She shared in an Instagram post saying that the 2-year-old didn’t wake up from her sleep on Saturday.

“We’re asking for prayer,” she said. “We believe in a Jesus who died and conclusively defeated every grave, holding the keys to resurrection power. We need it for our little Olive Alayne, who stopped breathing yesterday and has been pronounced dead by doctors. We are asking for bold, unified prayers from the global church to stand with us in belief that He will raise this little girl back to life. Her time here is not done, and it is our time to believe boldly, and with confidence wield what King Jesus paid for. It’s time for her to come to life.”

The co-writer of the song ‘Ever Be’ has received numerous messages of support on social media from fellow Bethel worship leaders and other Christian music artists like Darlene Zschech and Jesus Culture.

 

 

Bethell Church asked for the “global church to join with them in prayer and in declaring life and resurrection” over Olive. 

The church added: “Our God is the God of miracles, and nothing is impossible for Him!”

Jenn Johnson, co-founder of Bethel Music, shared a video of the church passionately worshipping with the song ‘Way Maker’ by Sinach. She used the hashtag #WakeUpOlive.

 

Johnson has also been sharing Bible verses of God healing people and raising people from the dead.

 Heiligenthal’s song ‘Every Crown’ is featured on Bethel Music’s latest album VICTORY released January 2019. She is…

Most Rev Justin Welby shared his Christmas message with The Big Issue on Monday, in which he reflected on the state of vulnerable people in the country, which he said has become worse over the last nine years.

He said there are more rough sleepers, an increase in foodbank users and a rise in the use of “vitriolic language”, while people’s tolerance of minority groups has decreased, with these groups experiencing a “much harder time”.

“We have had an MP murdered. I am not saying we are in a crisis, I am just saying the direction of travel is not what we want,” he told The Big Issue.

The archbishop was also asked about the Duke of York scandal, and his thoughts on whether the royal family have to adhere to a higher moral code than the rest of society.

“I think generally speaking they do serve in a way that is extraordinary in what is literally, for them, a life sentence,” he said.

“I think to ask that they be superhuman saints is not what we should do because nobody is like that.

“Everybody makes mistakes, everybody is human. I am not commenting on any member of the royal family except to say that I am astonished at what a gift they are to this country.”

The archbishop revealed he saw the Pope last week, and they talked about football, God and praying.

The Archbishop of Canterbury”I know nothing about Argentinian football, but I was teasing him about it. We talk about…

More than 90 Christian films are available. A monthly subscription is £4.99. The network, marketed as “the Christian alternative to Netflix and Amazon Prime” says that these two popular streaming services show only “a handful” of Christian films.

The editor-in-chief of New Faith Network, Machiel Copier, said: “We see a great need for a Christian niche channel in the UK. Christian entertainment is scattered and difficult to find.”

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

The Very Rev Dr John Chalmers, of the Ecclesiastical Household in Scotland, said the selfie culture was “narcissism gone wild”, and said following Jesus was about “taking up a cross rather than a selfie stick.”

Dr Chalmers said that last summer he and his wife had visited the Pantheon in Rome, writing in Life and Work, the Church of Scotland magazine, he said he “overheard a young man and his companion: ‘Where do you want to go now?’ The response was, ‘Let’s nip down to the Vatican. I don’t want to hang around there, but I need to get a quick selfie in front of St Peter’s; then we’re done.’

“There may be nothing much wrong with the occasional photograph that shows us standing beside some famous person or site, but is it altogether healthy to be running around with your phone on a selfie-stick to make sure that you’re at the centre of every picture?

“Life isn’t all about me, me, me! Modesty beats pride hands down, humility is healthier than arrogance and self-effacement beats self-importance every time.”   

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

Pupils at Whitehall Primary School in Chingford, Essex, have also been told to sing edited versions of two modern hymns when they attend a carol service and nativity at a nearby church on Tuesday.

One mother of children at the school, Margarita said: “I picked my children up at the end of the day and they were so upset, saying to me: ‘Mummy, today in assembly the head teacher told everybody that she would be changing the words to the Christmas song.’ I was so shocked. As a family we go to church, pray together and celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus as the Son of God.”

Headteacher, Zakia Khatun, had announced in the assembly that that reason for the change was so that ‘all pupils can participate in the celebration’. Many other parents and staff at the school are unhappy about what has happened.

One parent told the Daily Mail the changes were utterly unacceptable and likened it to taking ‘Christ’ out of Christmas.

