The campaign Advance 2020 was launched at Lambeth Palace on Monday with over a hundred leaders present.

It’s being spearheaded by Andy Hawthorne, from youth charity the Message. Speaking to Premier, he said: “I felt like we need to see a multiplication of the evangelist gift but also in Isaiah 60 it says ‘assemble my people’ and I felt like we need to start going big again”

Those involved in the project include Hope, the Evangelical Alliance (EA) and the Church of England.

Speaking to Premier about the EA’s involvement, Gavin Calver said: “We’re dreaming of seeing the United Kingdom come back to relationship with Jesus as many people are released as witnesses to their friends, their communities, sports clubs. We’re really excited.”

Between now and 2020, there will be training events for those wanting to engage in more evangelism.

It’s hoped that a united approach will lead to “the gospel being taken to the nation on an unprecedented scale”.

In September 2015, the Government pledged to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) scheme, Citizens UK then started to persuade councils and community groups to participate in housing people.

The Community Sponsorship Awards to recognise those efforts will take place in London this evening, paying tribute to those who have welcomed refugees into the country, either through escorting them from the airport to their new home, providing a pack of food and essentials on their arrival or spent money on English classes and sometimes even providing them with a home.

Tim Finch, the founding director of Sponsor Refugees, told Premier why they’re holding the awards: “People who get involved in it really find it rewarding and inspiring and good fun as well. But it’s a lot of work, you have to raise money, you have to find a house, you have to plan for and then help support the refugee family when they arrive, and all of that’s done on an entire voluntary basis.”

“It seemed appropriate to us that…the people who do that, among them many Christian communities, should be celebrated and recognised in their work.”

Finch explained how the UK followed Canada’s model in allowing volunteers and faith groups to resettle refugees.

“Up until very recently this was something only done by the state, by local authorities or by contracted…

Andrew Brunson, who led Izmir Resurrection Church, has been detained in Turkey since October 2016, accused of being part of a coup which failed to bring down the government.

Thousands of journalists, academics and civil servants were also arrested around the same time as part of a crack-down.

Since then, there has been various attempts by the US to release Brunson, through warnings from President Trump, talk of deals with Turkish prisoners in America and the threat of sanctions.

On Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that they will oppose any more sanctions America tries to put on them after sanctions in August brought the Turkish lira to record lows.

He said at the first session of parliament: “We are deeply saddened by the current US government, a strategic partner, targeting our country without any logical, political and strategic consistency.”

He said he would combat: “this crooked understanding, which imposes sanctions using the excuse of a pastor who is tried due to his dark links with terror organizations.”

Brunson’s next court hearing is 12th October where he is accused of links with Fethullah Gulen, thought to be the leader of the coup, and Kurdish militants.

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A pastoral letter, launched on Monday at the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, addresses housing and homelessness and describes the root causes of the crisis.

The letter details 18 key findings and calls for a number of measures including fair pricing and security in the private rental sector, vacant sites to be taxed and action to be taken to increase the supply and reduce the price of housing.

At its autumn general meeting, the bishops’ conference said the Government is struggling to tackle the growing homelessness crisis.

One bishop said some landlords should “examine their consciences as to the extent of profit they make”.

Kevin Doran of Elphin, acting chairman of the Council for Justice and Peace, added: “This is not just a problem for Dublin, but a problem that faces all of us in society.

“The magnitude of the problem is so great that it cannot be solved by voluntary effort alone. The state must take the lead partner on this – this cannot be left to the private sector either.”

Father Sean Donohoe, co-director of homelessness charity Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin, said it is not the responsibility of the church to solve the homelessness crisis.

“It’s the responsibility of the state of civic society through our governmental process,” he said.

“We do from 300 to 350 breakfasts every day and this morning we gave out baby food and nappies to 250 families.

“The day…