for our bishops and Christian MPs as they bring God‘s determinations into discussions and decisions at this crucial time. (Psalm 20:4)
More: churchinparliament.org/2020/06/04/week-in-westminster-1-5-june-2020/ |
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Christian Concern recently urged the Government to trust pastors to reopen churches, as churches are more than Sunday services. They are food banks, restore people’s mental and spiritual wellbeing, and offer many other vital services. If workplaces throughout Britain are trusted to make wise decisions around reopening, why not the church? The one-size-fits-all ban treats gathered church worship as a luxury and wrongly stops responsible pastors from making the decision themselves. The government has asked for more time to respond to the reopening request, saying collective worship could take place next month. See
Pray: for churches to be allowed to serve their communities fully in their commitment to the wellbeing of their parish. (Proverbs 16:3)
More: christianconcern.com/ccpressreleases/church-leaders-urge-government-to-reopen-churches/ |
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As governments across Europe seek ways to reopen borders, the EU is calling for a coordinated approach, especially as it seems each country is drawing different conclusions on how best to proceed. What happens over the coming weeks and months will be important both for ‘key’ travel as well as tourism. In May, the EU set out plans for a phased restart of travel from 15 June, giving guidelines about lifting restrictions at the internal borders. European legislation provides a framework for such reopenings. ‘It is up to each member state to decide how to regulate its own borders, but they must do so within the framework of the Schengen Code for the Schengen Area,’ said European law professor Alberto Alemanno. See
Pray: for each country’s health ministry to have wise insights as it examines data about tourism opportunities and health needs. (Ephesians 2:14-16)
More: mcusercontent.com/ffd99da83edd4244458b59317/files/86d0e0af-23dc-489c-b1c6-431a2d011f85/Canopy_89_English.pdf |
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Thousands of Dutch minks became infected with coronavirus and were culled. Researchers are now urging other countries such as Denmark and Spain to test their animals, after infected minks passed the virus on to several mink farmers. The Dutch government says the culling is to prevent farms from becoming long-term reservoirs of Coronavirus. The animals were first infected by their handlers in April. In May, the government identified two cases in which humans had been infected by sick animals – the only animal-to-human transmissions known since the global outbreak began in China. The Humane Society is calling for the 24 countries still allowing mink farming to evaluate evidence from the Netherlands.
Pray: for God to inspire scientists across the nations to work in unity and eradicate coronavirus from humans and animals. (Proverbs 15:22)
More: www.bangkokpost.com/world/1930444/dutch-cull-minks-linked-to-virus |
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George Floyd’s death sparked protests against racial inequality and police abuse around the world. Black Americans are three times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans. Transparency International reports that police abuse takes many shapes and forms, and is not unique to the US. In the first two weeks of lockdown in Nigeria extrajudicial killings enforcing the regulations claimed more lives than the virus itself. Across Africa, people think the police are the most corrupt group in their country, 47% of Africans believe that most or all police are corrupt, with 28% having paid a bribe to a police officer in the previous year. Pray for improved tools for citizens to report abuses by law enforcement officers. The police also earned the highest bribery rates in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa. Innocent people should never have to fear for their life or their livelihood when they encounter a police officer. See
Pray: for anti-corruption reforms that prevent police abuse, hold offenders liable, and deliver justice for the victims. (Proverbs 21:15)
More: www.transparency.org/en/news/citizens-speak-out-about-corruption-in-africa |
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As attacks on Christians continue in northern Nigeria, we can pray for Christians there, asking the Lord to end the killing and suffering for being a believer. ‘Father, may their witness be vibrant, as a lamp set on a hill. May their lives and actions demonstrate Your goodness. Give them hearts for reconciliation and forgiveness instead of revenge. Heal the broken-hearted. Comfort the mourning. Bind up the wounded. Be a father to the fatherless. Let our brothers and sisters know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge, that they may be filled with all the fullness of You. May they be rooted and established in Your love. O Lord, empower those who minister in the most difficult areas with new strength. Refresh their spirits and fill their cups to overflowing. May the gospel of Your peace that they share bring peace to this place of turmoil.’
Pray: for God to soften the hearts of every Islamist leader and fighter in northern Nigeria, impressing them with His love so that they, too, will long to know and serve Christ. (Proverbs 4:4)
More: etools.vomusa.org/a/vombm/viewasweb/vom_bulk_email_202006_03_web.html |
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One under-reported story in the Los Angeles race riots is the targeting of synagogues, Molotov cocktails thrown at Jewish businesses and looting in the cities Jewish area. Among the vandalised synagogues was the Congregation Beth Israel which was covered with graffiti that read ‘Free Palestine, F— Israel’. The Conference of Jewish affairs says much of the destruction and defacement of Jewish synagogues and stores is deliberate – targeted acts of anti-Semitism. A law professor said, ‘At least one African-American rights movement has been accused of anti-Semitism in the past. We have known for years that a movement affiliated with Black Lives Matter is anti-Jewish. In 2016 they used the word ‘genocide’ to describe Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. It is a tragedy that Black Lives Matter – which has done such good raising awareness of police abuses – has moved from its central mission and declared war against the Jewish people.’
