The Cinnamon Network – which is a charity that connects faith-based organisations – studied 32 church-led initiatives and identified how they tackle issues including mental health, obesity and social isolation.

They found that more than 3,500 churches and 200,000 volunteers were making a significant contribution to the overstretched health service.

Matt Bird, founder of the Cinnamon Network told Premier the state of the nation would be worse without the Church’s help.

Speaking during Premier’s News Hour, he said: “Now we have evidence to show actually, active churches help reduce obesity, help prevent loneliness, and address mental health issues and dementia and many other aspects of just normal life for normal people.”

Rt Hon Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London is one of the Cinnamon Trustees and said in a statement: “The NHS is under considerable pressure; increasing public expectation, increasing life expectancy, improvements in technology and limited resources. If we are able to improve our health and the health of the community, we can contribute to the better use of those limited resources.

“The Church’s Impact on Health and Care research is an important contribution to understanding how the voluntary sector and specifically the church and faith-based projects can promote health and create community and belonging.”

Niky Dix, is the founder of Intentional Health, a…

Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of Makurdi said the more than 100 Christians deaths this year alone in the Middle Belt region was a result of the militant nomadic herdsmen being supplied “sophisticated weapons”.

In an interview with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Anagbe said: “The Fulani tribesmen for the most part live in the forests and cannot afford the luxury of such sophisticated weapons – so who is funding them?

“There is a clear agenda – a plan – to Islamise all of the areas that are currently predominantly Christian in the so-called Middle Belt of Nigeria.”

Bishop Anagbe said eleven parishes in his diocese had come under attacks from militant herdsmen in Benue state where predominantly Christians live.

Highlighting the failure of the Nigerian government to quell the extent of violence in the Middle Belt, Bishop Anagbe said: “When the attacks take place, there are never any police or soldiers present.”

Father Tobias Buture, from the Maiduguri diocese also criticised repeated security failures.

He told ACN: “The inhabitants of Maiduguri see a lack of transparency and honesty on the part of the authorities.”

Bishop Anagbe said the Church is doing more to help Nigerians than the government, referencing the more than 100,000 internally displaced people living in four separate camps in his…

Christians, Jews and Muslims came together to hear from speakers of the different faiths and then eat a meal together – when the sun had gone down – with Muslims opening their fast. 

Hosted in St John’s Synagogue in North London, guests were assigned to a round table and encouraged to ask each other about their different traditions. 

It was the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, whom many were excited to hear from. His speech focused on the message of unity, saying that is the core of the three faiths. He referenced Jesus’ answer about the most important commandment being ‘Love thy neighbour’.

Also speaking were the new Bishop of London, Rt Rev Sarah Mullaly, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Cardinal Vincent Nicholls. 

Speaking to Premier after his speech, Khan said: “The wisdom in those three speakers is phenomenal and what’s great is the humility, to go round the room and listen to young people.”

“You’ve got three of the most senior religious people in this country giving their words of wisdom but also listening to young people.”

When asked if there was more of an openness towards religion than the previous generation he said: “Politicians of my generation thought it was to taboo to talk about religion and your faith – I don’t think it is.

“Actually, faith comes from organised religion, but it comes from other things as well. And so I think we shouldn’t be embarrassed…

Speaking after the first leg of the event at Winston House in West Sussex during the late May bank holiday weekend, chief executive officer Tim Jupp announced a loss of £150,000.

In a message posted on social media, he said: “Wow – what an incredible weekend!! [I] don’t even know where to start in thanking all of you for coming and everyone who served to make the dream a reality.

“If you’d like to stand with us to help wipe out this year’s deficit of £150k, you can give on line…”

Responding to news of the deficit, Twitter user Emma Sivyer said: “Wow – that’s a big hole to fill. Why the deficit?”.

Nina Cashmore wrote: “Thank you for a really great weekend. [I’m] happy to donate extra to help keep this event up and running.”

Wow -what an incredible weekend!! Dont even know where to start in thanking all of you for coming and everyone who served to make the dream a reality. If you’d like to stand with us to help wipe out this years deficit of £150k you can give on line at https://t.co/bjOaVMtqhg Jupp pic.twitter.com/6TfESxjggu

— BigChurchDayOut (@BigChurchDayOut) May 28, 2018

Some of the biggest names in the Christian music industry will take to the stage when the second leg of the Big Church Day Out 2018 gets underway this weekend.

Kari Jobe, Newworldson, Matt Redman and Martin Smith will be among those taking to the stage at Capesthorne Hall near Macclesfield…