idea magazine: July / August 2015

www.eauk.org/idea

T H E M AG A Z I N E O F T H E E VA N G E L I C A L A L L I A N C E

The largest spiritual migration in history: how unprecedented numbers in the Muslim world are turning to Christ

MAHABBA

Churches working together to bring the gospel to Muslims

THEOLOGY

60 SECONDS

COLLECTION QUESTION

Should churches tithe?

We explore the biblical principle

GOOD QUESTION

BIG INTERVIEW

WELCOMING THE CONVERT

Lessons learnt from working across faiths to achieve freedom

CONNECT

The 9-5

JULY/AUGUST 2015

NEWS COMMENT FEATURES

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CONTENTS

Amaris Cole: It seems like we are in a key period for the Islamic faith, but that God is doing something amazing in the midst of it all…

idea-torial A welcoming community IS, Al Qaeda and Boko Haram have dominated the media recently, with many of the international stories we’ve covered on the Alliance website being focused on the devastation and terror these extremist groups are causing. It can seem like a desperate situation, so how should Christians react?

The number of people identifying themselves as Muslim in the UK has grown by almost 70 per cent in 10 years, from 1.6 million in 2001 to 2.7 million in 2011. Experts estimate this will increase further to 5.5 million by 2020. One member of the Alliance sees the spread of Islam as an opportunity to bring the gospel to a new group of people searching for the truth.

The Mahabba Network is passionate about motivating and mobilising everyday Christians to love their Muslim neighbours. They’re helping churches to mentor and multiply new communities of Muslim converts. We share the incredible work they are doing in the UK on pages 26 and 27.

FIVE THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW UNTIL THIS ISSUE

70 per cent of evangelicals donate to a foodbank The UK Muslim population has increased by 70 per cent in 10 years

This is a subject that many of our readers will feel strongly about. We welcome your comments and questions on the issues that arise while discussing the Islamic faith and our response.

Amaris Cole Editor

We’re on Twitter!

Follow us @idea_mag

14-15 Good news for the poor?

Our latest survey looks at poverty and inequality

24-25 Welcoming the convert

Christians and Muslims working together for religious freedom

26-27 Mahabba

Churches working together to reach Muslims in the UK

REGULARS 4-6 Connect

News from across the UK Evangelical Alliance

11 The 9 – 5

The Muslim world is seeing the “largest turning” in

A day in the life of Jamie Oliver’s food stylist

history to Christianity

18-19 Big Interview

Blur still has a superfan – new boy Gavin Calver

22-23 In the thick of it

All about Bishop Ef

We also hear from David Garrison, author of A Wind in the House of Islam, on what he’s calling the “greatest turning in history”. The 21st century has seen unprecedented numbers of Muslims coming to faith in Jesus Christ and believers’ baptisms in the Muslim world. Turn to page 30 for more.

It seems like we are in a key period for the Islamic faith, but that God is doing something amazing in the midst of it all. The Evangelical Alliance in Wales is playing a vital role by working with the Muslim community to ensure that all followers are free in their faith – and free to convert. On pages 24 and 25, Jim Stewart explains his work in insuring religious freedom for the nation.

FEATURES

12 60 Seconds with…

Meet Gavin Calver, one of the Alliance’s new directors

10

Bishop Efraim Tendero on the World Evangelical Alliance Children’s ministry and all-age worship

36 From the Archive

A story about Clive Calver and his young son Gavin…

Raising up leaders

11

Leaders’ Question – stories they didn’t teach you at Sunday School

The 9 – 5

Head Office Evangelical Alliance has moved:

Email address changes to members@eauk.org

176 Copenhagen Street, London N1 0ST tel 020 7520 3830 [Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm] fax 020 7520 3850 info@eauk.org www.eauk.org

Northern Ireland Office First Floor Ravenhill House 105 Ravenhill Road, Belfast BT6 8DR tel: 028 9073 9079 nireland@eauk.org

Evangelical Alliance leadership team Steve Clifford, Helen Calder, Gavin Calver , Fred Drummond, Elfed Godding, Dave Landrum, Peter Lynas, Chine Mbubaegbu

32

Wales Office 20 High Street, Cardiff CF10 1PT tel: 029 2022 9822 wales@eauk.org Scotland Office Evangelical Alliance Scotland, Blair Court, 100 Borron Street, Port Dundas, Glasgow, G4 9XG tel: 0141 353 0150 scotland@eauk.org

The Evangelical Alliance. A company limited by guarantee Registered in England & Wales No. 123448.

Registered Charity No England and Wales: 212325, Scotland: SC040576.

Registered Office: 176 Copenhagen Street, London, N1 0ST

JULY/AUGUST 2015

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CONNECT

News from the Alliance across the UK

Just one in four people still believe religion is a force for good in the world.

It’s time to tell the real story. Will you give a gift to tell the Church’s good news?

Many of you will have received our latest appeal, asking for your support to help champion God’s good news people: the Church. As evangelicals, we believe we are the good news people, sharing Jesus’ love in our communities. But so often the rest of society doesn’t see us as good news. In fact, more often than not it’s the opposite.

But you could help change this. Your support can put Christians in the news for a different reason.

It’s a two-fold solution that needs your support: 1.

You can help put good news stories in the media. With your help, our press office can tackle ignorance about Christianity and give voice to where evangelicals are making a difference.

2.

You can help equip and resource Christians to be the good news people we know we are. Your support will fund excellent resources, such as idea magazine, daily web articles and research reports on the evangelical population.

We need your help now, not just to continue as we have done, but to step up and do more to reshape the image of the Christian faith.

So please give a gift today – visit eauk.org/summerappeal or ring 0207 520 3848.

How did you become a Christian?

At the Alliance, we’re passionate about mission and inspired when we hear stories of people coming to faith. We’d love to hear your testimonies – whether you became a Christian 50 years ago or last week; whether at a Billy Graham crusade or through Fresh Expressions. We will be featuring some of our favourites in the upcoming magazines. Visit eauk. org/testimonies to add your story.

Taster Days The Alliance is looking to hold Taster Days for prospective church members of the Alliance in the next few months, to tell them a bit about what we do and what membership looks like. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please email membership@eauk.org IDEA MAGAZINE / 4

New-look Gather Our network of local unity for mission movement, Gather, has gone through a makeover. Following the success of our GatherNORTH conference in March, where Christians from across the business, politics, arts and media got together to discuss transformation, there’s been lots going on at Gather, including a new look website. Check out the new website and consider becoming a regular supporter of Gather’s work – gatherglobal.co.uk

Did you know We love to challenge, inspire, equip and inform you – the Church – with fantastic resources. These resources are enabling thousands of Christians like you to speak out on important issues and play a positive part in shaping culture.

17,143 people, churches and organisations are challenged and inspired by idea magazine every other month 8,383 people, churches and organisations are equipped with our latest 21st Century Evangelicals research reports on the evangelical population 9,625 people a week read our web articles on eauk.org 5,249 people enjoy a biblical reflection on a news event with our weekly Friday Night Theology emails 3,949 people receive our monthly PQ emails which have a Christian perspective on politics and public affairs To sign up to any of our regular email communications for free, visit eauk.org/ signup

CONNECT

Connecting mentors to grow leaders A new partnership initiative will link church and ministry leaders to mentors to grow and develop their leadership skills.

CPAS, Evangelical Alliance and Stewardship have joined together to provide an online gateway for connecting leaders that are looking for mentors with skilled and selected mentors.

Mentor Connect was launched due to the difficulties that many were having to find someone suitable. It is designed for those in leadership positions or area leadership roles within churches and those in senior leadership of Christian organisations.

“Many Christian leaders are excited about the opportunities for mission and ministry the Church has at this time, but they can also be daunted by the increasing expectations

on them or feel isolated,” said Roger Sutton of the Evangelical Alliance. “Mentoring is one way of providing a supportive and encouraging environment. Focused around development, mentoring provides space for reflection, growth, learning, support, encouragement, perspective and accountability.”

Mentor Connect focuses its mentoring on three areas: personal development, missional leadership and leading well with others, and has aims of developing leaders and growing churches.

Through the website potential mentees can connect with carefully selected mentors, read their profiles, and approach them. cpas.org.uk/mentorconnect

New video celebrating our unity in diversity At the Evangelical Alliance we are passionate about unity, and we believe we cannot be truly united unless we represent the UK Church in all its vibrancy. It’s why we started the One People Commission – a body of key national leaders committed to celebrating ethnicity while promoting unity.

We’ve produced an inspiring video featuring members of our One People Commission talking about the importance of unity and working together. On the video, Bishop Eric

Brown says: “One of the greatest initiatives in recent years in Christendom in this country is the formation of the One People Commission, instigated by the Evangelical Alliance… for we believe that we can spread the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ better and more effectively when we do it together.”

Watch the video online at eauk.org/opcunity

Handling stress in 21st century Wales A recent lunchtime event in Cardiff tackling stress and burnout attracted many of the city’s church leaders. Hosted by local networking organisation The Net Cardiff in association with Evangelical Alliance Wales, three speakers addressed the subjects of stress and burnout among church leaders. This was followed by a question and answer session with a wider panel of speakers.

Gethin Russell-Jones, pastor of Rhiwbina Baptist Church and one of the speakers, said: “Stress and burnout affect so many church leaders but they are too often treated like taboo subjects.

This event looked at the issues from a variety of angles, helping people to identity the symptoms of stress and also how to prevent stress taking root in the first place. As much as anything else, the event reassured people that they’re not alone in ministry and that help is at hand.

For more support for those in Christian leadership, subscribe to idea for leaders, our bi-monthly e-magazine, by visiting eauk.org/signup JULY/AUGUST 2015

Five prayer

points for the UK Alliance We’ve learnt a lot from this issue of idea, and we’ve also been praying as we’ve met some wonderful people, heard about some amazing organisations and been challenged by deep theology. Will you join us in praying for these five things this summer?: 1.

We’re delighted that Gavin Calver has just joined the Alliance as director of mission. Please pray for him as he settles in and raises the profile of the Church’s mission agenda.

2.

Please pray for churches in Scotland as they use the What Kind of Church? resource to begin conversations across the nation on God’s calling on the Church.

3.

Give thanks for the wonderful work done by many churches and Christian organisations working with children across the UK and pray that God would strengthen them in all their work.

4.

Join with us in praying for interfaith relationships and the work done by many who witness to Muslims, pray that many would come to faith in Jesus.

5.

Pray for the Alliance as we journey to a number of summer festivals and conferences to build unity, raise up Christian leaders and reach out to the millennial generation.

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CONNECT

News from the Alliance across the UK

Ignite the message in Wales One of Wales’ premier Christian youth work organisations has decided to dramatically alter its course. After a few decades of ministry based near Cardiff, Ignite will become Message Wales.

About 20 years ago, Gary Smith and Nigel James, who were both working for the Boys Brigade, had a vision to mobilise a new generation of young Christian disciples in south Wales.

