Thieves drove through the main gate of All Saints Church in Ripley’s churchyard in a van sometime between last Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

The damage made to Grade II listed church is expected to cost thousands to repair.

While Rev Paul Harford said the incident has pulled “time, energy and money, away from the church’s engagement with the community”, he revealed he was left pondering the motive behind the crime.

He told the Harrogate Advertiser: “A historic building has been damaged, and put at great risk of further damage, but is that the real concern here? Should we not be questioning how we have created a society in which people are driven to such dangerous, and desperate acts of vandalism to support themselves?

“My thoughts and prayers are with the perpetrators of this crime, they need help even more than our poor roof.”

The church is considering installing a new roof alarm system following the incident, if enough funds can be raised.

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for witnesses, or those with information to come forward to the incident by calling 101 quoting reference NYP-1012019-0102.

People wishing to remain anonymous can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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During a baptism service of 27 newborn babies at the weekend, Pope Francis spoke about how faith was transmitted in the home.

In the annual service, held in the Sistine Chapel, the Pontiff said: “This faith must be developed; it must grow.”

The Pope explained that this will be through the parents’ example and advised that adults don’t argue in view of their children.

“Never fight in front of your children,” he said. “It’s normal that parents should argue; the opposite would be strange. Do it, but without letting them hear or see.”

He said: “You have no idea the anguish it causes a child to see his or her parents fight.

“This, I dare, is a piece of advice that will help you pass on the faith.”

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Trey Hall began putting a team together after he started work last summer.

The new team will look to work with churches up and down the UK to promote evangelism and help congregations reach their local communities.

It will focus on supporting the Methodist Church’s network of 4,650 churches.

Speaking to Premier about the need for action, Hall said: “[In] many denominations, many Christian traditions in the UK and western Europe and indeed in the West in general, the church has been less successful in ministry with new generations over the past couple of generations and so we find ourselves in a state of decline.”

The team says it wants to take risks as it tries to develop new places for new people and to help existing churches come alive and grow.

Three new members of staff are due to start work in the next few months.

“The part that makes me the most excited is a sort of adventure, a way of reaching out and looking for conversation partners and doing spiritual journey with people who are not currently affiliated to organised religion and haven’t been,” Hall said.

The new team will be travelling across the nation over the coming months, meeting with church leaders and congregations, and working collaboratively to equip the church for new life.

It consists of Emma Nash, Mission and Community Engagement Officer, Matt Finch, Pioneering and Church Planting Officer and…

Hundreds of Christians calling for the removal of the artwork, titled McJesus, protested at the museum in the northern city of Haifa last week.

Israeli police said demonstrators hurled a firebomb at the museum and threw stones that wounded three police officers.

Church representatives brought their complaints to the district court on Monday, demanding a suspension order for the exhibit’s most offensive items, including Barbie doll renditions of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

גבר בן 32 נעצר ועוד ארבעה גברים עוכבו לחקירה בהפגנה מול מוזיאון חיפה, במחאה על תערוכה פוגענית ברגשות הציבור הנוצרי. המשטרה פיזרה את ההפגנה בכוח, תוך כדי שימוש ברימוני הלם. כמו כן, שלושה שוטרים נפצעו בראשם במהלך ההפגנה ופונו לקבלת טיפול רפואי @10elilevi @samiaah10 pic.twitter.com/1iO1BRjFfL

— חדשות עשר (@news10) January 11, 2019

Israeli culture minister Miri Regev, who has pushed for legislation mandating “loyalty” in art, has also called for the removal of the offending artwork.

The museum has refused to bow to pressure, saying that doing so would infringe on freedom of expression.

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In 2004, Erkin Altinkaynak and five others were denied the right to legally register their religious organisation, Tükiye Yedincigün Adventisterli Vakfi (Foundation of the Seventh-day Adventists), in Instanbul.

Their request was rejected on the grounds that the objective of the organisation was to meet the religious needs of people embracing the faith of Seventh-day Adventists and this was contrary to provisions of the Turkish Civil Code which prohibits the foundations whose purpose is to support members of a particular community.

This rejection was upheld in a further judgement but in 2011, Mr Altinkaynak asked religious liberty group ADF International for legal support, who then brought it to the European Court of Human Rights, claiming their right to expression, religion and peaceful assembly was being violated.

On Tuesday, this case reached its conclusion and it was decided Turkey had violated the right to freedom of association by denying the church’s recognition.

Robert Clarke, Director of European Advocacy for ADF International, who represented the applicants in the case, said: “In its ruling, the European Court of Human Rights established today, yet again, that everyone has the right to choose their religion and to express it publicly and privately.

“This includes the freedom to do so in community with others. In its judgement today, the Court has clearly…