Cornerstone Church says the decision to work with EE has led to many ministry opportunities.

Last Sunday, instead of running the usual Sunday service, the church took the opportunity to reach out to football supporters by gathering in the church car park to serve tea, coffee and biscuits to connect with the community.

Minister of the church, Richard Evans told Premier: “We had lots of good conversations and we connected with people who had kind of been in church and who had drifted away and there was an opportunity to pray too.

“There were conversations just in general, there were also those as well that weren’t interested.

“But the fact that we were there and available to people just made that opportunity for those conversations to happen.

“We want to do this more and more, to just connect with people outside the church and to be that fragrance of Christ, wherever we are, whatever we are doing.”

Watford are surprising participants in Saturday’s FA Cup final when they’ll take on Manchester City.

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The supervision of all offenders in England and Wales is being brought under public management.

The National Probation Service will take over low and medium-risk cases again after a part-privatisation suffered a lot of criticism.

A recent inspection found thousands of offenders were being managed by a brief phone call once every six weeks.

Following the announcement, Rt Rev James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester and Bishop to HM Prisons has said: “I welcome the Secretary of State, David Gauke’s announcement that all probation services are to be brought back within one national service.

“The previous regime whereby many services were provided by a number of Community Rehabilitation Companies was ill-conceived and has not worked in practice. 

“Both former prisoners and communities have not been served well.  Launched under the banner of ‘Transforming Rehabilitation’, the system has not been transformative and has not rehabilitated.  Re-offending rates are but one indicator of this.

“Within the proposed unitary service, there will no doubt continue to be multiple providers of particular services. 

“I welcome the Secretary of State’s indication that the voluntary sector will have a significant role and look forward to further discussions about this.

“There is a wealth of experience within faith-based organisations, many of them Christian, who already work in…

Readers in the Church of England are people who are not ordained but may serve in church as lay preachers, by leading music or assisting in the teaching, outreach and pastoral work of the minister.

Rt Rev Martyn Snow, the Bishop of Leicester and the Chair of the Central Readers Council, wants the Church to take a ‘fresh perspective’ on ecclesiastical life and to be challenged.

The booklet says lay people are ‘a wonderful gift from God to the church’ who are ‘uniquely equipped to enable all baptised Christians to live out their Christian faith in the places where they spend the majority of their time’.

It continues: ‘As people who daily move between the worlds of work, home, social networks and church, Lay Ministers can teach the faith and play a part in leadership such that all God’s people grow in confident and humble witness to God’s kingdom.’

Bishop Martyn highlights how lay people are in a unique position of reaching ‘the 93%’ of people who do not engage with the Church at all in the UK as they will have jobs outside of the church.

The areas of encouragement mostly involve equipping church goers to tell the gospel to those outside the church, to be more confident in Bible teaching and to become a model of ‘everyday faith’.

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The decision has been made after a panel found him guilty of a ‘high level breach’ of the players’ code of conduct and has upheld the decision to sack him.

Israel posted on his Instagram account in April that read: “Drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators – Hell awaits you.”

He escaped punishment for similar comments last year.

The chief executive of Rugby Australia, Raelene Castle said ‘they had no other option’.

In a statement from Israel Folau he said:

 “It has been a privilege and an honour to represent Australia and my home state of New South Wales, playing the game I love.

“I am deeply saddened by today’s decision to terminate my employment and I am considering my options.

“As Australians, we are born with certain rights, including the right to freedom of religion and the right to freedom of expression.

“The Christian faith has always been a part of my life and I believe it is my duty as a Christian to share God’s word.

“Upholding my religious beliefs should not prevent my ability to work or play for my club and country.

“I would like to thank my wife Maria for her love and encouragement to stay true to our beliefs.

“We have been jumbled by the support we have received from family, friends, players, fans and the wider community.

“Thank you also to those who have spoken out in my defence,…