Gary said: “We were passionate about reaching people, particularly young people.

But we soon realised that many young people seemed to be half-hearted about their faith and certainly half-hearted when it came to sharing their faith with their friends who were not yet Christians.”

Although Ignite became well-known throughout the UK for events and evangelism, the core of its identity lay in a six

point agreement that people signed as they caught this vision of radical discipleship.

From Ignite’s modest beginnings, Gary forged a bond with Andy Hawthorne, founder of Manchester based World Wide Message Tribe (WWMT). Last November, as The Message was growing, Gary asked God what His plans were for Wales.

Then came an offer to The Message from Gary: “What if I invited you up to Wales? Now that was never on my agenda, that’s not why I went to meet him. And when Andy remarked that it would be a partnership I said no it will be more like a takeover. We share so much DNA. We’re passionate about the same things; about evangelism, about the poor and the poorest of the poor. And it seemed to me that the things that God has called us to do in this nation, we can do a lot quicker if we do them together.”

The Message had hosted a prayer day a week earlier, bringing together its workers and volunteers from across the UK. As Gary Smith of Ignite news of global opportunities emerged, a tearful musician from Wales prayed passionately that Wales would not be overlooked in God’s plans.

The day before Gary and Andy’s meeting, one of the Message’s Directors asked Andy how they should respond to this Welsh plea.

Everything was coming together.

Gary invited The Message to start a new work in the nation, and from September 2015 this year Ignite will change its name and identity and become Message Wales.

Religious freedom in Northern Ireland Religious freedom has been under fire in Northern Ireland, with the NI Alliance’s advocacy team playing a key role in the debate.

In a ruling with far-reaching implications, a judge decided in May that business owners cannot choose which goods and services they can supply. The judge ruled that the McArthur family, who run Ashers bakery, were not entitled to decline to make a cake with an iced slogan supporting same-sex marriage and in doing so were guilty of discrimination.

Stornoway election hustings As part of the Evangelical Alliance Scotland programme helping churches to engage in the general election, the Alliance took a trip to Stornoway to host a hustings for local churches. This was a really successful event bringing together local people from a number of different churches. It was widely covered by the local media, as well as helping the Alliance build on existing relationships with churches in the Western Isles. The Alliance is committed to serving the Church right across Scotland, so it was great to be able to facilitate this event. The Scotland team also supported a number of similar events run by churches in Inverness, Edinburgh, East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire.

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Peter Lynas, a former barrister and Northern Ireland director of Evangelical Alliance, commented: “This judgment will cause great concern for all those in business. It turns out the customer is always right and businesses have no discretion in deciding which goods and services to produce. The law rightly protects people from discrimination, but it has now extended that protection to ideas.”

Peter said it will “no doubt lead to further calls to change the law.”

Daniel McArthur outside Belfast County Court.

Photo credit: Christian Institute

The family-run bakery is now appealing the decision. To find out more about the case

and the issues it examines, watch the video by the NI Alliance – vimeo.com/128302080

Glasgow prayer breakfast

Scottish public leader

In May, Alliance Scotland continued the recent trend of hosting city prayer breakfasts for church leaders with an event in Glasgow. Coming from a request by leaders themselves it was great to bring Christian leaders together to pray for each other and the many needs of Scotland’s biggest city. “We hope and pray that as a result of this meeting a group of leaders will start to develop a regular prayer network for the city,” said Kieran Turner, public policy officer of the Alliance Scotland.

The Alliance Scotland has had a number of really positive meetings over recent months as it works to develop the Scottish Public Leader programme. As part of the Alliance’s Public Leadership initiative this programme will seek to train, mentor and provide peer support to emerging leaders in different cultural spheres of Scottish life such as business, politics, media and the arts.

The response to the idea from both existing and emerging leaders has been phenomenal, so please pray for the project and the working group that is taking this forward towards a planned pilot in 2016.

News from the Alliance

JULY/AUGUST 2015

CONNECT

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AROUND THE WORLD EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE

News from the evangelical Church across the world

Refugees in Canada

Evangelical Fellowship of Canada A research partnership called the Centre for Community Based Research has produced a new resource providing information and practical strategies for Canadian congregations working with and supporting immigrants and refugees. This guide has been designed for churches who have been working with immigrants for years and those new to this ministry, and promises to help congregations reach out in an effective way. The EFC participated in the immigrant integration and settlement research, on which the guide is based.

Download a free copy of Immigrants, Refugees, and Canadian Churches: An Interdenominational Guide to Action by visiting communitybasedresearch.ca/ Page/View/Guide_to_Action

World Evangelical Alliance The WEA has released a Christian response to the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean, written by Thomas Albinson, the WEA’s ambassador for refugees, displaced and stateless people, based on Psalm 107:4 – 8. The response comes after the death of many people fleeing Africa in a bid to reach Europe, often via Italian shores. “As Christians, we need to avoid falling prey to those trying to manipulate public opinion by inciting fear. When we picture the women,

children and men coming across the sea, we must not envision them as potential terrorists and criminals. The truth is that the majority are seeking refuge from terrorists, violence, war and persecution. They are the threatened ones,” the statement reads.

“Because the refugee narrative flows from cover to cover through the Bible, we can see that God is often powerfully at work in and through the lives of forcibly displaced people.” Read the full report on worldea.org/news

The United States National Association of Evangelicals Americans evaluate churches based on their friendliness, children’s programmes, worship music, sermons and pastors according to the February Evangelical Leaders Survey.

US evangelical leaders were asked to list three criteria that Americans prioritise when choosing a church. While there was a variety of answers, 80 per cent of the responses fell into the categories of friendliness – 19 percent; children’s programmes – 19 per cent; worship music – 16 per cent; sermons – 14 per cent and pastors - 12 per cent.

Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), said: “The question asks why people choose a church.

The answer is that there is no one answer.

People choose churches for very different reasons. There are even differences in the most common answers — friendliness, children’s programmes and worship music, come in wide varieties.”

Association of Evangelicals in Africa

Refugees rescued from the Mediterranean.

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The Association reports with “shock and dismay” distress calls from church leaders in Niger, concerning attacks targeting Christians. “As this is happening, we continue to reel at the news coming out of Nigeria; killings of people and annihilation of entire villages and towns in Northern Nigeria

by Boko Haram jihadists.” The Association condemns these attacks and killings and calls on the African Union and the Security Council of the United Nations “not to sit by and watch these heinous crimes continue”.

Reports claim these attacks are connected with the Charlie Hebdo saga in Paris. The Association said: “But the question is; what do God-fearing people do in the face of provocation? As a religion of peace, how do you promote peace in conflict and adversity?

Can we only be peaceful when there is no conflict? Given the whole debate about the self-professed Islamic jihadist not being true Muslims, should the real Muslims not be circumspect in the way they vent out their anger; different from those who are supposedly claiming the Islamic religion falsely?”

European Evangelical Alliance Dedicated teens under the leadership of Gennadiy Mokhnenko, a pastor and a co-founder of the charity World Without Orphans, crossed Ukraine four years ago on bikes to spread the message of adoption.

Many of the riders were former orphans and street children themselves. The group has now decided to ride around the world.

Last summer they reached Vladivostok, a Russian city on Pacific Ocean. They have ridden for over 15,000 kilometres, inspiring families to open their heart and homes for the parentless, mobilizing churches, and engaging media and the government. One of the riders said: “I was an orphan once, but now I have a father and a mother. My dream is for every orphan to experience the same.” Hundreds of children in Ukraine and Russia have parents now because of the group’s efforts. This summer the group is heading west and will ride halfway across Europe, starting on 10 July in Kyiv, Ukraine, and finishing in September in Stuttgart, Germany. To learn more about the European part of the tour in 2015, write to info@ worldwithoutorphans.org. To learn more about fostering and adoption in the UK, contact Alliance member Home For Good by visiting homeforgood.org.uk.

JULY/AUGUST 2015

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PUBLIC LEADERSHIP

by Daniel Webster

Churches have got a lot better in recent years at having a broader horizon of what mission is, seeing all sectors and places as the necessary destination of missionaries, from the classroom to the boardroom. But in practice we sometimes still act as though mission is something only certain people are sent to do.

We need people in all sectors of society to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, and for this to happen we need Christians in all the sectors. Yet, although proximity for evangelism is essential, we also need to understand that it’s not the only form of mission. When we exercise leadership and take on responsibility, as we operate under God’s authority, we are also acting with His authority. And in doing so we have the opportunity to contribute to God’s coming kingdom.

When we pray in the Lord’s Prayer: “His kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”, we should also be challenged to match our prayers with action. Throughout the Bible we are given a mandate to be involved in the ongoing work of creation, it started with our creation in God’s own image, continued through the command to go out into creation naming animals and became ever more necessary in a world bearing the scars of the fall.

There are authorities that we exist under, and realms where authority is crucial and warranted, but there is a broader realm where worldly authorities do not reach and God’s overarching reign rules supreme – this is what Jesus meant when he said: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

All of this means that Christians should see leadership in public life as a vital part of mission, and an important way of helping the world glimpse the coming kingdom that one day will be revealed in full. Just as we now see something of God’s goodness when the sick are healed, the orphans cared for and the hungry fed, we can help the world see something of what God’s eventual IDEA MAGAZINE / 10

Public Leadership is mission

… so the Church needs to disciple public leaders perfect rule will be like when we take on leadership and exercise authority while under the authority of God, for example if we are chief executives, school governors or local councillors.

This also poses a challenge for churches.

Very practically, if people’s primary place of mission and leadership is outside the structures and services of a local church, they will have less time and capacity to contribute to those churches. An initial step for discipling public leaders could see churches encouraging their best leaders to perhaps not take on leadership within the life of the church. This also means recognising the demands some roles may make on their time; mid-week meetings, for example, might be practically impossible.

A second response for churches should be to understand what public leaders are doing and the opportunities for mission their leadership presents. This means church leaders providing space for public leaders to talk about what they do and to be prayed for by the church. And it should also be a prompt for public leaders to meet with others doing similar roles who are likely to understand the particular challenges and pressures they face. This isn’t an opt out from the life of the church but a recognition that the discipleship challenges for public leaders are likely to be different and therefore will require taking time to understand.

Many church leaders are unlikely to be

aware of what it is like to be in a position of leadership within business, media, politics or any other sector – all places in need of good leadership – and this means there is the potential for disconnection between public leaders and the Church. Public leaders need churches that give them space when it is required, that seek understanding, but vitally, also work hard to encourage them and to include them in the life of the church.

The theological understanding for why Christians should be engaged in society has filtered through the church over recent years. The role of the Church in local communities is abundant and vital.

