update
NewsWatch informs you
about current events so that
you can pray effectively.
Your prayer today has
the power to impact the
headlines of tomorrow.
300 million people
using popular Bible app
YouVersion has announced that its
Bible app has now been installed
more than 300 million times. The
Bible App was one of the first 200
free apps in the debut of Apple’s
App Store nine years ago. Since
then, it has been downloaded in
every country of the world. The
app allows users to read the Bible,
share verses with their social
networks and bookmark their
favourite passages.
So far 17.7 million chapters
have been read, 39 million Bible
plans completed, 120 million verse
images created and 222 million
verses shared. The Bible verse
that was shared, bookmarked,
and highlighted most often by
the global Bible App community
during 2017 is Joshua 1:9, “This
is my command-be strong and
courageous! Do not be afraid or
discouraged. For the Lord your
God is with you wherever you go.”
The Bible App offers Bible text
in 1,635 versions, representing
1,171 languages.
Source: prnewswire.com
Ofsted: A third of
independent Christian
schools aren’t good enough
A new Ofsted report has found
that faith schools are “deliberately
choosing” not to meet standards,
due to the tensions between legal
requirements and community
expectations. The Annual Report
by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector
of Education, Children’s Services
and Skills 2016/17 found that
a third of independent Christian
schools are inadequate or need
improvement.
Clive Ireson, director of the
Association of Christian Teachers,
said that the schools should be
given some time to adjust because
it’s been only two years since
they’ve had to switch to Ofsted’s
rules. Prior to 2015, the schools
were inspected by the Bridge
Schools Inspectorate.
Ireson explained that
Christian schools must learn to
keep their “faith flavour” while still
meeting requirements. “Teachers
should be able to express their
faith in these schools and that’s
why their parents have chosen
to send them there”, he said.
Out of the 99 independent
schools inspected, 14% were
outstanding, 52% were good,
15% needed improvement and
18% were inadequate.
Source: premier.org.uk/news
Plans approved for new
Manchester mega church
Manchester City Council has
unanimously voted in favour of
a huge renovation of the city’s
biggest church. The expansion
to Audacious Church will see an
auditorium seating 2,400, a TV
studio and a seven story car park.
The church’s building,
which used to be a stationery
shop, opened in 2011 in a prime
location in the city. Rather than
moving away from the site, leaders
chose to build up. The church has
seen huge growth, hosting three
Sunday services along with a host
of projects throughout the week
for the local community.
In its submission the church
said: “Audacious Church are
passionate about making a
positive impact on the local
community and feel strongly that
this can be best achieved from
their current site, which is well
known throughout the region.”
Source: premier.org.uk/news
London Assembly bans
demonstrations outside
abortion clinics
The London Assembly has
approved a motion calling for
the ban of pro-life pavement
counselling and prayer groups
from outside abortion clinics.
Labour Party Assembly Members
Fiona Twycross and Dr Onkar
Sahota called on the Mayor to
look at existing powers to bar
pro-life groups from approaching
expectant mothers outside
abortion centres. The motion was
carried by twelve votes to three.
newswatch
Christian news in brief
Christian Institute has said. The
criticism comes after the release
of a report, which says the BBC
will increase its mainstream
religious output by giving greater
prominence to non-Christian
festivals such as Eid, Passover
and Diwali.
The organisation said it
intended to broaden its audience
by reflecting “an increasingly
pluralistic society”.
Source: christian.org.uk
Government report
highlights the importance
of English cathedrals
A new report commending
England’s forty-two Anglican
cathedrals for their continued
importance as places of worship,
their wider community work and
their commitment to promoting
local economic growth has been
published by the Department
for Communities and Local
Government.
The report highlights the
“exceptional work” taking place in
cathedrals and their communities
up and down the country, for
example with cathedrals engaging
proactively with the problems
they face, engaging with the
community, preserving heritage
and providing support for the
most vulnerable.
Source: gov.uk
Yangon celebrates
Christmas after 50 years
The Christian communities in
Myanmar have publicly celebrated
Christmas in the streets of
Yangon for the first time in 50
years. In the past, Christmas was
strictly confined within the walls
of churches. But last Christmas,
several liturgies, feasts and
processions, took place in the
city with the specific authorisation
of the government authorities of
the region of Yangon.
Source: heraldmalaysia.com
Source: christianconcern.com
BBC to ramp up output
on multi-faith content
A new drive by the BBC to
make religious programming
more inclusive will water down
Britain’s Christian heritage, The
Revival Times February 2018 29