Janet has been in local politics for many years; as a councillor and as deputy mayor of the borough but Lewisham is also her home.

The by-election caused by Heidi Alexander’s move to the mayor’s office created the opportunity for Daby to stand in her own constituency. 

She’s also a member of Christians on the Left and told Premier: “I remember when I was at my local church just prior to the election day and one of the things I was saying there is that in how I conduct myself, in the years that I’ve been a Christian, God is very much before me in what I do and how I consider my approach – so yes, it has impacted my decision to get in politics and how I am as a person and my character.”

She described her first day in the House of Commons as a newly-elected MP: “It was quite profound to see so many MPs close up, that was a real experience but I think in my own mind, and my own thinking, I’m just thinking I want to make sure I have a good impact and that I can be a good voice.”

The Labour MP is keen to stand up for her constituents: “It’s a time now where I just need to be learning and taking everything in and then working out the difference that I want to make.”

When asked what issues she’s most passionate about she replied: “Improving our NHS service, more social and affordable homes, making sure that our transport and rail services meet the needs…

A family fun day is a common occurrence for many churches in the summer but when you’ve just had a volcano only two miles away, the distraction is very much needed. 

Puna Baptist Church, who had twelve church families displaced, held theirs for the people of Puna who had experienced evacuation because of the recent volcano eruption. They called it ‘A Day to Be Normal for All of Puna!’

“We want it to be a day of normalcy for anyone affected by the evacuation,” Pat Mullin, event organizer told Hawaii Tribune Herald, “So what we’re doing, we set it up so the families can come, the parents can just relax, let their kids have fun, without worrying about the day-to-day stuff with everything else they got going on.”

Free hygiene kits were offered by the church and a doctor and a counsellor were also were on site. 

Marlene Tamashiro runs the recovery centre for the church and said Pahoa churches had banded together from the beginning to help those displaced.

Puna Baptist Church have been providing a clothes washing service which they’ve asked their members to pray for: “Pray for the Laundry Voucher Ministry to be an effective opportunity to share Jesus with the Puna community” their website reads. 

Tamashiro estimated at least 75 percent of its members have been directly impacted, either by losing a home or knowing someone who has.

One church member wrote on…

The committed congregation of St Stephen’s Church in Burnley Wood, assisted by special guests including local MP Julie Cooper, read the entire Bible in church on one day.

Chairs were set up in about 10 circles around the church and members chatted over refreshments when they were waiting for their turn to read. 

St Stephen’s parish priest, Rev Patrick Senior, kicked off proceedings by reading all of Genesis Chapter 1. 

Organiser Pam McGrath said: “What a wonderful day it was – more than 140 people from all over Burnley came to the church between 9am and 5pm to read and between them they read 240 sections lasting 20 minutes. 

They set themselves the target of reading it all by 5pm in order to set up the church for the next day. 

The church hailed it as a great social event for the church as well, as those who had read already or who were reading later in the day conversed over cake, looked at the Gideon’s Bible stand, discussed the readings, and others caught up with old friends.

The purpose of the Bible Marathon was to promote reading the Bible on a regular basis among the congregation and those who were less familiar with it. Information about how to read the Bible was handed out at the event to help people read the Bible after they left. 

The day ended just about on cue when the double act of the Dean of Blackburn, The Very Rev. Peter Howell-Jones and…

On National Sports Sunday, Sports Chaplaincy UK are urging Christians to think about how they can pray for their sports teams and clubs and do more together, but ultimately to view sport with a Godly attitude. 

Warren Evans, CEO of Sports Chaplaincy UK, told Premier: “National Sports Sunday is simply an initiative to encourage the church to look at the community of sport differently, rather than feeling that they’re simply an activity, a commodity or even a competition for getting kids in church – but look at it through the eyes of a compassionate God. 

“And when we do that we respond differently, and that’s the challenge – to pray for that community, to be intentional with that community and to engage with that community and when we do that we’ll see what God does.”

He explained how sport has great values, a togetherness already and that the church could step into that: “If we’re a little bit more strategic, if we can look at that community, instead of rejecting that community – that community is 25 million people, we can’t afford to reject that.”

Evans challenged Christians to think about the practical ways they could get to know people on sports clubs and be a witness: “Where does it say we have to meet at 10:30 or 6? Can we do something slightly different? Can we send a youth worker to kids club? Can we invite or do a barbecue? Can we send a bag of…

The service at 1:30 on Sunday will be the first official national service to be held anywhere in recognition of those seeking a safe place of welcome.

Inspired by Christian Aid and Churches Together Great Britain & Ireland, it is hoped that it will become an annual event.

The added significance for the Church is that the city of Birmingham has historically been sanctuary to those seeking refuge, becoming home to various communities from Syria, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Iraq and other places since the 18th Century.  

Rev Dr Sharon Prentis, Dean of Black & Minority Ethnic Affairs for the Church of England in Birmingham, told Premier: “Sanctuary Sunday is an opportunity for the church to really be prayerful of those seeking sanctuary for any number of reasons – so migrants who are here because of violence and war and conflict and also those who, for whatever reason, are facing persecution and have sought sanctuary in this country.”

She described the Sunday service: “At the end of refugee week they will hold a service of thanks to celebrate the city’s rich diversity and also to keep remembering that millions of people are in transit around the globe.”

Rev Dr Inderjit Bhogal will be preaching and a variety of community representatives will contribute “as a reflection of Birmingham’s vibrant diversity” said the Church of Birmingham. 

“Birmingham…

Christian charity Tearfund have launched an emergency appeal for the people of Burundi, as over half the population face severe food shortages due to droughts, flooding and political chaos. 

Recent elections and the referendum in May has given little hope as the existing administration under President Pierre Nkurunziza are now able to extend the length of time they can remain in power.

Desire Majambere, a Burundian himself and Tearfund’s Country Manager in Burundi described seeing malnourished people: “it’s not easy…the women are left behind struggling to get food to feed their families but also it’s not easy to see children who abandon school because they are hungry, they are weak.”

“We can avoid the situation” he said “currently what we’re doing is providing porridge with some ingredients to feed the malnourished people for the short term but also for the long term we are providing seeds,”

They are also training people in making meals that are balanced and in modern farming techniques. 

They’ve set up temporary feeding centres distributing nutritious food, vitamins and supplements to pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and children under five.

The appeal will help families to become self-sufficient and healthier in the months and years to come by teaching new farming techniques, educating people on nutrition and helping develop better hygiene practices…