It is serving those who need it most and providing a witness to the life giving work of Christ. But where our theological rubber really hits the road is when we take on leadership in society – when we take responsibility to transform things for the glory of God. By giving attention to how the Church disciples public leaders, we can put flesh onto these theological bones - if that’s not one metaphor too many. By showing what public leaders contribute to the mission of God and working to support these leaders we can grow a culture of public leadership within the Church. By releasing public leaders as cultural missionaries we can all play a part in contributing to the coming Kingdom of God. thepublicleader.com

THE 9-5

Food and faith:

A day in the life of Jamie Oliver’s food stylist Christina Mackenzie is a food stylist for Jamie Oliver. She lives in East London with her husband and new baby, Jonah. She goes to Christ Church, London, which meets at Mermaid Theatre christchurchlondon.org

“I usually start the day by hitting the snooze button a few times, before rushing to get ready for work – unless I have an early shoot, in which case I am up and out the door as soon as possible.

cupboard, cooking, packing up equipment, loading our vans – the list goes on. Or it could be a much simpler day, writing recipes for the Jamie magazine, or testing recipes, which involves being in the kitchen all day.

When I arrive at work I deal with emails, print off recipes that I am testing and write shopping lists. At some point along the way I grab some toast, usually involving marmite and smushed avocado. If you haven’t tried it, do it – you will never go back!

The food team is so important to what Jamie does – it covers all things foodie. We all help to make sure he is supported and that his high standards are met in every project.

There are times when I work one-on-one with Jamie, getting him set up for filming, a live demonstration or PR event, but mostly it’s in a team set-up, where we are all running around behind the scenes with Jamie there doing his thing.

My role as a food stylist in Jamie’s food team is so varied. We do everything and anything, but my main jobs are testing recipes, cooking and styling food for various shoots – photography, TV, advertising and other live events. I also help in developing recipes, prop styling (picking out props for shoots) and set dressing studio kitchens and other spaces.

There is no ‘normal’ day in the world of Jamie’s food team. One day I could be prepping for a massive shoot, which involves making lots of lists, doing lots of shopping, going to the props houses or picking out props from our

Jamie knows I’m a Christian and really respects that. To quote the thanks page in his 15 Minute Meals cook book: “Christina ‘Boochie’ MacKenzie, thanks for reigning in my swearing.” It makes me giggle, but it’s sweet I have that effect. Jamie called me Christina Scaraboochie and sung a funny song when I first met him while doing work experience in the food team about six years ago. It stuck and Boochie became my work nickname.

Evidence of Christina’s love of baking, complete with edible flowers

I have a real sweet tooth so I do love to bake, usually for other people – which doesn’t get complaints! I find it really relaxing and it is so easy to just whip up some brownies or a cake.

Sometimes if I have been cooking all day at work I am a bit over food by the evening.

Thankfully my husband is a great cook and happily whips us up a homemade curry or quick pasta. An amazing perk of the job is often we get to take home lovely cooked food, so you never go hungry.

I generally spend my evenings just chilling out. After a busy day I don’t tend to have loads of energy to do much, and I often finish working quite late, so don’t have much of an evening. When I do finish at a good time, it is always nice to eat a nice meal together with my husband or eat out together with friends. We live in a really creative and foodie area in Hackney, so we always come across new and exciting pop-ups, markets, cafes and restaurants.”

I felt God opened a door for me to be able to get the opportunity to do work experience here when I was in my second year of university. This then led to a yearlong placement in my third year and then afterwards I was offered a full-time job.

Testing a recipe at work for a Russian Easter cake JULY/AUGUST 2015

I’ve had many great conversations with people within the business and in my team about God and my faith. I feel that under the high stress and pressure that my job can sometimes bring I have an inner peace that I get from God. Many people in my team say that I’m always very calm and a peaceful influence among the team, especially during some of the more stressful situations my job can bring.

Christina with Jamie Oliver, Helen Mirren and another member of the team IDEA MAGAZINE / 11

60 SECONDS WITH…

Gavin Calver – the Alliance’s brand new director of mission After 14 years leading Youth for Christ, Gavin Calver has joined the team here at the Evangelical Alliance, tasked with heading up mission and bringing more people in the UK to faith in Jesus. Amaris Cole caught up with the son of former Alliance director general Clive Calver before he took up his new role at the beginning of June.

Tell us about your role with YFC… I served at Youth for Christ for 14 years in total. Initially I co-led the year-out teams alongside my wife Anne, before then directing the church resources department. I spent my last six years at YFC as the national director (CEO). It was such a privilege to be involved and we saw so many young people meet Jesus. I will always be grateful to YFC for all the incredible opportunities I had, and for them believing in me and helping me to grow.

What have you learnt from YFC that you’ll bring to the Alliance?

In truth there’s loads from my time at YFC that I bring with me to the Alliance. Working with young people you need to be even more innovative and creative than with any other age group in order to engage them.

I hope to bring this edge with me and to grow it further in the years ahead. Most importantly though, I carry the heart of an evangelist and I join the Alliance with an utter desperation to see every person in the UK encounter Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour. I also bring a high expectation with me of what’s possible with the Lord.

I’ve seen so much that is miraculous in and through the ministry of YFC that I now hope and believe for the same at the Alliance.

What are your plans for your new role here?

I’m really looking forward to getting my feet under the table and learning from many around me. Often the Church unites around projects and mission, and within my role I want to help the Alliance to be catalytic in enabling the Church to do that. I am for Jesus and I want to be part of a Church primarily defined by what it’s for, not what it is against. This means all kinds of lifestyle change, but most importantly means an incredible relationship that defines who we are. I want my role to help point people to this Jesus.

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What’s it like to follow in the footsteps of your father at the Alliance?

Lots of people have asked that! It’s not just my father - my grandfather Gilbert Kirby was also the head of the Alliance in his lifetime.

In truth, I have an incredible heritage and I’m proud of that. There’s something in my DNA that desires to unite Christians for changing a nation. However, I’m also my own person and flattered though I am by comparison to my dad, I will bring my own flavour to the Alliance.

What inspires the work you do?

I have always been an all-or-nothing person.

When I fully surrendered my life to Jesus as an 18-year-old, I committed to go wherever, whenever and into whatever, in order to help others meet Jesus and to try and play my part in changing the world. This God-given drive remains the same today and pushes me forward. I also take great inspiration from many around me who are much wiser and experienced, and I find what they’ve done and their hunger for more, an inspiration to me on my own journey.

I carry the heart of an evangelist and I join the Alliance with an utter desperation to see every person in the UK encounter Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour.”

Gavin Calver

HOBBIES: Spending time with my wife and two young kids. I’m a keen runner, play for a football team and like physical challenges. I’ve set a World Record for the longest five-aside football match, run a couple of marathons and cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Who knows what’s next?!

TEAM: That’s easy - I’m a very passionate AFC Wimbledon fan FAVOURITE BAND: I’m stuck in a ‘90s Britpop time warp so I am delighted that my favourite band of my youth Blur are back on the scene with a new album.

BEST ADVICE? The late prophet Alex Buchanan, told me as a 14-year-old who was struggling with faith to pursue Jesus with all that I had and never go against his will for my life – regardless of what other people thought about it.

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POVERTY SURVEY

by Lucy Olofinjana

Good news for the Poverty and inequality is the single most important issue facing the UK according to evangelicals who took our recent politics survey. Our latest report Good news for the poor? digs deeper into evangelicals’ views and experiences of poverty, with some fascinating results.

Material poverty Evangelicals clearly believe that God cares about poverty, and that they should too.

In the past year almost three quarters gave to a charity tackling poverty overseas and 70 per cent donated goods to a foodbank.

Evangelicals are also directly engaged in tackling poverty, with more than half giving to someone they know personally who is facing poverty, a quarter giving long-term support or befriending someone who is in poverty and 37 per cent volunteering with a Christian poverty project. Another nine per cent help at a secular project. However, only one in 10 are inviting poor people into their homes for a meal, or intentionally living in a poorer area in response to God’s call.

Although most of our panel are financially comfortable, one in 10 told us they have previously been in serious debt. And a quarter told us they have experienced miraculous provision when they were in financial trouble – with one person sharing their story: “When my husband was unemployed we were down to the last tin of food and had no money to pay some bills. We prayed together, but didn’t tell anybody. The next morning somebody put an envelope through the door with £200 in and someone else left three bags of food on the doorstep!”

The politics of poverty The evangelicals who took the survey seem very concerned about the impact of government policies on the poorest and most vulnerable. More than three quarters feel that government economic policy is hurting the poor more than the rich, and two thirds think that welfare reform policies are having a negative impact on the sick and disabled. In addition, only 15 per cent think that current government economy policy is working well to produce a more prosperous IDEA MAGAZINE / 14

future for all, and 69 per cent believe that economic policy is failing to raise most people’s income to meet the increased cost of living. But despite obviously high levels of concern, just one in five said that their church leadership has encouraged them to campaign on poverty issues in the last year.

While evangelicals are concerned about welfare dependency and issues such as addictions and family breakdown, they view the welfare system much more sympathetically than the national population – 28 per cent consider the welfare budget is too low, compared with just 15 per cent of the general population. (although 22 per cent of evangelicals consider it to be too high). And while 56 per cent agree that the government is right to withdraw benefits from those who can’t prove that they are willing to work, 46 per cent do not think cutting welfare benefits is a good way to tackle poverty.

Evangelicals recognise that UK poverty is complex and requires multiple solutions – material, relational and spiritual – including good education, strong businesses which offer employment, debt advice and money management courses and prevention of family breakup.

Putting our money where our mouth is?

Over a third said they have given really sacrificially of their time or money in obedience to God, but a higher proportion – 39 per cent – admitted that they have felt guilty for not giving to someone in need when they were able to. One person told us: “I am, frankly, embarrassed at some of my responses – at my personal lack of action and my church, which does nothing in word or deed for the poor in the UK.” This person was not alone, with almost a quarter feeling that their church does not do effective work to tackle poverty locally. Some admitted

that this was because their churches are very inward looking. In the words of one respondent: “Our church would rather raise £300,000 to reorder the pews, the floor and the organ”, and another: “Because my church fails to reach out far into the community, we don’t really know the extent of the poverty in our local area.”

Just less than half – 44 per cent – say that their church is working on a project to address poverty in their own community.

We’ve heard of fantastic projects run by churches, from foodbanks to CAP debt centres and job clubs, supporting the homeless and refugees to furniture projects, and providing cooked meals to running children’s projects in deprived communities.

Churches are also actively tackling poverty overseas, from sending shoebox presents at Christmas to regularly giving to projects abroad – although only half said their church regularly supports a charity tackling poverty in less developed countries.

Spiritual poverty Just 11 per cent believe that if we are faithful to God this means we will prosper materially.

Many told us they are concerned that the UK is spiritually destitute, and 71 per cent think that spiritual poverty is a bigger problem than material poverty. However just 14 per cent agreed that it is more important to share the gospel with poor people than to meet their material needs. It was clear from our research that evangelicals believe that the Church should be meeting both spiritual and material needs, not either/or.

Just over a quarter – 27 per cent – said their church has seen people experiencing poverty come to faith in Christ in the last year, including this story: “Some personal friends of ours who live in poverty have come to faith recently through an Alpha

POVERTY SURVEY

poor?

course. They were originally befriended by church members through sending their children to our children’s club and coming to our annual church camp.”

