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| From 2 December 2003, changes to UK employment law will require churches and other Christian employers to justify the recruitment and employment of Christians to their workforce. This marks a change from the freedom religious organisations currently enjoy to employ people who subscribe to the faith-basis of the organisation without the possibility of a legal challenge. That practice will become unlawful. |
| Faithworks - Issue 1 September 2003 |
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| Over 50 million people worldwide, including men, women and children, have been infected with HIV. In the UK, one in 1000 people are living with HIV/AIDS. In Zimbabwe, as many as one in 4 have the virus. Poverty goes hand-in-hand with HIV/AIDS. People here have better standards of care and access to the best treatments," says Stephen Martin, one of two Africa Project Officers at SCIAF. |
| Scottish Catholic Observer - Friday October 10 2003 |
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| Word that Microsoft is to shut down its UK chatrooms next week comes as good news to those worried about paedophiles using the internet to seduce children. |
| War Cry - 4 October 2003 |
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The introduction of the daily Lotto draw will increase the chance of people becoming hooked on gambling, says The Salvation Army.
"Studies show that among people who played only the twice-weekly Lotto, which was widely considered as harmless, 1 in every 1,000 became addicted," says Salvation Army spokesman Captain Dean Pallant. "Under the old format, the amount people could play was limited, but now a daily fix is available the chance of addiction increases dramatically." |
| War Cry - 4 October 2003 |
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The latest figures released by Christian Research show that there are now more Sunday churchgoers in England than there are church members. 3.6 million attend, while 3.5 million are members.
Both attendance and membership are decreasing. Across the UK total membership in 1990 was 6.6 million, in 1995 it ws 6.3 million and by 2000 it was 6.0 million. By 2005 it is forecast to be 5.6 million, This shows that the rate of decline in membership is increasing. |
| Christian Marketplace - August 2003 - V2:08 |
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The United Kingdom and Norway have the strongest evangelical Christian movements in Europe, according to figures from the survey organisation Christian Research.
The survey, released in September, indicates that evangelicals account for 35.8% of Christians in the UK and for 41% in Norway. |
| Reform - November 2003 |
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| Four out of five children fear that Anti Social Behaviour Bill plans will create tension between them and the police, an independent report reveals. The Children's Society, Barnardo's, NCH, The National Youth Agency and National Children's Bureau (NCB), found that 78% of 10 to 16- year-olds fear tension will be caused if police are given the powers to move them on for no reason. |
| Christian Herald - 25 October 2003 |
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| 'The recent Scottish Church census showed that 120,000 fewer people go to church in Scotland than in 1994. |
| Christian Herald - 25 October 2003 |
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| Around 550,000 children and young people in the UK have some form of disability and/or chronic illness. Churches have a moral responsibility to ensure that these children are welcomed and nurtured. They should be involved in every aspect of church life, as well as Sunday schools and children's activities. |
| Christian Herald - 35 October 2003 |
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| Use of water from public supplies has risen by nearly 70% in the past 30 years, and that figure is still rising. The average household now uses about 350 litres (75 gallons) a day - equivalent to 140 litres (30 gallons) a day per person. |
| War Cry - 25 October 2003 |
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| Fuel poverty is when 10% or more of income is spent on fuel. Current estimates are that 50% of over-60s (2,6 million households) and 63% of single pensioners experience fuel poverty. |
| War Cry - 25 October 2003 |
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Christians involved in debt advice have welcomed the growing awareness of the cost of the UK's burgeoning credit card culture, saying that they feel the nation's debt level is reaching crisis proportions.
For instance, 23% of householders are now behind with their water bills. A big percentage are living beyond their means. |
| Baptist Times - October 23 2003 |
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In today's Britain over two thirds of adults give to charity. Christians give an average £60 a month to their churches and make additional gifts to other Christian and secular charities.
*More than half of all churchgoers (61%) contribute as individuals to their local church, while another third (34%) do so jointly with their spouse.
*Only one in 10 (15%) people give 10% or more of their income to their church on a regular basis.
*Around four in 10 people say they give at least 5% of their income to the church regularly while another one in four give less than 5% of their income to the church.
*However, three in 10 people only give to church when they are present (28%) and one in do not contribute at all to the church they are attending.
*In 2000 four in people (41%) decided how much they gave to the church on a weekly basis while another two in 10 (22%) gave regularly a portion of an annual figure.
*About two thirds (63%) of respondents gave to non-religious causes in the year 2000, while a third (33%) of respondents gave to religious causes beyond their local church.
*Three out of 10 Christians think that it is inappropriate to talk about money during the worship, while four out of Christians believe that tithing is unrealistic. |
| Churchgoers and Financial Giving, Report for the Stewardship Network of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, published by Churches Information for Mission (CIM), May 2002 in Christianity and Renewal - November 2003 |
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There are over 73,000 people in prisons in England and Wales alone. We have recently been told this is likely to increase to 110,000 by the end of the decade. A third of prisoners cannot read or write.
How glad we should be then, that out of the 165 prisons in the UK, over 130 are conducting Alpha Courses. Around 28,000 prisoners have completed, not merely attended, but completed, an Alpha Course. At a conservative estimate, well over 10,000 have made a profession of faith since the Holy Spirit began to visit prisons in a unique way in the Summer of 1994. |
| Christianity and Renewal - November 2003 |
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More Christians were martyred in the 20th Century than in the previous 1900 years of Church history.
More Christians will die today than on an average day in the Roman Coliseum.
Every 3.5 minutes a Christian will die for their belief, i.e 400 people a day.
Two hundred million Christians suffer everything from discrimination and harassment, to torture and martyrdom - just for following Christ. |
| Open Doors in Enough - Issue 4 2003 |
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