WORLDWIDE PHOTOS LTD The Religious Media Agency

WEEKLY NEWS REVIEW

October 31, 2002

INDEX

AUSTRALIA: 1. CALL FOR DAY OF PRAYER FOR DROUGHT (Anglcn Media Sydney) 2. GAMBLING FUELLING AN “UNHEALTHY” ECONOMY (Anglicare-Vic) 3. VICTORIA’S NEW NARROWCAST LICENCES (Squawk Newsletter) 4. A PLACE TO CALL HOME IN NUNDLE (Wesley Mission) 5. CALL FOR GLOBAL ETHICAL STANDARD (C of E Newspaper) 6. HIDDEN TRAGEDIES OF DISADVANTAGED (Mission Australia)

OVERSEAS: 7. ‘REVIVAL’ AT THE BBC (Christian Herald) 8. SAVE THE CHILDREN IN ZIMBABWE BAN (Christian Herald) 9. CHINESE VISIT UNITED KINGDOM (Christian Herald) 10. WHICH ONE’S JESUS? (Christian Herald) 11. NZ WOMEN MAKE FRESH COMMITMENT TO GOD (Challenge Weekly) 12. NZ BOOKSHOPS STOCK UP FOR HALLOWEEN (Challenge Weekly) 13. ‘ALTERNATIVE’ CHRISTMAS (Christian Herald) 14. CHRISTMAS ADS OFFER AN ESCAPE (Church Times) 15. HERE’S TO CHURCH-GOING DADS (EP News Service)

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1. CALL FOR DAY OF PRAYER FOR DROUGHT (Anglcn Media Sydney) The Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen has called for a Day of Prayer to be held on Sunday 3 November, 2002, as a Day of Prayer for Drought. In a letter to the churches, Archbishop Jensen wrote, “Together with the other Bishops of the Province I am calling for a Day of Prayer to be held on Sunday 3 November, 2002. It is suggested that we might pray for Rain; for the Farmers, who are most affected, and also local business people; for the Pastors as they seek to minister to those in need, and as their churches face financial problems, also for the NSW Government and drought relief measures. It would also be helpful to let your people know that there will be an appeal launched through the Archbishop’s Disaster Fund in February 2003.”

2. GAMBLING FUELLING AN “UNHEALTHY” ECONOMY (Anglicare-Vic) Anglicare Victoria has hit out at Government claims that the increase in gaming revenue merely reflected a “healthy economy”. CEO of Anglicare Victoria, Dr Ray Cleary was responding to the annual report of the state’s Casino and Gaming Authority, that states that $2.56 billion was lost on poker machines alone, with the State Government claiming a massive $1.4 billion in gambling taxes. “For the Government to claim that gambling is simply healthy family entertainment ignores the public health risks associated with gambling and promises winnings that are unrealistic, and unattainable,” he said.

3. VICTORIA’S NEW NARROWCAST LICENCES (Squawk Newsletter) The Vision FM network of radio stations is set to expand with UCB’s (United Christian Broadcasters’) acquisition of 13 new open narrowcast licences in three states, most of them in Victoria. The Australian Broadcasting Authority has announced the successful applicants for a variety of AM and FM frequencies around the country, with UCB obtaining 13 licences at $4,000 each. Vision FM is already heard through over 100 outlets in Australia. With very few of these being in Victoria, picking up eight FM licences in that state is a major boost for the network. These are at Ararat, Bairnsdale, Hamilton, Horsham, Portland, Sale, Stawell and Warrnambool. There’ll be three FM services in Queensland, at Charters Towers, Emerald and St George; and two AM services in Western Australia, at Kalgoorlie and Bunbury.

4. A PLACE TO CALL HOME IN NUNDLE (Wesley Mission) A major appeal to build a home for people with support needs in Nundle, in central-northern NSW, was launched last Monday, 28 October at 11 am. The Superintendent of Wesley Mission the Rev Dr Gordon Moyes AC MLC, the Patron of the Foundation, officially launched the appeal for the Nundle Community Welfare Foundation (NCWF) outside the Nundle Court House Museum. The Foundation aims to raise $100,000 to build a home, which will belong to the community.

5. CALL FOR GLOBAL ETHICAL STANDARD (C of E Newspaper) Australian values of ‘mateship’ stem from the teachings of Christ, according to a leading Anglican theologian in a Canberra memorial service for the victims of the Kuta Beach bombings in Bali. The Rev John Moses urged leaders of the world faiths to begin talks aimed at defining ‘global ethical standards’. Mr Moses, a leading Australian academic, said that the Muslim terrorists who carried out the Bali bombings regarded themselves as ‘agents of God’. He argued that they became a danger because religious leaders had failed to agree on global ethical standards, allowing fanatics to be tolerated by their own faiths. Reflecting on Australian values, Mr Moses said, “Mateship, the ANZAC spirit, a fair go, sticking up for the underdog, cutting down the tall poppies – these derive ultimately from the Gospel of Christ,” he said. “That is our intellectual, spiritual heritage.”