Despite this, a substantial two thirds told us that they don’t think churches in the UK are very good at sharing their faith or discipling the poorest sections of society.

One respondent with strong feelings told us: “Most Christians seem to move into the nicest area they can afford to get away from anti-social behaviour and working class people. Then they come to church and talk about wanting to reach everyone.”

And it seems poorer people are not often being given leadership opportunities, with just nine per cent saying that people experiencing poverty are involved in public ministry or leadership in their church. eauk.org/snapshot

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£

£

11% think that if we are faithful to God we will prosper materially

70% have donated to a food bank in the last year

10% have in the last year shared a meal in their home with someone who was hungry, destitute or homeless

22% of evangelicals think the welfare budget is too high and should be reduced (compared to 46% of the national population)

78% said current government economic policy is hurting the poor more than the rich

44% say their church works on a project to tackle poverty in their community

76% agree that local churches should organise themselves to share their God-given wealth so that none of their members experience serious poverty

66% think that churches in the UK are not very good at evangelising and discipling the poorest sections of society

27% said that their church has seen people experiencing poverty come to faith in Christ in the last year

Inspired?

Good news for the poor? is designed to encourage and inspire you and your church as you consider how you are responding to the realities of poverty and relating with the poorest in society.

Here are a few questions you and your church may want to reflect on: •

Is your church in a community where richer and poorer people share their lives and resources with one another?

•

Are you making a difference to the lives of those in need locally, nationally and overseas?

•

How can you build relationships with poor and marginalised people in your community, listening to their stories and learning from them?

•

If you run social action projects, are these effective in building relationships, tackling poverty or bringing people to faith?

•

Are there any issues relating to poverty that you could campaign on?

Visit eauk.org/surveys to access more discussion questions, download your copy of the report and order paper copies.

Image: CC Thomas Galvez

When my husband was unemployed we were down to the last tin of food and had no money to pay some bills.

We prayed together, but didn’t tell anybody. The next morning somebody put an envelope through the door with £200 in and someone else left three bags of food on the doorstep!”

11% have previously been in serious debt problems

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GOOD QUESTION

by Charlie Osewalt

Should churches tithe?

The simple answer to this question is no, argues Stewardship’s Charlie Osewalt On 8 March I was asked to speak at a church in Cambridge. They are in the midst of raising £7 million for a new church building.

On each of their building giving days a portion of their offering is presented to another charity. The day I was speaking they presented the first fruits of their building fund offering to Tearfund. They do this whether they are above or below their building goal. They believe in generosity.

Additionally, they are following Paul’s instruction to all the churches he planted, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2: “Regarding the relief offering for poor Christians that is being collected, you get the same instructions I gave the churches in Galatia. Every Sunday, each of you make an offering and put it in safekeeping. Be as generous as you can.“ Practically – so churches can budget and plan, pay the electric bills and the staff and also we can worship as a community – we are to give our first fruits to the church each Sunday.

When teaching about giving in his letters to the church in Corinth, Paul then is not talking about tithing. Paul is talking to the church and others about something much more - something of the heart. He is speaking about generosity; he is speaking about grace in giving.

His answer to how we should give as communities is: be as generous to others as Christ was generous to you. Overflow in your generosity and it will cause overflow to you. Therefore, churches are called to radical generosity. Tithing is not the same as generosity - although it may help as some form of indicator. But if the tithe is thought of as only “giving money” – as opposed to people, staff time and resources – then truly, tithing is a poor indicator.

Here is Paul’s description: “Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit.

The trial exposed their true colours. They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!— pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians.

“This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own idea, and caught us completely off guard. What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God

and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives. That’s what prompted us to ask Titus to bring the relief offering to your attention, so that what was so well begun could be finished up. You do so well in so many things—you trust God, you’re articulate, you’re insightful, you’re passionate, you love us—now, do your best in this, too” 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 (MSG).

Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth has two parts. The first seven chapters speak about the church’s struggles and how their love refreshed Titus, who had just returned to Paul. The second part of the letter is mainly about the Macedonians’ churches.

Titus is bringing the above letter to the church in Corinth. Previously, they promised to give a special offering to the Jerusalem church, but had not completed the promise.

We have it today because they finished well; they gave generously.

On the surface, the Macedonian churches couldn’t be more different than the church in Corinth. Macedonia had many small churches in what was basically a rural community; whereas Corinth was a large, diverse church in a sprawling city. What both churches had in common was an understanding of grace. Grace is another expression of generosity. Macedonians first gave themselves totally to God and then, in a new community, they gave to others.

Facing severe trials and extreme poverty, the churches pooled their resources together and gave a rich offering to the plague stricken community in Jerusalem. They didn’t give a number or a percentage of the net or gross. They gave all they could – and more. They did not tithe. The Macedonians churches worked together to model generosity. They gave their best.

We are under grace, not the law; love, not obligation; generosity, not the tithe. God wants us to give out of our understanding of His gift - His son to us.

Should churches tithe? No, but they should be generous with all their hearts.

Why? Because of His heart; because of His indescribable gift: His son Jesus.

Jesus and the Rome coin from San Marco church IDEA MAGAZINE / 16

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BIG INTERVIEW

The future of the World Evangelical Alliance –

Earlier this year, the World Evangelical Alliance met for the International Leadership Forum, which saw leaders of national evangelical associations come together in Honduras to unite in vision and mission, talking about strategic planning, nurturing relationships and how to be most effective as a WEA. For Bishop Efraim Tendero, known to many as Bishop Ef, the Forum marked the start of his tenure.

The general director of the UK Alliance, Steve Clifford, attended the conference and met Bishop Ef for the first time. He said: “It was great to meet up with Bishop Efraim.

He comes to the role with a long track record of leadership of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC). He struck me as a man of faith with a passion to serve the Church in fulfilling the purposes of God in our generation.”

While speaking to Amaris Cole, Bishop Ef spoke more about this passion, the future for the WEA and the challenges of leading this international organisation.

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Tell us about your background. Have you always been a Christian?

I am a second generation Christian from my father’s side and third generation Christian from my mother’s side. But personally, I came to faith in Jesus when I was 12 years old when my mother brought me to an evangelistic event where I was counseled to receive the Lord into my life.

What were you doing before you were appointed secretary general of the WEA? After my graduation from Bible School, I served as pastor of a local church for 18 years and saw the church grow. For the following 22 years I served as the national director of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC), which is the Evangelical Alliance in the Philippines. Over those years, I have seen the growth and impact of this ministry.

BIG INTERVIEW

– survival in the face of persecution

What do you think the future holds for the WEA? Can a unified group remain when each Alliance is facing such unique challenges and conflicts?

The purpose of the WEA is to advance the good news of the Lord Jesus. To do this we need to be a biblically-based and Spirit-led movement across the globe. Then God can use the WEA to play a significant role in advancing the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the whole world.

Keeping the unity of the movement is a challenge, however, as we focus on the vision of advancing the good news and strengthening evangelical churches worldwide, we can overcome conflicts and the diversities of the different Alliances.

across the globe gives great fulfilment. The World Evangelical Alliance is a great army of volunteers around the globe, whose desire is to lift up the name of Jesus and spread his message of love, justice, forgiveness and compassion.

What would you like idea readers to pray for when remembering the WEA? Pray that we will be obedient to the great commission of Jesus, which is to make disciples of all the nations of the world, and keep the great commandment of Jesus to love others as he has loved us. And pray that God will use the WEA in glorifying God by initiating holiness, justice and renewal at every level of society.

With so many attacks on Christians that we hear of in the news (Africa, India, Middle East, etc.), what should the Church around the world do in response?

How does it feel to be given this role?

It is a humbling experience to be given the trust to provide leadership to the worldwide body of evangelicals. I take this with much trust and faith in the Lord, that He will grant me the wisdom and the favor in providing this leadership.

What will be the biggest challenge as secretary general?

The biggest challenge is how to keep the vision before a worldwide body of believers.

Keeping close, up-to-date and effective communication is another challenge. And third, raising the financial resources that are needed to sustain the programmes and ministries of the WEA.

JULY/AUGUST 2015

We have to deepen the faith and the commitment of the believers around the world. We need to go back to the New Testament principles of disciple-making, so that as the churches are rooted in faith and empowered to witness, they can face even the most vicious attacks on Christians.

The early Church underwent the most severe persecution, but the more they were persecuted, the more the Church grew.

As one historian said: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” As we strengthen the faith of every believer and their commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Church will be a strong movement that God can use in facing these attacks on Christianity.

What do you enjoy most about being an evangelical leader?

Sharing the vision with dedicated and committed leaders who think not of themselves, but focus on how to obey the commission of the Lord Jesus is one of the things that gives me great joy. The partnership and support of many leaders

“Pray that God will use the WEA in glorifying God by initiating holiness, justice and renewal at every level of society.”

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IN THE THICK OF IT

by Lucy Cooper

How to be an inter-generational church The Church - probably the group with the largest age range and most diversity there is. We know the importance of raising the next generation to encounter and develop and deepen a relationship with God and encounter Him. But do we often presume this only really happens in separate age groups?

Jane Butcher oversees the schools team and family in homes ministry with the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF). “As adults we frequently listen to the perspectives of other adults, but how familiar or open are we to hearing perspectives from children? Children are readily open to the impossible becoming possible.”

Mention all-age worship or family services and it may conjure up cringe-worthy preconceptions of ways to entertain the children; sitting through puppet shows or games for the sake of kids. Some adults opt out and others endure the ‘children’s slot’. Often the culture in the Church is to do things separately, so coming together is a huge leap and leaders can be dissatisfied with the result.

“New ways to help generations connect are emerging into wider awareness now,” says Sam Donoghue, co-editor of Childrenswork magazine and head of children and youth for The Diocese of London.

“Resources are provided according to spiritual styles rather than age groups, offering different options of ways to engage with God. So, rather than having a specific craft for all children, you have an art space where adults and children who are that way minded can engage together.”

But ministry leaders on the ground are exploring alternative and effective ways to engage both young and old to discover the richness of what it means to worship together across generations.

Some are concerned adults won’t learn to become like children or the children see what it means to grow as a Christian if age groups are always separate. Jason Gardner, youthworker at St Peter’s, Harrow and author of Mend the Gap, said: “Families spend more time together than they used to. Why then do we keep them apart when it comes to worship? The biblical picture is of a gospel that unites people across divides, uniting young and old.”

We all learn differently and God will communicate in all sorts of creative ways if we let Him.” IDEA MAGAZINE / 22

Simple changes can make worship more intergenerational and create opportunity for movement, dialogue or active response.

Lianne Semans Smith, church and community development worker for Scripture Union leads all-age programmes and has co-written Explore Together, a resource based on zones and learning styles.