Pray: for the safety and dignity of Jewish institutions and individuals. (Psalm 31:20)
More: godreports.com/2020/06/l-a-rioters-targeted-jewish-synagogues-and-shops/ |
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These pandemic days are not lost days. Even with global lockdowns and slowdowns, the opportunity for the gospel has accelerated. Michael Oh, global executive director / CEO of the Lausanne Movement, looks toward a post-Covid era of mission, one in which creative, bold leaders envision new mission strategies and collaboratively build the community that we want for the future. To read his comments, click the ‘More’ button.
Pray: for God to help His Church as it rearranges outreach activities to the nations. (Romans 14:11)
More: www.lausanne.org/updates/3-needs-for-global-mission-in-the-post-covid-19-era |
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Islamist violence against Christians has surged, causing thousands to flee their villages. Recently armed jihadists launched three attacks within 48 hours that left 58+ dead. Fifteen died when a convoy of Christian traders, including children, was attacked on 29 May. On 30 May, Islamists opened fire at random in a cattle market, killing 30+ people and injuring many more. On the same day a humanitarian convoy was attacked, claiming the lives of six civilians and seven soldiers. Another twenty were injured, and a number were reported missing. A survivor said it was clear that militants were targeting Christians and humanitarians taking food to a camp of mainly Christian villagers who fled jihadi violence. The vicious attacks targeting Christians began in April 2019 when a pastor, his son, and four members of his congregation were shot in cold blood for refusing to convert to Islam.
Pray: for more protection to surround Christian villages and churches. (Psalm 20:1)
More: news.barnabasfund.org/Jihadists-kill-58-people-within-24-hours-in-attacks-targeting-Christians-in-Burkina-Faso/index.html |
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Turkish prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for over 200 people accused of links to an outlawed group the government blames for the 2016 failed coup. Security forces are searching for 191 people, 181 of whom were active members of the air forces. Prosecutors also named suspects found on the messaging app ByLock which was used by followers of cleric Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan blames Gulen for the 2016 coup attempt that left 250+ dead and 2,000+ injured. Gulen, who lives in self-imposed American exile, denies involvement in attempting to unseat Erdogan. The latest arrests are part of a renewed push to suppress the group as parliament resumes debating a controversial bill boosting the powers of a neighbourhood watch force – Erdogan’s latest effort to tighten his grip on the country. The legislation would allow 28,000 watchmen to frisk citizens, demand identification, search their cars, and use weapons if needed.
Pray: for democracy to forge a peaceful way forward for the nation of Turkey. (2 Samuel 22:37)
More: www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/06/turkey-arrests-warrants-gulen-coup-erdogan-crackdown-feto.html |
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Nepal has a constitutional obligation to guarantee press freedom, but over ten journalists have been threatened for their coronavirus reporting since late March. One victim of death threats is the manager of Radio Janakpur, threatened after his programme described the carelessness of a coronavirus tracking centre established by a local hospital. As he left his radio station he was accosted. He now feels ‘constantly under surveillance’ whenever he goes to Janakpur. A reporter for another radio station and website was accused of sowing fear and spreading fake news after he covered the case of a woman placed in quarantine. While the ruling party and regional officials try to control media coverage and intimidate reporters, the opposition Congress Party also threatens journalists. A website editor was told, ‘You could lose your life for writing such news’, after his site reported a politician for not cooperating in quarantining someone suspected of having coronavirus.
Pray: for freedom of press, and an end to censorship and intimidation. (Proverbs 22:21)
More: rsf.org/en/news/nepalese-journalists-threatened-attacked-and-censored-over-covid-19-coverage |
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Prayer Alert is produced in partnership with
The World Prayer Centre, Cornerstone House, 5 Ethel Street, Birmingham, B2 4BG, England.
The views expressed in Prayer Alert and on our website are those of the authors, organisations and websites named, and are not necessarily those of the Prayer Alert Editorial Team, the Prayer Alert Steering Group or the World Prayer Centre or any of its employees or trustees. While we try to ensure that the information we provide is correct, mistakes do occur and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of our material. If you do notice any mistakes then please let us know.
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