6. HIDDEN TRAGEDIES OF DISADVANTAGED (Mission Australia) One of the country’s leading community service organisations, Mission Australia, has called for a wide-ranging national debate on building resilience among Australia’s disadvantaged families. Launching Mission Australia’s Christmas Appeal, Regional Manager for Sydney, John South, said the tragedies of the Bali bombing, and the ongoing drought and bushfire crises, continued to bring out the best in Australian communities – their strength and resilience. “However, other not-so-visible tragedies – in the shape of high unemployment, poverty and social and economic isolation – are robbing many Australian families of their resilience,” he said. “We want all Australians to continue to pull together, in the spirit of our recent national tragedies, and look out for the interests of the 370,000 Australian families where no adult will have a job this Christmas.

7. ‘REVIVAL’ AT THE BBC (Christian Herald) THE BBC has broken new ground by pledging a minimum number of hours for religious programming, in order to “better reflect the values and beliefs of British society.” For the first time, the Corporation has committed itself to 112 hours of religion and ethics programmes a year across BBC1 and BBC2. Head and Religion and Ethics, Alan Bookbinder, said the move signified a ‘real sense of revival’ and pointed to further opportunities for programming across all the BBC’s television services together with BBC Radio and online.

8. SAVE THE CHILDREN IN ZIMBABWE BAN (Christian Herald) President Robert Mugabe has lashed out at charities and international aid agencies working in Zimbabwe for “meddling with our national affairs”, banning Save the Children from distributing food aid in a critical district. The government stopped the charity from handing out food to 55,000 villagers following the defeat of Mugabe’s ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF).

9. CHINESE VISIT UNITED KINGDOM (Christian Herald) A delegation from the People’s Republic of China recently visited the UK to look at the role of religion in British society. The week-long visit was organised through United Bible Societies, Bible Society and the Scottish Bible Society. The Minister of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, Ye Xiaowen, hinted that the Chinese government might support the publication of the Bible. “Culturally speaking, the Bible is a classic and so it is not just for Christians.”

10. WHICH ONE’S JESUS? (Christian Herald) A revolutionary in Che Guevara style, a swarthy Palestinian, pious Caucasian or a laughing Cavalier? Different representations of Jesus went on display at Speakers Corner to launch a new website which aims to help people discover the truth about Christ. The site, supported by a number of Christian denominations and agencies, looks at how Jesus is quoted, misquoted, filmed, written about, worshipped and argued over. Visitors can download a Gospel, pit their wits in a quiz or light a candle in a virtual chapel.

11. NZ WOMEN MAKE FRESH COMMITMENT TO GOD (Challenge Weekly) Instilling strength and dignity in women was the focus of this year’s Sistas conference. More than 1500 women from around New Zealand looked at the “Proverbs 31 Woman” with direction from several female speakers. Held at Christian Life Centre Auckland, pastor Maree de Jong, Christine Caine, Cathy Lechner, Helen Burns, Donna Crouch and Nancy Alcorn shared honestly and openly about their personal struggles while teaching from the Bible. Cooking and entertaining woman, Jo Seager even did an amusing session on entertainment.

12. NZ BOOKSHOPS STOCK UP FOR HALLOWEEN (Challenge Weekly) They have names like Spook Look and Who’s Knocking on My Door? No they are not horror movies, but the latest evangelistic pamphlets currently on the shelves of Christian bookstores in New Zealand. It has been reported that many Christians were giving away Christian booklets or gifts instead of lollies, to their Halloween visitors. These materials are often purchased from Christian Bookshops, many of who have increased their variety and range of stock to cater for an increasing demand, every Halloween.

13. ‘ALTERNATIVE’ CHRISTMAS (Christian Herald) The Churches’ Advertising Network in England, has launched its latest poster and radio campaign to challenge teenagers to think again about God and the real meaning of Christmas. The posters, which follow in the wake of a series of controversial adverts, will be displayed on hoardings around the country and outside local churches. Particularly aimed at 15 to 18-year-olds, this year’s commercials are based on the theme of “Losing The Plot?”

14. CHRISTMAS ADS OFFER AN ESCAPE (Church Times) The Christ-Child is seen forgiving one of the Magi who has left the price tag on his gift, in this year’s Christmas advertisement from the Churches Advertising Network (CAN) in Britain. It was launched on Tuesday at the head office in London of the hoarding company Maiden Outdoor, whose chief executive, Francis Goodwin, chairs CAN. The network is independent, but supported by a wide range of churches. “We are spending around  £12,000 on the campaign. We are making the point that this is a Christian festival; and people can set aside time for reflection, for holiness, for God.” The posters, 5ft by 3ft 4in., will appear at stations in the two weeks before Christmas; and churches and ecumenical groups are being asked to fund five 20- to 30-second radio advertisements, by Radioville, with the message: “Give yourself a break at church this Christmas.”

15. HERE’S TO CHURCH-GOING DADS (EP News Service) According to the Associated Press, University of Virginia sociologist Bradford Wilcox has found that fathers who regularly attend church are more likely to be home for dinner and spend more time with their children than their non-church-attending counterparts. In addition, Wilcox’s research discovered that church-going fathers are especially involved with their children and spend significantly more time with the kids than do those who have no religious affiliation. Wilcox said that churches are the kind of social organisations that give fathers and children more chances to interact. Dads who take their children to church rather than send their children to church are better fathers. Church is good for family life.

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