“When we get together we make space to hear from God and learning from each other is a key part of growing in faith.” Lianne will often simply present a story and ask open questions. “We all learn differently and God will communicate in all sorts of creative ways if we let Him.” Chris Leach, an experienced children and family ministry leader, planted a weekly all-age fresh expression alongside her husband Rev John Leach. “We are prayerful and intentional about our DNA and key values,” says Chris. “We aim for what we call the ‘Shrek effect’. The film Shrek engages the children’s attention while at the same time engages adults at their own level.”

IN THE THICK OF IT

It’s not quiet or predictable. It’s messy and costly because it asks us to put our personal preferences to one side, move outside our comfort zones and consider the needs of others.”

and youth advisor for the Church of England, admits it’s not easy: “It’s not quiet or predictable. It’s messy and costly because it asks us to put our personal preferences to one side, move outside our comfort zones and consider the needs of others.”

“We aim to create a culture where children are actively involved alongside teens and adults, valued and vital,” adds Chris Leach. “Being together as the whole body of Christ opens up fresh opportunities for all to be renewed by the Holy Spirit.”

John Leach mentions that they make everything optional. “No guilt trips for the dads, visitors or indeed anyone if they don’t do the actions, for example. A key to good all-age worship is to keep it short with a simple point and to leave people wanting more. The ministry is focused on helping everyone, whatever age, to grow as Christians into confident and mature disciples.”

Over time, songs and simple liturgy become familiar, which helps non-readers to join in and families to use them at home in their own worship times.

Nick and Becky Drake lead worship for everyone and are part of the New Wine team. “We aim to lead the whole church in a face to face encounter with the living God,” says Becky. “More than any specific song choice, or set of actions, it’s an attitude and a commitment of the whole church to ‘honour one another above themselves’.”

“Allowing young and old to get to know each other in more informal settings allows relationships to grow as well as faith,” says Kay Morgan-Gurr, national director of Children Worldwide and Alliance council member. “It’s not just about Sundays. Intergenerational church is learning, worshiping and growing in our relationship with Jesus together, as a Church family.”

Outside of services, there are other ways to bring all ages together, including Messy church, social events, festivals and informal prayer.

Many of these are accessible to those who find church times, structure or liturgy difficult.

Nick Jackson, leader of Powerpack ministry and the local children and family leader at Headington Baptist in Oxford leads a multigenerational discipleship group. “It is lovely to see all ages from 5 to 60-year-olds use their leadership gifting and fascinating to see how people relate in their zones.”

Alan Charter, ministry development director at Scripture Union, says: “We need a shift from a purely independent focus and individualised approach to the gospel towards greater interdependence in mission as the body of Christ.

“We need to nurture the young in their formative years and live out our calling to pass the gospel from one generation to the next.

The more we develop community, with meaningful generational connections, the greater our impact will be.”

Krish Kandiah, founder of Home for Good, says: “My vision for all-age Church revolves not around a service, but rather on a community of God’s people who know and love one another and will do whatever they can to help each other love God and live for Him in the world. “ A shift to an all-age culture takes time to build and involves intention, vision, imagination and hard work. Mary Hawes, children JULY/AUGUST 2015

For more organisations working for an intergenerational Church, have a look at these resources: Faith in Homes – faithinhomes.org.uk Mend the gap: Can the Church reconnect the generations?

Published by IVP in 2008 by Jason Gardner We are Family conference – 11-12 September in Liverpool faithinhomes.org.uk/we-are-family-conference Explore Together resources – exploretogether.org All Age training from Big Ministries bigministries.co.uk/allage-training All Age Worship by Lucy Moore Published by The Bible Reading Fellowship in 2010 Worship for Everyone – worshipforeveryone.com God Venture resources – godventure.co.uk Creative Worship for all-age church by John Guest Creative Ideas for All-age Church by Karen Bulley

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Welcoming the convert How Christians and Muslims are working together to ensure religious freedom Advanced conversations have been taking place this year between Jim Stewart of Evangelical Alliance Wales and Abdul-Azim Ahmed of the Muslim Council of Wales regarding an exciting religious freedom initiative between leaders of the two respective faiths. The proposal, put forward by Jim a few months ago, was for a joint statement – signed by both Christian and Muslim leaders – to support the right of the individual to choose their faith.

To many readers, this may seem surprising.

Muslims don’t support religious freedom, do they?

Here, Jim takes us back to the beginning of the process.

Three years ago, I initiated research on the experiences of Christians in Wales who had come from a Muslim background.

Conversion from one faith to another can be a taboo subject, but it is by no means a recent phenomenon: it has occurred throughout the centuries and across all the main faiths, and recent research indicates that the rate of conversion from the faith in which someone was raised, to another is increasing. The subject of conversion indeed merits careful study and, while the topic is interesting in general, the specific focus here on Islam has the potential to provide a more nuanced understanding of the issue.

From the initial research undertaken by the Alliance in Wales, I organised an event in Cardiff during interfaith week 2013 entitled: Welcoming the Convert. This event, which was supported by six Muslim organisations, had IDEA MAGAZINE / 24

two speakers – one a Muslim from a Christian background and the other a Christian from a Muslim background. The attendees all contributed in a sensitive and respectful way, with no one trying to score points for their faith.

In September 2014, I became aware of a joint statement between Christian and Muslim leaders that was signed in Norway in 2007 in support of the right of the individual to choose their faith. This gave me the desire to see if something similar could be achieved in Wales. It was the only such collaboration between Christian and Muslim leaders that I was aware of, and challenged the often-held belief that Muslims do not support religious freedom.

Dr. Usama Hasan, a Muslim scholar who himself believes that the apostasy laws have

to be repealed, acknowledged the need for a conversation within Islam on this subject.

When speaking in March 2015 on the BBC’s The Big Questions on apostasy, he said: “Muslims have to grapple with these difficult issues,” and “have an honest discussion about their tradition”. A website (apostasyandislam. blogspot.co.uk) created in 2007 by Muslims, provides examples of Islamic voices who have spoken publicly in support of religious freedom. While the debate may be ongoing, there are clear examples of Muslim leaders who have nailed their colours to the mast. In a Welsh context, it’s with such Muslim leaders who see religious freedom as being rooted in the Quran that I’m seeking to find common ground and work with.

I drafted a version of the joint statement and circulated it to some Cardiff imams for comments. They were welcoming of it and

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Edwards no longer practising his faith?

Conversations around religious conversion may involve sadness and a sense of loss and so we need to develop language in a gracious, respectful manner.

3) The need for honesty.

A criticism that has been levelled at interfaith forums is that they focus on respect and agreement, but avoid broaching difficult issues. In order to be able to explore issues such as religious conversion, we need to have the trust and friendship in place so that we can, if needed, discuss examples where someone’s religious freedom has not been respected. Interfaith culture can actually discourage such conversations from taking place, insisting that we focus on commonality. But if not now, when can we have those conversations?

4) The need for humility.

We sometimes adopt a sense of superiority and arrogance when engaging in some interfaith issues, but we need to acknowledge when people who identify as Christians are guilty of the same things that we are condemning. For example, the practice of female genital mutilation – which some people associate with Muslim cultures - exists in some Christian cultures in Africa, and while we are not saying that it is as widespread as in non-Christian cultures, it is nevertheless important to recognise its existence.

5) The need for transparency.

had three suggested amendments, each of which I thought were positive. A symbolic event has now been mooted for later on this year where Christian and Muslim leaders from Cardiff will sign the statement.

learning the lessons of the 1995 genocide of Bosnian Muslims.

Here are five things I’ve learnt through the process:

Islam has rarely been out of the news over the past year and many Christians have developed views as a result, many of which have been formed by the media and literature that they have read. Often however, Christians are only talking to other Christians about these issues - never more so than on social media! - and so there can be a lot of polarisation and stereotyping taking place. If we want to engage Muslims more in these issues – which we really need to - we will need to tone down the language a bit and establish common ground first.

Remember how we as Christians felt when we heard about former athlete Jonathan

1) The importance of good relationships and friendships.

In Wales we have the Faith Communities Forum, a body that meets twice a year with Wales’ First Minister and the Interfaith Council of Wales – both of which facilitate the building of strong friendships and trust among leaders of Wales’ different faith communities. Friendships were further strengthened last October as Welsh faith leaders spent four days together in Bosnia as part of a delegation, visiting Srebrenica and JULY/AUGUST 2015

2) The need to develop a “neutral” language to talk about delicate issues.

The phenomenal growth in social media, the internet and other forms of communication mean that the need for transparency is greater than it ever has been if we want to have constructive interfaith conversations on delicate issues such as religious conversion.

Understanding our motivation is important; for the joint statement I’ve mentioned, the main motivation is a peace-making one - for Christians and others to peacefully co-exist in Wales and to enjoy religious freedom. Factors such as human rights, equality and developing a nuanced and informed understanding of Wales’ Muslim communities are all important as well.

What are the next steps? Apart from the Cardiff joint statement, discussions have been held with a view to organising meetings around Wales over the next year so that what has started in Cardiff can become a Wales-wide initiative.

We are mindful that within the Alliance there are a range of experiences and opinions about this topic. We are not able to cover all the issues involved in detail, but if you have any questions or comments, do feel free to get in touch by emailing idea@eauk.org.

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by C

A new phenomenon in UK:

Image: CC Bob Protus

churches working together to reach Muslims

The Muslim population in the UK has increased by 70 per cent in the last 10 years. It’s time we introduced Jesus to these people searching for God, argues Gordon Hickson from the Mahabba Network.

Something remarkable is happening. Over the last 30 years Jesus has been appearing to Muslim people world-wide, particularly in dreams and visions. From Iran to Indonesia, and Sierra Leone to Egypt, millions of Muslims have come to know Jesus as “Isa Al Masih” – Jesus the Messiah – and for the first time they have experienced a personal relationship with God as their Father. Yet in this country, many Christians are unaware of what God is doing. Christians often find themselves alienated from the Muslim people around them, fearful of offending them, or even angry at the Islamisation of their cities, and the rapid growth of radical Islamists.

But young Muslims like Khalid or Maryam are desperate to find a sense of belonging and a purpose for life. Then there are many like Mohammed and Noor, a young married couple, who long for a sense of peace and joy in their home, yet are constantly arguing

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Millions of Muslims have come to know Jesus as “Isa Al Masih” – Jesus the Messiah – and for the first time they have experienced a personal relationship with God as their Father.”

in Britain found that a quarter of Muslims in Britain say they have sympathy for the motives behind the Charlie Hebdo attacks, and feel that acts of violence are justified against people who mock the Prophet.

Even more disturbing, it found that 45 per cent of Muslims believe that Muslim clerics are justified when they preach violence as a response to the West’s interference in Muslim Nations.

Conversely, it is actually this violence that is discrediting Islam and is a major factor in them turning to Christ, as many Muslims begin to question their Islamic identity.

