Eurovangelism Job Vacancy

Eurovangelism is looking for someone with excellent communication and organisational skills to join our team in Bristol as our UK Partnership Coordinator.

This key role involves motivating and organizing the churches, individuals, and organizations in the UK that participate in our Harvest for the Hungry food project, our short-term teams programme, and our Humanitarian Aid work.

For more details contact David Roderick on 0117 961 5161 or email office@eurovangelism.org.uk

Marvin Rees/Recession morning audio

Here's the MP3 audio from the Marvin Rees/Recession morning. Unfortunately, we've not had time to compress/edit it that much so you can download it straight here.

Part One (56.9MB)
Part Two (71.9MB)

Original event postings are here
http://bcanblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/so-that-was-churchs-response-to.html
http://bcanblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/bcan-13th-june-churchs-response-to.html

Stop the Traffik: North Bristol

An evening to raise awareness of people traffiking in Bristol and to find out what we can do to campaign against it. The meeting is this Thursday 25th June at 7.30pm. It's happening at Oasis Academy Brightstow (old Portway school) in Shire. There will be a police officer there who investigates traffiking in our city, and a woman who runs another anti-traffiking group in Bristol. Please come if you can and/or spread the word to anyone else who might be interested.

If you want to know more check out www.stopthetraffik.org and if you can't make this Thursday but would be interested in coming to an anti-traffiking group email sttnorthbristol@yahoo.com

Christians Urged to Urgently Sign Petition over 'Gagging of Free Speech' on Biblical View of Sexual Conduct and Marriage

CHRISTIANS across the UK have been urged to sign a petition calling on the Prime Minister to abandon plans to prevent Christians from openly explaining what they believe the Bible says about sexual conduct.


he Christian Legal Centre, which has represented many Christians in high profile cases where employers have denied Christians the right of freedom of speech on moral issues, has placed a Petition on its website (www.ccfon.org/petition.php) for individuals to sign on-line, or download and encourage fellow church members to sign up to before posting on to CCFON, which will hand collated petitions to the Queen, Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Lords. CCFON believes there will be “devastating consequences” to Christian witness if the Coroners and Justice Bill goes through Parliament as it stands.

Andrea Minichiello Williams, barrister and founder of the CLC says few Christian leaders or individuals realize that buried deep within the Bill is a clause which could prevent any Christian openly stating what the Bible says, and Christians have believed for 2,000 years, about issues such as homosexual conduct or even marriage.

She said: “No-one would imagine that a Bill to do with Coroners could contain anything about free speech and with all the media attention on MP expenses, this vital issue is going unreported by the media. If it got through as it stands, it would have devastating consequences for Christian witness and integrity in the UK. Church leaders and individuals Christians answering questions about their faith could well find themselves the subject of a police investigation and arrest just for speaking and living according to the Bible’s teaching on sexuality and marriage.”

Members of the House of Lords are likely to debate the clause on 23^rd June (unless date gets pushed back due to pressures of parliamentary timetable), and Mrs Williams urges Christians across all denominations to log on to www.ccfon.org/petition.php and act immediately.

The petition reads: “Preserving the sanctity of life and freedom of speech are vitally important to the preservation of liberty and good governance under the rule of law in the United Kingdom. These are under immediate threat by measures in the Coroners and Justice Bill. We the undersigned, therefore, petition HM the Queen, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the House of Lords to:

1) Protect the value of human life in the UK by opposing proposed amendments authorizing state-sanctioned assisted suicide; and 2) Protect freedom of speech by abandoning its opposition to the free speech protection clause currently within the sexual orientation hatred offence which preserves the right to, discuss, criticise and urge to refrain from certain forms of sexual conduct or practices.”

CCFON is also co-ordinating a Prayer Meeting on June 22, 6.30 -9pm at Emmanuel Centre, 9 -23 Marsham Street, Westminster, London SW1P 3DW, where Christians are invited to attend and bring their friends with them.

Source: http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=760

Art on the Railings Wed 24th June

Art on the Railings

From 6.30pm - Wednesday, 24th June 2009

In the grounds of St Matthew's Church, Clare Road, Cotham, BS6 5TB

This promises to be a fantastic summer evening event for all the family. Come along for great art, music and food!

The evening includes:
- Local Artists
- Music by The Ambling Band
- Barbeque & bar
- Auction and Art Sale
- Ethiopian craft stall
- and much more...

