Newsbites

Pirates kill Christians

Four Americans were shot dead by the pirates holding them hostage just as the US navy was trying to negotiate their release. The shots, and the launch of a rocket-propelled grenade, prompted American special forces to storm the yacht that had been hijacked by the Somalis in the Indian Ocean. Two pirates were killed and 15 arrested. The yacht was owned by a Christian couple, Jean and Scott Adam, who had been sailing around the world for seven years, distributing Bibles at their ports of call. They died along with Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, who had been holidaying aboard the SV Quest. A pirate source later claimed that the hostages were only shot after the navy tried to board the ship.

Sources: The Guardian (22/2); The Independent (23/2)

Government Pays CofE for Community Initiative

The Church Urban Fund has been given a £5m grant for its community cohesion project. The Church of England charity’s Near Neighbours scheme aims to build relationships by bringing people from differing faiths – and no faith – together in shared activities. The charity will give grants of up to £5,000 to anyone who has a proposal that will encourage cohesion. Bread-making and music groups have already proved useful activities in uniting people from diverse backgrounds. The three-year project will begin in Birmingham, Bradford, Leicester and east London. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles praised the Church’s community work and encouraged people to get involved in Near Neighbours. The Church applied for funding in November, when spokesman William Fittall implied that Near Neighbours was more cost-effective than the previous government’s £61m counter-extremism strategy.

Source: The Guardian (20/2)

Church leaders offer prayers after Christchurch earthquake

Heads of churches around the world have been expressing their shock and promising to pray for the devastated community in Christchurch, New Zealand. The collapsed spire of Christchurch’s historic Anglican cathedral epitomised the disaster, the death toll from which was rising through the week. The Salvation Army has appealed for donations to help the survivors, in a city that already had two-thirds of its 160,000 homes damaged by a quake in September. Among the leaders publicly offering prayers were the Anglican archbishops of New Zealand and Polynesia, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Pope, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland.

Sources: Christian Today (22/2); Ekklesia (22/2); The Church of England Newspaper (22/2); Catholic Herald (23/2);

Archbishop washes feet of child abuse victims

The Archbishop of Dublin washed the feet of victims of clerical abuse on Sunday, to symbolise the Catholic Church’s remorse and request for forgiveness. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston first lay face down in front of the altar, and later knelt to wash the feet of five women and three men – some of whom held hands and wept. Cardinal O’Malley is investigating the Dublin archdiocese’s handling of the sex abuse scandal. The Archbishop said: ‘For covering up crimes of abuse, and by so doing actually causing the sexual abuse of more children... we ask God’s forgiveness.’ Later, Archbishop Martin made a speech admitting the Irish Church was in crisis, that it may become a ‘minority culture’ and that it would relinquish control of primary schools.

Sources: Daily Mail (21/2); Irish Examiner (23/2); Irish Central (24/2)

Christians urged to pray for Libya and Middle East

Evangelical Anglican leader Nicky Gumbel is calling Christians to pray for good to come out of the revolutions happening in the Middle East. The Holy Trinity Brompton minister said we need to pray for justice in countries like Libya, where hundreds of protesters have died. Even in Egypt, the future is uncertain. The President-Bishop of the Middle East’s Episcopal Church, the Most Revd Mouneer Anis, says that demonstrations are continuing in Cairo, due to the economic situation, and his church gathers ‘every day to pray for the country and its people.’ The Episcopal Church is feeding people who have lost their jobs, but is itself now in need of financial help. The World Council of Churches has called for ‘a non-violent and just resolution of the conflict’ in Libya.

Sources: Premier Radio (23/2); Church Times (25/2)

Nun kicked out for Facebook addiction

For most people Facebook is a good way to socialise, but to her superiors in the convent, Sister Maria Jesus Galan’s pastime was a bad habit. The nun nicknamed ‘Sister Internet’ by her own colleagues has been evicted from her order for spending too much time on the site. The Spanish nun, cloistered since the age of 21, got hooked on the web after Santo Domingo el Real convent in Toledo got its first computer ten years ago. The aim was to keep informed on world events and to bank online, reducing the need to go outside the community, but after helping to digitise the convent’s archives, Sister Maria discovered Facebook and made 600 friends. The 54-year-old now plans to travel, to see the world she’s been missing.

Source: Daily Mail (19/2)

Letters:

Scarcliffe 100 up club.

Hi Tony   Daddy & I have drawn the winners of Jan & Feb 2011 100 up Club, as follows   100 UP CLUB 2011   Jan 1st  Judith Allen 2nd  Michael & Gilly Hyslop 3rd  Betty Hopkinson   Feb 1st  Pat Atkin was drawn so given to Oliver Crotty 2nd  Marjory Rowland 3rd  Robert Saxton   Thank you to all for your continued support.  Anthony Marriott has now taken over the running of this club so please forward this years subscription to him.  Telephone 01246 822340

Gillian Hyslop

Easter Flowers

Donation for flowers in memory will be greatly appreciated before Easter. These can be given or sent to Mrs Norma Rhodes, 54 Rowthorne Lane, Glapwell, or brought to church, or given to Church members. Please include the name or names for the list which will be on display at Church from the Easter Weekend.

From the Flower Group.

Proposed Craft Exhibition

To be staged in Ault Hucknall Church

Saturday 28th to Monday 30th May. (Spring Bank Holiday)

The Exhibition will depend entirely on how much support it receives in the way of items of interest.

Any craft, cards, boxes, drawings, decoupage, embroidery, flower arrangements (silk or fresh), Jewellery, patchwork, quilting and woodwork and any other I don’t know about will be appreciated.

It would be helpful to have offers including a description and measurements around 2nd May to help plan the exhibition. These could be given to Mrs D Wheeldon, Mr K Jones or me. More information later, and look forward to seeing you.

Sheena White

From your Neighbourhood Police

Three reports have been received regards purse thefts whilst shopping at supermarkets today on Tuesday 22nd February. One occurred in Staveley, one in Belper, & one in Chesterfield.

It appears the offenders distract the elderly or vulnerable shopper with questions about products & the purse is then removed without them realising it.

Please make sure you keep your bags & purses secure when out & about. Never put your bags in your trolley or on the hook, it only takes a second for someone to take it when your attention is elsewhere.