This real threat can’t be ignored, but it also presents Christians with one of the greatest opportunities of our time - to unveil Jesus to Muslim people in the western world and lead them to Christ.

and feeling a million miles from God. Today however, there are millions of Muslims living in western nations, and many of them are longing to know God personally. Mosques are now common in our neighbourhoods, but do we see the precious people who go there seeking God? They seek the same God, but sadly haven’t found Jesus.

The number of people identifying themselves as Muslim in the UK has grown by almost 70 per cent in 10 years, from 1.6 million in 2001 to 2.7 million in 2011, and estimated to increase further to 5.5 million by 2020. Islam has found a home in the UK. Increasingly, Christians across the UK are being confronted by an escalation of radical Islam, with stories of terrible atrocities and bloodshed in Iraq, Syria and beyond. What has shocked us even more is that English Muslims are pouring out to these war zones to lend their support to ISIS and other radical groups. A BBC poll of 1,000 Muslims JULY/AUGUST 2015

The seeds for a ministry called “Mahabba” were planted in 2005, when a missionary family returned to Oxford from Pakistan after 18 years of ministry. Together with a local parish vicar with years of missionary experience, they began a weekly prayer meeting for those with a passion to reach Muslims. From these humble beginnings, Mahabba has now grown to become a cross-denominational ministry situated in 35 cities around the UK, and with an increasing presence in Europe.

Historically, many Christians, have focused on the effects of Islamisation and on the persecuted Church, responding with fear and alienating themselves from face-to-face interaction with their Muslim neighbours.

However Mahabba, which means ‘love’ in Arabic, has flourished and Christians across the UK are being inspired to reach out in love to the thousands of Muslim people who are now living here.

Mahabba’s overriding vision is to see large numbers of Muslim people turning to Christ, becoming disciples and being involved in a local church. Mahabba helps thousands of Christians to “face the facts but not fuel the fear”, resulting not only in Muslims coming to faith, but also in improved social cohesion, especially in cities with a high Islamic presence.

Mahabba’s approach has been to establish local groups built on unity and prayer – two key factors that release faith and love for Muslims – and to mobilise ordinary Christians to be informed and, more importantly, to be involved. Perhaps Mahabba could one day be the equivalent of the Alpha Course for Muslims, helping to engage the broader Church in ministry towards Muslims; a carefully defined, replicable model enabling ordinary believers to make a significant difference among Muslims in their community.

Mahabba is also helping church leaders understand how to respond to the current situation: the programmes establish a learning environment for sharing resources, testimonies, and encouragement. They equip local churches with mentoring and training materials, which help church leaders to train lay members of their churches to relate to Muslims in love and to explain the Gospel clearly – always starting with friendship.

Too often churches in Britain are ill-equipped to assist Muslims who wish to explore the Christian faith, but across the UK many citybased Mahabba groups are stepping up to witness to these groups. In Manchester, in just one week, a young man from Pakistan entered the Cathedral asking to convert; a Saudi woman walked into a church and asked to become a Christian, and a Somali man shared with his Christian friend that he wanted to become a follower of Jesus.

God is on the move. Mahabba Networks have been now been launched in 35 cities across the UK, as well as spreading to France, Belgium and Norway, with groups waiting to develop in Denmark and Austria: the model has also been shared in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa.

In the UK there are now 75 cities with more than 5,000 Muslims and Mahabba’s goal is to establish prayer groups in every one, replicating Mahabba Networks across Europe and beyond.

If you would like help in setting up a Mahabba Network, please contact: info@ mahabbanetwork.com IDEA MAGAZINE / 27

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What kind of Church?

A year ago the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland produced a booklet entitled What Kind of Nation. It was an attempt to get Christians to think about the type of nation we want to live in. Issues such as justice, how to deal with poverty and environmental concerns were all raised. The booklet was hugely successful, leading to a reprint and a series of hustings across the country. But since then, church leaders have been asking a new question. Fred Drummond, director of Evangelical Alliance Scotland, explains.

Several times during the discussions around What Kind of Nation? I was approached by Christian leaders asking a different question: what type of Church brings about a transformed nation?

I was challenged by that question. In a time of huge change for the Church, not just in Scotland, but across the UK, which faces numerical decline and a disconnect with large parts of society, what type of Church makes significant impact? While thinking about this I was challenged directly by several people to write a booklet aimed at creating a

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discussion to lead change in our Church across the UK. What I didn’t want to do was to write another How-to guide: 10 pointers to being a super cool church, or just ‘do this stuff better and your congregation will grow’. I wanted to get the whole body of Christ to think about the values that are shaping us and whether they are the values that shaped the early Church. The booklet is about what is central to us as the people of God: when we gather and when we are scattered, our identity and our calling. You can read a sample of the resource in the box:

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Encounter and Engagement Moses encounters the holiness, power and compassion of God. He is a man full of doubts about himself, and his suitability for the task God has called him to. However, he was able to face pharaoh and the people because of the encounter he had with God, and because God had promised to be with him. It was the encounter with God that led Moses to engaging with the powers of his day.

Isaiah had a really tough calling. He was to take the word of God to people who wouldn’t hear, didn’t understand and didn’t care. He is to remain faithful and just keep going. How do you keep going in the midst of a sea of negativity and disappointment? Maybe that’s a question some of us face in our family, workplace or church every day. But he was able to keep engaging because of the depth of his encounter.

His engagement was not based on altruism, but on calling. It is the encounter that shapes the engagement.

It is out of our intimacy with God that any meaningful transformation takes place, and it is serving in the world that leads us to desire greater intimacy with the one who weeps over cities.

The booklet then looks at the Church gathered and scattered. I suggest that these are two sides of the same coin.

The booklet includes discussion about the marks of the Church gathered in the New Testament. Seven things that, though not an exclusive list, were central to the life of the early Church.

Then there is a discussion about being sent as witnesses into five main areas of

JULY/AUGUST 2015

It is a mistake to separate mission – our involvement with God in His transformative presence in and for the world – from worship, prayer and reflection.

Encounter with no engagement leads to a pious retreating from the world that denies the incarnation and ignores God’s transformative purposes for the communities He has placed us in.

Equally, to engage with the world without a deepening and consistent encounter with Jesus is simply to offer, at best, a powerless grey replica of what the world already offers.

As a Church, when we offer engagement without encounter, we have reduced ourselves to religious secularists devoid of kingdom power. We need to have a holistic vision that sees everything in the context of Jesus Christ as Lord. It is Jesus who calls us. He is the one who has lifted us and given us hope. We are Jesus people.

The closer to the light you are the more light you radiate.

life: family, community, the workplace, the public square and the world.

I believe that the fields are white unto harvest. I am convinced this is a time for the Church to catch that desire for intimacy with Jesus again, which leads to a renewed sense of our calling to be sent witnesses of Jesus. Knowing that Jesus is able, the gospel is the power of God to salvation and it is our time. It is

time for us to be what we were always meant to be: bold, loving, kingdom culture makers.

What kind of Church? Join the conversation, take action.

The booklet with discussion questions will be available from July. A series of conversations will begin in Scotland in September.

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THEOLOGY

by David Garrison

The greatest turning in history IS. AL Qaeda. Boko Haram. These radical terrorist groups invade our news every day, but there is another story unfolding across the Muslim world, a story that needs to be told.

Over the past three years, I travelled more than a quarter of a million miles into every corner of the ‘House of Islam’ – the name that Muslims have long given to an invisible spiritual empire that stretches across the Muslim world, from West Africa to the Indonesian archipelago – to investigate unprecedented reports of multiplying movements of Muslims who are turning to faith in Jesus. The House of Islam encompasses 1.6 billion Muslim men, women, and children. For nearly 14 centuries, Islam has been expanding, drawing into its orbit millions of followers. Today, for the first time in history, we’re seeing a change in this growing tide of Islamic advance.

My research revealed that we are living in the midst of the greatest turning of Muslims to Jesus Christ in history. Where is this occurring? How is it happening? And why is it happening today?

I interviewed Nadia, a 43-year-old Iranian widowed mother of three. She said: “From my childhood I have been very curious about Jesus. I felt there was an empty place inside of me. I learned that one of my cousins had become a Christian. I asked him for a New Testament and I read it. Inside I was in a revolution. So I prayed: ‘God, show me what is really true’. As I read it, I felt my heart open like an old door. From that time on, Jesus’ work started inside me. It was a strange happiness like nothing I’d ever known.”

Gathering interviews from more than a thousand Muslim-background followers of Jesus Christ like Nadia, I discovered that something historic, unprecedented, is happening. My core question to these Muslim-background followers was this: “What did God use to bring you to faith in Christ?” What I learned was that God is orchestrating something profound. God is using events and avenues that are unique to our day to bring about this turning.

To understand the gravity of this historic moment, though, we need to look back over the past 14 centuries of Muslim-Christian interaction.

Since Muhammad first launched his monotheistic religion, tens of millions of Christians, as well as Buddhists, Hindus, and IDEA MAGAZINE / 30

Animists have been swept into the House of Islam. What I wanted to know was when the opposite occurred? When have we seen a movement of at least 1,000 Muslims from an Islamic community turned to faith in Jesus and been baptised? Baptism is important as an indicator of true faith; any Muslim will tell you that he or she loves Jesus. After all, the Qur’an exalts Jesus as a noble prophet.

But to submit to baptism, an act that clearly indicates death to an old life and resurrection to a new life as a follower of Jesus Christ, one has to be firmly convinced. After all, conversion from Islam is a death sentence for Muslims. Apostasy is not an option if one wishes to continue to live with Muslim family and neighbours.

Perhaps this is why Muslim movements to Christ are so rare. My research revealed that the first hints of conversion did not occur until the year 982, which is 350 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. The next don’t appear until the 11th and 13th centuries, and these movements were short lived, as Islam continued to expand. Then we see another five centuries of drought without a single movement to Christ.

Finally, in the closing decades of the 19th century, two movements appear: one in Indonesia (1870-1924) and the second in northern Ethiopia (1890-1910). The 20th

century saw the West embroiled in its own turmoil with two world wars and a great economic depression. At the end of the 20th century, however, things begin to change.

With social and political upheaval in Iran, Algeria, Bangladesh, and the collapsing Soviet Union, Christianity sees the addition of 11 new Muslim movements to Christ.

Something was happening.

Then, in the opening years of the 21st century, the monolith of Islamic resistance to the gospel begins to crumble. In just the first 12 years of the 21st century, we can identify and document a surge of 69 additional movements of at least 1,000 Muslims coming to faith in Jesus Christ and believers’ baptisms. Behind the veil of violence and conflict that so plagues the Muslim world, thousands of Muslims are walking away from Islam and placing their trust in Jesus as the Son of God and unique pathway to salvation.

How is this happening? On the one hand, it is the ageless story of men and women encountering the living Lord in humble submission. On the other hand, it is the unique confluence of Bible translations, the prayers of God’s people, the rise in global interconnectedness through the internet, satellite television and radio, and the faithful witness of God’s people. God is orchestrating all of these factors together in our lifetime to bring about the greatest turning of Muslims to faith in Jesus Christ in history.