Gates open for the exhibition at 6.30pm and the band arrives around 7.30pm.

Tickets are £5 for adults, £2.50 for children and include a burger and soft drink.
For more details and tickets contact event@for-ethiopia.com or call 0117 973 3812.

All profits go towards our projects in Ethiopia. You can see more about the work of For-ethiopia on our website at www.for-ethiopia.com

"Life Beyond Debt" Campaign

'Life Beyond Debt' is the Evangelical Alliance's response to the current economic crisis.

"We firmly believe that the Bible is outspoken on issues of poverty and injustice and we want to encourage churches to be equally vocal. With their national networks and local presence, the church is uniquely positioned to help people who are in debt, have lost their jobs or are otherwise struggling with their finances.

By combining the conviction that motivates our action with the resources and organisations already established, the church can develop its engagement to bring vital aid to those who are in the greatest need."

For more information go to
http://www.eauk.org/lifebeyonddebt/

Read MP Hazel Blear's speech she gave at the Life Beyond Debt Conference on 5 Feb 2009:
http://www.eauk.org/lifebeyonddebt/blears-speech.cfm

Helping Young People Get Wiser With Money

Do you want to help parents teach their children to manage their money wisely? Then get involved by becoming a Quidz In facilitator.

Following on from the success of How to Drug Proof Your Kids®, Care for the Family has developed Quidz In, a new community programme for parents. Its unique blend of skills, information, and practical, fun things to do at home with children, helps parents teach them sound money management principles.

Care for the Family run 'train the trainer' courses for Quidz in which is a new course helping parents raise financially aware children (actually it helps parents as well!)

The two-day training (mapped to National Occupational Standards for Work with Parents) equips you to deliver this programme in your own community. You can

See http://www.careforthefamily.org.uk/quidzin/ for more details

So that was the... "Church's Response to the Recession"

Last Saturday we met at St Stephen's Cafe in the centre of Bristol and Marvin Rees led us through some 'musings' on the recession and how, not only as individual Christians but as gathered Church in the City we might be able to respond.

The subject matter brought about lots of discussion and those that gathered seem to have a real passion for the subject and also the need for a considered response. So watch this space!!

Salvation Army: Hymns in the Park 14th & 28th June, 12th July

Sunday 14th June at 5.00pm - Hymns in St George's Park
An invitation to all to come and share in this community event at 5.00pm led by The Salvation Army, Bristol Easton Band & Musicians

Sunday 28th June at 5.00pm - Hymns in Kingswood Park
An invitation to all to come and share in this community event at 5.00pm led by The Salvation Army, Bristol Easton & Bristol Kingswood Bands & Musicians

Sunday 12th July at 5.00pm - Hymns in Keynsham Park
An invitation to all to come and share in this community event at 5.00pm led by The Salvation Army, Bristol Easton & Bristol Kingswood Bands & Musicians


For more information contact
Major Paul Doust - Bristol Easton Corps
Office Telephone: 0117 955 1600
The Salvation Army

BCAN 13th June : Church's Response to the Recession

Here is an Overview of the next event

Date: Sat 13th June
Time: 9.30am – 1.30pm
Venue: St Stephen’s Church, 21 St Stephen’s Street Bristol BS1 1EQ
Cost: free
Speaker: Marvin Rees


The event is aimed at faith leaders and activists, those with an expertise and those with a passion coming together to think and pray for plans on how the church in Bristol responds to the recession:

- Pastorally: preparing to meet the pastoral/mental health needs the financial strains will place on individuals, families and communities

- Practically: mobilising the church economy (financial expertise and money) to counter the effects of the recession

- Prophetically: drawing on Biblical insights to critique the prevailing system and ask if there is and if the church should be advocating another way of doing things


Outline of event

9.30am Welcome / Registration

9.50am Introductions

10.00am SETTING THE SCENE

10.15am S1: THE PASTORAL

11.05am Coffee Break

11.20am S2: THE PRACTICAL

12.15pm S3: THE PROPHETIC

1.00pm Plenary – Conclusion & Feedback



Sessions will run something like this:
- 5 min Session Introduction
- 35 mins Discussion Time
- 10 mins Communal Feedback


Download overview of the event:
http://www.bcan.org.uk/downloads/BCAN_13thJune.doc