The mother, 36, said: “If he was just a baby boy named Jesus, there wouldn’t be a celebration in the first place. He is our Lord and Saviour and King of all Kings – that’s the whole point.

“It is also a tradition – it is taking away the traditions of the country.”

The mother said her two sons, aged nine and 11 and who go to church and Sunday school, were very upset when the head teacher announced that the words of the carols…

The rapper said he wanted to “cry so bad” when his in-ear monitors blew twice during his historic set, and that he was certain it would be the end of his career.

The chart-topper, who was the first black British solo artist to headline the music event, revealed that his mother missed the live performance in June because she was praying for him to succeed after the pastor at her church experienced a negative vision about his set.

Stormzy, 26, told the Observer magazine: “The pastor saw reviews that said: ‘The worst performance of all time’ and then a hand coming down holding a stamp, and stamping on the review, DENIED.”

He said his mother’s pastor had called her just before he took to the stage, and that they and other members of their church prayed for the grime star while he performed live on the Pyramid Stage in front of thousands of fans as his in-ear monitors failed.

Although he did not know it at the time, his set was seen as a success, and he now believes that God saved him – as well as muscle memory.

He said: “I was so ready for that show. I’ve never been more prepared for anything.”

The music star said that if it had not gone well, he thought: “The country’s going to slaughter me for this. They’re going to absolutely rip me to shreds…”

He added: “There wouldn’t have been no second album.”

Stormzy, real name…

Six years on since the conflict started in South Sudan on 15^th December 2013, life has become even more difficult due to the climate emergency in some of the country’s most vulnerable and remote areas, according to Christian charity Tearfund. 

Assessments carried out in Twic East, Jonglei State – where Tearfund is working to treat mothers and children already suffering from extreme levels of malnutrition – have found that 90 per cent of crops have been destroyed by the flooding with vast areas inaccessible to vehicles,  hampering humanitarian efforts. With the flooding comes a significantly increased risk of waterborne diseases. 

Despite ceasefires being in place and a deadline for forming a government of national unity set for 20th February 2020, the situation is still complex. For Tearfund staff and other agencies trying to respond to those most in need the severity of the flooding is compounding existing difficulties. The Government of South Sudan has declared a state of emergency in the areas affected, with mothers and children most at risk. 

Aguil, 23, lives with her two children in Twic East, in eastern South Sudan, not far from the River Nile explains: “Life has always been difficult, but the flooding made it worse. I lost my five goats. The fields are destroyed… we don’t know what to do. There was so much rain, it felt like it had been…

The Everyday Faith campaign aims to help people live out their Christian faith wherever they may be, emphasising how much even the smallest and most routine aspects of our working lives – both paid and unpaid – matter to God and make a difference to others.

The three-week programme starting on 12^th January will offer a daily Bible reading, a book of reflections and prayers on the themes of love, faith and hope from authors including the Bishop of Gloucester, Rachel Treweek.

The reflections highlight how the Christian faith has inspired and provided support to people in their working lives, telling the stories of people including a London Underground worker, a teacher, a hairdresser, plumber, a nurse and police officers as well a retired couple.

Launched on Plough Sunday, the traditional start of the agricultural year when many Christian communities ask for a blessing on human labour, the campaign will make use of an app, social media posts and animations.

The campaign is encouraging churches to take part, with suggestions such as a regular ‘This Time Tomorrow’ slot at services for Sunday worshippers to hear fellow congregation members talk about faith and their working lives.

The Bishop of Gloucester, Rachel Treweek, said: “Living and sharing a Jesus shaped life, that’s what everyday faith is all about. It’s being with people in the places where…

The streets of Salisbury were illuminated at the eighth procession on Thursday as part of the city’s Christmas celebrations.

The Cathedral’s Dean, Reverend Canon Nicholas Charles Papadopulos and the Mayor of Salisbury John Walsh led the procession with the Dolphin Marching Band, who performed some festive music.

The historic and impressive architecture of Salisbury Cathedral provided a dramatic backdrop for the lanterns illuminated in the dark, from dinosaurs to stars and astronauts.

What a night it was last night! Check out all the photos from the #Salisbury Lantern & Lights Procession here: https://t.co/ZQRTwiZi4k pic.twitter.com/X3UjM3OOJn

— Christmas in Salisbury (@XmasInSalisbury) December 13, 2019

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.