David Garrison’s book, A Wind in the House of Islam, is available now, published by WIGTake Resources.

JULY/AUGUST 2015

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LEADERS’ QUESTIONS

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The stories they didn’t teach at Sunday School

From Joseph and his technicolour dream coat to Daniel in the lion’s den, many stories from the Bible were taught to us over and over again when our parents packed us off to the children’s church each week. But as we’ve grown, many of us have met new characters when turning the pages of the Bible – heroes who aren’t as familiar to us as Noah or David. David Smyth from the Northern Ireland Evangelical Alliance has asked Christian leaders some of their favourite lessons they weren’t taught at Sunday School.

Paul Coulter Lecturer in practical theology and missiology in Belfast Bible College.

“This might sound odd, but I’d have to say the overarching story of the Bible. My Sunday School teachers loved God’s word and they taught me many important things, but I never saw how it all fits together as one story – from creation to new creation. Now that I have some grasp of that, I have greater confidence in God’s eternal purposes and deeper appreciation for Jesus as the centre. I want to teach others – including my children – how to live confidently and faithfully in our place in God’s story.”

The Rt Rev Ken Clarke Mission director of SAMS UK and Ireland “I guess that it has to be the story of Ananias. He was a link in a very important chain. He was a humble, faithful, courageous servant-hearted disciple. He was probably the first Christ-follower to pray with Saint Paul. Recently someone said to me: “It takes more grace than tongue can tell to play the second fiddle well.” The story of the growth of the Church is the story of many second “faithful fiddles” like Ananias. In a celebrity, big name culture, please note! God uses all of us, not just the big names.”

Neil Dawson Pastor and elder, Grace Community Church “I don’t remember ever hearing the story of Simeon and Anna growing up. I seem to have missed them out in Christmas presentations, but I think they are amazing. The Holy Spirit was on Simeon and he interacted with the Holy Spirit – another Bible lesson we weren’t taught – and Mary and Joseph were stunned at what he prophesied over Jesus. This was confirmed by Anna, that he would be a light for revelation and redemption for everyone, everywhere! I love this 84-year-old woman who worshipped and prayed night and day.”

Caroline Bradley Care for the Family Northern Ireland “I recall stories that taught me how to behave and be a “good girl” and that Jesus loved me; catching a message that said: do this and God will be pleased with you. I don’t recall hearing the stories containing pain, disappointment, doubts and broken dreams in a way that helped my tender, maturing mind grasp that life is not always about happy endings or perfection, but a message that Jesus loves me unconditionally in the good, bad and ugly of life – bringing hope even in uncertainty and mistakes.

Perhaps it’s only living life that really teaches you that building on the foundation set in Sunday school.”

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Inspire Awards: have you nominated your hero yet?

Elemental refreshing For more than 10 years, the fields just outside Shirrel Heath in the Meon Valley have been home to the Wickham Music Festival, an entertainment highlight for the area. A group from local churches that have begun offering refreshment, prayer, hospitality and community at the event, have been nominated for an Inspire Award.

I’ve had for ages. Although I am a born-again atheist, I feel more peaceful.”

Five Methodist churches from the Meon Valley Methodist Circuit are involved; Shirrell Heath, Waltham Chase, Swanmore, Bishop’s Waltham and Hambledon.

“It’s just a bit of TLC”, added Martin. “And if we get a chance, we will talk about faith.”

The tent has a children’s corner, a cartoonist, a prayer corner, a prophetic artist, healing prayer, crafts and refreshments. Outreaches like Elemental have become a growing movement in the UK.

Your name

The Elemental tent, started at Wickham Music Festival in 2014 and inspired by the Glastonbury venue of the same name, provides a relaxed and friendly atmosphere to chill out. This year the festival will take place 6 to 9 August.

Address and postcode:

The Rev David Moss, an ex-army chaplain and the superintendent minister of Meon Valley Methodist Circuit, leads the project assisted by his wife, Ali.

Daytime phone number: E-mail

Martin Letts nominated the group that he feels privileged to be involved with: “Festival goers come to chill out and relax, exploring spirituality or building friendships.

I would like to nominate

“It shows a Christian presence of relaxation, acceptance, activities and prayer in and around the tent. People appreciate the welcome so much that they came to the tent to say bye and thanks.”

The nominees contact details:

One festival-goer said: “If you’d have done it just for me it would have been worth it; after the celtic prayer night I had the best night’s sleep

Daytime phone number:

There is still time to nominate individuals or projects in your community for the inspirational work they do. The Inspire Awards 2015 are open until 1 September 2015, so nominate now. We love to tell these stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They inspire us, and we hope they will inspire you, too.

How to enter Nominate your chosen person or project by completing the form on the right. Remember – we’re looking for outstanding entries that will prove an inspiration to others. The closing date is 1 September 2015.

JULY/AUGUST 2015

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Individual

Project

Children/youth initiative

Name Website: E-mail:

Please tell us why, in no more than 25 words, they deserve to win an Inspire Award. Please also send supporting material, where appropriate. Send your entry to 2015 Inspire Awards, CPO, Garcia Estate, Canterbury Road, Worthing BN13 1BW. Closing date for entry is 1 September 2014. Alternatively, you can enter online at eauk.org/inspireawards

IDEA MAGAZINE / 33

CULTURE

Caleb Woodbridge, a threads curator

Edited by threads. For more posts like this, visit threadsuk.com

The 10 best apps for Christians I admit it: I’m a geek.

As a techie Christian I’m well placed to round up the 10 Best Apps For Christians. As Paul almost said in Romans 1:14: “I am bound both to Geeks and non-Geeks”.

1. YouVersion Bible (Android, iOS, web; free) When you get the urge to take out your phone, why not look at the good book and not just Facebook? It’s pretty amazing that we can now carry around the whole Bible so easily with us wherever we go. There’s some debate about how much we should use digital Bibles. I think it would be a big mistake to throw away our physical copies of the Bible, but there are many benefits to the Bible in app format, not least for sheer convenience.

There are lots of good Bible apps available, such as the ESV Bible, OliveTree and so on.

But my go-to Bible app of choice is the YouVersion Bible.

2. PrayerMate (Android, iOS, web coming soon; free) PrayerMate is designed to help you keep track of everyone and everything you want to pray for, with a daily set of cards to prompt you.

Prayer should be a relationship rather than just a list of requests, but it’s worth having something to jog the memory about stuff you want to talk to our Father about, and I find having a dedicated app for prayer helps me be more purposeful about it and less likely to get distracted by other notes and to-dos.

3. Fighter Verses (iOS, Android, £2.29) When I was younger, I had a packet of Topical Memory System cards with Bible verses on to carry around in my pocket to memorise, and what I learned still sticks with me and blesses me today. Fighter Verses offers a digital version of the same idea.

Memorising verses of the Bible is a great way to hide God’s Word in your heart.

4. Rhythms (Android, iPhone; free) Ever stuck for ideas on how to put your faith into action?

This app from Tearfund is designed to help you take small, everyday IDEA MAGAZINE / 34

actions that make a difference in the world, along with inspiring articles and videos.

5. Bible In One Year (Android, iOS, web; free) Several people have told me that the Bible In One Year app really helps them in their spiritual walk. The readings take you through the whole Bible in a year, and has helpful commentary each day from Nicky and Pippa Gumbel of Holy Trinity Brompton church. Another one you might also want to check out is WordLive from Scripture Union, for free online devotions available on the web, via an app and as a podcast – great for listening to on the go.

6. Pocket (Android, iOS, web; free/subscription) See a fascinating article on threads.org or eauk.org/ idea but don’t have time to read it? With Pocket, you can save the article to your phone to read later (browser extensions are available for your desktop). I find this is a good way to reduce distractions from websites during the working day – I use it to queue up a reading list for my commute home.

7. Pocket Casts (Android, iOS, web; £2.99) Pocket Casts is my favourite podcast app. It has a nice, clean interface and useful settings. But the killer feature for me is that it syncs between my Android phone, iPad and the browser player. I can easily pick up whatever I’ve been listening to on any device, and continue on any other device.

There are loads of good Christian shows, sermons and talks available online, like Unbelievable?, Theology Network and Mere Fidelity.

8. Kindle (Android, iOS, Kindle readers) Articles and podcasts are all very well, but if you really want to grow in your understanding of the faith, then there’s no match for reading good books. There are plenty of free classics available from CCEL

and Project Gutenberg, as well as modern stuff to buy. Kindle is the most ubiquitous ebook store, of course, though if you don’t want to support Amazon, plenty of other ebook stores are available, such as iBooks and Kobo.

You can also buy some ebooks directly from Christian publishers such as IVP, Scripture Union and The Good Book Company.

9. Goodreads (Android, iOS, web; free) As well as reading books, it’s good to share and discuss them. Goodreads is a social network based around what you’re reading – you can connect it with Facebook and your Amazon account, and post progress updates, list books to read and write reviews.

It’s a great way to find out what your friends and authors are reading and get ideas on good books to read, whether Christian or otherwise.

10. Evernote (Android, iOS, PC, Mac, web; free/ subscription) Evernote’s strapline is “remember everything”, and it’s a digital notebook service that syncs across pretty much every platform available. Many of my threads articles start life as jottings in Evernote, perhaps tapped out on my phone on the train to work. I also have an Evernote notebook on the Bible, gathering sermon notes, insights from Bible studies, articles I’ve discovered online, tagged by source and book of the Bible. It’s all fully searchable, and it’s great for digging up those “I’m sure I heard something about that…” pieces of info.

We need your help to ensure the “missing generation” is no longer missing. threads is reaching out to the missing generation, young adults in their 20s and 30s who are leaving the Church in droves as they see faith as irrelevant, out of touch and side-lined from the very real issues they are facing.

For as little as £3 a month, you could become a supporter of threads and play your part in ensuring this generation is no longer missing – visit eauk.org/supportthreads or call 0207 520 3848

MUSIC

CULTURE

The idea-playlist Our list of the best things to read, do and listen to.

What to enter

The idea iPod SATISFY – WORSHIPMOB – from Carry the Fire

The C.S. Lewis Literary Contest, organised by GOODFRUIT and threads, is a call for passionate writers who want to bring their literary imaginations to life through the power of crowdfunding.

GUIDING LIGHT – Foy Vance, from Live at Bangor Abbey

We’re looking for anyone who has a plot idea or complete story that they want to pen. From spy thrillers to historical biographies, children’s books to love stories, we’d love to help you put pen to paper.

THE LOVE YOU HAVE FOR ME (feat. Amanda Cook) – Sean Feucht, from Victorious One – Live at Bethel

“We’re looking for writers and books that push boundaries. CS Lewis was a bold writer and we want to continue in that spirit and see a new generation of writers who will stretch the imagination of culture,” says Anthony O-Thomas, founder of GOODFRUIT. GOODFRUIT and threads will begin the judging process in August, with three projects to be chosen to go live on GOODFRUIT in the hope of raising funding. Successful applicants will have mentorship from esteemed writers and support for distribution, should the campaign prove successful in raising the necessary funding.

So what are you waiting for? Are you a writer? Do you have a friend, cousin, or aunt brimming with ideas and constantly jotting down new characters? We want to hear from you.

Visit threadsUK.com/GOODFRUIT/ for more information.

REVIEWS

AGAINST THE FLOW: THE INSPIRATION OF DANIEL IN AN AGE OF RELATIVISM

JUST MERCY. A STORY OF JUSTICE AND REDEMPTION

by John Lennox

by Bryan Stevenson

In Against The Flow John Lennox takes the reader through the book of Daniel and into the world he inhabited in Babylon. This is an excellent book that provides an in depth look at the challenges for Daniel and how he maintained his focus on God while also serving the earthly rulers placed over him. Lennox writes clearly and compellingly and offers significant insights into both the biblical material and the historical evidence surrounding it. At times it is a little challenging, but definitely worth the effort. In a book focused on engaging in a world of relativism, it might have been nice to see a little more application as to how Christians today can learn from Daniel and what that would look like for Christians who take on similar roles to Daniel in the UK today.

Drawing from 30 years of legal experience defending the most marginalised people in US society, Bryan Stevenson exemplifies the biblical mandate to speak up and defend the rights of the poor and needy. His pro bono legal practice, Equality Justice Initiative, advocates for ‘the least of these’. In a criminal-justice system that still supports capital punishment such advocacy is literally a matter of life and death. Stevenson has also effectively argued for systemic change in the Supreme Court concerning a more merciful and restorative approach towards incarcerated children. His eloquent testimony of hope and compassionate presence in dark times is as redemptive as the title promises.

Reviewed by Marijke Hoek, co-editor ‘Carnival Kingdom’ and ‘Micah’s Challenge’

Reviewed by Danny Webster JULY/AUGUST 2015

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Our new space to look back through the Alliance archive

by Kim Walker, senior information and research officer

Following in the footsteps of Clive Calver In the coming months you will be seeing the name Gavin Calver regularly in idea, as we’ve explained in the 60 Seconds interview. As we welcome him to the team, we thought it might be interesting to have a look at the idea article where Gavin received his first mention.

Behind the scenes: a week in the life of Clive Calver, his dad, appeared in our January/ March 1996 edition. In a packed week that included breakfast with MPs in Southampton, debates at Durham and University College London universities, a Radio 4 Today Programme interview, a meeting with the prime minister, a Spring Harvest Planning meeting, breakfast with Ludovic Kennedy and a meeting with church leaders, Clive spent 90 minutes “shouting and singing” his way through a Wimbledon FC match accompanied by his 15-year-old son Gavin.

Too small to read? Find a copy of this at eauk.org/idea

IDEA MAGAZINE / 36

LETTERS: HAVE YOUR SAY

In your words

We love hearing from you, so have your say on any of the issues raised in idea or make any comments about the Evangelical Alliance by emailing idea@eauk.org

BAGGAGE OF WORDS In the May/June issue of idea Tom Wright helpfully takes us behind labels and such questions as “What does it mean to be an evangelical?” to see the good news of Jesus and his story. Yet so often we use labels in an unhelpful or loaded manner.

So, in the same edition, in the review of Martin Davie’s recent book on the Bible and same-sex relationships the terms revisionist and orthodox are used - the former is almost invariably used as a boo-word and the latter usually a cheer-word. And yet in the Council of Jerusalem described in Acts 15 it is quite clear that the orthodox are those who want to stick to the Old Testament requirements and the revisionists are Peter, Paul and Barnabas, who advocate the idea that Gentiles who become Christians are not to be subjected to the demands of the law.

Well, thank God the revisionists won that argument.

And perhaps we might handle the present controversy about same-sex relationships rather better if we avoided such terms and the baggage they bring with them.

George Day Via email GOD’S MOTIVES I was surprised to read that the renowned scholar N T Wright appears to have an issue

Editor Amaris Cole – idea@eauk.org Consulting editors Chine Mbubaegbu and Peter Lynas Contributing writers Daniel Webster, Lucy Olofinjana, Charlie Osewalt, Lucy Cooper, Jim Stewart, Gordon Hickson, Fred Drummond, David Garrison, David Smyth, Caleb Woodbridge.

Advertising manager Candy O’Donovan c.odonovan@eauk.org Design & Print Cliffe Enterprise JULY/AUGUST 2015

with the “genocide and slaughter of the Canaanites” and the love of God (Idea p 19). I would be very interested in his take on God’s annihilation of the human race (except for eight people) in the world wide flood. He is right in saying that it is only in the Cross that we can get an understanding.

For it was on the cross God demonstrated that His love was painful to the one who gives love. Parents tell me that it is because of their love that they don’t punish their small children, and wonder why when they are teenagers they call the police to protect them from their children’s abuse.

True love can be very painful. Perhaps a reading of Peter’s second letter, in which he reminds us God has given us ‘Great and precious promises’, which also include judgment, and that scoffers will come.

Or perhaps Paul’s letter to the Romans in chapter 1.

If we keep in mind that God is both holy, just and righteous, as well as love and full of mercy and grace, then the Bible, as understood through the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, should help us to have a clearer idea of history from God’s perspective, and have a better understanding of why God does what He does.

Blessings.

Patrick Bateman Borehamwood

Director of media & communications Chine Mbubaegbu

idea is published bi-monthly and sent free of charge to members of the Evangelical Alliance. Formed in 1846, the Alliance’s mission is to unite evangelicals to present Christ credibly as good news for spiritual and social transformation. There are around two million evangelical Christians in the UK, according to a 2007 Tearfund survey. idea is published in accordance with the Alliance’s Basis of Faith, although it is impossible in every article to articulate each detail and nuance of belief held

by Alliance members. Articles in idea may therefore express views on which there is a divergence of

Heard in tweets Tim Bechervaise @TimmyBech @idea_ mag @AmarisColeEA Spent lunch reading latest mag. Excellent. Faith-lifting & much food for thought. Thank you & keep up great work!

Helen B @Helen_Life Was still #undecided [about who to vote for] this evening but made up my mind from feature in @idea_ mag comparing positions on 8 key issues Rev Martyn Travers @mptravers So good to read of Christian ministry in our #Prisons in the latest @idea_mag @EAUKnews. No bars will keep Jesus out.

Amaris Cole @AmarisColeEA Great chat in the sauna about #GE2015 tonight at the gym. Even managed to give the politics edition of @idea_mag a shout out #neveroffduty Gillan Scott @gillan_scott Last thank you to @Theosthinktank @careorguk @ EAUKnews @JubileeCentre @1KLICE + others I’ve missed for your outstanding election coverage Gavin Calver @GavCalver If like me you’re a Christian in your 20s or 30s you’ve got to get on board with @threadstweets. Check it out today & join the collective!

EVANGELICALS AREN’T RELIGIOUS Most of the press reported on 13 April that Britain is one of the world’s least religious countries and that in a large poll only 53 per cent of people in Britain said they were religious.

It occurred to me that this may be partly because many evangelical Christians do not describe themselves as being “religious” because they associate religion with rituals and legalism etc. We prefer to say that our faith is not about religion but a relationship with Jesus. So if the wrong question was asked by the poll such as “Are you religious?” the results may not be accurate. There may be far more Christians in Britain than the poll recorded. Blessings.

Ann Wills Ruislip, Middlesex

opinion or understanding among evangelicals.

Letters and story ideas from members are welcome, and will be considered by the editorial board, which reserves the right to edit letters and stories for length and style. We regret that we are unable to engage in personal correspondence.

Unsolicited material will only be returned if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. idea accepts advertisements and inserts to offset printing costs. Advertising in idea does not imply editorial endorsement. The Alliance reserves the right to accept or refuse advertisements at its discretion. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from the editor.

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LAST WORD

Steve Clifford the general director, writes…

The battle against cynicism Like oil and water, cynicism and hope just don’t mix.”

I don’t know how it has been for you, but around my household the May 2015 election quickly became a distant memory. Despite the tens of millions that was spent on the campaign, the multitude of words that were written, interviews that were given, and polls that were taken – inaccurately, as it turns out – it seems we very rapidly returned to business as usual. Except I detected over the course of the election, and certainly in the days that followed, what I can only describe as a growing tide of cynicism against both our political system and those elected to represent us. Social media seems particularly fertile ground.

It’s easy to understand where cynicism comes from. We have been let down by some of our politicians: cash for questions, the expenses scandal, the ‘spinning’ of a political message, that makes it difficult to understand what is actually being proposed in a manifesto or an election debate. It’s so easy to have a negative outlook on those who are elected for Westminster, the Assemblies, or local Council.

A friend of mine once described ‘worry’ as unsanctified prayer. Perhaps cynicism is unsanctified ‘prophecy’. It’s a cancer that pervades British society, and is sadly impacting the Church. It allows us to believe the worst, and leaves us surprised if things go well. A cynic knows everything, while believing in nothing. With cynicism there is little place for commitment, celebration or

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indeed joy. Cynics become judge and jury of every situation. Like oil and water, cynicism and hope just don’t mix.

As part of my role as general director of the Evangelical Alliance, I have had the opportunity to meet a number of politicians and those called to public service. My experience is that the vast majority of the people I meet go into politics because they want to make a difference. They want the well-being of those whom they are elected to represent; they really do want to work for a better world. They haven’t entered the political arena for money – there are far more lucrative careers – and they certainly haven’t embarked on politics for an easy life.

The job of your average local MP is far from glamorous: long and anti-social hours, often living away from home, with the potential of facing a public attack and humiliation.

Now let’s be absolutely clear, our elected politicians need to be held accountable, both for the policies they propose and the honesty of their dealing. None of us are immune from the corrupting attractions of power and status.

As a Christian, I find myself in a complex relationship with those in power, even those elected by a democratic process in which I participated. I recognise that there is a higher authority, one to whom I have given my ultimate allegiance. This is to my Saviour, my Lord, and indeed the Lord of all the earth, to whom ultimately every knee will

bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

This means that we as a Christian community have a responsibility to challenge those in power when they have failed to fulfil their God-given duty to seek the common good, and failed to recognise their responsibility to steward wisely the resources of creation for the wellbeing of all.

Despite my allegiance to this higher authority and the challenge I might be called to bring, I’m also required to dig deeper. I can’t give way to cynicism, as I’m called to engage and particularly to pray.

Paul writing in the context of a brutally repressive Roman empire exhorts his readers “that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all Godliness and Holiness. This is good and pleasing to God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy chapter 2:1-4. It’s hard to pray with conviction if I’m cynical. It’s difficult to nurture relationships with those who are called to public service if I’m cynical.

I’m unlikely to get involved in a political party if I’m cynical.

So let’s be the people of hope, not denying the reality of the world that surrounds us, but seeing a greater reality and working to see it outworked in our lives and the lives of those who surround us.

JULY/AUGUST 2015

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